Earliest Sports Idols- Who you got?

[ellitor 33,093]

2 hours ago, Carnell said:

Bubba Smith

I know him from Police Academy.

[SaltyTiger 7,812]

Tucker Fredrickson

Gale Sayers

Joe Namath

Juan Marichal

[BustemBigBlue 176]

No idea why, but..

[im4aual 487]

Johnny Unitas, Bill Russell, and Mickey Mantle.  As far as Auburn it was Pat and Terry.

[im4aual 487]

Johnny Unitas, Bill Russell, and Mickey Mantle.  As far as Auburn it was Pat and Terry.

[autigeremt 6,635]

[Chaotic_zx 1,044]

NFL

Joe Montana. Easily my favorite of all time and sport. Best QB ever. You are entitled to think otherwise and be wrong.

Jerry Rice. 49ers were my team. Until Joe went to the Chiefs. I still to this day do not like Steve Young.

Takeo Spikes. Favorite LB of all time. Second favorite of any sport.

Junior Seau. RIP

NBA

Micheal Jordan

Larry Bird

MLB

Nolan Ryan. Dang was he ever good.

Ken Griffey Jr

NHL

Wayne Gretsky

Mario Lemieux

Patrick Roy

Wraslin'

Sting. Vibrant sting and not The Crow sting. Favorite wrestler of all time.

Ultimate Warrior.

Hulk Hogan. Second favorite wrestler of all time. 

Sgt. Slaughter. Third favorite wrestler of all time.

Auburn

Takeo Spikes. Yes again. He is my second favorite all time football player. 

Bo Jackson. He is my third favorite of any sport. 

Chris Todd.

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Chaotic_zx

[WDEagle 137]

I can't remember how  I ended up being a huge Baltimore (Orioles & Colts) Fan at such an early age but ...

Brooks Robinson

Frank Robinson

Paul Blair

Jim Palmer

Johnny Unitas

[AURex 2,000]

I'm old.

Pro
"Sweetness" Walter Peyton
Mr Forever George Blanda
The terrorizer Dick Butkus
Jim Brown

College
Billy Lothridge
Bo
Pat Sullivan

 

[NoALtiger 3,864]

Dr. J and Staubach when I was really young. Bo, Bird, Murphy, MJ later on. 

[tomcat 569]

On 12/11/2023 at 3:35 PM, LPTiger said:

This!!!   Some of us lucky ones got to see it everyday.  He had a funny/evil sense of humor too.   We had a second baseman, I believe from New Jersey -- Eddie Dilks.   We all called him Dilksie -- short guy.  One day we were fielding ground balls and running simulations/situations for the infield/outfield i.e. coach hitting fungo's would call out a situation like "nobody on, nobody out" right before he hit the fungo and everyone would have to move/react as if the hitter just hit the ball in that situation.   Bo and I were in center and he says to me, "watch this, next throw to Dilksie I'm going to one hop him, and it is going to eat him up."  None of the guys looked forward to taking a one hop throw from Bo -- particularly from center to second.   I swear I can still hear him saying it to this day with the stutter he had back then.

You should do a pinned post of Bo stories from back in the day. Auburn has had so many great players and characters….but, Bo…once in two or three lifetimes athlete.

[aubaseball 2,619]

Bert Jones

johnny Bench

john McEnroe/Bjorn Borg

Pistol Pete Maravich

[augolf1716 21,169]

11 hours ago, WDEagle said:

I can't remember how  I ended up being a huge Baltimore (Orioles & Colts) Fan at such an early age but ...

Brooks Robinson

Frank Robinson

Paul Blair

Jim Palmer

Johnny Unitas

I was a huge Colt fan before they moved...Johnny U, Lennie Moore, Raymond Barry, Gino, Mike Curtis, Tom Matte even Bill Curry on and on

[augolf1716 21,169]

9 hours ago, AURex said:

College
Billy Lothridge

A frickin George Teck guy WTH Rex

 

[Win4AU 4,052]

Bo

88-90s A’s.  Jose, McGwire, Rickey, Eck

MJ

Hulk Hogan

Gretzky 

 

[AUStew87 326]

#13

 

[AUloggerhead 2,233]

Jim Thorpe.  I remember reading about him getting presented the gold medal for the decathlon by the King of Sweden at the Stockholm Games where the King tells him "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world."  Thorpe's reply was "thanks, king." ... Boss(!)    

[Elephant Tipper 430]

 

My very first jersey was his.  God bless Sully !

THE Master of all Masters !  Inspired me to begin playing golf at the age of 10.

This is why Nicklaus was the Master- 

 

The three Aussies who taught me sportsmanship and winning co-exist.  Laver, Newcombe, Rosewall.

The greatest winner in tennis during his reign and the man who taught me to persist and WIN, WIN, WIN !!!  Helped inspire me to be a walk-on at AU until my father told me to walk-off.  Something about grades.  I didn't have any friends at the Athletic Dorm to feed me tests. 

The Master at deception who gave his life to THE Master.

 

Each player above emulated good sportsmanship above all else, which we need more of today.

Edited December 16, 2023 by Elephant Tipper

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

In the golden era of MLB catchers, Thurman Munson was the man. 

I was never a Yankees fan but it broke my heart when he died.

 

[passthebiscuits 6,846]

Still a Bears fan…

[Elephant Tipper 430]

On 12/11/2023 at 6:44 PM, WVR said:

 

  

Csonka and Captain Crunch made Miami my favorite pro team when I was in high school.  Still the only undefeated NFL team.  What a team.

Edited December 16, 2023 by Elephant Tipper

[AUGoo 2,664]

[aubiefifty 16,797]

On 12/11/2023 at 5:00 PM, augolf1716 said:

Jimmy Sidle and Tucker Frederickson

Mickey Mantle

Hal Greer 76ers 1965 played with Wilt Chamberlain

Jesse Owens track

Marvin Hagler Boxing 

Rod Laver Tennis

did you play with or know terry henley?

Edited December 16, 2023 by aubiefifty

[augolf1716 21,169]

18 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

did you play with or know terry henley?

I would bump into him at Sewell Hall from time to time......... remember I played golf not football at Auburn 

[naildawg 62]

On 12/11/2023 at 3:25 PM, Mikey said:

The Cardinal's Stan Musial, my all-time baseball favorite. BROOKLYN Dodgers Duke Snyder, Roy Campanella and Pee Wee Reese. Miami Hurricane's FB Don Bossler and WR Jim Dooley. In those days I was a little kid dodging cars on the land and paddling my little skiff around the big boats on the Miami River.

PS: Back then, one year Purdue beat Notre Dame, Miami beat Purdue and the whole town had Hurricane fever. Then Miami went to Birmingham to play some team called Auburn. Auburn gave the ball to a guy named Joe Childress, seemed like 50 times as we huddled over our radios. Auburn and Childress beat the Hurricanes and the bubble was burst. That's all I knew about Auburn until years later.

 

Dodger fan here. As a child my hero was Tommy Davis. In 1962, he had 230 hits, hit .346 and drove in 153 runs.