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Your Take: CNNSI.com users sound off
Posted: Friday July 09, 1999 04:36 PM We asked for feedback on Sports Illustrated's list of our favorite athletes of the 20th century. Here are some of your favorites who didn't make our top 20. Click here to give us your take. How about Mary Decker, who dominated women's middle-distance running for
so many years? How about the class of Edwin Moses, not only for the
number of wins in a row but for the way that he acted as a winner? Then there
was Walter Payton -- I don't think many sports fans could argue with him
being a choice. He was the class of the NFL running backs with grace and power
... and yet could anyone be more of a team player throughout a
career?
Carl Yastrzemski. The reasons are pretty self-evident: It has nothing to
do with stats, just the fact he played his entire career with the Red Sox; was
loyal to his team and fans; and was, to me, one of the last players to epitomize
what true sportsmanship is all about, which is very hard to find in this day of
trash-talking football and one-play-celebrating basketball and baseball players.
To pick one player above all others is hard to do. There are many players who
fit this mold, but to me Yaz is what sports competition is all
about.
Johnny Bench. He made the catcher position an offensive weapon. He was
the best offensive AND defensive catcher of his era. Whenever someone compiles
an alltime position-by-position All-Star team, Bench is almost always listed.
Unlike some positions which are very debatable, Bench is, with out question, the
greatest all-around catcher in major league
history.
Kirby Puckett. The smile. The grace. The 2,304 hits. The home run (Game 6
of 1991 World Series). The Catch (ditto). The dignity he had when he left. Kirby
was and is what is good in sports. Peter Gammons once said, "Kirby and Cal
Ripken are the only two players who can get a standing ovation in all 30
parks."
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. You just can't mention one without the
other. The two of them were a joy to watch. They turned the NBA around from a
deadbeat league into the most exciting sport in the world today. They brought us
everything from the no-look pass to the game-breaking jumper. They showed what
it was to be a team player. They brought back the whole East Coast/West Coast
rivalry. When they played against each other the whole nation
watched.
Ryne Sandberg. Arguably the finest all-around second-sacker who ever
played. Great numbers offensively and especially defensively. A true
professional on and off the
field.
Mario Lemieux. In this day of "Raise the Roof" showmanship and
hot-dogging touchdown celebrations, Mario was one of the most prolific scorers
during his time in the NHL. Most of the time he went about winning and scoring
with the understated elegance of an athlete who knew he would be winning and
scoring many more times. Through painful back injuries and Hodgkin's radiation
therapy, Mario played on, in several seasons winning the scoring title with
dozens fewer games played than his counterparts. We could all learn from Mario a
bit about getting the job done, regardless of setbacks, and with a whole lot
less
talking.
Cal Ripken Jr. One of baseball's greats. He can dominate a game, take one
for the team, and just play hard-nosed baseball. A leader by his actions ...
not his words. He is a true gentleman and
athlete.
Carl Lewis. In his prime he was simply unstoppable -- running away from
the best sprinters in the world during the anchor leg of the 4x100-meter relay,
it seemed like he was more than a person. Watching him was like watching an
abstraction, like the perfect form of
speed.
Pelé is easily the most recognized name in the world's most
popular sport. You can see the results of Pelé's contributions to the
game of soccer in this year's Women's World Cup hype. Pelé led the
Brazilian National Team to three World Cup victories (1958, '62, '70), not to
mention he was named the "Athlete of the Century" in
1980.
My favorite athlete ever is Jim Thorpe. He is probably the best athlete
of all time. A great injustice was done to him when he was stripped of his
Olympic medals just because he played pro baseball. That was so ridiculous,
especially since he didn't even compete in that particular sport in the
Olympics. It was terrible that he did not get his medals back until after he was
deceased, when he couldn't enjoy them or appreciate
them.
By its very nature, no one will agree with all of your Top 20, but surely there
should be a place for the great Jesse Owens on that list. His Olympic
victories in front of Adolf Hitler in the 1936 Berlin Olympics allied supreme
grace and athleticism to enormous courage in the face of naked racism and
intimidation. He was was the first man of any color to defeat the Third Reich
and Hitler, embarrassing the Führer in his own stadium, and his triumphs
undoubtedly paved the way for other trailblazers such as Jackie Robinson. As is
the case with a number of those honored in your Top 20, his achievements and
contribution went beyond mere
sport.
I don't know how you could leave Joe Montana off the list. His cool on
the field was magic to watch. As a fan, I would get relaxed just watching him
get ready for one of his fourth-quarter comeback drives. Throw in that he
noticed John Candy in the stands as he prepared to go 92 yards against the
Bengals in the final three minutes of Super Bowl XXIII, and that's all you need
to know about the
guy.
Pete Rose. Gambling allegations aside, he was the definition of hustle.
Think "baseball player" and you think of Charlie Hustle diving
headfirst into
third.
Nolan Ryan. His record speaks for itself. But off the field, there will
probably not be many like him. Do you honestly believe Nolan Ryan has any
skeletons in his closet? Do you think he ever did anything "wrong"? I
believe him to be the model husband, father and citizen. I believe him when he
says he has no interest in politics. His aspirations should be much
higher.
John McEnroe is my favorite athlete of all time. He came along at the
perfect time for me. I was around 7 or 8 when I first saw him play tennis on
television and I was captivated, not by his yelling and complaining but by his
pure, raw abilities. McEnroe is the one and only reason I took up the game of
tennis and why I still love and play as often as I can. All of his antics and
bad behavior on the court may have been unnecessary or inappropriate, but his
play and his great toughness and competitiveness was instilled in a lot of
people who took up the
game.
