History Main / ICouldaBeenAContender

Compare DreamCrushingHandicap, StageMom, GloryDays, TradeYourPassionForGlory, LifesWorkRuined. WhiteDwarfStarlet is a related phenomenon, where the person got their moment of glory -- it just didn't last long, and the bitterness is tangible. Sometimes associated with JadedWashout. The inversion is AccidentalCelebrity. Compare and contrast GoingHomeAgain, when the character makes it to the big leagues, flunks, and then returns home to reconnect with their roots.

* The prevalence of this in sports films is parodied in ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'', with a film about cricket; the coach is bitter because he used to play cricket for a team that reached the "final of the Ashes", shyeah, but he never found fame, because he bowled a wide.

* One of the [=NPCs=] in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' implies this, claiming that they used to be an adventurer like the PC, [[MemeticMutation but then they took an arrow in the knee]].

{{Retirony}} is especially cruel when it strikes a character down in their prime just as they begin embarking on success and glory. At least the old soldiers in combat made something out of their lives even if they found no peace afterwards. These young souls don't have the opportunity to become somebodies -- they get just a little taste of it before suffering a CareerEndingInjury or when circumstances, including their own deaths, force them to throw it all away. Naturally, this will be right after (or right before) they reach the point that would make them bona fide superstars.

A SuperTrope to ThePeteBest (where they got forced out by others rather than fate).

* Subverted in the movie ''Film/{{Unbreakable}}'', where Bruce Willis's character faked a serious injury after a car accident as an excuse to get out of a promising future football career so he could have a normal life with his fiancée, and then forgot he faked it through the normal process of memory reevaluation and editing, leading to his dissatisfaction with his "lost chance" at greatness in the movie's present time.

* Creator/DwayneJohnson was first known as a talented collegiate footballer who played with the Miami Hurricanes as a Wide Receiver for four seasons. He ultimately never broke through in that sport because also on his team was future Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, who consistently earned the starter position over him. It's fair to say that things ultimately worked out for both men in the end, and Dwayne Johnson has often paid tribute to his footballing roots even as he ultimately became a star in professional wrestling and acting.

* Marty's BadFuture in ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'' includes a car accident which resulted in a hand injury that left him unable to play the guitar.

* Hank Hill in ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' definitely qualifies, albeit a milder example of the trope. He was a star high school running back that brought Arlen High to the Texas state championships, but a busted ankle pretty much ended his chances for the NFL. It's likely that his failure is why he's pushing sports and other activities toward his son. Nevertheless, Hank ended up content with selling propane and propane accessories.

** Homer admired UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy and dreamt of being President one day during his childhood. As a middle-aged man, he remarks that the constant discouragement and contempt he received from his father turned him into [[TheAlcoholic an alcoholic]] and a deadbeat. For similar reasons, he also failed to be a gymnast.

** This is also true of some of the female characters. Marge Simpson, while a dedicated housewife, occasionally wonders about what she gave up to be with Homer; Edna Krabbappel laments her poor love life and her boring job teaching disinterested fourth graders at a terrible school. Even the kids, however talented they may be, are probably stifled by the town and the education system, and Lisa Simpson constantly fears that she will never fulfill her potential.

* Maul in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' cites this as one of his main motivations for revenge, lamenting that all of Sidious' plans have proceeded with him being cast aside and forgotten.

* ''Literature/IveGotYouUnderMySkin'':
** Blue Eyes complains that he could've done anything with his wide skill-set, especially in IT, if it weren't for him [[spoiler:getting arrested for drunk driving by Leo Farley]], which he attributes to screwing up the rest of his life.
** Muriel likes to go on and on and ''on'' about how she could've become a famous actress and/or been the second Mrs Powell and be living the high life right now, if it weren't for her daughter Nina and Betsy screwing everything up (Nina introduced Rob and Betsy, resulting in Rob dumping Muriel for Betsy). Nina thinks that Rob Powell was never that into her in the first place and that she was always a second-rate actress.
** Alison still feels sad and bitter she was never able to follow her dream of becoming a doctor, mostly because she was never able to afford the tuition costs and Betsy prevented her from getting a scholarship that would've resolved this issue. She hopes to use the $300,000 payout she's getting for appearing on a true crime show to cover some of the costs. [[spoiler:In the end, she finally gets to pursue her dream]].
** Downplayed with Leo Farley. He muses that if he hadn't retired he could've made police commissioner of the NYPD and that he misses police work, but then tells himself that protecting his family is much more important to him, he having quit after Blue Eyes murdered his son-in-law and threated to kill his daughter and grandson. Getting the rank of First Deputy Commissioner is also still an impressive achievement and he remains highly respected by the police.

* This happened to KPAX-TV news reporter [[http://weremember.com//jennifer-servo/2z1m/memories Jennifer Servo]]. She was well on her way to realizing her dream of becoming a national TV news anchorwoman until she was murdered in her Abilene, TX apartment a few months after she landed the job.

