Baseball –
Derek Jeter – I can’t help but love Jeter. Number 2, DE-REK JE-TER, Number 2. There are just certain guys out there were no matter how hard you try to hate them; you can’t because he does something that you mightily respect. Whether it’s doing a face plant into a cement wall for a foul ball, and performing the greatest shovel pass in sports history to throw out Jeremy Giambi at home plate and save his team’s season, the guy is a stud.
Tim Lincecum – I can’t help but love Timmy. The Freak, The Franchise, a winning pitcher of Game 5!!!! We waited 56 years for our World Series, and he delivered it to us. I never miss a Tim Lincecum start.
Matt Cain – I can’t help but love Cainer. Probably a better pitching prospect than Timmy, he is the unsung hero of our great Giants pitching staff. I still remember him coming up to the big league with great anticipation, and then blowing fools up at the plate. Also never miss seeing one of his starts.
Ichiro – I can’t help but love Ichiro. Never been more excited about a guy who hits 200 singles in a season, but I still maintain that if he wanted to, he could hit 25 home runs in a season.
Albert Pujols – I can’t help but love Pujols. He will go down as one of the top 10 hitters in baseball history. I saw him twice when he was with the Cardinals and he hit a towering home run off Cainer. Damn it was beautiful. I would actually go to an Oakland A’s game now just to see him play.
Justin Verlander – I can’t help but love Verlander. He’s modern days Nolan Ryan. How can you not want to watch a guy who still throws 100mph in the 7th inning? He’s a walking no-hitter.
Ryan Howard – I can’t help but love Ryan Howard. Well, I only have him on this list because I love watching him leave the bat on his shoulder at the end of NLCS Championship games. BOOYA!!!!!!
Evan Longoria – I can’t help but love Longoria. No one holds down third base in the game today like Longoria.
Troy Tulowitzki – I can’t help but love Tulo. I believe when it’s all said and done and barring injury, Tulo will go down as the greatest offensive shortstop in baseball history. He is on track to do so.
Mariano Rivera – I can’t help but love Rivera. He’s the most dominating closer in baseball history. He may throw only one pitch, but it’s a perfect pitch.
Football –
Tim Tebow – I can’t help but love Tebowmania. I’ve said it here on this blog, and I’ll say it again; I believe Tim Tebow will be a Top 10 QB in the NFL someday. When watching his play on the field, how can you not be impressed with his heart and determination to will his team to victory? It is something that one has to admire about the guy. We need more Tim Tebow’s in sports.
Peyton Manning – I can’t help but love Peyton. No one controls and takes over an offense like Peyton Manning. And he perfected the famous, two-handed pump fake.
Patrick Willis – I can’t help but love P-Willis. He quickly became a true 49er icon. 49er fans have pinned their Super Bowl hopes on him, as he is the fearless leader of our tremendous defense.
Ray Lewis – I can’t help but love Ray-Ray. He invented possibly the greatest pre-game rally cry in all of sports. I love guys who can lay the hat to players yet still help them up off the ground.
Aaron Rodgers – I can’t help but love A-Rod. GO (CAL) BEARS!!
Calvin Johnson – I can’t help but love Megatron. He is a freak of nature at the wide receiver position, and always my fantasy football crush.
Champ Bailey – I can’t help but love Champ. I mean, I’m naming my first born son after the guy, how can he not make the list?!
Cam Newton – I can’t help but love Cam. Seriously, the guy is revolutionizing the QB position before our very eyes. 4,000 passing yards and 700 rushing yards; enough said.
Drew Brees – I can’t help but love Brees. He’s DREW BBBBBBRRRRREEEESSSSSSS!!!
Charles Woodson – I can’t help but love Woodson. I loved him since coming out of college after he won the Heisman. Closet Michigan fan here in that Ohio State/Michigan rivalry.
Basketball –
Chris Paul (CP3) – I can’t help but love CP3. He single-handedly took Wake Forest to a #2 seed as a freshman. I had that team making the Final Four that year. If he had any support behind him, it would have happened. The best pure point guard in a point guard driven NBA, his command of the court is uncanny. His combination of court vision and scoring ability is fun to watch.
