Just curious. Best player you seen in each sport live in person
Basketball-Michael Jordan
Hockey-Olaf Kolzig
Baseball-Could not choose between Hank Aaron or Willie Mays
Football-Herman Moore
Just for fun

(04-11-2021 04:16 PM)jaybird44 Wrote:  Just curious. Best player you seen in each sport live in person
Basketball-Michael Jordan
Hockey-Olaf Kolzig
Baseball-Could not choose between Hank Aaron or Willie Mays
Football-Herman Moore
Just for fun

Basketball - Michael Jordan
Hockey - Patrick Kane
Baseball - Ken Griffey Jr.
Football - Aaron Rodgers (sadly as a Bears fan)

I also saw Tiger Woods at the 2009 BMW Championship where he obliterated the tournament and course record with a 9 under par for the *day*. The sound of his drive off the tee was otherworldly - it was like a cannon. It was an insane round of golf by even his standards. That day might have been the greatest of all time at his absolute peak form and I thought he was invincible... and then 2 months later was the crash outside of his house and the dissolution of his marriage and it obviously was never the same again.

Basketball - Julius Irving
Hockey - Wayne Gretzky
Baseball - Ozzy Smith
Football - Tom Jackson

Basketball - David Thompson and Len Bias
Football - Phillip Rivers and Russell Wilson
Golf - Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods
Tennis - Jimmy Conners

Best player I have seen live:

Jeff Segar- baseball. This guy, who is now in the New York Yankees farm system was a giant, and you could hear the ball ping when he connected on a pitch and sent it deep. Off the field, Jeff was an awesome guy to have as a friend. He would give you the shirt off his back if he felt like you needed it.

I want to say that I got to see Wesley Person back when he was in a high school tournament in the Dothan Civic Center. He was electric back then.

Basketball: Hakeem
Football: Dalvin Cook
Hockey: Eric Lindros
Baseball: Barry Bonds or Pedro Martinez.

Basketball - Magic Johnson & Larry Bird
Hockey - Wayne Gretzky
Baseball - Willie Mays & Catfish Hunter
Football - Bo Jackson & Marcus Allen
Track & Field - Renaldo “Skeets” Nehemiah

(04-11-2021 04:16 PM)jaybird44 Wrote:  Just curious. Best player you seen in each sport live in person
Basketball-Michael Jordan
Hockey-Olaf Kolzig
Baseball-Could not choose between Hank Aaron or Willie Mays
Football-Herman Moore
Just for fun

Basketball-Hakeem Olajuwon
Hockey-Gordie Howe
Baseball-Willie Mays (I put him ahead of Hank-although if you think pitchers, Nolan Ryan was phenomenal)
Football-Ed "Too Tall" Jones

(04-11-2021 06:52 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  Basketball - Magic Johnson & Larry Bird
Hockey - Wayne Gretzky
Baseball - Willie Mays & Catfish Hunter
Football - Bo Jackson & Marcus Allen
Track & Field - Renaldo “Skeets” Nehemiah

Track-Carl Lewis
He and his Santa Monica teammates were running in an All Comers meet I was in at Rice University in the 80s.

(04-11-2021 04:16 PM)jaybird44 Wrote:  Just curious. Best player you seen in each sport live in person
Basketball-Michael Jordan
Hockey-Olaf Kolzig
Baseball-Could not choose between Hank Aaron or Willie Mays
Football-Herman Moore
Just for fun

Wow - this will vary greatly depending on your age/generation.

