1. Larry Brown: After coaching the Pistons to two successive Eastern Conference crowns and the 2004 NBA title, Brown took his "dream job" in New York only to have it turn into a 23-win nightmare. What a surprise. The questionable, recalcitrant roster was topped by problem child Stephon Marbury, who happened to be a favorite of GM Isiah Thomas and impetuous owner James Dolan. Tuned out by his players and worn out by his hissing match with Marbury, old Larry was done in one, but only after he was left to publicly twist in the wind for weeks while Dolan made the obvious decision about his fate.

2. Dennis Green: Every year, things are going to be different for the Arizona Cardinals. Every year the sad song remains the same. So, new coach Ken Whisenhunt might want to consider the fate of Green -- one of seven men to hold the post since 1986 -- and get out of Phoenix on the next thing going. After posting winning records in nine of his 10 seasons with the Vikings, Green was lured away from ESPN in 2004 by a four-year, $10 million deal to take the helm of a team that has had one winning season since 1984 and a reputation for inept ownership. After a 16-32 record over three seasons that were capped by his memorable eruption after the Cards’ epic el-fold-o against Chicago last October, Green was shown the door.

3. Wayne Gretzky: A managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes since February 2001, when they were on their way to missing the playoffs for the first time in six seasons, The Great One decided to take the coaching reigns before the 2005-06 season and has since presided over two more losing seasons and golf-filled springs. He’s also taken his share of blame for personnel decisions that were blessed by since-axed GM Mike Barnett, been forced to deal with the insubordination of disgruntled forward Jeremy Roenick, and had his name, and that of his wife, dragged into the mud of a gambling ring scandal that included assistant coach Rick Tocchet, who recently pleaded guilty.

4. Lou Piniella: After winning three Western Division titles, an AL-record 116 games in 2001, and prodding the Mariners into the playoffs four times, Lou signed on with the downtrodden Devil Rays, who reneged on their promise to spend on free agents and continued to wallow in the mire of the A.L. East basement, never topping 69 wins. In 2005, Lou begged out of the final season of his four-year sentence. You’d think that would have learned him his lesson. But after a year of chilling out in retirement, he’s back with the perennially-bewitched Cubs and routinely coming off the spool as the team does what it usually does so well: lose.

5. Billy Martin: How did George W. Bush put it? "Fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again." After leading the Yankees to the 1977 World Series title, Billy got himself booted in mid-season the following year in the midst of a public feud with Reggie Jackson and compulsively-meddling owner George Steinbrenner. But Billy couldn’t stay away. He agreed to come back in 1979...and 1983...and 1985...and 1988...each time fooled into believing that things would be different with sparring partner George.