Not Bills Related But Just For Fun and this is the forum for that

[Woodman]

Who is one of your all time favorite athletes?

It can be any sport and any team doesn't have to be Buffalo related or it certainly can be.


Mine is Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs he just brought the love of the game to all of us that had the privilege of watching him play.

Famous for saying lets play two ....

19869

The Ambassador of Baseball ........... In my opinion.

[Historian]

Football: Bob Chandler
https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.d8545e9826f9f97c6addfdb2926d29bb?rik=BIlvJI1ZDHeqHg&riu=http%3a%2f%2f3.bp.blogspot.com%2f_vj38lFhTty4%2fTIfqJdg03eI%2fAAAAAAAAAMs%2fiJOeo1uE1Cc%2fs1600%2fBob-Chandler.jpg&ehk=yHumTrsG7f8jtkpY0ssdvh72SaMVEERGTtRMCjcW5pU%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0





Baseball: Sid Fernandez

https://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/2017/11/01/59fa30e892f56d7146c2853e_SidFernandez.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.826.1239.suffix/1573349527878.jpeg

Hockey: Gilbert Perreault

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d8/24/37/d8243781370f768ac9f6eea11a4797f6.jpg


Basketball: Ernie D

https://meetthematts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Ernie-DiGregorio_-e1554652290388.jpg

Tennis: Gabriella Sabbatini

https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.e096922fdb624a3e873079f608cdb6ce?rik=pVflEgnIkBLISQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

[sahlensguy]

MJ.

Was his personal driver for 10 years every time he came out to his house out in Utah. "His Airness" was fitting for him. He sold his house a few years ago. Never met anyone like him before or since.

[Woodman]

Great choice my friend thanks!

Great memories !!

[Woodman]

Historian love the Ernie D choice as well as the rest !!

[Woodman]

19870
I'm still thinking about this guy.
Please include broadcasters if there's anybody special enough to you.
I also enjoyed Curt Gowdy's voice.

[POTLAND PSILBYLO]

Craig Ramsay, Jamie Mueller, Bob McAdoo, Orel Hershiser

[OpIv37]

MJ.

Was his personal driver for 10 years every time he came out to his house out in Utah. "His Airness" was fitting for him. He sold his house a few years ago. Never met anyone like him before or since.

It’s cliche but Michael Jordan is probably my favorite athlete of all time. I worshipped him growing up- t shirts, posters, the full 9. I have a pair of Jordan sneakers that I got last Christmas. Awesome that you actually met/kinda knew him. I barely even watch basketball anymore cuz it’s just not the same for me without him.

Bruce is my favorite football player growing up.

I was never a Phillies fan but my family is originally from that area and I really liked Mike Schmidt as a kid.

- - - Updated - - -


Craig Ramsay, Jamie Mueller, Bob McAdoo, Orel Hershiser

I always liked Hershiser as a kid. I remember being young and watching him pitch in the World Series.

[ParanoidAndroid]

1. Jim Thorpe

Olympic Gold Medalist in the Pentathlon and Decathlon

Professional football, baseball and basketball player.

Maybe the best all around athlete ever.

And a true diamond in the rough story.

2. Haile Gebrselassie

Because I'm a distance runner and he dominated and revolutionized the sport, holding world records at one point from 5k all the way up to the Marathon. There has been no one like him since.

[Buffalogic]

The dominator

[Gibby 2.0]

Football:
Bruce Smith

Baseball:
Billy Butler

Basketball:
MJ

Hockey:
Vladislav Tretiak.

[daryls61]

Tiger Woods.

[sahlensguy]

It’s cliche but Michael Jordan is probably my favorite athlete of all time. I worshipped him growing up- t shirts, posters, the full 9. I have a pair of Jordan sneakers that I got last Christmas. Awesome that you actually met/kinda knew him. I barely even watch basketball anymore cuz it’s just not the same for me without him.


Kind of knew him is right. He didn't even ever know my name, but he would pick me out everytime in a lineup of cars for he and his entourage off of his jet. Most awesome private jet btw (2nd is owned by Baltimore's Kevin Plank). Called me bud. My biggest tipper over the years, but we never really talked., He liked to go fast, and I was good at that. He either jumped in my car or he put his wife and kids with me. Calm, warm dude with unflappable confidence. Not arrogance. Didn't looked to impress nobody, because he was already at the top. Appreciative to the hired help. Good guy for any fan to admire imo. But he wasn't a saint. I was a witness to that.

[Chet]

Eric Moulds
Pavel Bure
Kobe Bryant
Pudge Rodriguez

[mightysimi]

Joe Poplawski slot back Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Was a stud for the 80's Bomber teams that won it all in 84 while I was growing up.

[Canadian'eh!]