Basketball- Dr J (in College) Larry Bird (Pro)
Hockey - Ray Bourque
Baseball - Derek Jeter or Jim Rice (he was THE most feared hitter in baseball from 77-81) I was at the game he hit 3 dingers on Monday night baseball
Football - Tom Brady

(04-11-2021 04:16 PM)jaybird44 Wrote:  Just curious. Best player you seen in each sport live in person
Basketball-Michael Jordan
Hockey-Olaf Kolzig
Baseball-Could not choose between Hank Aaron or Willie Mays
Football-Herman Moore
Just for fun

Basketball ............. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Baseball ............... Brooks Robinson

Hockey ................ Denis Savard (haven't been to many NHL games)

Football ............... Jerry Rice

(04-11-2021 07:27 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(04-11-2021 06:52 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  Basketball - Magic Johnson & Larry Bird
Hockey - Wayne Gretzky
Baseball - Willie Mays & Catfish Hunter
Football - Bo Jackson & Marcus Allen
Track & Field - Renaldo “Skeets” Nehemiah

Track-Carl Lewis
He and his Santa Monica teammates were running in an All Comers meet I was in at Rice University in the 80s.

I bow down to that. Carl Lewis was arguably the greatest athlete of the 20th century.

I was half expecting another CUSA/Sun Belt mashup thread, but this a really good question.

Basketball - I have been to one NBA game live, and it was uneventful. So... Eric Maynor?
Baseball - Ken Griffey Jr (although he had a bad game that day).
Football - Michael Vick (although that was the game he tore Washington up on Monday Night)
Hockey - Alexander Ovechkin (the excitement whenever he has the puck is palpable)
Soccer - Clint Dempsey

Basketball: Patrick Ewing
Baseball: Barry Bonds
Hockey: Mario Lemieux
Football: Lawrence Taylor

The best live performance I ever saw was Pedro Martinez when he was on the Red Sox vs the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. I think it was a Friday night game. He allowed one hit a home run to Chii Davis that barely cleared the right field wall. In a sold out stadium I was in the upper deck and I could hear the catchers glove pop. He was also buckling knees with his curve.

Basketball : Young Dr.J in the ABA was jaw dropping
Baseball : Joe Morgan circa 75/76 was phenomenal
Hockey. :. Gretzky
Football :. O.J. Simpson may be a terrible human being, but he was absolutely must see
TV with USC and Buffalo

Basketball: Michael Jordan
Football: John Elway
Baseball: Orel Hershiser
Track & Field: Sergei Bubka
Indy: Michael Andretti

Baseball: Greg Maddux
Basketball: Pete Maravich vs John Mengelt
Football: Bo Jackson vs Hershel Walker
Hockey: Frank Mahovlich: Toronto
Track & Field: Harvey Glance

Other notables: Frank Thomas, Bo Jackson baseball / Brett Farve Southern Miss / John Elway Stanford / Boomer Esiason Maryland / Kenny Stabler Alabama / John Hannah Alabama / Dave Rimington Nebraska / Pat Sullivan & Terry Beasley Auburn / James Brooks, Joe Cribbs, William Andrews Auburn / Chuck Person, Wesley Person, Charles Barkley Auburn / Shaquille O'Neal L.S.U.

Basketball: Julius Erving
Baseball: Reggie Jackson
Football: John Riggins
Soccer: Pele

Honorable Mention
College Football: Colt Brennan

Basketball: Kobe Bryant. Julius Erving. Honorable mention to 1996 US Olympic Dream Team (Shaq, Olajuwon, Penny Hardaway, Barkley, etc.)

Baseball: Pete Rose. Johnny Bench. Lou Brock. Bob Gibson. Greg Maddux. Chipper Jones. Tom Glavine. John Smoltz.

Football: Johnny Unitas. John Elway.

Golf: Jack Nicklaus. Tiger Woods. Arnold Palmer. Lee Trevino. Gary Player. (I was a VP at MacGregor Golf when Nicklaus owned the company).

Soccer: Pele

Track & Field: Michael Johnson

Indy 500: A.J. Foyt. Mario Andretti. Johnny Rutherford.

Gymnastics: 1996 US Olympic Women's Team (Kerri Strug, Dominique Dawes, etc.)

Basketball - Oscar Robertson (IMO still the GOAT). Also Lew Alcindor when he was a freshman at Power Memorial High School.

Baseball - Willie Mays

Hockey - Wayne Gretzky

Football - Joe Montana