Just wondering whom you guys grew up cheering for in the sports world.
I'm now 37 so I started really watching sports in the mid to late 80s growing up in Michigan. And like most old people, sports where better in my days. ;)
NBA:
I don't really care for the game anymore. I enjoyed the team game from the late 80s through the late 90s. Loved watching the Bad Boys of Detroit. Isaiah Thomas we easily my favorite player as a kid. As I got older and that team retired and got dismantled I enjoyed watching Jordan, Mourning, and Mutumbo. Early Vince Carter was a fantastic nightly highlight reel.
NFL:
Barry Sanders! This is just so easy. He's the main reason I am a Lions fan over any other team. He was just so fun to watch. Always had me on the edge of my seat. I'm just not going to see another talent like his in my life. I didn't appreciate watching him every Sunday. I still youtube his highlights every few months. I also enjoyed Elway, and Peyton, but not like Barry.
MLB:
Big Daddy; Cecil Fielder. He was a giant load of a man and could hit the ball a country mile. He hit a ball out of Tiger's Stadium. He played the game like a kid and he was such a fan favorite. I modeled my swing after his when I played little league.
I also really enjoyed watching Ken Griffy Jr play. Such a pretty swing and he played the game with heart and passion always giving it his all. He also did it the right way. In my older age, Miguel Cabrera is my favorite player and I buy the MLB package every year just to watch him. Best player I have ever see with a bat in his hand. Trout will most likely be the best player of my lifetime, but Cabrera wears the Old English D.
NHL:
Never been much of a hockey fan, and being from Michigan that is blastphamy. I really enjoyed watching the Red Wings of the mid 90s through the mid 2000s. Yzerman, Federov, and Lindstrom were so good and those Wings teams just dominated. And who could forget the 1997 brawl against the Avalanche. The goalies went toe to toe and Claude Lemeuix was so bloody. Fuck that guy.
Other:
Never really cared for NASCAR, Tennis, or Golf or any other sport.
Real answer: Curtis Martin. I remember loving him as a kid because we shared a name but he was great
I also loved Kevin Millar on the Sox because he always felt like a goofy ordinary dude who somehow snuck into the MLB to me. But Varitek was always my favorite
NBA: Allen Iverson hands down. Grew up as a diehard 76ers fan in the late 90s so him carrying them to the championship in 2001 was one of my fondest sports memories. Also loved the Kings teams of that time with Webber, Stojakovic, Bibby, etc. The early 2000s Pistons were also one of my favorite teams of all time.
NFL: Donovan McNabb, Brian Dawkins, Westbrook (Philly bias) but other than the Eagles probably the great show on turf obviously with the Rams. Big Peyton Manning fan growing up. Randy Moss and Dante Culpepper on the Vikings together was one of my favorite duos ever
Other than that, I didn't really watch baseball and hockey until I was a little older. I always watched the Philly teams but never expanded into watching other teams into those sports until I got into college,
NBA: Carmelo Anthony. I loved him at Syracuse and am a nuggets fan because that is where he went. Of course that ended really sour. Also loved Steve Nash being both Canadian and white.
MLB: Really liked Pujols (see a trend). I also really liked Gary Sheffield because of his batting stance. I also have fond memories of Magglio Ordonez in MVP Baseball 2005.
NHL: Shane Doan is the man. Great guy and loyal to a very bad franchise. Jarome Iginla is also a favorite of mine.
NFL: McNabb and Westbrook of the glory days for the Eagles! Also really liked Jerome Bettis.
Golf: Rickie Fowler is my dude! As a fellow OSU grad I love him sporting his orange.
"So, uh, what are we saying here? If we save LA from a nuclear bomb, then you and I can get together for dinner and a movie?"
Raptors era Vince Carter by far was my favorite athlete growing up
I was more of a fan of the NFL as a whole rather than individual players growing up but I liked Priest Holmes, Tomlinson, Ronnie Brown, and Jimmy Smith to name a few
Randy Moss and Dante Culpepper on the Vikings together was one of my favorite duos ever
oh man I loved Culpepper, only partially because of how many times he beat the Packers. I remember being really excited when the Dolphins chose to sign him over Brees (:
Chris Carter, Randy Moss, Warren Moon, Michael Vick up until he killed all those dogs, Reggie Bush up until he started team hopping everywhere. He was a beast at USC.
I'm older than most of you fucks (except ahoda) so you probably won't even know who the fuck I'm talking about.
MLB - Barry Larkin, HOF Shortstop. I was number 11 all the way through middle school as long as they let me pick my number because of Larkin.
Aaron Boone when i got to high school because I played 3rd base and he had some great seasons with the Reds.
NFL - Rod Woodson, HOF cornerback with the Steelers. I still have a faded 26 jersey in my old room at my parents house.
Jerome Bettis, HOF RB for the Steelers. One of the greatest power running backs ever.
NBA - Nick Van Exel, he was the reason I used to root for the Lakers when i gave a shit about NBA. He took the University of Cincinnati to the final 4 in 92 when I was 8 and just starting to pay attention to sports. He didn't give a fuck and I remember one game when I was in middle school where he actually got into a fist fight with a referee.
NHL - Mario Lemiuex - I gave a shit about hockey for all of about 5 minutes but I love watching Lemiuex play for the Pens he was a wizard on the ice and it was amazing watching him take time off for literally having cancer and come back to play at an insanely high level.
I've always loved baseball over any other sport and I could name a list a mile long of my favorite Reds players over the years, I dont have the time to devote to MLB as much any more (THANKS JOB AND GIRLFRIEND) but i still fucking love it.