Compare DreamCrushingHandicap, StageMom, GloryDays, TradeYourPassionForGlory, LifesWorkRuined. WhiteDwarfStarlet is a related phenomenon, where the person got their moment of glory -- it just didn't last long, and the bitterness is tangible. Sometimes associated with JadedWashout. The inversion is AccidentalCelebrity. Cpmpare and contrast GoingHomeAgain, when the character makes it to the big leagues, flunks, and then returns home to reconnect with their roots.

Compare DreamCrushingHandicap, StageMom, GloryDays, TradeYourPassionForGlory, LifesWorkRuined. WhiteDwarfStarlet is a related phenomenon, where the person got their moment of glory -- it just didn't last long, and the bitterness is tangible. Sometimes associated with JadedWashout. The inversion is AccidentalCelebrity. Contrast GoingHomeAgain, when the character makes it to the big leagues, flunks, and then returns home to reconnect with their roots.

Compare DreamCrushingHandicap, StageMom, GloryDays, TradeYourPassionForGlory, LifesWorkRuined. WhiteDwarfStarlet is a related phenomenon, where the person got their moment of glory -- it just didn't last long, and the bitterness is tangible. Sometimes associated with JadedWashout. The inversion is AccidentalCelebrity. Contrast GoingHomeAgain, when the character makes it to the big leagues, flunks, and returns home to reconnect with their roots.

Compare DreamCrushingHandicap, StageMom, GloryDays, TradeYourPassionForGlory, LifesWorkRuined. WhiteDwarfStarlet is a related phenomenon, where the person got their moment of glory -- it just didn't last long, and the bitterness is tangible. Sometimes associated with JadedWashout. The inversion is AccidentalCelebrity.

* Parodied by LetsPlay/{{Markiplier}} in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dcmkufzLto this video]], featuring Mark in a ShowerOfAngst over dropping out of college (Mark makes it very clear the scene was purely RuleOfFunny, and in reality, he does not regret choosing his fans over his degree).

* Similarly, American Julissa Gomez was considered a potential contender for a spot on the 1988 US Olympic team but broke her neck in a vaulting accident at a smaller competition in May of that year. While still hospitalized for the injury, Gomez was accidentally disconnected from her ventilator, and the lack of oxygen caused her to lapse into a vegetative state; she died three years later, never regaining consciousness. However, even if the ventilator accident hadn't happened, her gymnastics career would have been over, as, like Mukhina, it's extremely unlikely she would have ever walked again after the injury.

* Similarly, American Julissa Gomez was considered a potential contender for a spot on the 1988 US Olympic team but broke her neck in a vaulting accident at a smaller competition in May of that year. While still hospitalized for the injury, Gomez was accidentally disconnected from her ventilator, and the lack of oxygen caused her to lapse into a vegetative state; she died three years later, never regaining consciousness. However, even if the ventilator accident hadn't happened, her gymnastics career would have been over, as, like Mukhina, she would almost certainly have never walked again after the injury.

* In a less extreme example, any number of athletes in Olympic sports have lost their chance at the Olympics because of an ill-timed injury. Since the Olympics occur only once every four years, even if the injury wasn't career-ending, that sometimes turns out to be their ''only'' chance at an Olympics, because an athlete who was in the prime of their career leading up to one Olympics may be past his or her peak by the time the next Games comes around. (This is especially true in some sports, like women's gymnastics, where ''most'' athletes' peaks are a few years at most.) Subverted in other cases where athletes have defied a potentially dream-crushing injury to make it back for the next Olympics, such as the case of Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi, who missed the 2016 Olympics -- in which he was favored to medal -- due to injury but came back to win gold in 2021.

* Similarly, American Julissa Gomez was considered a potential contender for a spot on the 1988 US Olympic team but broke her neck in a vaulting accident at a smaller competition in May of that year. While still hospitalized for the injury, Gomez was accidentally disconnected from her ventilator, and the lack of oxygen caused her to lapse into a vegetative state; she died three years later, never regaining consciousness. However, even if the ventilator accident hadn't happened, her athletic career would almost certainly have been over, as she wasn't expected to ever walk again after the injury.

** This is the case for Richard, Duke of York. A good solider and a competent administrator, he decided to press his own claim to the throne after becoming disgusted by the corruption in PuppetKing Henry VI's court. During his stints as Lord Protector under Henry VI, the Duke made much needed reforms and by all accounts was fair and effective, but like many reformers he made more than his share of enemies. He also had a claim to the throne that was technically stronger than Henry's and when he felt threatened by the opposing factions in court, he finally rebelled. He gained much support, especially from his nephew-by-marriage [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] and led the Yorkist faction in the Wars of The Roses. Unfortunately, he was killed at the Battle of Wakefield. His teenage son took up his claim and was eventually crowned UsefulNotes/EdwardIV. Edward was a good king, but he was young and [[BoisterousBruiser hot-blooded]] and did things like MarryForLove and run a DecadentCourt. Most historians agree that if his more mature father had won the crown, history would have been very different.
** [[FanCommunityNickname Ricardians]] argue this is the case for UsefulNotes/RichardIII, who was Richard of York's youngest son and the kid brother of Edward IV. Regardless of how [[RulesLawyer he took the throne]] and the aggressive way he tried to protect it, Richard was a fair king who made much-needed legal reforms that benefited the common people, owned an extensive library of books that he actual read and was a WarriorKing. His death at the Battle of Bosworth led to the ascension of the Tudors and the eventual reign of wife-killer and monastery-burner UsefulNotes/HenryVIII. Given that Richard was in the process of making an alliance with Portugal at the time of his death, the entire history of the sixteenth and seventeenth century would have been different had he been victorious.

