I am bored so I am going to write a post for all of you out there to debate.
This post will be the nominees with a future post narrowing it down to the final 4 for each category and finally the winners.
Not my own, this comes from Mike Missanelli on 97.5 The Fan
-Top 4 Philly sports athletes
-Current and at least 1 old school guy
-Categories: Best Athlete, Fattest, Biggest Pretty Boy, Biggest Bust (Draft or Free Agent), Most Clutch, Toughest, Most Philly, Most Hated
Best Athlete Nominees:
Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Terrell Owens, DeSean Jackson, Brian Dawkins, Randall Cunningham, Reggie White, Jayson Werth, Jimmy Rollins, Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Allen Iverson, Andre Iguodala
Fattest Nominees:
Hollis Thomas, Corey Simon, Max Jean-Gilles, Shawn Andrews, William Perry, Old Ryan Howard, Mike Patterson, Levon Kirkland
Biggest Pretty Boy Nominees:
Jeff Carter, Peter Zezel, Pat Burrell, Darren Dalton, Curt Schilling, Terrell Owens, Bobby Taylor (makes it because he was afraid to tackle anyone)
Biggest Bust Nominees:
Eric Lindros, Joni Pitkanen, Kevin Curtis, Freddie Mitchell, Rodney Peete, Marlon Byrd, Scott Rolen, David Bell, Elton Brand, Chris Weber, Derrick Coleman
Most Clutch Nominees:
Danny Briere, Simon Gagne, Claude Giroux, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Brian Westbrook, Brian Dawkins, David Akers, Chad Lewis, Brad Lidge (2008), Lenny Dykstra, Tug McGraw
Toughest Nominees:
Ian Laperriere, Chris Pronger, Scott Hartnell, Dan Carcillo, Bobby Clarke, Dave Schultz, Ron Hextall, Aaron Rowand, Pete Rose, Brian Dawkins, Donovan McNabb, Jerimiah Trotter, Jon Runyan, Chuck Bednarik
Best Coach Nominees:
Andy Reid, Buddy Ryan, Dick Vermeil, Charlie Manuel, Jim Fergosi, Peter Laviolette, John Stevens, Fred Shero
Most "Philly" Guy Nominees:
Scott Hartnell, Chris Pronger, Mike Richards, Bobby Clarke, Ron Hextall, Aaron Rowand, Roy Halladay, Chase Utley, John Kruk, Tommy Green, Pete Rose, Stewart Bradley, Trent Cole, Brent Celek, Brian Dawkins, Reggie White, Jon Runyan
Most Hated Nominees (Suggestions Welcome):
In Philly: Eric Lindros, Scott Rolen, Terrell Owens
Outside Philly: Sidney Crosby, Tony Romo, Alex Rodriguez
Part 1
ReplyDeleteBest Athelete:
Brian Dawkins
This is a tough one, but my number one choice goes to Brian Dawkins. And I’m not even an Eagles fan. The fact that Philly let him go is downright retarded. He continues to play well and the Eagles style of cut you when you pass 30, is one of the reasons they have never won a Superbowl. Its great and smart to have a young team, but there are just certain guys that take exception to that rule. Brian Dawkins is that player and I would take him on my team until he’s 45. His heart and leadership WAS the Eagles. Not McNabb, not Westbrook. Brian Dawkins is the man.
Worth Noting:
Julius Erving should get some looks. Unless we’re not going back that far. I don’t think I need to explain him.
Westbrook is great but to injury prone and wasn’t as big as a role player until the past couple of years. He was a great player and very capable of leading the Eagles, but Dawkins was always there and always THE man.
McNabb, how could I not give the nod to McNabb? Easy. With all the success he brought, came failure. The man had great Campbell’s soup commercials, but he just couldn’t get the job done. With all the accolades came the adversity. Throwing up in the Superbowl, the BS with Terrell Owens, and never being good enough for Philly fans. He was the face of the franchise, but as the starting QB, you’ll never be completely accepted until you win it all. Life of a Philly athlete. Not to mention, if we’re talking athlete, chubs started to decline in his scrambling after injuries and looks completely out of shape and couldn’t escape the linebackers like he used to in the early 2000s.
Reggie White could easily be the answer here, but not for me. The Minister of Defense is the greatest Defensive End of all time(RIP). When talking Philly Athletes, I decided not to go with him because he opted to play and win his championship in Green Bay. McNabb, Westbrook, and Dawkins were forced to leave Philly. Not White. Quote Donovan McNabb. “I believe you finish what you start.” I couldn’t agree more, but don’t bother telling Lebron that.
Jackson, Carter, Richards I feel its too early in their careers (mainly Jackson) to compare them to the likes of Dawkins and Reggie White.
Jimmy Rollins is a hell of an athlete but his injury history prevented me from giving him the nod. Once my favorite player before the emergence of Chase Utley. Although, I lose respect for players who makes millions and then get upset when they play bad and fans boo. Welcome to Philadelphia! We pay a lot of money we don’t have to watch you play. Lucky, Rollins took his tampon out and we went on to win the World Series.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteFattest Athlete:
Hollis Thomas
HA! McNabb! No I kid I kid. For me I easily have to go with Hollis Thomas. Not only is he massive, but watching him play was like comic relief. What a guy. I’d like to ask why Charles Barkley did not get some consideration. That knucklehead’s weight is just terrible. He swells up as you talk to him. Especially during golf outings. When you mention Ryan Howard, do you mean his body or his nose. B/c if its his nose, then he takes the cake. But I guess Hollis Thomas ate it, along with Elton Brand’s career.
