The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. He holds the most records in the NHL, 63 if memory serves me correctly. He scored 50 goals in 39 games. A distant second would be Sydney Crosby, the only player to win cosecutive Conn Smythe trophies. A turd choice would be Orenthal James Simpson, the greatest running back of all time, 2000 yards ina 14 game season on a P.O.C team despite being an acquitted murderer.
One name says it all...Guy! And for those of you who don't know "Le Démon Blond" or "The Flower"...he was amazing...first person to score 50 goals and 100 points in 6 consecutive seasons! He was my idol and even more importantly, the ultimate nemesis to my much-hated rival, the Boston Bruins. Got a chance to play against him in pro-am 8 years back...greatest day of my life! And yes, I'm including my wedding day and my two daughter's birthdays (they are not subscribers :)) May he rest in peace, and one last time Guy! Guy! Guy!
Donnie Baseball for me too! Did you know I named my oldest daughter Mattingly, after the Hit Man? Happened to be in Scottsdale in March 2010 and brought along some baseballs, a baby Yankee jersey with his number 23 emblazoned across the back, and just for hits and giggles, my daughter’s birth certificate, since Donnie was then managing the Dodgers, and had spring training nearby. My wife and I attended a game, and during warmups Don Mattingly came out to sign stuff. We were a few rows back, and it looked like he was about to leave when my wife yelled out “My daughter’s name is Mattingly”! Donnie looked up and said “who said that?” The crowd parted like the Red Sea to let us down to get our stuff signed. Mr. Mattingly told us this was the very first time he had been asked to sign a birth certificate since his kids were born. We chatted for a bit and he was humble, and said he hoped he lived up to our image of him, for our daughter’s sake. Great guy!
I was a long-suffering Minnesota Twins fan as I was growing up, so of course I revered future Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett when he led them to a pair of World Series titles in 1987 and 1991. I later learned, of course, that maybe our idols aren't always the kind of people off the field that you'd really want to know. But I loved watching him play.
Rod Langway. He saved hockey in the nation's capital. He moved this former Broad Street Bullies fan into realizing the beauty of hockey, rather than the brutality. I really enjoyed the Secretary of Defense, an honor he earned, rather than by being a political appointee.
Ok, fair enough, I'll explain. Griffey kept baseball alive in Seattle and played the game with such joy. It was a treat to see him play. He was good at every aspect of the game.
Alan Trammell, Detroit Tigers shortstop. He was like Ripken in my backyard. Durable, dependable, clutch hitter, and played uncomplainingly through injury (which didn't help his lifetime BA). He was humble and never drew attention, plus holds the record with 2B Lou Whitaker for most double plays as a duo which I don't see being broken soon.
I'm a hockey guy and a Montreal native, so of course that's where I go for my favourite athlete. It's Larry "Big Bird" Robinson, a star among stars on that great defense for the last Canadiens dynasty, in the late 1970s. He was a star well into the 1980s, though. There wasn't anything that Robinson couldn't do. He could shut down the other team's best offensive players. He produced a ton of offense himself. And, though he was slow to anger, look out when he did get mad. Former Boston Bruins coach Don Cherry famously told his team, "DON'T get him angry". Legendary Philadelphia Flyers tough guy Dave Schultz found that out the hard way.
A close second to Big Bird? Walter Payton. The first NFL game I ever saw on tv, back in the mid-1970s, I watched as Payton broke off a huge run against some team I can't even remember. I said, "I'm going to cheer for him and his team", and I've been a Bears fan ever since.
It's tough, but if I had to choose one, it'd probably be Curtis Joseph. His goalie mask was sick (with the Cujo rabbid dog of Stephen King lore) and my dad took us to Play It Again Sports to buy road hockey gear and the pads we got were in the same style as Curtis Joesph's blue, black, and white pads but produced by Bauer for road hockey as well as a Bauer goalie stick (that my parents still now use in their backyard garden lol). Proudly took them to school when were playing floor hockey for my grade five gym class, went into the net, and immediately began to concede goal after goal after goal. Had to pass the pads to other teammates and become a centre where, suprisingly, I was an aggressive go to the front of the net, dirty areas forward who scored more than a few goals.
I’m going to break the rules and enter a second favorite athlete of all time, but only one at a time. My first favorite was Don Mattingly, like yours, so I get a redo, ok?
My other favorite is Roger Federer. His accomplishments and career are extraordinary and almost unequalled in the long history of professional tennis. Not much to say about him that hasn’t already been said, so I’ll leave it at that
Lionel Andrés Messi, the best futbol (soccer) player of the history, he changed the game, changes everything, I feel truly blessed to be alive in the same time as he is...
Walter Payton - understated perfection. Also a great human being off the field as exemplified by the NFL naming one of their most prestigious awards after him, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Mine is Tom Brady. But not for all the incredible records he holds or the amount of Super Bowls he won. It’s for being the ultimate team player. When QB’s like Peyton Manning were being paid huge amounts of money each year, Tom Brady, took much less so the Patriots could afford to pay for more weapons, aka role players, to help TB win games with his teammates. He brought the best out in his teammates because he demanded that of himself. So while I greatly appreciate Tom Brady, the GOAT, I appreciate even more Tom Brady the Patriots player who cared more about his team’s success than about his personal success.
Willie Mays. In my generation it’s Willie, Johnny Unitas, Hank Aaron. Growing up, we all wanted to be like them.
