#25: Roger Staubach.
Commentary:
If you were a child of the 1970's who loved football, there's a strong chance
you dreamed of being Roger Staubach when you grew up. Whether you loved the
Dallas Cowboys or hated 'em, 'Captain America' was fun to watch...........and
one heck of a quarterback as well. Super Bowl 13 (Pittsburgh vs. Dallas) stands
as the most vivid and entertaining championship football game from my
childhood.
#24: Andre Agassi
Commentary: I'll be the
first to admit I wasn't a fan of Agassi's at the start of his career (Remember
the vain 'Image is everything' ad campaign?), but as time passed, he won me
over. Agassi's baseline game was incomparable, and he produced countless shots
over the years that got me jumping out of my chair. His quarterfinal battle vs.
Pistol Pete in the 2001 U.S. Open (Sampras won 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6) remains one
of the most entertaining matches of my lifetime.
#23: Terry Bradshaw
Commentary: The Pittsburgh
Steelers of the 1970's were a team for the ages, and I was fascinated by their
leader under center. The long bombs to Swann and Stallworth are memories that
will be forever etched in my brain, along with Bradshaw coming off the field
with his index finger in the air after Pittsburgh beat the Rams in Super Bowl
14. Teaser: The list has a half dozen signal callers in all, with the third of
those six upcoming next.
#22: Peyton Manning
Commentary: The combination
of his magnificent QB play, the funny commercials ('Cut that meat! Cut that
meat!'), and the impression that he was an all-around good guy pushed Peyton
from 'Honorable Mention' status into the top 25. I'm not a Colts fan, but I
went out of my way to watch their games in the 2000's countless times, simply
because I was a fan of Manning. Now go celebrate Peyton's inclusion in the list
by having a chicken parm and humming the song. You know you want to.
#21: Pete Rose
Commentary: Charlie Hustle's
44 game hitting streak mesmerized me in the summer of '78, but I of course knew
who Pete Rose was before he made his historical run at DiMaggio's mark. His
offensive prowess, the all out effort he brought to every contest, the fact he
played on the Big Red Machine, and the longevity of his career were the key
factors that enabled him to break into the top 25.
#20: Tony Dorsett
Commentary: 'America's Team'
was on national t.v. a whole lot in the 70's and 80's, so if you were a
football fan you really couldn't miss them or their star running back. I
remember being in awe of Dorsett's speed and ability to juke would be tacklers,
as well as spending time in the backyard trying to emulate his moves (and
failing miserably). Teaser: Dorsett is the first of three running backs on the
list, with the second one coming next
Commentary: This man
terrorized NFL defenders in the late 70's/early 80's and to say I was in awe of
his power and athleticism would be an understatement. Ten year old me was
thoroughly convinced Earl could smash through a brick wall if it stood between
him and the goal line, and 48 year old me really hasn't wavered much from that
belief. Pre injury Bo Jackson and in his prime Earl Campbell were about as good
as it gets when it comes to brute strength at the running back position in my
book.
#18: Reggie Jackson
Commentary: I'm a bit too
young to remember Reggie with the A's, but the memories I have of him with the Yankees
and Angels remain vivid in my mind. The three homer performance in game six of
the '77 Series was a jaw dropper (literally), and there was high drama when
Welch struck him out in game two of the Series the next year as well. In short,
I didn't leave the room when Reggie stepped into the batter's box, because I
was afraid I'd miss something spectacular.
#17: Jimmy Connors
Commentary: To say this guy
had plenty of fight in him would be a vast understatement. Jimmy really won me
over when he defeated one of my all-time sports villains (Ivan Lendl) in back
to back U.S. Open finals ('82 and '83). Of course his magical run in the '91
Open captivated myself and countless others and one moment from his fourth
round match that year remains the single most incredible point I've ever seen
on a tennis court (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ubnh3vd5qk). I rooted for
him in every match, sans the times he was playing a certain fellow American
left-hander. Sidenote: 'Jimmy Connors Saved My Life' by Joel Drucker is a must
read for any and all Jimbo fans out there.
#16: Joe Montana
Commentary:
17 year old me felt 'Joe Cool' had the perfect life in 1984: Quarterback of the
best team in the league, millions of dollars in the bank, countless adoring
fans, and a beautiful wife as well. Montana led San Francisco to four Super
Bowl titles and had a remarkable career. I watched the 92 yard drive he led to
win his third ring (Super Bowl 23) over the 'Who Dey' Bengals in my college
dorm room, and it remains my favorite Montana related memory.
#15: Dan Marino
#14: George Brett
Commentary: His timing
really couldn't have been better: Brett's rise to stardom began right at the
time I was old enough to understand what I was seeing and his greatness lasted
until I graduated from college. 12 year old me followed his run at .400 in the
summer of '80, and when he finally got his ring in '85, I was overjoyed for
him. Along with the .390 season, my most vivid Brett memories are his playoff
heroics vs. the Yankees, his brawl with Nettles in the '77 ALCS, the news of
his infamous battle with hemorrhoids during the '80 Series, and his maniacal
run from the dugout in the Pine Tar game.
