regardless of sport/era who is your hero

Reading about the well deserved love for Ron Santo I had to
think about my idols, my heros----
 
I really liked a lot of guys who were hard nosed instead of MVPs but
 the one I admired the most was both---------Jackie Robinson. 
 
He could beat you with his bat (line-drive to the opposite field, homer
or bunt single), his glove, his running (steal of home against Berra in WS)
or with his brain. 
 
Playing second in a crucial game against the Phillies
he short hoped a ball behind the bag.  He knew instinctively he could not
make the play at 1st----without any sign of doubt  he just continued jogging
off the field and into the dugout----conned the ump into calling a 3rd out which
decided the game.
 
His breaking the color barrier and the crap he took in his rookie (27yrs old) year asside--he was my favorite ball player of all time in any sport.  And, don't forget he was a record holding broad jumper and All-American football player at UCLA.
 
Years later when Jackie was an executive with Choc-ful-a-nuts I saw him walking toward me on Madison Ave.  There was no question who he was----6-0 more or less--over 220 #   black as could be with white hair----but his biggest give away----the most pidgeon toed person I have ever seen.  How he could run so fast is amazing.  He kind-a rolled along toward me and I was awe struck---I stopped dead and gaped----he smiled at me and gave me a little nod and went his way.
 
I loved to watch Ted Williams bat, and Willie Mays hit and field and run,  and Frank Gifford and Lawrence Taylor and Mickie Mantle and many others-----but Jackie Robinson outshone them all.
 
 
 
 

Very Hard to narrow to one, as you said Old Timer.  I think of the 'Little Guys' who made it in the sport where big was a real advantage...
Bob Cousy of the Celtics (6'1")
Eddie LeBaron, Quarterback for the Redskins (5'7")
Cousy was an amazing ball-handler and LeBaron looked like a kid on the field, but was known as the Little General by his team-mates ( Korean War Vet-2 Purple Hearts)
 
How can guys like Lou Gehig, Or Brian Picalo not be hero's as they fought affliction while starring in their sport. Was ANYONE not touched by the story as depicted in "Brian's Song" ??
 
 

Dick Butkus, Never ever anyone more ferocious and intimidating, my guess is he never missed a tackle, sure never bounced off anyone.

Tom
  I often wonder how Butkus, or Alex Karris would have reacted to some of todays 'minimize injuries' rules...like the sliding quarterback, or the head-butt stuff.  Evolution has changed the game !!
 
Can you ever forget the photo of Y A Tittle on his knees, bloody and really beat up after a game back in the early 60's?
http://www.manlyweb.com/sports/injuries/yatittle-photo.htm

I had that pic of YA on my office wall.  He was a tough hombre.
 
Butkis murdered my Giants all by himself in a game back in the "good old days".
 
Against Charley Conerly I think----Butkis drifted back and intercepted Ol' Charlie (an Ol Miss Ol Boy) and ran through a bunch of Giants.
 
On the next series he blitzed up the middle and hit Ol Charlie a shot, caused a fumble, recovered himself. 
 
Don't think Butkis scored on either play but the Big Bad Bears did. 
Ol Charlie spent years recovering from being plowed under..

In my youth I had three heroes. In baseball it was Herb Score, in basketball, Oscar Robertson and football, Otto Graham. As an adult I am more cynical about sports figures.

Pete Maravich.  He had moves and skills that were ahead of his time.  When he died at 40, they found that he had been born without a left coronary artery.  He was kind of a tortured, misunderstood soul

mayor al


Tom
I often wonder how Butkus, or Alex Karris would have reacted to some of todays 'minimize injuries' rules...like the sliding quarterback, or the head-butt stuff.  Evolution has changed the game !!

Can you ever forget the photo of Y A Tittle on his knees, bloody and really beat up after a game back in the early 60's?
http://www.manlyweb.com/sports/injuries/yatittle-photo.htm

Al, I think Butkus would have feasted on every current NFL player today. He had what? 9 major knee ops and was there season after season. I believe players were terrified of him, even his own team. He looked like he wanted to actually eat anyone with the ball, those crazy eyes, man he was the real deal.
Merlin Olson, another animal, I remember a story about his knee bending all the way backwards in the locker room after a game, the players in those days didn't evidently have pain receptors. Ray Nitchske[sp]?another crazy man, damn he was scary looking and just about as tough as Butkus, he looked like he would much prefer to play without a helment.

Roberto Clemente. What an amazing ballplayer, and he just burned with such pride. He was not a perfect man, and never pretended to be; but he just burned with ferocity for excellence. When he became famous and influential, he gave back to his home in Puerto Rico, and eventually gave his life for earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
 
 

CTF---looks like you like nasty brutes.  Butkis and Nitchske ---imagine them in the ring --- no holds bared.  You went from Hollywood Starlets to Monsters of the Midway to Bar-B-Q King.    Olson had some nasty guys on his side like the Deacon---he'd slap you up along side the haid and make your brain ring .
 
Roberto Clemente was great.  Was a Dodger Farm Team star that they tried to hide---but Pitt tricked them.
 
 
 
 

the ancient mariner


I really liked a lot of guys who were hard nosed instead of MVPs but
the one I admired the most was both---------Jackie Robinson.

A great choice, Mr. AM. Not a hard nosed guy but a hero in my book, and probably Jackie's is PeeWee Reese...
 
http://farm2.static.flick...6747445_b43abca4eb.jpg
 
http://findarticles.com/p.../is_15_96/ai_55983462/

Jim Thorpe
Baseball, Football, Basketball, Track and Field

May I chime in?
 
