Who is best athlete ever in Boston/New England?

[Grizzafted]

I'm not saying there's any specific bias, I just think it's interesting. I don't think there are many sports towns where you took the top ten athletes in their history and have only two (sorry) be black. It's just funny how that worked out. Boston has a long rep of being a racist city, and most of the black sports fans I know reflexively root against the Celtics and Red Sox.

 

[dryheat44]

No need to say anything else. This really shouldn't even be close.

Not for nothing, but those Russell teams had as many as five other hall of famers on them. Cousy was around for the early years, and Havlicek came aboard the year he retired. KC Jones and Tommy Heinsohn were there for virtually the entire run. Are those guys the best ever because they have all those titles too?

You could say that Bill Russell was the greatest defensive player and rebounder of all time. He had Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace's defensive game with Jordan's leadership skills.

Was he a better player than Centers like Wilt, Moses Malone, Lew/Kareem, Shaq, Duncan, Ewing, Akeem, or a healthy Bill Walton? That's debatable. And those are just the Centers. Heck, Bird was a better basketball player.

If you ask 1000 hockey fans/writers/coaches/players to name the 3 best hockey players ever, Bobby Orr will be on 1000 lists.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I LOVE Bird, but I saw him on NESN after the Pacers game, and let me tell you, that boy was never a prince, but he has aged into one UGLY furkin Hoosier!

Whew!

Bird, Parrish and McHale gave the 80s Celtics so many NBA All Ugly Championships that the award is not given anymore.

 

[primetime]

I voted for Larry Bird because I am sentimental to the Celtics of the 80s so its more with my heart than my head,but seriously Bird is a decent choice of all mentioned.

BTW: Its nice to see a post and poll where virtually everyone is talking sports and no smack or the infamous I hate (insert team or player) threads
- its rare in Patsfans nowadays

I think you cursed it, because then we got classic Debbie Downer like this...

HAHAHAHA!!

All but one of them are WHITE!

Oh man. Boston Boston Boston.

Hahahahaha.

We deserve our rep, fellas.

Really? Did you have to go there? Way to try to ruin a perfectly good thread.

 

[Grizzafted]

Well, it's the first place my mind went. And it is a beautiful mind.

My vote, for the record, has to be Bobby Orr. They're all good choices, but Orr was a throwback athlete; there's something about hockey in New England that makes sense to me, and he really defined a generation of sports fans.

 

[dryheat44]

Bird, Parrish and McHale gave the 80s Celtics so many NBA All Ugly Championships that the award is not given anymore.

Do NOT disrespect Dennis Johnson like that!

 

[Mogamedogz]

Really? Did you have to go there? Way to try to ruin a perfectly good thread.

He's right though.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Do NOT disrespect Dennis Johnson like that!

I should be shot for such an oversight

EDIT: NH readers, do NOT take this seriously

 

[Joker]

OT but I wonder how ol' Moga is doing these days.....

 

[Fogbuster]

I call it a tie between Orr and Russell: Orr for his sheer brilliance on the ice; he did things that nobody before or since has duplicated; he could skate through a whole team, time and again, and STILL get back and play the best defense I've ever seen anybody play.

Russell was a man of absolute WILL !! A good but not overly impressive athlete outside of his unbelievable jumping ability, but to get 30 rebounds -- and sometimes more -- in a game takes total 100% focus, court smarts, and a willingness to lay out on every play. Which he did, night after night for all those years he played. As a coach he was able to continue that intensity and transfer it to the other players. A winner much like the Tom Brady we see today.


//

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Bill Russell hands down, how many Championships? Plus he not only had the physical skills, he had a superior knowledge of the game, and gamesmanship. Did you know that he used to have dinner with Wilt Chamberlian BEFORE games, and he would start to get into his head, before they even got to the arena, thats like Rodney calling Peyton at home the week before the game.

of course, Ted is a close second

 

[PatsSox363804]

Thinking of those 80's Celtic teams, is Parrish doing anything of note these days? I mean consider:

Bird - Pacers president

McHale - T'Wolves president

Ainge - Celtics GM

D.J. - R.I.P.

Parrish - "Did someone say double zero financing?!"

 

[tdw777]

I would have to go with Bobby Orr. Russell was great..but Orr revolutionized the way defensemen played the game.

 

[BTTA]

Which athlete is THE BEST ever in the history of Boston/New England Sports?

There are a lot of different questions being answered here.

 

[old 55]

Bobby Orr was the best athlete this town has ever or will ever see.

My license plate is: O2B ORR

Amen, Brother, amen.

Have you heard the story of Bobby Orr at a dinner honoring Larry Bird?

Orr was seated next to Bob Ryan. Bird was asked why he always stared up at the Garden Ceiling during the national anthem. He answered that he was looking at Bobby Orr's retired jersey because he always admired how Orr had played. Orr was so struck by this that he exclaimed "Oh my God" or something to that effect and even grabbed Bob Ryan's arm in surprise. I heard Ryan talk about this a couple of years ago and it just validated what we all knew about Bobby - he was as humble as he was great.

I love Brady, Russell, Bird, McHale, and countless others Boston legends, but Orr revolutionized his sport and made it look easy at a time when every team he faced had Hall of Famers in their lineups.

 

[ColtinIraq]

You guys have been very lucky. Not only have you had great, great athletes but athletes that dominated the sport in their era. It would be difficult to choose.

I do have a question. Since his son passed away, has Teddy Ballgame been freed from that Arizona hell he's been in? That situation just totally grossed me out.

 

[PromisedLand]

Orr signed one of his hockey sticks for me. Russell, I met, and asked him for an autograph. His response: "I don't sign autographs".

You'll find plenty of other NBA players that people will claim were the best, over Russell or Bird. Gretsky is about the only argument as best player ever, next to Orr.

Gordie Howe?

Besides, that's a silly argument.

 

[Patsmaniac]

My vote goes to Ken Simms....

 

[PatsSox363804]

Gordie Howe?

A solid #3, every time. I think Most agree that it's

1a Orr
1b Gretz
3 Howe
4 Lemieux

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Thinking of those 80's Celtic teams, is Parrish doing anything of note these days? I mean consider:

Bird - Pacers president

McHale - T'Wolves president

Ainge - Celtics GM

D.J. - R.I.P.

Parrish - "Did someone say double zero financing?!"

There was an article a couple of years ago on Parrish itching to get back into basketball in some manner. At the time, nobody showed any interest in bringing him onboard. I have no idea what has transpired since that article.

Regards,
Chris