My favorite athlete has to be Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants. It
was a team game but he made the opposition forget everybody else and focus all
its attention on him. He created devastation on the field and knew something
special was going to happen everytime he laced up his
spikes.
Before Chamique Holdsclaw, there was Cheryl Miller. She motivated me to
take no prisoners on the court and not be afraid to shoot the rock with the
wrist hanging. If the WNBA was around when she came out of school, she would
have attained the superstardom she so rightly
deserves.
Tony Gwynn is my favorite athlete of the century. He was a very ordinary
player and a below-average outfielder when he first came up to the major leagues
... but through sheer hard work and desire transformed himself into a Gold Glove
outfielder and the greatest hitter of his generation. Even more impressive than
that, Gwynn never lost touch with who he is as a person: a good man, a good
father, a good husband and an integral part of his
community.
Bobby Orr. He changed the way the game was played, adding a dimension
never before seen in hockey, the offensive defenseman who could win scoring
titles and yet still play stellar defense. He also controlled the pace of a game
as nobody else ever had up to that point. Wayne Gretzky was a wonderful talent,
easily the best offensive forward, statistics-wise, in the game, but would it
have been possible if Orr hadn't changed the way the game was played in the
first place? Also, this was done on two very bad knees for most of his pro
career. Imagine if he hadn't been forced to retire at such an early
age!
Babe Didrickson Zaharias needs to be on the list. I can't cite her many
accomplishments, but I will share what purports to be a true story: One day,
playing a round of golf with Sam Snead, she hit a prodigious drive. Sam
complimented her tee shot, upon which she turned to him, placed both hands under
her breasts and said, "I could hit it 50 yards farther if it wasn't for
these %@#
things!"
Yogi Berra. With all of the emphasis on "Yogi-isms" what is
forgotten is what a complete ballplayer he was. Great defensively, a superb
handler of pitchers, a consumate bad-ball hitter, Berra was also one of the
smartest players and managers ever. He was never given enough credit for the
managing jobs he did with the Yankees and Mets. His gusto for the game, his
fun-loving persona and his everyman's physique made him a personal favorite. How
much of a favorite? I am a huge Dodger fan. On balance I hate the Yankees, but
I always wanted No. 8 when I played Little League
baseball.
Greg Louganis is my favorite athlete because he represented our gay
community with dignity and he was an amazing athlete to
watch.
Karch Kiraly -- the greatest volleyball player to ever play the game. Led
the U.S. to Olympic gold in 1984 and 1988. Retired from indoor volleyball to
concentrate on the two-man beach game in 1991. Won first ever beach gold in 1996
and is only a couple of tournaments behind Sinjin Smith on the alltime victories
list. Great man and great athlete -- finished second in the 1985 Superstars
competition and has a 42" vertical leap. Never mentioned among the greats,
but he truly
is.
Greg Lemond. He overcame unbelievable odds by becoming a world-class
cyclist even though he came from the U.S., a country devoid of any cycling
history or infrastructure. In fact, he was even able to elevate himself to the
level of worldwide cycling legend by winning the last of his multiple Tour de
Frances -- overcoming a serious hunting accident that left him full of lead
shot. Most of all, though, he did it in a very American fashion, through hard
work, inexorable pursuit of a dream, and brilliant innovation. Greg Lemond is
truly one of the greatest athletes of all
time.
I grew up in Michigan, where I became a huge Lions fan. Despite my loyalty to
that misguided franchise, my favorite athlete, not mentioned on your list, is
Walter Payton. Walter embodies everything one could desire in an
athletic hero. His character and commitment is unquestioned. His ability is
unsurpassed. And his passion for excellence and gentile demeanor leaves even
those players who considered him an adversary cheering for Sweetness to run one
more time. The footage of his spectacular runs will always remind us of his
physical ability, but for me it was his ability to persevere through his days
playing on losing teams and now through the present sickness that threatens to
take him from
us.
Dale Murphy ranks as my favorite athlete of this century. For the better
part of a decade he could do it all. Back-to-back MVPs, the gold gloves, and
the class on and off the field make him an outstanding example (dare I say role
model?) for fans and players
alike.
Ayrton Senna. No other driver so utterly changed the face of Grand Prix
motor racing -- such was his determination, skill, speed and aggression. With
charisma to burn and a will never before encountered in this dangerous game,
Senna was and always will be the greatest man ever to pull on a helmet and
race.
My favorite player of all time of course came from my favorite team, the
Raiders. They called him the Snake -- Ken Stabler. An incredible QB
playing for and leading the meanest and most-feared team the NFL ever saw. He
was a true leader, and a quarterback who had a nose for winning. His familiar
figure will always remind me of what the good ol' Raiders that used to
be.
James Scott Connors. No one epitomized "winning with heart"
more than he did. The flat flight of his groundstrokes, the screeching of his
sneakers on the hard court, the pre-Monica Seles grunt, Connors was inspiration
for all those with more fight than talent. And more than his run at the '91 U.S.
Open, it was the hug from his son after he lost the '84 semis to John McEnroe
that showed his heart carried on outside the painted lines of the tennis
court.
Joe Dumars. The reason Dumars is my favorite athlete can be explained in
one word: class. On and off the court, Dumars carried himself like a gentleman.
He was the only member on the Bad Boys that you couldn't hate, and his actions
made you happy to be a
fan.
In terms of my favorite athlete, the one who I'd watch even if the action wasn't
around him, it would have to be Dennis Rodman. Everyone knows he's a
great player who will probably make the Hall of Fame and entertain for years
after his retirement. He will also have the distinction of going into two Halls:
The Funniest-On-Court-Basketball-Player-Who-Would-Kick-Some-One-In-The-Groin
Hall of Fame and the Basketball Hall of
Fame.
YOUR TAKE
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