Who is he? He’s Allen Iverson, and if you don’t know who A.I. is, chances are, you’ve stumbled onto the wrong blog. He’s the feisty little dude who was drafted by the 76ers in 1996, where he became the Rookie of the Year, later led the NBA in scoring four times, and laid the groundwork for his 24,098 points (and counting). He’s 34 years old and is listed at 165 pounds, yet still throws his body around as much as he can, which is a ton of fun to watch, even if age has slowed him down a bit. You probably also already know that he recently retired for a day or two before re-signing with the 76ers, where he promptly set free some pent up man tears.
Why we like him?Once again, it’s the man tears (in addition to 20,000+ points and being an amazing athlete). You didn’t think we would let some man tears pass without taking note of it, did you? Sure, this happened a while ago, but Iverson’s retirement and subsequent unretirement told us not to rush anything because A.I. isn’t going away any time soon. These man tears were respectable man tears, not Brett Favre man tears. These are man tears brought out by the same passion that drives one of the smallest guys on the court to impose his will on the game.
In case you haven’t seen it, you can watch a clip of A.I.’s press conference below, but first, I can’t forget to mention his nickname: The Answer. That’s a great nickname. We not only like athletes with great names, but we also like great nicknames too. We’ll have none of that first name initial, last name first syllable garbage like A-Rod, V-Mart, D-Wade. It’s lazy, unimaginative, and says nothing about the player or their game. The Answer, on the other hand, says just about everything you’d expect about A.I.’s game.
Who is he? Mark Ingram is the sophomore running back for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He racked up 1,864 total yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Oh yeah, he also won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first Alabama player to win it.
Why do we like him? While I have in the past voiced my displeasure about the shameless promotion of SEC football, I’ll admit I like Ingram a lot. He’s an electrifying player who helped carry the Crimson Tide to the BCS Championship Game. (That said, I still think the wrong person won the Heisman. Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh and Stanford’s Toby Gerhart made stronger cases. The Heisman is supposed to be awarded to the best college football player, and Gerhart not only had better numbers—1,885 yards and 26 TDs—but also won the Doak Walker Award for the best running back. Ingram wasn’t even voted the best running back, but he was voted the best player? I needed to get that off my chest.) The real reason I like Ingram is because of his Heisman speech, where he lets loose some man tears and even thanks the University of Alabama teachers. (It’s not as good as Ricky Williams’s speech, but it’s close.) It’s the man tears that did it. He could barely breathe! Fans love to see this kind of raw emotion from athletes. It brings them off the pedestal and humanizes them.
This brings me to another tangent. We’re so used to seeing players as nearly superhuman because of their ability to do things us normal folk can only dream of that when we are reminded that these athletes are real people, we either end up loving or hating them. Love him or hate him, any football fan remembers the incredulous look on Tom Brady’s face after winning Super Bowl XXXVI, just like fans love or hate Peyton Manning for his weird humor.
Recently, Steve McNair’s death and its aftermath were a grim reminder of just how human these athletes can be. Even more recently, this whole Tiger Woods fiasco proved once again that athletes get unfairly lionized by fans. (Yep, that’s all I’ll say about Tiger, because I don’t care whom he’s slept with.) It’s a strange relationship fans have with athletes, and Ingram’s speech reminded me of this: I like Ingram for his man tears as much as I dislike Brett Favre for his man tears. Ok, enough waxing philosophical, here’s Ingram’s Heisman acceptance speech.
Who is he? The newest member of the Red Sox, Boof Bonser is best known for being the least important piece of one of the most lopsided trades of all time when he went from the Giants to the Twins along with Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano for what ended up being one year of A.J. “The A Stands for Asshole” Pierzynski. Boof (which is now his legal name) is actually a pretty bad pitcher, but he showed some promise in a move to the bullpen in 2008 before his season and probably career were derailed by a torn rotator cuff AND labrum.
Why do we like him? Because his name is Boof. He’s a longshot to have any sort of impact ever again, but we’ll be rooting for ya, Boof.
Who is he? Stylez G. White, née Gregory Alphonso White, is a defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yeah, the Bucs are awful, but White has played his way all the way from the Arena Football League to the NFL, and managed to do so by the age of 30. So far this season, he has 25 tackles and three sacks for the 1-7 Bucs. He played a big part in their first win last weekend, as he was credited with 1.5 sacks and four tackles as the Bucs got to Aaron Rodgers six times.
Why do we like him? Well, he does have a pretty good story, as he was a seventh-round pick out of college and has bounced around, spending time with nearly every team, NFL Europe, AND the AFL until finally making it with Tampa. And of course, he may have the best name in football, especially because he was inspired to change it by the character in Teen Wolf.
