Narcissism is defined as having an excessive love or admiration for oneself. The word comes from the mythological Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and then drowned after staring at it so much. Good lesson to be learned, huh?

The modern, professional athlete is a special breed, one whose superhuman skills bring not only riches but also the nonstop attention of the paparazzi. Many athletes handle the attention modestly and with class. Tim Duncan comes to mind. Brandon Roy scored 50 points in a game last season, then credited his teammates for his performance.

But several athletes take it to another level. They can't get enough face time. They crave the attention. They become standoffish, arrogant and do more to turn people away rather than gain new fans.

So get your popcorn ready. Here's a countdown of the five most arrogant, narcissistic athletes playing professional sports today:

This article appears in Aug 19-25, 2009.