The Baby Boomer's Top Ten Sports List
Patrick Triplett
Published by Patrick Triplett at Smashwords
Copyright 2012 Patrick Triplett
There is one thing that can be said of sports lists that just about everybody can agree on. They are irresistible. It is virtually impossible to ignore someone's ranking of greatest players, teams, games and biggest moments. It's like a car accident. You just have to look. You may not agree with them. In fact, the odds are that you won't. But therein lies the appeal. It stirs the mind, raises questions and makes for great conversation over a beer or two at the local bar.
For me the problem with “all-time” sports lists is that they end up comparing apples to oranges. How can one determine that Ty Cobb was a better hitter than Pete Rose, or that Sammy Baugh was a better quarterback than Tom Brady, or that Jack Johnson was a better boxer than Muhammad Ali? It's impossible. They were from different eras when the sport was played under different rules and conditions.
That gave me an idea. To come up with a top ten list of athletes, teams and games that I witnessed rather than having to rely on history books or someone else's opinion.
I chose 1950 as the starting point, which many consider to be “The Modern Era” of sports. World War II had ended, and professional sports were back at full strength, with the NBA and NFL gaining ground on Major League Baseball in popularity.
I came up with five top-ten categories: 1) Greatest athletes, 2) Greatest teams (single season), 3) Greatest dynasties, 4) Greatest games, and 5) Most memorable moments, ranking them each from No. 10 down to the best.
Granted, my lists are as subjective as anyone else's and given to second-guessing. My intention was to rank what I have personally witnessed in college and professional sports during my lifetime. Call it a Baby Boomer Top Ten List.
Greatest Athletes
This is is the most difficult among the five categories to rank since the term “athlete” means different things to people. To some, it means the best all-around athlete. One who could and have excelled in several sports, such as Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. This list is based on the ten individuals who I believe most dominated their sport.
10. Bill Russell – There were many great players that came and went during the Boston Celtics dynasty in the '50s and '60s but only Russell was the cornerstone through it all. As the star player on the University of San Francisco team that won 60 games in a row. Russell became even more dominant in the NBA. One of the rare athletes whose mental game matched his physical talent, the 6'9 center out-played opponents with his rebounding, defense, steals, blocked shots, passing skills and all-around leadership. He could score six points and still be the best player on the court. He once pulled down 51 rebounds – in one game. Russell went on to win nine championship rings during his NBA career, a record that still stands in professional sports.
9. Dick Butkus – A controversial choice, but any one who was around to watch him in his prime during the '60s will know why he made the list. Although he never won a championship, Butkus dominated the middle linebacker position like no one before or since. How good was this guy? A three-time All-American at Illinois, Butkus became such an imposing force in the NFL that teams had to alter their game plan and blocking assignments around him. He was, simply, the most intimidating player in the NFL – ever. More than Ray Lewis, more than Lawrence Taylor. Having played before sacks became a statistic, it is estimated that Butkus would have easily held the all-time record. Despite playing on mediocre teams throughout his career, Butkus was named first team all-pro every year except his final one when mounting injuries forced him to retire.
8. Joe Montana – Many know him from his NFL days in San Francisco but the legend of “Comeback Joe” began in South Bend, Indiana. As quarterback for Notre Dame in the late '70's, he earned the reputation for bringing his team back in the fourth quarter and winning games when the odds seemed impossible. In the 1979 Cotton Bowl against Houston, Montana had to be taken to the dressing room in the third quarter and given Ivs for dehydration and hypothermia. He came back out in the fourth quarter to lead his team from a three touchdown deficit to an improbable victory. Montana continued his incredible career in the NFL, bringing the 49ers back 31 times from fourth quarter deficits. He led his team to four Super Bowl titles and is the only player in history to be named Super Bowl MVP three times.
7. Willie Mays – Arguably the best all-around athlete ever to play baseball. There was nothing he couldn't do. A phenomenal defensive player, Mays made what many consider the greatest catch in history in the 1954 World Series. He could have retired as one of the great defensive center fielders in the game. But that only begins to tell the story of the “Say Hey Kid.” During his career with the Giants, Mays put up staggering offensive numbers, including 660 home runs, 338 stolen bases and a lifetime batting average of .302. He won twelve gold gloves and was named to the all-star team 19 times.
6. Jerry Rice – The model for all wide receivers to pattern their game after. His athletic prowess, relentless work ethic and uncanny ability to make the big play in the big game separates him from the pack. Rice put up numbers during his career with the 49ers during the '80s and '90s that will never be equaled, including 208 touchdowns, 33 more than any player at any position. He also holds the record for most playoff touchdowns and most Super Bowl touchdowns.
5. Tiger Woods – Perhaps the greatest golfer of the modern era. In his prime, from 1997 to 2009, Woods possessed a mental and physical game that no one else could match. His shot making skills combined with his ability to intimidate his opponent made him the odds-on favorite in every golf tournament he entered. Woods currently holds 14 major titles in his first 12 years on the tour, second only to Jack Nicklaus.