Seriously?
Ever since professional athletes started to earn ridiculous amounts of money, it has been somewhat comical to see some of the items that they’ve purchased. From elaborate mansions to odd vehicles to bizarre lifestyles, professional athletes simply have too much money and too much time on their hands.
Let’s take a look at 10 of the “Weirdest” purchases made by NFL players.
Terrell Owens – Bingo Hall
We all know that casinos basically print their own money, but due to rules about gambling athletes tend to steer clear of casinos. But what about Bingo halls? If you’re Terrell Owens, a Bingo hall seems like a good investment. However, looks can be deceiving. Owens is another in a long line of athletes who blew through his earnings and ended up almost bankrupt. The Bingo Hall certainly contributed to that. Owens invested $2 million, but it was illegal in Georgia and T.O. lost all of his investment. B-I-N-G-O, more like B-I-N-G-broke!
Vince Young – A Southwest Flight
Vince Young did not have a very long playing career. He only played 60 games over a 6-year period but did manage to earn over $26 million in guaranteed money. While common sense would dictate being careful with one’s finances, Vince Young ended up bankrupt. Despite spending large amounts of cash at various restaurants, the biggest waste of money came while traveling. According to reports, Young once bought out an entire Southwest Airlines flight because he wanted privacy. The estimated price tag for the flight was about $12,000. Apparently, he has never heard of First Class.
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Chad Ochocinco – Semi-Truck
Chad Ochocinco is no stranger to weird purchases (keep reading), but this is one of his more bizarre ones. What does one who has way too much money buy themselves for their 32nd birthday? If you’re Ochocinco, you buy yourself a $100,000 semi-truck, complete with his name engraved near the door. In 2010 the attention-loving wide receiver even drove the truck to a game against the Jets, proving two things – he knows how to make an entrance and he knows how to waste money on a weird purchase.
Arian Foster – Segways for the Offensive Line
Running backs and quarterbacks often take care of their offensive lines with a variety of gifts: remember when Dan Marino took “care of the hands that took care of him” by purchasing the O-line Isotoner gloves? Running back Arian Foster decided to thank his offensive line by buying each of them a Segway. While it’s not a selfish, extravagant expense, it seems that Foster could’ve found a better way to thank his teammates. Perhaps a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant or engraved watches would’ve made a better gift because the Segway idea seems a tad bizarre.
Antonio Garay – Hello Kitty Smart Car
Over the years numerous professional athletes have pulled into their stadium parking lots in rare and expensive automobiles. That is not a usual site. What is unusual is seeing a 6’4”, 320-pound defensive tackle pulling into the parking lot in a Hello Kitty Smart Car, but that is what Antonio Garay chose to spend his money on. While Smart Car and Hello Kitty decals are not an expensive purchase, it certainly falls under the “Weird” category.
Warren Sapp – A Whole Lot of Nothing
Professional athletes spending vast amounts of money on bizarre and unnecessary purchases, like many on our list, is nothing uncommon. Spending a large sum of money on garbage is another story. Over the course of his 13-year career in the NFL, Warren Sapp earned $82 million but was left with just about $800 in his bank account. What did Sapp spend his money on? A whole lot of nothing that included 240 pairs of Nike, watches, and a lion skin rug – items that no one really needs. While it wasn’t one purchase that did Sapp in, it was his unbridled spending that earned him a spot on our list.
Chad Ochocinco – Pet Tiger
Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Over 65 million households in the U.S. own dogs and over 46 million households have cats. You know what almost no households have? Pet tigers. Unless of course, that house is owned by Chad Ochocinco. There’s a reason for that – Ochocinco is either insane or he took playing for the Bengals a bit too literally. Regardless, paying for the acquisition, housing, feeding, and care of a tiger seems like an exorbitant amount of money. Perhaps he was attempting to become the original Tiger King, but regardless, buying a tiger lands Ochocinco on our list for a second time.
Darnell Dockett – Pet Alligator
Darnell Dockett is another example of a pro football player making a relatively inexpensive but weird purchase – not one, but two alligators. He purchased his first pet alligator in 2011 and bought a second one in 2014. Apparently his first gator needed a friend. Personally, I can’t understand the fascination with having a pet that could kill me, but Dockett, and Chad “Tiger King” Ochocinco, are perfect examples of people with too much money to spend and no one to tell them “No”. Weird doesn’t even begin to describe Darnell Dockett’s use of his money on this one.
Fred Smoot – The Love Boat
If you haven’t heard this story before, you might want to take a seat before reading it. In 2005, Minnesota Vikings cornerback Fred Smoot, along with several of his teammates, rented a boat and hired prostitutes for an orgy. While he’s denied planning the orgy, Smoot pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and other charges, was fined by the court and NFL, and ordered to perform community service. If this doesn’t qualify as a weird use of money, I’m not sure what does.
Chad Ochocinco – Fish Tank Bed
Leave it to a person like Chad Ochocinco to make our list not once, not twice, but three times! As if buying a semi-truck and a pet tiger wasn’t enough, Ochocinco also wasted money on a fish tank bed. You read right. Ochocinco hired the guys from the “Tanked” TV show to make him a custom-built fish tank in his bed. He had an extra-large custom-built aquarium placed into his headboard. Perhaps the sound of the aquarium helped soothe him as he fell asleep, but it’s a purchase nobody needs. With a leading three purchases on our list, it seems that Chad Ochocinco is the “King of the Weird Purchases.”
