sports heroes growing up

[champs99and04]

I'm kind of all over the map. I grew up during the apex of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, or at least the modern apex. I waffled back and forth many times on who to root for because I was an odd kid, so I loved guys from both sides. Manny, Pedro, Nixon, Jeter, Mo, Posada, Bernie, etc.

My teenage years coincided with the inception of the modern Blackhawks reign of dominance. Loved Kane, Towes, Keith, Seabrook, etc. and still do. I was openly against hockey growing up, but this team taught me to love the sport.

The UConn guys go without saying. Was a big fan of pretty much anybody on the '08 Redeem Team. Loved LeBron, Chris Paul, D-Wade, and to a lesser extent guys like Kobe and Dwight. The era that preceded that, I was a big Celtics fan. I loved the Pierce/Antoione era even though they never got further than the conference finals.

Then there is the Pistons circa '04. For a while there, Billups, Rip, Tayshaun, Sheed, and Ben were the coolest thing going to me. I think the Malice at the Palace only made me love them more.

 

[boog204]

I'm kind of all over the map. I grew up during the apex of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, or at least the modern apex. I waffled back and forth many times on who to root for because I was an odd kid, so I loved guys from both sides. Manny, Pedro, Nixon, Jeter, Mo, Posada, Bernie, etc.

Gross, how was it possible to go back and forth? A typical Yankee fan of that era despised Manny and Nixon (Pedro was easy to hate but his greatness took him to a different level.)

 

[Kitaman]

Gale Sayers
Walt Frazier/Earl Monroe
Rod Carew

 

[tomtom80]

YAZ. Ate YAZ bread, read his biography, and ate more YAZ bread

 

[Chin Diesel]

Dr. J
Jim Rice
Jack Youngblood
Jimmy Superfly Snuka
Tom Watson

 

[Horatio]

Ali
Tony Dorsett
Dr J
Randall Cunningham

 

[Chin Diesel]

Got quick on the list reply button.

Mike McKay
John McEnroe
Larry Holmes

 

[boba]

As kid...Brad Van Pelt. And Mercury Morris.

Later...Ron Guidry and Dave Righetti.

Then stopped idolizing.

Righetti was the SF giants pitching coach, and he would tell the funniest stories about his time with the Yankees and and Ron Guidry. Apparently Billy Martin wanted Dave to throw like Guidry and asked the two of them into the office. Martin wanted Righetti to adopt a training plan, and asked Guidry what was his off season training plan. Ron responded with that Louisiana drawl, "fish... hunt," and Righetti asked Billy where to fish and hunt in NYC.

 

[CTMike]

Donnie Baseball.

 

[Huskybass]

Fred Lynn
Gary Carter
Wilt
Juan Marichal

Lynn and Carter were great players and exceptional guys. They couldn't have been nicer to me as a kid and that carried a lot of weight.

Wilt was larger than life. Juan had his own unique style.

Jeannie was a big favorite too, but that's for a different thread.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Tom Seaver

Yep, Tom Seaver

To a lesser extent:
Sugar Ray Leonard as an Ali surrogate (knew I'd missed his heyday)
Dorsett literally started b/c of this SI photo (uh oh, ties him w/Seaver at 3 mentions

 

[Offhegoes]

Jordan
Jeter

 

[zyron]

Loved Don Mattingly as a kid. Poster on the wall, shirts, and collected as many of his baseball cards as I could.

 

[Mano]

Donnie Baseball was an early one for me. Bernie followed him up as the Yankee I looked up to. Jeter was great but he wasn't the type of player I would have wanted to emulate although I always admired him.

Loved Sheffer's game early on in my UConn fandom, then Donyell took it to the next level. It all plateaued with Ray Ray though. I practiced that shot against GTown in the BE Champ on my hoop just about a million times. The UCLA loss was devastating to me. Rip and BG followed as favorites of mine (and others of course) but by then the innocence of youth that allowed such starry-eyed idolatry had long since left.

He wasn't a player that fits the question of the thread, but I'll always look up to Jimmy C in the same way as the guys above.

 

[PomonaHusky]

Growing up in the late 60's, early 70's my sports heroes were:
Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Bucks)
Bobby Hull (Blackhawks)
Henry Aaron (Braves)
Roman Gabriel, Deacon Jones, and Jack Snow (Rams)
I hated all local pro teams (i.e., Boston and NY) teams and still cheer for the same 4 professional teams.

 

[RichZ]

Bill Russell
Oscar Robertson
Ted Williams
Doak Walker

 

[Waquoit]

Yaz, Espo and Hondo

 

[Waquoit]

YAZ. Ate YAZ bread, read his biography, and ate more YAZ bread

And listened to the Yaz song. Jeter never had a song.

 

[cryjeremiah]

My dad passed down a love of baseball. That's what I played and love most.

Craig Biggio: Even as a kid, I knew he played the game the right way. Jersey always dirty, starter and All Star at multiple positions, all time leader in hit by pitch. Toughed it out on some really bad Houston teams, never tried to leave his city. 3000 hit, gets thrown out trying to stretch to a double. Typical Biggio.

Didn't understand the hate entering HOF. Years ago this guy was an absolute lock. But short and shiny careers like Koufax and sentimental losses like Clemente altered things a bit. Then the steroid era. This guys stats stayed steady throughout and never had a speck of roid smell on him.

Well liked throughout baseball, and an awesome guy off the field. Strong supporter of Sunshine Kids charity. Argued with the league and won the right to wear their logo pin on his jersey.


David Justice: Always loved this guy until I finally realized he's kind of a in real life. Looks like Halle B told a bunch of lies about him and every other guy, but he's still a bit of a skeez. One of the prettiest lefty swings I ever saw.



John Stockton: Mmm, those short shorts!! Similar reasons as Biggio. Lunch pail kind of guy. Records for steals and assists will never be broken. Best pure "pass first" point guard to play the game. Cursed by being in the same era as Jordan.

I hear people say "well, he had Malone." I call BS. He would have created for whoever his big was and still been a HOFer. IMO It would be more accurate to argue Malone's success was way more dependent on Stockton than the other way around.


It would be a safe guess I was a short white kid and played middle infield and point guard.

 

[Bezzz]

Being a pitcher in the early to mid 70's in HS and college I idolized and patterned everything I did on the mound after Tom Terrific Seaver (pretty wife to boot). The one thing I did was for my other idol, Vida Blue ---running on and off the field. Just silly that pitchers slowly walked to the mound. I challenge any HS pitcher before 1971 to claim they ran to the mound!

 

[UConn3432]

Ray Allen
Penny Hardaway
Gary Carter
Rodney Hampton
John Vanbiesbrouck
Becky O'Shea

 

[husky8273]

Tom Seaver
Frank Gifford
Kareem
Bill Bradley
John Wooden

 

[Husky1964]

Mantle, Berra, Ford, et. al.

 

[JMick]

Played football and baseball from age 8 to 19, and I never had a sports hero. Most of my friends and teammates did, but I didn't even really start religiously following sports until I stopped playing and was in college.

 

[HuskyV]

Seaver, Guidry, Winfield, Mattingly, O'Neil
Simpson, Staubach, Montana, Earl, Herschel, LT, Bavaro, Rocket Ismael,
Dr. J, Magic, Patrick
1980 USA Team, Bossey, Dineen
Sugar Ray Leonard