G.O.A.T.
There’s always a lot of debate about who’s the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.) in various sports. So this blog sets the record straight once and for all! My comments reflect personal observations and memories about seeing each in action. The list only includes those athletes I’ve observed in person, not on TV or through the media. So here goes, starting with baseball:
Pete Rose is my baseball hero, as he led the Reds to multiple World Series championships during the Big Red Machine era in the 1970’s. As a lifelong Reds fan. he was such a great part of so many memories at Crosley Field and later Riverfront Stadium. Charlie Hustle was clearly an appropriate nickname for him. One of my favorite Pete Rose memories as documented in this previous blogpost occurred in his second season, and coincidently Johnny Bench’s rookie season and involved the two connecting up to make a special day for me and my brother who was attending his first Reds game.
For basketball, Michael Jordan was not necessarily a favorite of mine since he was a nemesis of the Detroit Pistons back in the late 1980’s when both the Bull and Pistons seemed to always meet in the semi-finals of the NBA playoffs. They had to get through each other to get to the Finals each year during that era. Detroit had the so called Jordan Rules for defensing Michael. It involved the best defensive guard facing up Jordan before the mid court line to try to force him to pass. If he happened to get around Dumars, it was Nick Mahorn’s job to confront him, definitely not let him get to the basket and try to get him to pass it up. Mahorn was to foul him if necessary to keep him from driving to the basket. If Mahorn couldn’t stop him, Bill Laimbeer was to literally hog tie Jordan. It worked for two seasons, as Jordan would tire by the 4th quarter from all the abuse and wasn’t nearly as effective. The Pistons won an NBA championship both years. However, eventually the Bulls figured out an offensive scheme to neutralize the Jordon Rules and the Bulls then beat the Pistons several years in a row. Jordan is the greatest basketball player I’ve ever seen.
Tom Brady is my football G.O.A.T., and ditto for many other fans. Ironically, when he played for the Michigan Wolverines in college, he was not a favorite. There was an underclassman quarterback named Drew Henson whom I felt should have been starting. But by the end of Brady’s senior season in 2000, after winning close games against Ohio State at the Big House and Alabama in the Orange Bowl, I was on his side and have been ever since. But at no time during his college career did I foresee the success he was to realize in the pros. Seven Super Bowl rings - Wow! G.O.A.T. for sure.
My hockey G.O.A.T. is none other that Mr Hockey himself, the Detroit Red Wings Gordie Howe. After having seen him play many times at old Olympia Stadium and later Joe Louis Arena and enjoying him lead the Red Wings to a number of Stanley Cup championships, I was a true fan. However, my most memorable Gordie Howe moment was meeting Gordie and his wife Colleen at a restaurant near Traverse City, Michigan on New Years Eve. That made for an especially happy New Years celebration.
https://www.complex.com/sports/2018/09/the-greatest-of-all-time
https://www.complex.com/sports/2018/09/the-greatest-of-all-time
Jack Nicklaus, with 18 Major championships, is by far my all time golfing G.O.A,T. His 1986 Masters win was the highlight of them all, shown above on Championship Sunday as he drains a long birdie putt on hole 17. Unfortunately I didn’t witness that big win, but did actually play in the group behind him in a pro-am as part of the Ford Senior Players Championship at TPC Dearborn in 1990. Nicklaus not only designed the course but also won the event that year. My 11 year old son followed me around the TPC course for the Pro Am and had the opportunity to shake Jack’s hand and get his autograph on the Golden Bear hat pictured above, a memory that will stay with him for a lifetime. He too is an avid Jack Nicklaus fan. The only issue I have with Jack Nicklaus is the toughness of the courses he’s designed. I’ve played many of them and a common characteristic is typically water in front of most greens, which makes it extremely challenging to reach the green without laying up in front of the water especially for us senior players; fully recognizing that designing a course for seniors is not the best way to notable golf architecture (although G.O.A.T. golf course designer Donald Ross was able to do it and still provide for challenging play).
Track and Field G.O.A.T. is OSU’s Jesse Owens, who won 4 gold metals in the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin under the control of Hitler’s Nazi Germany at the time. Having never seen Jesse compete, I did attend a OSU football game in the fall of 1976 where he was recognized by his alma mater on the 40 anniversary of his Olympic feats. In addition, the Track and Field stadium on the OSU campus is appropriately named after Jesse.
There are two other Olympians I know, one of whom, David Simon won a medal for rowing. He went to high school with my son. The other is an Olympic swimmer Brandon Shuster, the grandson of a friend. Both are my Olympic G.O.A.T.s since I never officially met Jesse Owens, a true G.O.A.T.
Since I’ve never seen Serena Williams play in person, I can’t include her in my G.O.A.T. list, but I did watch Jimmy Connors in a tennis exhibition once while in Florida. He’s by far the best tennis player I’ve ever seen in person and was always a character on and off the court. His matches with arch rival John McEnroe were legendary. Both were feisty and readily verbally challenged each other, the umpires and the fans during their matches - pure theatrical entertainment at the time. I enjoyed this interesting 2018 YouTube interview of John McEnroe about his rivalry with Conners that at the 3:00 minute mark McEnroe compares Connors to my baseball G.O. A.T. Pete Rose, implying the two look and act alike. They do! In fact they both appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated a month apart back in 1974.
My motor racing G.O.A.T. would be NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, primarily due to his winning the Cup three times in 2002, 2005 & 2011, plus an IndyCar championship in 1997. I recall him racing in both the Indy 500 and Coke 400 at Daytona on the same day, dubbed the Memorial Day Double, flying from Indy to Florida between races in both 1999 and later in 2001 when he finished in the Top 10 at both venues. Tony is currently a NASCAR team owner and also bought Eldora Speedway in 2004 from legendary Earl Baltes, both shown in the above photo. I watched Tony race at Michigan International Speedway several times, having won in 2000.
Having never played soccer as a kid, my interest in the sport was very limited; however, I did manage to attend a World Cup event at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1994 when the USA and Switzerland played to a 1-1 tie - boring. The only soccer player on either team I had ever heard of was Lexi Lalas from nearby Birmingham, Michigan. So he’s my soccer G.O.A.T.! This game was the first ever soccer event in an indoor stadium.
Another Michigan native, boxing champion, Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns, was really fun to watch, having fought in 5 different weight classes over the course of his career. Since I never personally witnessed many boxing matches except for Hearns, he’s my boxing G.O.A.T., best known for his 14 round bout with Sugar Ray Leonard in 1981. Both were undefeated at the time if I recall and Hearns lost to Sugar Ray in 14 rounds. The two had a rematch in 1989, with Hearns flooring Leonard twice in latter rounds, but the judges ruled the match a controversial draw; another reason boxing is not a favorite sport of mine.
Last but not least is lacrosse, a sport my son played in high school and college. His team won a state championship in 1997, led by Jay Penske, son of racing legend Roger Penske, who was in my son’s class. Jay was an amazing lacrosse player who went on to play for Penn in college. Jay #7 in the front row of the above state championship photo is my lacrosse G.O.A.T., with my son #1 next to him.
Hope you enjoyed the memories of my G.O.A.T.’s. Who are yours?
~~~~~~~~
Receive a weekly email whenever there is a new blog post. Just click here to send me an email request and your name will be added to the distribution.
No comments:
Post a Comment