** This is the case for Richard, Duke of York both in his own time and by many historians today. A good solider and a competent administrator, he decided to press his own claim to the throne after becoming disgusted by the corruption in PuppetKing Henry VI's court. During his stints as Lord Protector under Henry VI, the Duke made much needed reforms and by all accounts was fair and effective, but like many reformers he made more than his share of enemies. He also had a claim to the throne that was technically stronger than Henry's and when he felt threatened by the opposing factions in court, he finally rebelled. He gained much support, especially from his nephew-by-marriage [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] and led the Yorkist faction in the Wars of The Roses. Unfortunately, he was killed at the Battle of Wakefield. His teenage son took up his claim and was eventually crowned UsefulNotes/EdwardIV. Edward was a good king, but he was young and [[BoisterousBruiser hot-blooded]] and did things like MarryForLove and run a DecadentCourt. Most historians agree that if his more mature father had won the crown, history would have been very different.

** This is the case for Richard, Duke of York both in his own time and by many historians today. A good solider, and a competent administrator, he decided to press his own claim to the throne after becoming disgusted by the corruption in Puppet King Henry VI's court. During his stints as Lord Protector under Henry VI, the Duke made much needed reforms and by all accounts was a competent and fair administrator, but like many reformers he made more than his share of enemies. He also had a claim to the throne that was technically stronger than Henry's and when he felt threatened by the opposing factions in court, he finally rebelled. He gained much support, especially from his nephew-by-marriage [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] and led the Yorkist faction in the Wars of The Roses. Unfortunately, he was killed at the Battle of Wakefield. His teenage son took up his claim and was eventually crowned UsefulNotes/EdwardIV. Historians agree that Edward was a good king, but he was young and [[BoisterousBruiser hot-blooded]] and did things like MarryForLove and run a DecadentCourt. Most historians agree that if his more mature father had won the crown, history would have been very different.
** [[FanCommunityNickname Ricardians]] argue this is the case for UsefulNotes/RichardIII, who was Richard of York's youngest son and the kid brother of Edward IV. Regardless of how he took the throne and the aggressive way he tried to protect it, Richard was a fair king who made much-needed legal reforms that benefited the common people, owned an extensive library of books that he actual read and was a WarriorKing. His death at the Battle of Bosworth

** The most famous example in English history is Edward the Black Prince, heir to King Edward III, a key commander at the Battle of Crecy during UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar, seen by many as the "flower of chivalry". He died in his 40s, a year before his father, and the reign passed to his young son, UsefulNotes/RichardII. Indeed, historians note that the Black Prince's death and the SuccessionCrisis that stemmed from the UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses could have been averted had the Prince lived longer.

{{Retirony}} is especially cruel when it strikes a character down in their prime just as they begin embarking on success and glory. At least the old soldiers in combat made something out of their lives even if they found no peace afterwards. These young souls don't have the opportunity to become somebodies -- they get just a little taste of it before suffering a CareerEndingInjury or when circumstances, including death, force them to throw it all away. Naturally, this will be right after (or right before) they reach the point that would make them bona fide superstars.

Compare DreamCrushingHandicap, StageMom, GloryDays, TradeYourPassionForGlory, LifesWorkRuined. WhiteDwarfStarlet is a related phenomenon, where the person got their moment of glory -- it just didn't last long, and the bitterness is tangible. Sometimes associated with JadedWashout.

->'''Charley Malloy:''' Look, kid, I -- how much you weigh, Slick? When you weighed one hundred and sixty-eight pounds you were beautiful. You coulda been another Billy Conn, and that skunk we got you for a manager, he brought you along too fast.\\
'''Terry Malloy:''' It wasn't him, Charley, it was you. Remember that night in the Garden you came down to my dressing room and you said, "Kid, this ain't your night. We're going for the price on Wilson." You remember that? "This ain't your night"! My night! I coulda taken Wilson apart! So what happens? He gets the title shot outdoors on the ballpark and what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palooka-ville! You was my brother, Charley, you shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit so I wouldn't have to take them dives for the short-end money.\\
'''Charley Malloy:''' Oh I had some bets down for you. You saw some money.\\
'''Terry Malloy:''' You don't understand. I coulda had class. [[TropeNamers I coulda been a contender!]] I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley.