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| I didn't see the guy on the left play but I saw plenty of the guy on the right |
You might recall we did the "30 Day Song Challenge" a few months back. Then there are the ten movies, ten TV shows and so on.
Dave Torromeo challenged me to post 10 athletes on Facebook. The deal is you post a picture with no further explanation.
Well, there's no rule against a blog post about it.
Goodness knows keeping it to 10 is tough (truth: I've done just nine with number ten to hit tomorrow but I needed a topic so here we are).
I realize part of the challenge is to then forward it onto others. So, if anyone wants to dive in, have at it. You know who you are. Go for it.
Besides, I'm getting myself in trouble too much these days. Sheesh.
Anywho...these are the nine, as of tonight:
1) Bobby Murcer -- because, duh. Before I was old enough to do basically anything, there was Bobby Ray. I can still see him in the first game I was at in 1972, and he homered. Even after he was traded to San Francisco (bleep you, Gabe Paul), I still paid attention as best as I could to him and was thrilled when he returned in 1979. He went into broadcasting...do you see where this is going?
2) Terry Bradshaw -- I wasn't as quick to become a football nut. I wore Dolphins stuff when I was little because we went to Florida every year and, come on, whose uniform and colors were cooler? But then along came my understanding of Bradshaw and the Steelers. Plus they beat the Cowboys. I really liked that. He also went into broadcasting...hmm...
3) Dan Marino -- There wasn't much to do on weekends in the early 80s as a teenager. Saturdays in the fall meant college football. There wasn't the insane amount games there are now (or, were). But, in our world in Mahopac, on channel 7, there was college football with Keith Jackson and Frank Broyles. And they called a lot of Pitt games. Pitt...Steelers...Panthers...Dan Marino. Damn, I loved watching the guy play. Then he went to the St...nope...Dolphins. I knew the Dolphins had a great on their hands. I wasn't even troubled when he torched Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game (the Steelers weren't going to win that Super Bowl).
4) Chris Mullin -- Again, the early to mid-80s. St. John's Redmen basketball stood toe-to-toe with the pro teams of the time. Madison Square Garden rocked with the battles of Patrick Ewing (still thinking about him on this list) and Chris Mullin. The floppy-haired city kid became my guy. The gym rat showed up and practiced his shooting, and he kept shooting all the way to the Final Four before a very good NBA career.
5) Wille Stargell -- The Yankees won the American League in 1976. They won the World Series in 1977 and 1978. It seemed like they'd be there every year but 1979 wasn't kind, and Thurman Munson's passing just destroyed New York. The Orioles rolled through the AL. But, by then, this funky group from Pittsburgh in gaudy uniforms, singing the Sister Sledge anthem "We Are Family" were galvanizing fans. Huh. And they were from Pittsburgh. Hmm. And they were led by Willie Stargell, the true leftover from the "Lumber Company" days of the early 70s with Roberto Clemente. Pops was the boss. Pops was cool. Pops won the World Series with a Game 7 home run. We miss him.
6) Mark Messier -- Few athletes have ever made me think, "A title is coming," when they joined a team like "The Messiah" did with the Rangers. Messier came to a team that had talent -- no question. Brian Leetch. Mark Richter (we'll get back to him), Adam Graves, etc. But Mess was the Captain. We've seen few leaders like that. Ever. Despite all of the guarantees in sports, there are two that matter -- Joe Namath and Mark Messier. Mess said the Rangers would win Game 6 against New Jersey. They won that and, eventually, the Stanley Cup. Plus, he held the door for me at Brunswick one day.
7) Paul O'Neill -- I tried hard to not make this just ten Yankees (and day 10 will be tough) but O'Neill helped change the culture of a franchise that become a mess. I loved his passion and dedication. I loved how every at bat was a war. I appreciated that fire. You saw whining and being a crybaby. I saw a drive for perfection and, once things went right, there were few misfires. Paulie helped get the Yankees to titles in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Plus they were close in '01 and were playoff teams in '95 and '97. The Warrior, indeed.
8) Don Mattingly -- this is Yankees 101 for any fan of my age range. Donnie was Bobby Murcer of a different era. There were times when it felt like Donnie Baseball was all we had. But, he was also the Everyman, with his mustache and dirty uniform. He felt like he left his lunch pail in the locker and hit rockets before heading back to the quarry. For a brief moment, Don Mattingly was the best player in baseball, and we will all lament that he never won a ring and he will likely miss the Hall of Fame.
9) Mike Richter -- As I wrote on Facebook tonight, "There are a ton of players I could put here and haven't. But only one has ever been an analyst on a broadcast of mine. That matters." It's true, as you know. Mike and I did indeed call The Gunnery and Brunswick and he has since called me, "The Voice of Reason." So, when you add that to a great career that included the Olympics (I watched him play against the Russians the day after Sean was born), stopping Pavel Bure on THE penalty shot in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1994, winning a Cup, and add in that his number is hanging in the rafters at MSG, wouldn't you include him?
10) Tomorrow -- So many to choose from. Many obvious. Some not. I might go the easy route or I might go with something different. I might choose someone from my broadcasting career (and I've obviously seen a lot) or someone unexpected.
I have a gut feeling (it won't be rocket science) but we'll see what tomorrow's mood brings.
Who are your ten?
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