CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
yeah - not a cool dude by any measure. Spectacular soccer player no doubt, but a complete ###hole to be sure.
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Coolest Athlete All-Time? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter The General
- Start date
Charlie Steiner
Footballguy
Doug B
Footballguy
otb_lifer
Footballguy
on the court, sure ... he was as cool as they came.
but his off-court persona was quite shady ... we all know about the gambling, and the rumors about the cause of his father's murder, and his subsequent "retirement" (*cough* suspension *cough*) to play baseball ...
different media world back then, MJ got a ton of slack - don't think he'd be viewed the same had his career and shennanigans taken place in the modern twitterverse/social mediaz era
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Angry Beavers
Footballguy
clearly somebody needs to put together a bracket................. 
ChiefD
Footballguy
encaitar
Footballguy
Maybe. Some might consider that part of his appeal. Does Gronk's rep suffer because he's shown partying at frat houses or with pronstars? Or is it bolstered by it? Michael's way of holding himself gave off the impression that he didn't care if you knew he gambled, drank, and womanized. He was going to do it anyway.on the court, sure ... he was as cool as they came.
but his off-court persona was quite shady ... we all know about the gambling, and the rumors about the cause of his father's murder, and his subsequent "retirement" (*cough* suspension *cough*) to play baseball ...
different media world back then, MJ got a ton of slack - don't think he'd be viewed the same had his career and shennanigans taken place in the modern twitterverse/social mediaz era
otb_lifer
Footballguy
i'm not disputing any of that - but the rumors about his father draw the line on "boys will be boys" ####.
The General
Footballguy
He had all these crazy warm up routines and didn’t speak the language so it was hard to get to know him but because he looked so different than every other ballplayer and was so good right out of the gate he was always one of my favorites on the M’s even when the team was good.
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otb_lifer
Footballguy
General Malaise
Footballguy
NorvilleBarnes
Footballguy
Muhammad Ali gets my vote.
The General
Footballguy
Love it. I hadn’t heard quite a few of those. The idea of him talking #### in Spanish
One they didn’t have that may be sort of urban legend is when he first came to the team.
Mariners were owned by Nintendo at the time and that’s most likely a big reason he came to the M’s.
Lou Pinella, another swagmaster by the way, was pretty old school and was sort of dismissing Ichiro a little. Was saying stuff like we’ll see if his game transfers over, MLB is a different league yada yada.
Ichiro was doing his slap the ball around thing in early Spring Training. Poking the ball to left, slap bunting etc and Pinella got on him and was like your little singles are cute but how about some bigger swings or something.
Ichiro barely spoke English at this time (or acted like it) and just sort of nodded.
Next at bat he homers and when he comes back into the dugout said something to the effect “is that good”
Not sure how true it is but Pinella tells it like that.
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General Malaise
Footballguy
The story of him inviting Griffey over for dinner and leaving halfway through to go workout, return and eat dessert as if nothing odd had happened is classic. Griffey does a good job retelling that one.Love it. I hadn’t heard quite a few of those. The idea of him talking #### in Spanish
One they didn’t have that may be sort of urban legend is when he first came to the team.
Mariners were owned by Nintendo at the time and that’s most likely a big reason he came to the M’s.
Lou Pinella, another swagmaster by the way, was pretty old school and was sort of dismissing Ichiro a little. Was saying stuff like we’ll see if his game transfers over, MLB is a different league yada yada.
Ichiro was doing his slap the ball around thing in early Spring Training. Poking the ball to left, slap bunting etc and Pinella got on him and was like your little singles are cute but how about some bigger swings or something.
Ichiro barely spoke English at this time (or acted like it) and just sort of nodded.
Next at bat he homers and when he comes back into the dugout said something to the effect “is that good”
Not sure how true it is but Pinella tells it like that.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Roger Bowker << LINK
Super 70s Sports@Super70sSports
Amazingly, despite exciting stars such as this, pro bowling trading cards didn't really take off.
Super 70s Sports@Super70sSports
Amazingly, despite exciting stars such as this, pro bowling trading cards didn't really take off.
Zow
Footballguy
The General
Footballguy
Jagov
Footballguy
El Floppo
Footballguy
Angry Beavers
Footballguy
Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn would be a contestant in the fictional athlete category.....
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Ted Williams is pretty cool.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Cool in their own ways but if we putting all the great athletes into a fictional 80s high school, Sanders and Duncan are the nerds. Barry eats lunch by his own self in the library while Duncan is the Captain of the Robotics Team, Treasurer of the Manga Club and the delegate for Canada to the Model UN.
matuski
Footballguy
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Ilov80s
Footballguy
lakerstan
Footballguy
I don't know if Satchel Paige was cool, but one of the coolest stories I've ever heard is how he gave the nickname, "Nancy" to Buck O'Neil.
I'll paste it below, but it is better to hear Buck tell it.
The legendary pitcher Satchel Paige called Buck O’Neil “Nancy.” Why? According to Buck, it had something to do with a pretty woman named Nancy whom Satchel had invited to see him play ball in Chicago.
“We’re at the Evans Hotel in Chicago. Satchel and I are in the lobby, in front of a bay window, sipping on a little tea. A cab drives up, and out steps Nancy, pretty as a picture. Satchel gets the bellman and they take all her stuff up to Satchel’s room. I go back to sitting at the table.
I wasn’t there 20 minutes, when another cab drives up. And out steps Lahoma. Lahoma was Satchel’s fiancée. I said, ‘Oh, oh,’ I greeted Lahoma, and I said, ‘So good to see you, Satchel stepped out with some reporters, but he will be back presently. Come sit down and have whatever you want.’ She ordered a drink, and I went to the bellman and said, ‘Hey man, you better go upstairs and tell Satchel that Lahoma is here.’ I was in the room next to Satchel, and next to me was a vacant room. I said: ‘You go put Nancy in that vacant room and come back when you’re done.’