Pretty Boy:
I don’t really have much of an opinion here. Um….Terrell Owens?
Biggest Bust:
Elton Brand
Elton Brand takes up sooooooo much fucking cap and hasn’t done shit for us. Also, prevented any free agent moves for Philly in the biggest free agent summer in years. If it wasn’t for the 76ers getting the 2nd pick in the draft, they may have traded their first pick and Brand just so someone would have taken him off their hands.
If you honestly think Eric Lindros is a bust, you’re an idiot. We may have gotten hosed in the trade we made for him.(Giving up draft picks, Forsberg, Hextall, and so on) He won the Hart Trophy, took us to a cup, scored plenty of goals, made John LeClair who he is, was the centerpiece of the Legion of Doom line, and is now being considered for the Hall of Fame.(Doubt he gets in). Eric Lindros is NOT a bust.
Kevin Curtis was just the Eagles fault. Obviously a wide receiver playing behind Tory Holt and Issac Bruce is gonna get open and put up some decent numbers. Eagles fault for paying him that much.
Scott Rolen is a fantastic player. I don’t see how he’s a bust. As soon as he left Philly, he won a World Series Title with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 76ers love over the hill players. Therefore, Chris Webber and Derrick Colemen cannot be considered busts.(Exception: Elton Brand)
Most Clutch:
Simon Gagne
Gagne was considered done by many people after all his injuries. With Philly down 3-0 to Boston, it was Gagne’s return that propelled them to victory. From a game 4 OT goal to Game 7 go ahead goal, Gagne is the man in the pressure situations. Also, a Game 6 Conference Finals OT goal to keep the Flyers alive.
Ryan Howard is great, but good god he is not clutch. He had one clutch hit that I can think of and he’s had a plenty of chances.
Unless your name is Adam Vinateri, your not a clutch kicker that deserves this kind of praise. Sorry Dave.
I love that Briere freaks out during the playoffs, but his edged by Gagne.
Ruiz deserves a look b/c he comes alive in the playoffs. Although his hits are great, clutch isn’t his MO.
Most are great nominees, but I’d like to see the argument that propels someone past Gagne.
Part 3
ReplyDeleteToughest:
Dave Schutlz and Ian Lapierre
No one fucks with Schultz, maybe Pronger, but he’d probably lose. He is the top Broad Street Bully.
I say Lapierre because he will do it all for you. Mr. No Fear. Some people could die from the things he does and he comes back either that night or a week later to help his team.
No baseball player can ever be considered the toughest. Football and hockey players deal with hard hitting every day. Aaron Rowand may have hit the wall to make the catch, which was awesome, but he was out for over a month. Lapierre blow up his face with a slap shot and played maybe a week later.
I just don’t see how anyone else could really challenge Schutlz or Lapierre. Unless, you’re an idiot and don’t watch Hockey. Then I can’t wait to hear your definition of “tough”.
Best Coach
Fred Shero
He won two Stanley cups and they were back to back. Success like that in Philly is unheard of. He got it done, in Philly, two years in a row. Oh, and he also beat the Russians and they beat everyone else in the World, 4-1.
Andy Reid? Yeah ok, keep dreaming.
Charlie Manuel. I love the guy, but baseball for the most part is an individual sport, he doesn’t have the impact on the team that Fred Shero did.
Buddy Ryan? AHAHAHAHAHA. Maybe as the defensive coach, but not Head coach. But even that wasn’t Philly.
Dick Vermil is a close second. He was a damn good coach. Had he won a Superbowl with the Eagles. I may have had to make him my pick, but he didn’t.
Most “Philly” Guy
Brian Dawkins
This one came down to Bobby Clarke, Brian Dawkins, and Mike Richards. Clarke and Richards are more Philadelphia Flyers guys. I don’t know everyone else’s definition of Most “Philly”, but when I think of sports in Philly, the first player I think of is Brian Dawkins. He has the heart. Everyone knows all his skills and qualities, but its his Heart and attitude that makes him Most “Philly” for me. I don’t have much of an argument. Its just the guy that first comes to mind for me. Although, Chase Utley’s “Boo? Fuck you” and “World Fucking Champions” was great Philly stuff.
Love the comments and just to be clear these were just guys that I thought of off the top of my head...
ReplyDeleteCoaches don't really have much to go on given our weak talent pool so I took the most recenet and 2 older ones.
I put Ryan Howard for clutch because who else can you say single handedly has carried the Phils in September.
Ruiz gets the nod because when he seems to be good for those late inning doubles, and I was at a game where he hit a walk-off home run.
For the bust I look at the overall picture. Lindros was a bust because we gave up arguably one of the greatest players of all time in the NHL in Peter Forsberg. Lindros did put up stats, but if you recall the cup was about as ugly as you could get.
Curtis is a bust and yes it was the Eagles fault. Never came close to what he was being paid.
Rolen I call a bust in his time with the Phillies. Thats mainly due to my hatred for how he went about his time here so I will move him to my new category: most hated.
Good call on Erving as well, forgot to include him.