He ain't heavy, he's my brother

[Jaydumo20]

The Prince of all hypothetical sports arguments: would I have been as good or as historically praised if it weren't for my supporting cast or some other outside influence?
There are plenty of athletes who have the ability to dominate no matter where they land: Shaq, LeBron, Favre, Verlander... yes, Brady (of course) among others.
But how bout the guys that give you pause?
The Phil Rizzutos of the world, where, if he were a cincinatti red instead of a Yankee, may not have made the hall of fame. (I love ya Phil).

Who do you think wouldn't have been as praised or successful if they didn't get a little help from their friends?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Is there any name that comes to mind faster than Jeter?

 

[Scoe]

Is there any name that comes to mind faster than Jeter?

So 6th all time in hits with another franchise wouldn't land Jeter into Cooperstown?

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Kobe would’ve been Tracy McGrady without having 2 different eras of great post play.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

So 6th all time in hits with another franchise wouldn't land Jeter into Cooperstown?

Well that’s definitely not what he said….

Undisputed HOF career, but do you really think without being a Yankee in that era, he would have five gold gloves?

 

[Dutch Boyd]

Kobe would’ve been Tracy McGrady without having 2 different eras of great post play.

This gave me a good laugh

 

[temery]

Swap Marino out for Brady, and the patriots would have done as well if not better. Put Brady on the same Miami teams, and he wouldn't have done any better than Marino.

The only difference between the two is Marino was a terrible person, and Brady was almost likable.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

This gave me a good laugh

Man was fighting just to make the playoffs when Shaq left with an Orlando Magic style roster.

Bynum, Gasol, Odom = Shaq for those Finals runs.

 

[CL82]

The only difference between the two is Marino was a terrible person, and Brady was almost likable

How so?

 

[InTheRed]

Is there any name that comes to mind faster than Jeter?

Only for non Yankee fans. Yankee fans who wayched every game he played feel like his leadership is what made it possible for others to perform at their best But i know we live in an analytics world where watching the game is considered less important than reviewing the stats. Sigh.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Man was fighting just to make the playoffs when Shaq left with an Orlando Magic style roster.

Bynum, Gasol, Odom = Shaq for those Finals runs.

TMac got the injury bug, Kobe didn’t til late. Not a great comparison.

 

[ctchamps]

Any Duke player!

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

TMac got the injury bug, Kobe didn’t til late. Not a great comparison.

Injuries aside of course. T Mac was an all-time talent and scorer. He just never won anything because he had horrible rosters (and the injury problems).

 

[temery]

How so?

Because Marino was a terrible person: he wasn't well liked. Brady was a dump truck of well earned ego, but it didn't play well outside the patriot's base.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Only for non Yankee fans. Yankee fans who wayched every game he played feel like his leadership is what made it possible for others to perform at their best But i know we live in an analytics world where watching the game is considered less important than reviewing the stats. Sigh.

I feel like this post may have been exactly what @BigErnMcCracken was referring to. The ability of a baseball player to make those around him better (in what is a team sport that is incredibly individual) is wildly overstated.

 

[superjohn]

David Ortiz, he's a steroid cheat and DH who made it first ballot Hall of Fame because he was a great hitter on some great teams who cultivated an image that never matched his real personality and the city of Boston and much of the baseball world ate it up.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Only for non Yankee fans. Yankee fans who wayched every game he played feel like his leadership is what made it possible for others to perform at their best But i know we live in an analytics world where watching the game is considered less important than reviewing the stats. Sigh.

Oh man, remember that play where he made that catch and then took ten steps and dove into the bleachers? #legend

Draymond Green is a name that jumps to mind. I could be selling him way short, but I can envision a sliding doors situation where he plays most of his career winning Euroleague MVPs.

 

[TheHorde]

Swap Marino out for Brady, and the patriots would have done as well if not better. Put Brady on the same Miami teams, and he wouldn't have done any better than Marino.

The only difference between the two is Marino was a terrible person, and Brady was almost likable.

Hilarious

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Oh man, remember that play where he made that catch and then took ten steps and dove into the bleachers? #legend

Draymond Green is a name that jumps to mind. I could be selling him way short, but I can envision a sliding doors situation where he plays most of his career winning Euroleague MVPs.

Draymond is the perfect answer. Put him on the Magic and he is Boris Diaw.

 

[superjohn]

Oh man, remember that play where he made that catch and then took ten steps and dove into the bleachers? #legend

Nope, I don't remember that one.

 

[CCSUblue]

Oh man, remember that play where he made that catch and then took ten steps and dove into the bleachers? #legend

Go watch the replay, it was 2.5 steps. And I say half because he was already falling after hitting the tarp.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Nope, I don't remember that one.

You should look it up, it's a pretty iconic video. #grit

 

[TheHorde]

Eli Manning. Justin Tuck should have won one of the SB MVPs as it is. But had Assante Samuel not dropped a pick, and had Welker not dropped a catchable ball, Eli would have been a goat, not a hero. And had Gronk not gotten a high ankle sprain in the AFC Championship game, that SB likely would have turned out diffeeently as well. I believe both Giants teams were 9-7 wild cards that were both a hair away from not making the playoffs.

 

[CL82]

Because Marino was a terrible person: he wasn't well liked. Brady was a dump truck of well earned ego, but it didn't play well outside the patriot's base.

Yeah, how was Marino a bad person? Did he kick small dogs? Did he litter? Commit eugenics experiments on cats? I don't know what "bad person" means in this context

 

[TheHorde]

Yeah, how was Marino a bad person? Did he kick small dogs? Did he litter? Commit eugenics experiments on cats? I don't know what "bad person" means in this context

Is Michael Vick a worse person? I’d think so. Lol