Who is he? Lyle Moevao is a senior quarterback for the Oregon State Beavers. After starting for most of the 2008 season, an off-season rotator cuff surgery forced Moevao to begin the 2009 season as the backup to another senior QB, Sean Canfield. With Moevao under center in 2008, the Beavers were one win away from the Rose Bowl. After finally getting himself healthy enough to play, Moevao recently suffered a foot injury that required yet another surgery. He’ll be out for the rest of the year. Beavers coach Mike Riley has said the team will pursue a medical redshirt for Moevao to get another year of eligibility, but the chances of that happening are very slim.
Why do we like him? At 5’11”, 225 pounds, Moevao has never been your typical QB prospect, but he’s exactly the type of athlete you want at QB. He’s a leader in every way, and personally, I feel his quarterbacking skills have always been far too underrated. In last year’s Sun Bowl, he led the Beavers to a 3-0 win over Pitt (obviously with a lot of help from the Beavers’ defense), despite missing star running back Jacquizz Rodgers. Before his off-season surgery, reports came out that his doctor was surprised Moevao could even throw the ball at all in that game. This year, he’s given way to Sean Canfield, who I admit I never had much confidence in. Canfield is having a great season though (1,734 yards, 11 TDs, and a 140.98 QB rating) and seems to be getting much better every game — his performance at USC has officially made me a Canfield believer. Canfield has repeatedly credited Moevao with helping him become a better leader. Despite getting on the field for only one play this year, Moevao can always be spotted on the sideline with a huge smile and is always the first person on the field to get both the offensive and defensive units fired up. Playing or not, he seems able to bring out the best of every player. No “I” in Blog also loves football players who make big blocks, especially QBs, because there are very few things that can get a team more fired up than a huge QB block. That being said, here’s my favorite Moevao highlight:
As you may or may not be aware, hockey season started on Thursday. Perhaps because I grew up in Vermont, where the weather is already cold this time of year, or maybe simply because the game is played on ice, hockey season always signifies to me that it’s time to gather up nuts, store them under a tree, and hibernate for the nice, long New England winter.
For simplicity’s sake, already a fan of the other three major Boston sports teams, I have always rooted for the Bruins. Admittedly, I didn’t follow them closely until the ‘07-‘08 season, as the young team started to congeal, but this was a year before many more people joined the bandwagon as they tied for the best record in the NHL. Without further ado, here are my three favorite Bruins, in no particular order, and a few reasons why they are Starters:
1. Milan Lucic, wing. Lucic is a beast. Drafted 50th overall in 2006, Lucic has quickly risen to be one of the leaders of the team with his ferocious style of play. Lucic can hit, fight, score goals, and isn’t afraid of anyone. Plus, he’s only 21 and has room to improve — he increased his points total from 27 to 42 in his first two seasons, and added nine more in ten games in last year’s playoffs.
2. David Krejci, center Krejci was, like Lucic, another great second round pick for the Bruins who has blossomed into one of their best players. With both Krejci and Phil Kessel RFAs at the end of last season, it was the consensus among B’s fans that the team needed to lock up the multidimensional Krejci over the extremely talented but less versatile Kessel, even though the latter had just scored 36 goals in a 70-game season shortened due to mono. That they did, signing Krejci to a three-year deal while trading Kessel to Toronto.
Just 23, Krejci is as skilled as Lucic is powerful, and it’s a joy to watch him pass and shoot. Like Lucic, if he can improve even a little, he will be a superstar.
Here’s Krejci scoring a hat trick. The second goal is particularly brilliant, and typical of what he can do as a player.
3. Byron Bitz, wing. First of all, Byron Bitz has a great name, and any reader of the site knows how important that is to us. But he’s also a very easy player to root for, for though he was an unheralded fourth round pick and has never put up big numbers on any level, he is a very “high-effort” player who goes all-out for you. While they don’t rely on him by any means, he took the chance he was given last year and ran with it, and has solidified a spot on the fourth line, which he is well-suited for.
Who is he? He’s Ken Griffey, Jr.! He’s “The Kid!” You know who he is!