We were staying on the second floor of the Evans Hotel, so if Satchel comes down the elevator or the stairs we’re going to see him. He goes down the fire escape, walks around the building, walks in the front door. And he says, ‘Oh, Lahoma, what a pleasant surprise.’
We had a good time that night. Joe Louis came by and spent some time with us. Now it’s 11 o’clock, and I say, ‘Well, we got a game tomorrow, better get some sleep.’ But I can’t sleep because I know Satchel’s got to go see Nancy, give her some money so she can go home.
After about an hour, Satchel’s door opens, and I say, ‘Uh huh, it’s going down right now.’ Satchel goes to Nancy’s door and knocks lightly. He whispers, ‘Nancy.’ No one answers.
He knocks a little louder – ‘Nancy!’ No one answers.
He knocks loud now. ‘NANCY!’
When he yelled that, Satchel’s door opened. I know that has to be Lahoma, so I jump out of bed and open my door and say, ‘Satchel, are you looking for me?’
And without missing a beat he says: ‘Yes, Nancy, what time is the game tomorrow?’
And I’ve been Nancy ever since.”
I'll paste it below, but it is better to hear Buck tell it.
The legendary pitcher Satchel Paige called Buck O’Neil “Nancy.” Why? According to Buck, it had something to do with a pretty woman named Nancy whom Satchel had invited to see him play ball in Chicago.
“We’re at the Evans Hotel in Chicago. Satchel and I are in the lobby, in front of a bay window, sipping on a little tea. A cab drives up, and out steps Nancy, pretty as a picture. Satchel gets the bellman and they take all her stuff up to Satchel’s room. I go back to sitting at the table.
I wasn’t there 20 minutes, when another cab drives up. And out steps Lahoma. Lahoma was Satchel’s fiancée. I said, ‘Oh, oh,’ I greeted Lahoma, and I said, ‘So good to see you, Satchel stepped out with some reporters, but he will be back presently. Come sit down and have whatever you want.’ She ordered a drink, and I went to the bellman and said, ‘Hey man, you better go upstairs and tell Satchel that Lahoma is here.’ I was in the room next to Satchel, and next to me was a vacant room. I said: ‘You go put Nancy in that vacant room and come back when you’re done.’
We were staying on the second floor of the Evans Hotel, so if Satchel comes down the elevator or the stairs we’re going to see him. He goes down the fire escape, walks around the building, walks in the front door. And he says, ‘Oh, Lahoma, what a pleasant surprise.’
We had a good time that night. Joe Louis came by and spent some time with us. Now it’s 11 o’clock, and I say, ‘Well, we got a game tomorrow, better get some sleep.’ But I can’t sleep because I know Satchel’s got to go see Nancy, give her some money so she can go home.
After about an hour, Satchel’s door opens, and I say, ‘Uh huh, it’s going down right now.’ Satchel goes to Nancy’s door and knocks lightly. He whispers, ‘Nancy.’ No one answers.
He knocks a little louder – ‘Nancy!’ No one answers.
He knocks loud now. ‘NANCY!’
When he yelled that, Satchel’s door opened. I know that has to be Lahoma, so I jump out of bed and open my door and say, ‘Satchel, are you looking for me?’
And without missing a beat he says: ‘Yes, Nancy, what time is the game tomorrow?’
And I’ve been Nancy ever since.”
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Juxtatarot
Footballguy
I'm biased but the coolest athlete of all-time in my opinion is Joakim Noah.
The General
Footballguy
CurlyNight
Footballguy
Shaq. He's very funny. I'd like to quarantine with his family. Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard...
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Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
rockaction
Footballguy
Love the Ichiro stories in here. Because of the cultural barrier and professional competence hitting the ground running in a completely new country (I mean, plenty of guys from other countries go on to be baseball all-stars, but few just land in the country pret a sporter), he's gotta be up there.
Jules Winnfield
Footballguy
mr fancypants
Footballguy
Randy "Macho Man" Savage
rockaction
Footballguy
For Norville, who said Muhammad Ali before, I present Joe Frazier, the epitome of country cool and not a baiter.
otb_lifer
Footballguy
... Frazier also didn't speak at a Klan rally denouncing interracial marriage:
At one point, he even appeared before a Ku Klux Klan rally. It was “a hell of a scene,” he later boasted — Klansmen with hoods, a burning cross, “and me on the platform,” preaching strict racial separation. “Black people should marry their own women,” Ali declaimed. “Bluebirds with bluebirds, red birds with red birds, pigeons with pigeons, eagles with eagles. God didn’t make no mistake!”
or called for LYNCHING same:
In 1975, amid the frenzy over the impending “Thrilla in Manila,” his third title fight with Joe Frazier, Ali argued vehemently in a Playboy interview that interracial couples ought to be lynched. “A black man should be killed if he’s messing with a white woman,” he said. And it was the same for a white man making a pass at a black woman. “We’ll kill anybody who tries to mess around with our women
more here
guy was a straight up bigot/homophobe ... but, hey, let's light the Olympic torch!
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rockaction
Footballguy
Amazing sometimes when I read his old quotes what an intellectual whippoorwill's call they make of the man's beliefs when they're pretty concrete if not being sung to meter. Get away with a lot of things when you're cool.
Jules Winnfield
Footballguy
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Mister CIA
Footballguy
Jules Winnfield
Footballguy
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