#13: Rod Carew
Commentary: Dude. Could.
RAKE. When his Twins (and later, Angels) were on television, I did everything I
could to make sure I was watching. His swing was so smooth, so productive,
so....................Rodney Cline. Carew won four straight batting titles from
'72-'75, then won two more in '77 and '78, a stat I still find astounding. 11
year old me couldn't understand how or why Minnesota let him get away (although
I was relieved he landed in California and not in Yankee pinstripes),
especially just one year after the man hit .388! I've watched a ton of baseball
games over the years and he's one of only a handful of guys that, when he
stepped into the batter's box, made me feel a base hit was imminent.
#12: Scottie Pippen
Commentary: Pippen was the
jelly to MJ's peanut butter and a wonderful player in his own right. The
defensive quickness and how a steal could translate to a fast break score in a
blink was my favorite part of Scottie's game. Bulls' games were an *event* in
my life from the mid 80's 'til the championship team broke up in '97. Without
#33 on the scene over those years, the whole MJ narrative that sports fans know
so well could (would?) be a whole lot different than what it is today.
#11: Mike Schmidt
Commentary: Schmidt wreaked
havoc on N.L. pitchers throughout his career. In fact, I saw him as the Babe
Ruth of the 1970's/80's through my childhood lens. 50 of his homers were hit in
Wrigley Field (a pair of which came in the epic 23-22 game) and he had 124
career RBI's in the Friendly Confines as well. The ultimate Cub killer didn't
leave me angry though. Rather, he left me full of awe and envy. Schmidt and
Brett at the hot corner and in their primes during my childhood = One lucky,
spoiled baseball fan in Aurora, Illinois.
#10: Pedro Martinez
Commentary: Over the course of the 1999 and 2000
seasons, Pedro reached an absurd level of excellence on the mound, leaving me
in absolute awe. I did my best to watch him as often as possible for
approximately 6-7 years of his career because I knew at the time that what I
was seeing was beyond special. His performance in the 1999 All-Star game is a
personal favorite, along with his 17 strikeout/one hitter against the Yankees
that same season. The Red Sox/Yankee rivalry was in full fledged hate mode
during that time period and Pedro was an integral part, with the highlight
(lowlight?) coming the time a 70 something year old man tried to chase him down
on the diamond in 2003. What it was all about more than anything else for me
though was the fact I absolutely *loved* watching this man pitch.
Commentary: At some point in
the mid 70's I became old enough to understand the basics of sports. At that
time, there was an average sized man who was the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. I witnessed this man running
around in circles while being chased by very large, mean looking men who wanted
to tackle him, yet time and again he would completely outwit them by eluding
their grasp and completing a pass to a teammate or running for a first down. I
became infatuated with this man because he was so different from his peers, who
were mostly drop back passers. His jersey was also my favorite color, and on
top of it all he was very good at what he did for a living. In short, Fran
Tarkenton was my very first sports hero.
#8: Magic Johnson
Commentary: I don't recall
watching the Magic vs. Bird NCAA title game, thus Showtime's leader first
caught my eye when I read about how he led his team to victory over the 76'ers
in the 1980 Finals. The Lakers/Celtics rivalry drew me completely into the NBA
shortly thereafter, and Magic was my favorite player until #23 arrived in
Chicago in '84. Johnson's incomparable passing ability, upbeat personality, and
the success his Lakers achieved were the ways he won me over. The shock of his
HIV-positive announcement is one of those 'Remember where you were at the
moment you heard' snapshots of my life; I was convinced he'd be dead within 3-5
years after hearing it. Magic obviously was an incredible basketball player and
again, timing was on my side in that I was old enough to understand what was
happening as his whole career unfolded before my eyes.
#7: Tiger Woods
Commentary: I watched very
little golf before Tiger Woods; I do have memories of watching a handful of
players before his professional career began (Watson, Nicklaus, Norman, Faldo),
but other than Jack's '86 Masters win those memories are spotty at best.
Tiger's arrival on the scene changed everything for me when it came to golf;
that arrival occurred for myself (and countless others) with the stunning
Masters win in '97. As with all of the athletes in this top ten, if I knew he'd
be on t.v. I would arrange my personal schedule so that I could watch him
perform. It's safe to say that if I were a golf nut before Tiger's arrival,
he'd be ranked higher. However, the fact an athlete from a sport of only mild
personal interest made this top ten list is a testament to the awesomeness of
Tiger.
#6: Roger Federer
Commentary: It's good to be
the king. The Swiss Maestro was just that for the bulk of the 2000's, to the
point where I'd do a double take when he actually lost a match. While it's true
he dominated, it was his accompanying silky smooth style of play that drew me
and so many others to him. The 2008 Wimbledon final is the greatest match I've
ever watched and despite the loss, I classify it as one of Roger's finest
performances. His win over Andy Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon final was a great
match as well, and when Fed won Wimbledon in 2012 I was overjoyed for him. As
his incomparable career winds down I'm cherishing the times I see him on court
these days because I most certainly do not expect to ever see another tennis
player even remotely like Roger Federer ever again.