Why do we like him? What’s not to like? He’s played in 13 All-Star Games, has won ten Gold Gloves, and his 628 home runs is the fifth most home runs in Major League history (first among active players). The Griffey love fest started in 1989, when he hit a home run on the first pitch he saw at the Kingdome, and this flair for the dramatic is just one example of how his greatness goes beyond numbers. Sure, we love those 628 homers, but we love the singles almost as much because we get to watch that sweet, smooth swing. Of course I, like any Mariners fan, can’t forget the way he glided through center field to track down fly balls to make all his amazing catches. There’s not a Mariners fan who’s seen his 1995 wrist-breaking catch who can watch the replay and not simultaneously cringe at the pain and smile at the sheer awesomeness. Even though he broke his wrist on that play and missed 73 games because of the injury, it only added to the Griffey love. We knew he was giving 110% on every play and that he would do whatever it took to win, and his smile showed us he loved playing just as much as we loved watching him play. Griffey pretty much saved baseball in Seattle. Sure, the Mariners had Randy Johnson and Edgar Martinez, but Griffey was the star of the 1995 playoffs, during which the city of Seattle voted to build a new stadium in place of the crumbling concrete mess that was the Kingdome. This year, he returned to Seattle as a designated hitter in what will, in all likelihood, be his unofficial farewell tour. Some might say signing an aging, .200-hitting, platooning DH was a mistake, especially considering the Ms were right in thick of the wild card race for awhile, but most agree Griffey should end his career in a Seattle Mariners uniform.
For more Ken Griffey, Jr. memories and photos, including the wonderful Griffey dog pile, check out Seattle Sportsnet and MLB.com. Also, click here for a video of his appearance on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air!
Who is he? Jake Locker is the starting quarterback for the University of Washington Huskies. A junior this year, Locker has thrown five touchdowns and only one interception with a quarterback rating of 138 in three games. Two of those three games were against LSU and USC, teams that were expected to easily roll over the Huskies. His 63 completions, 811 yards, five TDs, and 270 yards per game are all tops in the Pac-10. He’s also rushed for two TDs this year.
Why do we like him? Sure, the Huskies couldn’t buy a win in 2008 and went 4-9 in 2007, but don’t blame Locker. He missed almost the whole 2008 season after being injured in the Huskies second game. In 2007, all Locker did was set UW and Pac-10 records for rushing yards for a quarterback with 987 yards and compile 2,062 passing yards, the most ever for a Husky freshman. It’s safe to say those four wins can all be attributed to Locker. This year he’s back scaring defensive coordinators and head coaches. L.A. Times writer T. J. Simers talked to USC coach Pete Carroll about the loss to UW, in which Carroll said, “That’s the best quarterback we’ve played in nine years here…Jake Lockerhas ridiculous talent, and had he remained healthy last year, Tyrone [Willingham] would still be coaching there.” That’s pretty high praise from a guy who has coached against some stellar college quarter backs, like, say, Dennis Dixon and Vince Young (hey, I did say college quarterbacks). It’s also nice to see Carroll giving at least one Husky some credit, especially when headlines nationwide proclaimed that USC stumbled instead of considering even for a moment that UW might actually be a good football team. Face it, college football fans, the Huskies are proving they’re a team that can and will challenge the best teams, and Jake Locker is leading the charge.
Who is he? Pablo Sandoval, who was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, is the 23-year-old third and first baseman (and sometimes catcher) for the San Francisco Giants. In his second major league season, Sandoval has a .325 batting average with 21 homers and 77 RBIs.
Why do we like him? Along with Tim Lincecum, Sandoval has become the new face of the Giants. He’s so likable that teammates, fans, and the Giants’ front office created a “Vote for Pablo” campaign based on the Napoleon Dynamite “Vote for Pedro” dance. He’s chubby; he smiles all the time; he manages to hit above .300 despite swinging at any pitch he can reach; and he likes cake. Like all great players, he’s acquired great nicknames also, such as Zorro and Kung Fu Panda. If you can’t like a cheerful pudgy kid called Kung Fu Panda who can’t stop smiling and makes everything around him fun, you’re probably just a Dodgers fan.
*Photo courtesy of Miss Chatter via Flickr Creative Commons
Who is he? Aponavicius is the senior kicker for the Boston College Eagles. Aponavicius is currently 35 of 51 on field goals for his career and is the ACC’s active scoring leader. He took over for the inconsistent Ryan Ohliger back in 2006 after Ohliger was suspended for getting into a fight at a bar. His first game against Virginia Tech he hit both field goal attempts and kicked a career-long (at that time) 37-yard field goal to win the Music City Bowl over Navy later that same season.
Why do we like him? Sid Vicious, as his teammates call him, didn’t go to BC on a scholarship because he had never played football until his first day of practice at BC. A high school soccer player, Aponavicius painted his face and cheered from the stands as a freshman in Chestnut Hill until he was spotted kicking field goals at Alumni Stadium for fun by a graduate assistant to the football program. A week later, he tried out and was welcomed to the team. If you can’t cheer for a fan basically living the dream of any fan and playing for the team he cheered for, then I don’t know what to tell you. Besides, it’s fun to hear Brent Musberger mispronounce his last name three different ways. photo courtesy of Boston College Athletics website
