Who are the best players that you have seen live in a game?
Copy and Paste the grid below into you response. There are eight blanks to fill in. You need not fill them all in. The first column asks for the best player that you saw in the first game of that sport that you attended in person. The second column is for the best player of that sport that you ever saw in a game that you attended in person. Professional or collegiate athletes are acceptable.
Sport First Game Any Game Baseball ______________ ________________ Football ______________ ________________ Basketball ______________ ________________ Hockey ______________ ________________ Sport --- First Game --- Any Game Baseball : Roy Campanella , Nolan Ryan Football : Jim Brown/Bart Starr , Aaron Rodgers Basketball : Dolph Schayes , Magic Johnson Hockey : Stan Mikita , Wayne Gretzky Copying and Pasting the template doesn't work very well, so just name the sport and the two names in a single row per sport, similar to my choices. If two posts are identical, you may have found your lost brother.:D Remembering your first game may be a problem, |
OK Frank, I'll start.
Sport First Game Any Game Baseball: Tom Seaver, Hank Aaron/ Willie Mays Football: Walter Payton, Walter Payton Basketball: Scottie Pippen, Steve Nash Hockey: Jean Beliveau, Bobby Orr |
Best ever in Basketball......Michael Jordan, Pete Maravich, and Dominique Wilkins.....
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Baseball: Luis Aparicio, Willie Mays
Football: Archie Griffin (Ohio State vs. U of Minnesota), Walter Payton Hockey: Bobby Hull, Bobby Hull (I've been to one pro hockey game) Basketball: Connie Hawkins, Kareem Abdul Jabbar |
greats ive seen
Sport First Game Any Game
Baseball Cal Ripkin (Rochester)/Nolan Ryan Football Pele (Santos)/Diego Maradona (Argentina) / George Best / Johan Cruyff Basketball Harlem Globetrotters / Shaquill O'Neall Hockey Wayne Gretzky / Sidney Crosby |
Best ever in Football..... Deion Sanders, Jerry Rice, Lawrence Taylor, Julio Jones....
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Baseball Mickey Mantle Willie Mays
Football Keith Lincoln Johnny Unitas Basketball Wilt Chamberlain Kareem Abdul Jabbar Hockey Dave Keon Gordie Howe Bonus Content: Soccer Pele Pele |
Baseball: Hank Aaron ; Tim Hudson
Football: William Andrews (in HS) Basketball: Connie Hawkins (w the Globetrotters) Hockey: Several nameless local players. |
Seaver, Lawrence Taylor, Dr. J, Mike Bossy
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Sport First Game Any Game
Baseball Carl Yastrzemski, Hank Aaron Football Jim Nance Drew Bledsoe Basketball Larry Bird, Michael Jordon Hockey Bobby Orr, Bobby Orr |
I don't remember first games, but in baseball it was Mays, Aaron, and Clemente.
In basketball it was Chamberlain, Alcindor (pre-1971), and Julius Erving (with the Virginia Squires, as well as the Nets) I rarely went to football or hockey games, so no real memories. I do remember the first concert I went to, and it was the Beatles. That should count for something. |
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Baseball....Frank Robinson....Mickey Mantle
Basketball..... Wilt......Ditto |
Baseball: Mickey Mantle; Barry Bonds
Football: Johnny Unitas; Unitas/Alan Page Basketball: Walter Davis (I don't remember which opponent I first saw the Suns play so I'll go with the home team); Michael Jordan Hockey: Gordie Howe; Howe/Gretzky |
Best ever in baseball.... Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, and Dale Murphy, yes, Dale Murphy.....Back to back MVP with crappy teams!
