A few months ago, the Top 7 looked at the 'greatest' athlete falls from grace. Though that could easily be updated now to include Michael Vick higher up on the list (he was 6th…amazing what a couple year prison sentence will do for you), it’s a bit too early to throw that one back out there. Instead, let’s look at something a bit more important—fictional falls from grace. These non-real characters used to be something special, but they are not in as good of a place now, sometimes tragically, sometimes not, sometimes ten years old.

7. Reggie Jackson, Naked Gun

Mr. October went from household name in the late 70s, to a 500 HR man in the 80s, to attempting to kill the queen in one of the most bizarre baseball games of the modern era. To top it off, a 400 pound woman fell out of the upper deck and landed on him, rivaling the pain Vincent Ludwig felt when he was flattened by a bulldozer. [note: reggie scene occurs at 8:30 mark]



6. Worm, Rounders

He and Mike McDermitt ran underground card games in the New York area for several years before Worm went to prison. Once out, he was able to get Mike out of rounding retirement before getting himself into debt with Teddy KGB, and having to leave town. It was a double fall from grace for Worm.



5. Roy Munson, Kingpin

After he won the Iowa amateur championship in 1979, Big Ern McCracken double-crossed him in a bowling match for money, and he lost his hand. He then took to drinking, gaining weight, losing his hair, and hooking up with a nasty landlord.



4. Mark Cooper, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper

A former pro basketball player, Mr. Cooper was cut from the Golden State Warriors. He had to take a job as a substitute teacher before landing a P.E. job. Off topic: remember those books about like “Miss Nelson Has a Field Day” where Viola Swamp was the meanest substitute teacher in the whole wide world? Those books ruled. Not as good as Berenstein Bear books, but still quite awesome. [note: clip includes Michelle Tanner. note #2: notice how freaking hot Holly Robinson is]



3. Tony Micelli, Who’s the Boss?

A former up-and-coming second baseman for the Cardinals, a shoulder injury forced Micelli to retire, where he had to take a job as a housekeeper - and for reasons we were never told, vacuuming Angela Bower's curtains. Incidentally, Tony Danza’s talk show rivals The Magic Hour as far as incredible entertainment goes.



2. Mike Rogers, Saved by the Bell: the College Years

Golic made last week's list for athletes-turned crappy actors and takes home the 2 slot this week thanks to the same show. Just as he did in real life, Golic's character Mike Rogers played for the Oakland Raiders. Unlike real life, Rogers didn't land a crappy acting gig in retirement, he became the R.A. (resident assistant) for the gang's dormitory. Most R.A.'s are hippy stoners or foreign math nerds, Mike Rogers is a retired NFL player who's allergic to monkeys and let Screech temporarily move in with him (Screech wound up washing the dishes in the bathtubas he was scrubbing himself).



1. Henry Rowengartner, Rookie of the Year

After helping the Cubs to a World Series but losing his arm powers, Henry had to return to being a ten-year old boy, wasting any chance at a multimillion dollar career. Later, although unrelated, he was a complete pansy in American Pie.



The Top 7 is written by Jason Major. He fell from grace when Michelle Tanner fell off a horse. Email him at jason@joesportsfan.com