JT vs. LT

Justin Timberlake vs. Lawrence Taylor

Had you parlayed the following two wagers in 1993, the odds would have been about 17,000,000-to-1.

1) In the next sixteen years, the white kid from The Mickey Mouse Club named Justin Timberlake will collaborate and perform with rappers; and
2) In the next sixteen years, Lawrence Taylor will tap dance for money in front of a national TV audience.

Amazingly, both have come to fruition.

Justin Timberlake's career has seen a cataclysmic rise. His unprecedented career path flow chart would look something like this:

The Mickey Mouse Club [garnering only the admiration of girls between the ages of four and nine] ->

Boy band star [natural next step for a career] ->

Performs at the Super Bowl where he purposefully strips Janet Jackson [arguably the turning point of his career] ->

Acting career begins ->

Drops boy band image and collaborates with hip hop and rap stars including the Black Eyed Peas Nelly, and Timbaland ->

Garners the respect of the entire music community and women of all ages.

To summarize, in about 14 years, JT has gone from a prepubescent, Disney-singing dork to an artist respect by artists from all genres. During this time, he has won six Grammy Awards and an Emmy. He has been romantically invloved with Alyssa Milano, Cameron Diaz and Scarlett Johansson (then again, who hasn't).

On the other hand, Lawrence Taylor's career has endured a precipitous drop. His flow chart:

Dominant college career at University of North Carolina prompts New York Giants to select Taylor with the second overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft ->

Wins two Super Bowls and three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards ->

Retiures from the NFL ->

Admits he sent call girls to the hotel room of his opponents the night before games ->

Arrested three times for drug possession ->

Accepts invitation to paticipate on Dancing With the Stars ->

Loses the respect of many.

I cannot believe I am actually typing this, but Taylor went from one of the most feared football players of all time to an ordinary guy doing the flamenco for millions of people on TV.
What a shame.

Which of these guys will be Dancing with the Stars in 2009?