Steve Nash – I can’t help but love Nash. He made it because every time I see him I still remember the time when we shared drinks and hung out together at Mandangoes. Grey Goose and Cran for Mr. Nash!!! Put it on my tab!!! Still has to be one of the greatest nights of my life. (Footnote: Amare Stoudemire was there as well and I offered to buy him anything he wanted at the bar. Dude wanted me to buy him an Amstel Light. Really Amare, Amstel Light?? I guess he did me a solid, but needless to say, he missed the cut.)
LeBron James – I can’t help but love LBJ. I guess???
Dwayne Wade – I can’t help but love D-Wade. He’s a package deal with LeBron. A better watch though than LeBron.
Kevin Durant – I can’t help but love Durant. If Russell Westbrook would ever pass him the ball, I think he could probably average 40 points a game.
Kevin Love – I can’t help love K-Love. No throws a better chest pass than Kevin Love. I still think he is worthy of a max contract. He’s a walking double-double.
Stephen Curry – I can’t help but love Steph. Here you go Warriors fans!!! Hate to admit it, but I actually like watching Steph play, when he is actually playing.
Derrick Rose – I can’t help but love D-Rose. He’s so fast up and down the court that I have a hard time watching him. Dude is carrying the Chicago Bulls.
Jimmer Fredette – I can’t help but love Jimmer. The homer that I am can’t do this piece without throwing a Kings’ player on here. It is only a matter of time before they finally realize that Jimmer is our point guard of the future and move to a 3-guard lineup or move Tyreke to s point-small forward / no-tippin Pippen position. Jimmer is an above-average passer and surprisingly has good court vision.
Jeremy Lin – I can’t help but love LINsantity, or LINING, or whatever “LIN” nickname you want to give him. Because I can’t get away from it, I might as well embrace it. The guy just continues to ball a la Tim Tebow. And as a Chinese American like Linsanity, it’s nice to see this unfold. It’s also nice to see that those years of playing Asian League Basketball weren’t all for not. I’m going to enjoy the hype while it last; because it may not be here too much longer.
Mr. Armchair Speaking
I noticed a Dallas player is conspicuously absent from every list. Im not taking the bait. Funny story, when Nash was with the Mavericks my faculty adviser at Sac State tracked them down following the Kings eliminating them from the 2004 Playoffs at Arco. He found them at the Sheraton Grand hotel bar by the convention center and said the whole team was just sitting there drinking like crazy. He just pulled up a seat next to Nash and started talking international politics and thanking him for having the courage to being one of the few celebrities to stand up in opposition to the Iraq War from the start.
ReplyDeleteHe said Nash was a very nice and intelligent guy. He also said Dirk was pounding vodka (like a shot every few minutes for 30 minutes and Michael Finley bought an entirely new bottle of whiskey from the bar and took it with him on the bus as they headed to the airport. Never asked him about Don Nelson, but since he always looked drunk on the sidelines im sure he was already passed out on the bus. Really wish I was there.
We were having our weekly poker tournament at our college house when one of my roommates called me saying that he was at Mandangoes on Fulton and Hurley and that the Phoenix Suns were there drinking and partying. I went all-in on a shit hand so I would lose on purpose and get the hell down there.
ReplyDeleteIt was the last game of the season and both the Kings and the Suns had wrapped up playoff spots. Nash, Amare, Jim Jackson, Leandro Barbosa, and Walter McCarty from the Suns were there along with Cuttino Mobley from the Kings. There were a couple of the Suns training staff and travel people there too. They were actually the most fun to talk with. The stories they were sharing with us about traveling with the team and partying with the players on the road were incredible. Some of the stuff they were sharing about the players too were great. In a different forum, I'll share with you someday.
I forgot, we have photos for proof. Nash wouldn't pose for a picture, so I told my roommate to just go stand behind him and I'll snap it really quick. But overall, he was a nice guy.
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