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Hi Frank
Baseball Mickey Mantle (1952 - 1973), Ted Williams (several times in the 1950's at Yankee Stadium)
Football Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, John Riggins (1972 in Baltimore)) Basketball Wilt Chamberlain, Earl "the Pearl" Monroe (Madison Square Garden) Hockey (haven't been to any games) TED Z T206 Reference . |
Baseball: Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle
Football: Paul Warfield, Joe Namath Basketball: James Bailey (Rutgers), Larry Bird (Indiana St.) Hockey: john Vanbiesbrouck, Wayne Gretzky Mike |
Baseball: Willy Mays, Barry Bonds
Football: O.J. Simpson, Adrian Peterson Basketball: Wilt Chamberlain, Wilt Chamberlain Hockey: Rogie Vachon, Wayne Gretzky |
Sport First Game Any Game
Baseball _Mantle, Berra /- Mays, Williams, Aaron, Clemente Football __Don't Remember 1st game / Brown, Unitas Basketball _Russell, Baylor, West. & Cousy__/ Robertson Hockey __Don't Remember 1st game / Gretzky, Lemieux, Ovechkin |
Sport First / Game Any Game
Baseball Al Kaline / Mike Schmidt Football Johnny Unitas / Johnny Unitas Basketball Manute Bol / Manute Bol only been to one sorry game (PHL/WAS) Hockey Gordie Howe / Gordie Howe |
Baseball Ernie Banks - Stan Musial
Football George Blanda - Earl Campbell Basketball Pete Maravich - Hakeem Olijawon Hockey - Poul Popiel - Gordie Howe |
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Sport First Game Any Game
Baseball: Tim Raines, Barry Bonds Football Rod Woodson, Troy Polamalu/Barry Sanders (tie) I could say Brady, but ugh Basketball Michael Jordan/Michael Jordan Hockey Mario, Mario |
Baseball- Seaver, Pete Rose
Football- Dan Marino, Lawrence Taylor Basketball- Never been to a game Hockey- Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky |
Baseball: Can't remember who the visiting team was so I will go with home team player Rusty Staub Roberto Clemente
Football: Never been to a Game Basketball: Never been to a Game Hockey Guy LaFleur Mario Lemieux/Wayne Gretzky |
Sport First Game Any Game
Baseball- Don Martingly, Ken Griffey, Jr/ Mike Trout Football- Lawrence Taylor, OBJ ("The Catch" game) Basketball- Kevin Garnett Hockey- Wayne Gretzky, Martin Brodeur Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk |
Baseball - Barry Bonds, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, ARod and Robin Yount (many times).
Football - Brady v. Favre @ Lambeau, Reggie White |
Baseball—Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams
Football—Lawrence Taylor, Walter Payton Basketball—Bill Russell, Michael Jordan Hockey—Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky Bob-The only soccer game I’ve ever been to was Santos of Brazil against Milan at Yankee Stadium, so for me the soccer answer would also be Pele/Pele |
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Every summer on the East End of Long Island there is a charity event called the Artists-Writers softball game. It's mostly celebrities now with only a limited number of real artists and writers playing. In the early 90's we used to go every year to see it, and one time Pele was there playing. I don't think soccer skills translate that well to softball, since he did nothing remarkable batting or fielding. But at one point he walked right past me, which I thought was very cool. So I guess I can say I saw Pele play too, just the wrong sport. |
Haven't seen many professional contests in person (only 2 - one NBA and one NHL), but I saw Allen Iverson come to town. He was AWESOME
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Baseball: First game - Mickey Mantle, although technically I didn't see him play. I saw him walk around in the dugout. It was a Sunday day game and he had the day off. :(:mad: So, actually playing-wise, I'd have to say Reggie Jackson. He even hit a homerun in the game (I don't remember him hitting it let alone playing, but I do have the box score from the game and it says he did) [ok, so maybe you don't remember everything about your first;)]. The most memorable play was Rocky Colavito throwing Campy Campaneris out at home plate with an incredible throw from left field. That I do remember and will take to the grave with me ... along with the fact that Mantle didn't play. :mad: Any game - would have to be Ryan. I'd drive down to Houston and then up to Arlington to see him pitch. Other sports: Do they even matter??!? :D |
11 pitchers in that game, looks like one of today's games.
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Ripken Jr, Griffey Jr, Jeter, ARod...come to mind.
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The first baseball game I went to was a high school game. It would have been Will Clark, but he had graduated a year or two earlier, so really nobody special there. I later saw Roger Clemens pitch, so he's certainly the best I've witnessed first-hand.
