OT- Best athletes ever from CT. | Page 2 | The Boneyard

OT- Best athletes ever from CT.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Willie Pep. Pound for pound the greatest boxer ever. Tough to go against Bruce Jenner though.Lindy Remigino. These guys are world champs.
 
I'm a Norwalk guy. So I have to say: Calvin Murphy, Mo Vaughn or Silas Redd. But never would I put Randy LaJoie in the same sentence.
 
.-.
geok64 said:
A tie: Walt Dropo, Bobby Valentine and Scott Burrell
Expand ...

Was wondering if Walt would get some love. It's well deserved.
 
BLUEDOGHOUSE said:
I vote for Scott Burrell. As we sit in basketball purgatory lets remember one of the greatest moments in UConn basketball history. Yes this vid has been played ad nauseam (assuming the vid even posts here LOL) but Burrell is my bias choice.

Funny thing is for us die hard UConn fans we all remember where we were when "The Shot" was made. Man seems like yesterday...

Expand ...


It just never gets old does it?
 
dapriest said:
That list reads more like a "most accomplished" list, after Jenner and Young.
Greatest Athlete is a different measure.
Being a great X player does not make you a great all around athlete.

I go with Scott Burrel - guy was a freak althlete who won an NBA title despite being slowed down by injuries. Easily could have been a Major League baseball pitcher. Drafted 1st round in two major sports - the only player in the history of the planet to do that.

No offense, but there is no way on G-d's green earth that Nykessha Sales or Charles Smith is a better "athlete" than Scotty because of success in playing a single sport in college.
Expand ...

While at UConn, Dropo played for the football team, basketball team and baseball team. Dropo was drafted in basketball and football and oh yeah, he was American League rookie of the year for the Red Sox.
  • Rookie of the Year (1950)
  • All-Star (1950)
  • Top 10 MVP (sixth, 1950)
  • Led league in RBIs (144, 1950)
  • Led league in total bases (326, 1950)
  • Tied an MLB record with 12 consecutive at-bats with a hit (July 15, 1952)
  • Tied an MLB record with 12 consecutive plate appearances with a hit (July 15, 1952)
  • Tied an AL record with 15 hits in four games (July 16, 1952)
  • Dropo was the first rookie to top 100 RBIs with more RBIs than games played (144 in 136 games, 1950)
LINKY
 
I would say Dropo may be the best "athlete" now that I saw the facts............impressive!!
 
As far as "athlete" in quotation marks, I don't see anyone better than Calvin Murphy. High school and college phenom, NBA all-star and free throw leader. Add being a world class baton twirler, the fact that he took on and beat-up a guy a foot taller than him (Sidney Wicks) and also having at least 14 kids shows all-around athleticism.
 
.-.
Dove said:
No one said Marlon Starling yet?
Expand ...
I was a huge fan of Hartford's own, former world welterweight champ, "Moochie" Marlon Starling, as a kid and still am. His knock-out of the golden-boy Mark Breland was epic. Also, he would have been champ longer but got knocked out by Molinares with a punch well after the bell and the corrupt Mexican-run WBA refused to overturn the decision. It was one of the worst injustices I've seen in boxing and that's saying something...I even wrote a complaint letter to the WBA.
 
I got 2 go with Marlon Starling and Micheal Adams, all of us grew up in da old brick house Belleuve Sq, Moochie was one hell of a boxer, and boy could Mike shoot it
 
mauconnfan said:
I would say Dropo may be the best "athlete" now that I saw the facts............impressive!!
Expand ...

Can't omit Julius Boros, (18 PGA wins with 2 U.S. Opens), or Bill Twomey, Decathalon gold medal winner, 68 Olympics.
 
What about Nick Pietrosante? Grew up in Ansonia, was an all-stater at Notre Dame of West Haven, star fullback for Notre Dame University, drafted in first round by the Detroit Lions, played nine years in the NFL and was an all-pro fullback.
 
Donn Cabral from Glastonbury should be on this list. 22 year old Princeton grad who is currently in England right now competing in the Olympics for our country. The greatest high school cross country runner ever in the state, arguably the greatest 2 miler (track event) to come out of our state, numerous all american selections his junior and senior year in HS. Then he goes off to Princeton (because hes also a brain) where he wins a D1 National Championship 2 years in a row in the 3k steeplechase (arguably the hardest track event there is) then goes off and finishes second in that event at the Olympic qualifying race. Now hes one of the favorites to take it home for our country. He races Friday morning. Donn Cabral. Sky is the limit for how far this kid can go. Definetely a great athlete from CT.
 
