Who is best athlete ever in Boston/New England?

[FreeTedWilliams]

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.

Yes, Teddy is still frozen, hence my screen name. It is a crime that he is not where he belongs, Arlington National.

 

[FrontSeven]

Russell.

Bird, Brady, Orr ...... they're all the same guy. There was only one Russell.

Anybody that could shut down Wilt "The world's strongest man" Chamberlain is the greatest athlete of all time. 11 rings don't lie. He was the ultimate invisible shield.

 

[Pats Fanatic]

Bill Russell by a long ways just incredible. I don't believe anyone has said Julius Erving who played for the University of Massachusetts and averaged over 20 points and 20 rebounds a game. Imagine how good the Celtics would have been in the 70's it they got him before he went in to the ABA.

 

[sdaniels7114]

No mention of Cy Young and his 511 career victories?

For comparison, the best pitcher in decades, Roger Clemens, has 350 or so wins in 24 years of pitching and he'd need 8 more 20 win seasons to sniff Young's record.

Does anyone else have an award named after them?

 

[FirstAndGoal]

Love Russell but Orr could shut down the other team of all stars.


The first game Gordie Howe played Orr, Gordie went up the the ref after the second period and said to the ref. "Can you ask Bobby if we can play with the puck too"?

I can only imagine what Orr would have been like if he didn't have bum knees. I've never seen anyone dominate any sport like he did at the time. He was a sight to see. When he had the puck, you just watched him carve through defenders like the they had concrete skates. On defense, he was fearless and would do anything to defend his end of the ice.

I don't think there's a single player on that list with the individual awards that Bobby Orr ( except maybe Ted Williams) had. Some have the team awards but not individual awards that Orr had. Orr was that good.

Sometimes you watch a sport and when an athlete is firing on all cylinders, you're mesmerized by him/her. That's how watching Orr was all the time. You couldn't help but to watch him and when he was directly in the action, you were waiting to see what he did.

 

[TruthSeeker]

No mention of Cy Young and his 511 career victories?

For comparison, the best pitcher in decades, Roger Clemens, has 350 or so wins in 24 years of pitching and he'd need 8 more 20 win seasons to sniff Young's record.

Does anyone else have an award named after them?

Cy Young was great - but he also holds the Major League record for losses (316).

 

[OtisCampbell]

My opinion is a tie - Bill Russell/Bobby Orr. But Tom Brady has put a bigger smile on my face than either of them

 

[NH #1 Pats Fan]

Bobby Orr. Hands down. He changed the way hockey was played. Even ESPN voted him the best hockey ever (that includes the likes of Gordie Howe & Wayne Gretsky). What other athlete can have that moniker attached to them from Boston? Maybe Tom Brady later, but too early to tell right now.

 

[patriotspride]

Bobby Orr. Hands down. He changed the way hockey was played. Even ESPN voted him the best hockey ever (that includes the likes of Gordie Howe & Wayne Gretsky). What other athlete can have that moniker attached to them from Boston? Maybe Tom Brady later, but too early to tell right now.

never use espn to try and strengthen your argument

 

[mcbee]

Butch Hobson
Babe Perelli
Jo Jo White
Tiny Archibald
Kevin McHale
Fred Lynn
Rick Middleton
Carl Yaztremski
John Hannah

There's my top 9. I'll work on the next few soon.:rocker:

 

[FrontSeven]

Butch Hobson
:

Butch Hobson? I thought we were talking about the *best ever*.

John Hannah: I can see the argument. But Babe Parilli? He isn't even the Best Patriots QB of all time, so how could he beat out Russell, Orr and Bird?

 

[RayClay]

Butch Hobson
Babe Perelli
Jo Jo White
Tiny Archibald
Kevin McHale
Fred Lynn
Rick Middleton
Carl Yaztremski
John Hannah

There's my top 9. I'll work on the next few soon.:rocker:

Nah, just stop. Save the bottom two and trash the rest. My suspicions about your sports knowledge confirmed.

 

[RayClay]

As far as Russell goes... he was the greatest in his era and did a lot to revolutionize the game. But he's an above average to all-star level player in today's game (if he were put in a time warp) rather than the greatest player ever.

If you put Garnett in a time machine and replaced Russell with him, the Celtics would have won about 99% of their games.

O RLY? Actually, there were more good centers back then than today. Take away shaq and whose left, power forward convert Duncan?

Russell Chamberlain, Nate Thurmond just for starters in that era.

 

[Fogbuster]

O RLY? Actually, there were more good centers back then than today. Take away shaq and whose left, power forward convert Duncan?

Russell Chamberlain, Nate Thurmond just for starters in that era.

Agreed. And the thing about Russell is that he did so much for the TEAM!! While Wilt was all about garnering high-scoring records for his individual stats, Bill was about supporting the team's effort to win. Auerbach was able to reach Rus when he joined the Celts and guided him to be one of the all-time best. And Red did it by emphasizing the need for a total team effort. Harbinger for today's Pats, imo.


//

 

[italian pat patriot]

easy reply for me: Tom Brady

# 12

 

[Nordy]

Bobby Orr.

 

[mcbee]

Nah, just stop. Save the bottom two and trash the rest. My suspicions about your sports knowledge confirmed.

You mocking me? You need to be raped if you are.

Fred Lynn not on the list of greatest athletes?

Bill Rodgers, the marathon runner? Bet you forgot about him, huh?

 

[fgssand]

I read Bill Russell's autobiography, 'Second Wind' I believe is the book.

If you guys don't respect 11 Championships in 13 Years and continually beating every challenger to the throne, then consider this:

- Russell was a 2-time NCAA champion for a team that I believe was like a bunch of scrubs.
- Russell basically invented shot-blocking and I believe also jump shots. He was instrumental in a new kind of fast-break basketball. His innovations, as well as his amazing court intelligence and defense were better than ANYONE.
- Russell basically never lost a game 7 or any important game, for that matter.
- Russell, willingly sacrificed his stats in order to win, and this guy almost never lost.

Russell is heads and shoulders above any other Boston athlete, if Brady wins 6 rings then he may challenge.

Well put and I agree 100%.

I also read Second wind and suggest it to anyone looking to gain perspective of the Celtic dynasty and challenges faced by the black man in sports in the 60's. Imagine being denied entry to a restaurant in a big city, due to the color of ones skin??

To me greatness is measured by championships and dominance....Bill Russell dominated his sport for over a decade and won a whole bunch of Championships along the way.

#2 is Tom Brady.......primarily due to his greatness, so far, along with my love for the Pro football sport in general.

 

[shakadave]

1) Bobby Orr
2) Tom Brady
3) Bill Russell
4) Ted Williams
5) Larry Bird

1. Bobby Orr
2. Ted Williams
3. Bill Russell
4. Tom Brady
5. Larry Bird

We are lucky to have a selection like this to debate about!!!

 

[PatriotsReign]

You mocking me? You need to be raped if you are.

Fred Lynn not on the list of greatest athletes?

Bill Rodgers, the marathon runner? Bet you forgot about him, huh?

The thread author's list is PERFECT the way it is.