I think I saw Chris Jackson (later Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) in the first basketball game I went to (LSU/Georgetown), so he would have been the best in that game. And I don't recall ever having gone to an NBA game, so I haven't seen any of the all-time greats. Best I've seen in person might be Mike Bibby, although as college players (how I saw them) I'd say Chris Jackson was a little better. First football game I saw was probably one I played in as a seven-year-old or something like that. Best player I've seen since then was maybe Ricky Williams. I was at about half of his college games. Or Rickey Jackson for the Saints back in the late 80s/early 90s. For hockey I've only been to semipro and don't recall any of the players' names. Whoever was the best New Mexico Scorpions player about 15 years ago I guess. |
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Sport --- First Game --- Any Game
Baseball : Jason Thompson (My favorite Pirate player as a little kid) , Frank Thomas (Spring Training game against the Pirates and had tickets right behind the plate. Dude is huge and hit a bomb that was so loud off the bat. I never heard anything like that before at a game.) Football : Dan Marino (1981 Pitt vs. Army, I think he threw for 4 TD's and around 300 yds.), Troy Polamalu Basketball : Curly Neal (Globetrotters) , Allen Iverson Hockey : Mario Lemieux, Mario Lemieux (This one is easy. He's the most dominate athlete that I've seen in person in any sport.) |
Baseball: Bob Gibson, Hank Aaron
Football: Len Dawson, Joe Montana Basketball: Curley Neil & Meadowlark Lemon |
My answers are based on my feeling of the "best" player and how they performed in the game(s) I attended, not necessarily best in popular culture. For example I saw Michael Jordan once, but he didn't have a very good game. I saw Mickey Mantle in his last season, but he was a shadow of what he was supposed to be.
Baseball Frank Robinson - Ken Griffey Jr Football Ken Stabler - Emmett Smith Basketball Meadowlark Lemon - Kevin Durant Hockey Bobby Orr Bobby Orr/Mario Lemieux That last one is a tough call. I saw them completely dominate a hockey game almost single-handedly, which is very tough to do in hockey. Then again, those games were against very poor Seals/Sharks teams. |
Baseball: Kaline,Mantle, Bonds,Ryan
Basketball: Bird, Lew Alcindor Hockey : Howe |
It is a bit hard for me as I do not really remember what players were in games, and games tend to mix together. Typically I end up remembering weird players like Oleg Saprykin or Razor Shines.
Baseball: Jay Bell, Cliff Lee Football: Thurman Thomas, Tom Brady Hockey: ??? , Dominik Hasek Baseball is hard as I say, being in a minor league town we end up having a bunch of... well... minor league guys. Then also some come in on rehab assignment... or some guy on the other team coming up that you don't know anything about until they make it in the majors later. I didn't even think of Cliff Lee at first, originally I would have had to say Brian Giles. But I have a keychain from a game, and I look up that game and he is the WP so... Certainly I had seen some other good football players. I remember my first football game was Week 1 1990 Bills vs Colts, the Jeff George debut. For hockey, I do not know what my first game was, but I doubt anyone I had seen would beat the any game best player. I did see Wayne Gretzky, but as a coach with Phoenix. Don't know if that counts. |
Baseball: Schmidt, Bonds
Basketball: Jordan, Bird Football: Emmitt, Reggie White Hockey: Gretzky, Jagr |
Baseball Lou Brock, Barry Bonds
Football Walter Payton, Walter Payton Basketball Larry Bird, Lebron James Hockey Denis Savard, Mario Lemieux |
Baseball: Every great that played from the mid/late 80's to mid 00's. I went to 100's of games in that time period even though the closest stadium was a 600 mile round trip.
Basketball: I bought Timberwolves season tickets for the 06-07 season so I could see all the greats of the game in person that season. It is the only time I ever went to basketball games. Football: Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith, and John Elway Hockey: What is Hockey?:confused: |
I had a chance to see Maradona when he was in Boston but passed, always regretted that. I think it was at a point where he was having lots of problems and wasn't at his top game, but nonetheless, my boss who went said the skill level was incredible to witness.
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Baseball Yaz Brett
Football Bo Brady |
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Hockey: Mario Lemieux, although props to Marian Hossa when he played for the Thrashers (who?)
Football: Jerry Rice saw him score 5 td's vs atl in 1990 Basketball: Michael Jordan, runner up saw Dominique go for 50 once Baseball: So many, but at my first game in Cincinnati pick'em : Joe Morgan was my fav, Pete Rose, Bench, Soccer Miguel Almiron :) |
Sport First Game Any Game
Baseball: Nolan Ryan / Barry Bonds* Football: Aaron Rodgers / Jerry Rice / All Day (in his prime) Basketball: Michael Jordan Hockey: Wayne Gretzky / Super Mario |
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