The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. He holds the most records in the NHL, 63 if memory serves me correctly. He scored 50 goals in 39 games. A distant second would be Sydney Crosby, the only player to win cosecutive Conn Smythe trophies. A turd choice would be Orenthal James Simpson, the greatest running back of all time, 2000 yards ina 14 game season on a P.O.C team despite being an acquitted murderer.
One name says it all...Guy! And for those of you who don't know "Le Démon Blond" or "The Flower"...he was amazing...first person to score 50 goals and 100 points in 6 consecutive seasons! He was my idol and even more importantly, the ultimate nemesis to my much-hated rival, the Boston Bruins. Got a chance to play against him in pro-am 8 years back...greatest day of my life! And yes, I'm including my wedding day and my two daughter's birthdays (they are not subscribers :)) May he rest in peace, and one last time Guy! Guy! Guy!
Donnie Baseball for me too! Did you know I named my oldest daughter Mattingly, after the Hit Man? Happened to be in Scottsdale in March 2010 and brought along some baseballs, a baby Yankee jersey with his number 23 emblazoned across the back, and just for hits and giggles, my daughter’s birth certificate, since Donnie was then managing the Dodgers, and had spring training nearby. My wife and I attended a game, and during warmups Don Mattingly came out to sign stuff. We were a few rows back, and it looked like he was about to leave when my wife yelled out “My daughter’s name is Mattingly”! Donnie looked up and said “who said that?” The crowd parted like the Red Sea to let us down to get our stuff signed. Mr. Mattingly told us this was the very first time he had been asked to sign a birth certificate since his kids were born. We chatted for a bit and he was humble, and said he hoped he lived up to our image of him, for our daughter’s sake. Great guy!
I was a long-suffering Minnesota Twins fan as I was growing up, so of course I revered future Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett when he led them to a pair of World Series titles in 1987 and 1991. I later learned, of course, that maybe our idols aren't always the kind of people off the field that you'd really want to know. But I loved watching him play.
Rod Langway. He saved hockey in the nation's capital. He moved this former Broad Street Bullies fan into realizing the beauty of hockey, rather than the brutality. I really enjoyed the Secretary of Defense, an honor he earned, rather than by being a political appointee.
Jerry Rice—the king of receivers and scoring TDs. Close second is Allen Iverson—best pound-for-pound basketball player ever.
Ken Griffey Jr. No explanation needed.
Ok, fair enough, I'll explain. Griffey kept baseball alive in Seattle and played the game with such joy. It was a treat to see him play. He was good at every aspect of the game.
Alan Trammell, Detroit Tigers shortstop. He was like Ripken in my backyard. Durable, dependable, clutch hitter, and played uncomplainingly through injury (which didn't help his lifetime BA). He was humble and never drew attention, plus holds the record with 2B Lou Whitaker for most double plays as a duo which I don't see being broken soon.
I should add he was finally, fittingly voted into the HOF in 2018.
I'm a hockey guy and a Montreal native, so of course that's where I go for my favourite athlete. It's Larry "Big Bird" Robinson, a star among stars on that great defense for the last Canadiens dynasty, in the late 1970s. He was a star well into the 1980s, though. There wasn't anything that Robinson couldn't do. He could shut down the other team's best offensive players. He produced a ton of offense himself. And, though he was slow to anger, look out when he did get mad. Former Boston Bruins coach Don Cherry famously told his team, "DON'T get him angry". Legendary Philadelphia Flyers tough guy Dave Schultz found that out the hard way.
A close second to Big Bird? Walter Payton. The first NFL game I ever saw on tv, back in the mid-1970s, I watched as Payton broke off a huge run against some team I can't even remember. I said, "I'm going to cheer for him and his team", and I've been a Bears fan ever since.
It's tough, but if I had to choose one, it'd probably be Curtis Joseph. His goalie mask was sick (with the Cujo rabbid dog of Stephen King lore) and my dad took us to Play It Again Sports to buy road hockey gear and the pads we got were in the same style as Curtis Joesph's blue, black, and white pads but produced by Bauer for road hockey as well as a Bauer goalie stick (that my parents still now use in their backyard garden lol). Proudly took them to school when were playing floor hockey for my grade five gym class, went into the net, and immediately began to concede goal after goal after goal. Had to pass the pads to other teammates and become a centre where, suprisingly, I was an aggressive go to the front of the net, dirty areas forward who scored more than a few goals.
I’m going to break the rules and enter a second favorite athlete of all time, but only one at a time. My first favorite was Don Mattingly, like yours, so I get a redo, ok?
My other favorite is Roger Federer. His accomplishments and career are extraordinary and almost unequalled in the long history of professional tennis. Not much to say about him that hasn’t already been said, so I’ll leave it at that
Lionel Andrés Messi, the best futbol (soccer) player of the history, he changed the game, changes everything, I feel truly blessed to be alive in the same time as he is...
Brooks Robinson. Johnny Unitas second.
Walter Payton - understated perfection. Also a great human being off the field as exemplified by the NFL naming one of their most prestigious awards after him, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Mine is Tom Brady. But not for all the incredible records he holds or the amount of Super Bowls he won. It’s for being the ultimate team player. When QB’s like Peyton Manning were being paid huge amounts of money each year, Tom Brady, took much less so the Patriots could afford to pay for more weapons, aka role players, to help TB win games with his teammates. He brought the best out in his teammates because he demanded that of himself. So while I greatly appreciate Tom Brady, the GOAT, I appreciate even more Tom Brady the Patriots player who cared more about his team’s success than about his personal success.