Gail Goodrich.
 
Gail used to shoot hoops at a neighborhood park where I lived.  He'd let all of the kids join in and was as nice as could be.  He wasn't standoffish and was just as sweet as he looked.
 
Not a hero, but I also liked Rosie Greer for personal reasons.
 
Back in my senier year of high school I had a year end, final assignment where I had to go to a political rally where a candidate was speaking.  I needed to get close to the candidate to ask a question and get an autograph which I guess proved that I had done it.  I had all semester to accomplish this feat.
 
Close to a candidate?  I couldn't even get in to the rallys.
 
I even tried going to the City Hall where I was promptly escorted out of the then mayor Yorty's office.  I had walked right in!  (That's a different story)
 
Anyway I drove to East Los Angeles, a seedier part of town (where my mother grew up) and once again the guards wouldn't let me in.
 
Rosie Greer saw and heard (I was explaining that it was my last chance, etc.) what was happening, walked over to us, put his arm around me and told them that I was with him.
 
I was then in a state of shock.  He's HUGE!  He walked me up to the front row where I got to be part of the entire rally.  Of course I didn't say a word.  After the speaches were over, Tom Bradley (he didn't win that year) and Rosie Greer had me join them for the lunch that was served by the people of East Los Angeles.
 
I don't know if it tasted good, but it was the best Mexican food I'd ever had.  What an exciting experience.  Thank you, Mr. Greer!

Marlene thanks for the reminder...and you too Elderly Guy. The RAMS Fearsome Foursome were major contributors to the 'fine example's' of what a Sports Hero should be in his community.
I grew up LDS, so I shared a cultural link to the Olson's and especially to Merlin. I was not aware that he passed away earlier this year (2010). I attended two of his 'motivational' speaking presentations here in Louisville back in the 80's and found him a very positive person who made a good impression on my young sons who came to the program with me.
Rosie Grier was of course noted for his actions in the RFK tragedy. He is/was a gentle giant of a man. Thanks for sharing your story of a contact with him. From everything I have read of him, he was just the guy to find a way to help someone and yet remain invisible in the crowd...despite his large stature.
RIP both of these gentlemen. They are indeed unsung hero's in a world of crass counterfeit imitators.

I believe Rosie is still alive?

Thanks MacTac, I haven't taken the time to check on Rosie's status.  Whichever , he is a genuine hero in my eyes

Olsen, Rosey, Lundy, and Jones.
A fearsome foursome to rattle your bones.
When the quarterback asks you who were the ones,
Tell him "Olsen, Rosey, Lundy, and Jones."
 
Mention Ray Nitschke and people automatically think of the Packers, but he was actually from the Chicago suburb of Elmwood Park and played at Illinois.  Just like Chicago native Dick Butkus.
 
Brad

Mar-------that is a wonderful rosy Rosie story.  Great guy----started his NFL career with the Giants you know.  Traded to the Rams by mistake.
 
My goodness, Goodrich sure could shoot.  Way out west with West, Jerry that is. Not quite as tall as Wilt the Stilt but he could put the ball in the hoop. 
 
The Fearsome Foursome were pretty good as I recall.  I would imagine the offensive linemen they opposed would agree.

Then there was Roman Gabriel.  
 
 
 
 

Watched the Rams at Summer Camp at U of Redlands each summer in the late 50's. Lots of free bleacher space at their practice field workouts...Probably even cheaper today !

How about Peyton Manning! He has 12 seasons of mostly excellent play (well, maybe not yesterday), shows up every week & the only stories you read about him are about what he's done on the field & not off of it.

Mel Ott, and as much as I hated the SOB because he was a Bear, Sid Luckman.

Walter Payton. For so many years the Bears had a crap quarterback so the whole offense was "give the ball to Walter" He was a great humanitarian as well, gave a lot back to the community. His wife and kids are still very active in his Foundation. The saddest thing was that they never gave him the ball for a touchdown in the Bears Super Bowl win.

kland01s


Walter Payton. For so many years the Bears had a crap quarterback so the whole offense was "give the ball to Walter" He was a great humanitarian as well, gave a lot back to the community. His wife and kids are still very active in his Foundation. The saddest thing was that they never gave him the ball for a touchdown in the Bears Super Bowl win.

I second both of these points.  My family moved to Indiana before the Colts snuck into town so we got the Bears almost every week and even when the Bears were awful it was fun to watch him run.  I also think that the reason I don't like Ditka to this day is that he let that idiot Perry score from the 1 yard line instead of Payton.  Even at the age of 14, that really made me mad.

Yeah, It was always hard for me to accept that Jim McMahon was an honorable graduate of the BYU football program before going Pro ! 
 
     (Actually he did not graduate from the program. He is missing 10 credits for his degree. It is reported that in Sept. 2010 he stated he was going back to school to finish the long awaited degree program...which will then allow his admission to the BYU Football Hall of Fame).  Strange paths we take !

A.J. Foyt. You could put a steering wheel and a motor on a shopping cart and he would find a way to win.

I agree with A.M.. Jackie changed history, not just baseball, at considerable cost to his life and health. 

Being a Brooklyn Dodger fan since birth----
rooting for a team that finished last every year was tough  And then---
Along came Branch Rickey and he brought baseball and the Dodgers into the 20th Century.  He brought in Jackie Robinson, much to the chagrin of many.   Jackie was a pleasure to watch (at least 25 times in person) and read about.  He did it all on the field, and did, indeed, change history. 

Sure, but he was a damned Dodger!

Those are my Dodgers!