#5: Rafael Nadal
Commentary: In 2005 I
watched a 19 year old kid win the French Open. I was impressed, but wasn't
hooked as a mega fan........yet. A few years later came the 2008 Wimbledon
final vs. Federer, a match I never really thought Nadal would win until he
actually *did* come out on top, 9-7 in the fifth. My infatuation with him began
over the course of that historic final. From that point on, his matches became
mega events in my home, with me yelling, 'RAFA!' at the end of big points that
went his way. I'd root for him so intensely that tears of joy would fall more often
than not when he came out on top at the end of big matches, *especially* those
vs. Djokovic. My (un?)healthy obsession with Rafael Nadal tennis matches
probably won't last much longer though, as he's nearing the end of his
wonderful career. Alas, I'm sure I have a few more 'Vamos!' yells in me before
he hangs up his racket for good. Long live the King of Clay, in the tennis
world and beyond.
#4: Walter Payton
Commentary: My first
memories of Sweetness come from a mid 70's game in which he catapulted over the
pile at the goal line to score a touchdown. I also remember him being the
Bears' entire offense in the 70's, with the most extreme example coming
11/20/77: Payton carried the ball 40 times for 275 yards that day, while Bob
Avellini attempted six passes the entire game. His running style was unique,
powerful, and effective; when he would kick those legs up in mid run, it felt
like poetry in motion. Sweetness got his Super Bowl ring with the '85 team, but
felt cheated because he didn't score a TD in the big game. Two years later
there was the famous shot of him on the bench with his head in his hands
immediately after the '87 playoff loss to the Redskins, the last game of his
career. A dozen years after that he was gone at age 45, which I still find hard
to believe. The man could run, block, catch, and even throw.
Walter Jerry Payton is the single greatest football
player I've ever seen.
#3: Ryne Sandberg
Commentary: Forget
adoration: 16 year old me wanted to *be* Ryne Sandberg when I grew up. The
everyday nature of baseball meant I got to watch a whole lot of Ryno in action
over the years. It was his defense in particular that amazed me; so smooth, so
guile, so................error free (nine Gold Gloves!). I watched 'The
Sandberg Game' with my friend Todd Hayden in my parents' living room in June of
'84 and I recall both of us yelling, screaming, and running all over the house
after he hit each of the two homers to tie the contest. I especially loved how
Harry Caray would heap praise on him, day after day, game after game. His 40
homer season in 1990 was something to behold, especially coming from a second
baseman. To me, Sandberg was the real
life version of 'The Natural', and he is unquestionably my all-time baseball
idol.
Commentary: Yes, he had a
horrible temper. Yes, he could act like a jerk on the court. I didn't care then
and I DON'T. CARE. NOW. McEnroe's talent was what drew me to him. The rocking
serve motion, the quick hands at the net, and his overall touch and precision
were all mystifying to me. The '80 Wimbledon final was the moment I fell in
love with the sport of tennis and the love affair continues to this day. My
favorite McEnroe matches (outside of the aforementioned classic) were every
time he topped Ivan Lendl, his '81 Wimbledon triumph over Borg, his marathon
Davis Cup win over Wilander in '82 (six hours!), and his five set victory over
Connors at the U.S. Open in '84, the culmination of the greatest day of tennis
of my life (http://2014.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2014-09-06/the_most_super_saturday_of_them_all.html?promo=rss).
These days I enjoy his insightful commentary during big matches and also watch
him play against other retired greats in the Power Share series. Thanks to
youtube I'm able to go back in time and enjoy his old matches at my leisure and
I must say, it still tickles me every time he beats Lendl!
#1: Michael Jordan
Commentary: I saw MJ hit the
winning shot in the '82 NCAA title game, but he fully entered my radar when I
saw him throw down a mind blowing dunk in a game vs. Maryland in '84
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMOlqgoHgPE). When he landed on the Bulls in
the '84 draft I was tickled, but of course I had no idea just how good he'd
turn out to be. By the time '87 or so rolled around Bulls games had become full
fledged events in my life and my best guess is I watched about 95% of their
games from that point forward. 'The Shot' against Cleveland in the '89 playoffs
was a landmark moment, but there were oh so many more. When they finally downed
the Pistons in the '91 Eastern Conference Finals I was elated. When they beat
the Lakers in the ensuing Finals and showed MJ hugging that trophy, it was the
first time I cried tears of joy for a sports related event. The tears flowed
again with the ensuing titles, with a special moment that saw exuberant father
(my Dad) embrace emotional son (30 year old me) seconds after the '98 Finals
were in the books in there as well. The commercials, the incredible
athleticism, the dominant performances, the drive to win, the six
trophies.........it was all a dream come true for this lifelong sports fan.
I've never rooted so passionately, so frequently, or had the ultimate level of
emotional investment in an athlete as I had for Michael Jeffrey Jordan.