Kind of knew him is right. He didn't even ever know my name, but he would pick me out everytime in a lineup of cars for he and his entourage off of his jet. Most awesome private jet btw (2nd is owned by Baltimore's Kevin Plank). Called me bud. My biggest tipper over the years, but we never really talked., He liked to go fast, and I was good at that. He either jumped in my car or he put his wife and kids with me. Calm, warm dude with unflappable confidence. Not arrogance. Didn't looked to impress nobody, because he was already at the top. Appreciative to the hired help. Good guy for any fan to admire imo. But he wasn't a saint. I was a witness to that.

He must have really liked you, since he was a notoriously bad tipper. Lol

[Chet]

He must have really liked you, since he was a notoriously bad tipper. Lol
You’re thinking of Scottie “No-tippin’” Pippen

[sahlensguy]

He must have really liked you, since he was a notoriously bad tipper. Lol

He tipped all the drivers. That reputation wasn't on display for the 10 years that I drove for him.

[cookie G]

Wilt. A true larger than life character. The stories of his strength and athleticism were Paul Bunyanesque.

-the 500 lb bench press
-the 3 time Big 8 high jump champion;
-the 60+ foot shot put toss;
-to dunking while John Havlicek wrapped both of his arms around him;
-to lifting Arnold Shwartzenegger with one hand with ease;
-to going into the UCLA gym at age 42, playing Magic Johnson's team of all stars in a pick up game (Magic, Worthy, Bernard King, AC Green etc). Wilt's team was UCLA freshman. After Magic pissed him off in game 1, Wilt said to Magic, "OK, we'll play to 11, and I guarantee you will not make another shot on this basket. According to then UCLA coach Larry Brown, Wilt blocked every shot thereafter.

Not to mention, he built that cool house in the hills over Bel Air, Ursa Major:

<iframe width="1127" height="634" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LGa2nmOqI6s" title="Wilt Chamberlain&#39;s incredible Bel Air Mountain-Top Mansion &quot;Ursa Major&quot; (4/10/1972)" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Woodman]

Craig Ramsay, Jamie Mueller, Bob McAdoo, Orel Hershiser

More really good choices. :cheers:

[Woodman]

1. Jim Thorpe

Olympic Gold Medalist in the Pentathlon and Decathlon

Professional football, baseball and basketball player.

Maybe the best all around athlete ever.

And a true diamond in the rough story.

2. Haile Gebrselassie

Because I'm a distance runner and he dominated and revolutionized the sport, holding world records at one point from 5k all the way up to the Marathon. There has been no one like him since.


I was also a distance runner.
Thorpe my choice of Greatest Athlete of all time. :10:

[Mace]

Oh yeah.....Wilt Chamberlain for me too.....I lived for those matchups with other big centers on a grainy black and white TV as a kid......hungering for those Bucks/Lakers games when he'd go toe to toe with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Only a few ever blocked a skyhook, Chamberlain did it twice in one game. Two legends, loved this read :

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2021/04/27/kareem-abdul-jabbar-and-wilt-chamberlain-went-toe-toe/6963157002/

I'd give Brooks Robinson, Gil Perreault, and Jim Kelly my very best honorable mentions.

[Woodman]

Wilt. A true larger than life character. The stories of his strength and athleticism were Paul Bunyanesque.

-the 500 lb bench press
-the 3 time Big 8 high jump champion;
-the 60+ foot shot put toss;
-to dunking while John Havlicek wrapped both of his arms around him;
-to lifting Arnold Shwartzenegger with one hand with ease;
-to going into the UCLA gym at age 42, playing Magic Johnson's team of all stars in a pick up game (Magic, Worthy, Bernard King, AC Green etc). Wilt's team was UCLA freshman. After Magic pissed him off in game 1, Wilt said to Magic, "OK, we'll play to 11, and I guarantee you will not make another shot on this basket. According to then UCLA coach Larry Brown, Wilt blocked every shot thereafter.

Not to mention, he built that cool house in the hills over Bel Air, Ursa Major:

<iframe width="1127" height="634" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LGa2nmOqI6s" title="Wilt Chamberlain's incredible Bel Air Mountain-Top Mansion &quot;Ursa Major&quot; (4/10/1972)" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Awesome pick ..... a true legend of the game.

A super athlete. (extraordinaire)

What couldn't he do :idunno:

[Woodman]

Oh yeah.....Wilt Chamberlain for me too.....I lived for those matchups with other big centers on a grainy black and white TV as a kid......hungering for those Bucks/Lakers games when he'd go toe to toe with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Only a few ever blocked a skyhook, Chamberlain did it twice in one game. Two legends, loved this read :

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2021/04/27/kareem-abdul-jabbar-and-wilt-chamberlain-went-toe-toe/6963157002/

I'd give Brooks Robinson, Gil Perreault, and Jim Kelly my very best honorable mentions.

Brooks was special !

I'll piggyback a bit and take another Baseball legend .... Roberto Clemente.