Should mention Liz Mueller, Waterford Greatest high school Cross Country runner Female 4 CT championships 4 new England and 1 National Cross Championship,, Later won USA Amatuer Boxing Championships and a Professional World Championship... That said I'ld vote for Calvin M or Willie Pep...
 
.-.
I remember Liz Mueller, she was a few classes ahead of me, she would win her races by a couple minutes, best high school runner in the country.
 
alexd. said:
Bruce Jenner (olympic gold, Calvin Murphy (hall of fame), Bill Rodgers (maybe greatest american runner)...
Expand ...
add Steve Young (hall of fame), Dorathy Hammil (olympic gold), Willie Pep & Marlon Starling (world champions), Joan Joyce (best player EVER in her sport, and arguably one of the 5 best american female athletes ever.), Kristine Lilly (4 world cups) , Brian Leetch (hall of fame). Sorry but Bagwell with no world series rings or hall of fame (I think he belongs) doesn't make the top 10 yet. Freeney has a ring, and should make the hall should eventually make the list.
 
Butchy said:
Jonathan Quick. One of the most insane, if not the most insane, goal-tending performances I have ever seen. Gold medalist and another Stanley Cup champ, Chris Drury. Bob Skoronski, who also went to Fairfield Prep, offensive captain of Green Bay Packers' Super Bowls I and II champions
Expand ...
I believe Drury also has a little league world series title. Quick had 2 months of greatness. He just needs 10 more years like that to make the list.
 
DDaileyuconn said:
I got 2 go with Marlon Starling and Micheal Adams, all of us grew up in da old brick house Belleuve Sq, Moochie was one hell of a boxer, and boy could Mike shoot it
Expand ...
Weren't Starling and Adams cousins?
 
Found this in the Courant archives.

"Former UConn forward Corny Thompson of Middletown, the fifth-leading scorer in school history, shakes his head at the task of naming the best guards in state history.
``Calvin Murphy, Rod Foster, Mike Adams, Wes Matthews, John Bagley, Porky Vieira, Chris Smith, John Egan,'' he says. Thompson pauses, knowing he probably has slighted someone. ``Super John Williamson? And that's not all of them, I know.''
So Corny, name your starting backcourt. ``Are you kidding? Who do you leave out?''
If that's tough, what about the judges' overall task."
 
asuwish said:
I believe Drury also has a little league world series title. Quick had 2 months of greatness. He just needs 10 more years like that to make the list.
Expand ...
I know he does. I was a childhood friend of the catcher's brother on that team until they moved out of town to Trumbull.

As for Quick, I know what you mean, but he has certainly has the game to succeed for years to come. If he keeps playing as he did in the past year. He did have a VERY good season before the playoffs. A .929 SV% and 1.95 GAA for regular season.
 
.-.
John J Kelley --- 1957 Boston Marathon winner. 1956 & 1960 Olympic Marathon. 8 time USA National Marathon Champion
 
Have to give a shout out to longtime family friend Bill Tribou. All-American distance runner at UConn in the 1940's who could run circles around most of us well into his 80's.
 
Anyone ambitious enough to cull the top candiates and make a poll up with a brief bio for each?
 
Wonder if anyone from the Fairfield Cty area remembers a couple of basketball players from awhile back, Walt Luckett from Bridgeport, reinjured his knee with the Pistons. He was a phenom in h.s. (made the cover of SI)and Enoch Gainer from Stamford/Westhill, who I think became somewhat of an urban legend. Both were playing in the 70's
 
Duncan Idaho said:
Wonder if anyone from the Fairfield Cty area remembers a couple of basketball players from awhile back, Walt Luckett from Bridgeport, reinjured his knee with the Pistons. He was a phenom in h.s. (made the cover of SI)and Enoch Gainer from Stamford/Westhill, who I think became somewhat of an urban legend. Both were playing in the 70's
Expand ...

Remember the SI when Luckett was on it.......tremendous scorer who could've gone to UCLA if he wanted and took Ohio and put them on the map..............
 
.-.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,354
Messages
4,566,877
Members
10,469
Latest member
xxBlueChips


Top Bottom