Off Topic SPORTING HEROES

Roberto Clemente was the first Puerto Rican major league baseball star. He was the best fielding outfielder, with the best arm of any fielder. He was one of the best pressure players, leading the Pirates to two titles with unforgettable series. He might have been the most enjoyable baseball player to watch, a mix of wild, free-swinging batting, bat-out-of-hell running, human catapult throwing and balletic fielding. He was the only outfielder who routinely threw hitters out at first base. I think of his hitting almost as an afterthought, and was surprised to hear he had the highest batting average of any player in the decade of the sixties.

Nobody caught the ball like Clemente does at 3:27 in the video before or since, and I'm not sure anyone threw like he does at :20, either. It was always funny watching runners try to tag up on Clemente and get thrown out by 10, 15 or 20 feet.

After finishing his last season with exactly 3,000 hits, he decided to send relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He felt the only way they would reach them was if he took them there personally, knowing Nicaragua and Somoza well from having played baseball there. The relief plane, overloaded with supplies, crashed into the ocean. Clemente's body was never found.

When we heard the news the next day, my friends and I, who were 10 and scoffed at absolutely everything, took our hats off, put our hands over our hearts and stared at the sky for a while. The fact I wasn't a Pirates fan really didn't make any difference.

The quote in the video translates as:
"Who am I? I am a little point in the eyes of a full moon who only needs a ray of sunlight to warm my body and a gentle breeze to refresh my soul. What more can I ask if I know that my children really love me?"

 

Middle Middle Middle

You cannot fail to also include Titmus. A true great . I remember listening to the radio when he returned to play in the Ashes on his return after his accident.

Lords was my second home when growing up. I would go there straight after school every day during the season.

 

I suffer from memory issues but how the chuffing heck did I forget Fred Titmus? A great before his injuries and remarkable return. A remarkable player and man.

I'm built on the Vincent van der Bijl scale of things and although he was 'there and gone' compared to others, he was a favourite of mine for that reason. Wonderful memories.

 

Nice thread, and can't resist responding. Hope that's O.K.?

There are several footballers who I idolised as a kid, viz, Ivor Allchurch; John Charles; Cliff Jones, yes that Cliff Jones. All Swansea born, but J.C. never actually played for The Swans'
Gareth Edwards, and Phil Bennett in rugby. Giants of the game. Proud Welshmen, and as humble as they come.
I played a lot of league snooker in Llanelli and Swansea, so Terry Griffiths has to get the nod.
Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino dominated golf for some time, and did so with class and supreme sportsmanship.

However, if I had to choose just one hero, it would be a cricketer. An Australian cricketer. by the name of KEITH ROSS MILLER.

I can't do justice to him here, sufficient to say that he was a top player of his generation. He had film star looks, and could have conquered Hollywood.
He was a fighter pilot in the Second World War, flying mostly Mosquito's.
When asked about the pressure of playing Test cricket, he snorted, " Hmm, pressure is having a Messerschmidt 109 up your ass at 300 miles an hour".

What a man, what a hero. KEITH ROSS MILLER.

 

Some great choices here, when was a kid everyone 'wanted to be' Jimmy Greaves or George Best.

One name that has not been mentioned is Graham Hill. In a sport that is dominated by money, Hill succeeded with nominal investment. Apart from being one of the best drivers of his time, Hill was also an excellent mechanic. In his early days he financed his racing by setting up cars for richer drivers. He was always a gentleman, such a shame he died so young. F1 would be better if he was still around the paddock.

 

Some of mine are more my favourites at a particularly time than anything else but hey still sort of works
F1 - Ronnie Peterson if only for getting the Lotus 77 to drift round corner
James Hunt particularly when at Hesketh
Football - Kenny Dalglish
Cricket - Botham
Viv Richards - saw him get 230 at Trent Bridge in the "we'll make em grovel" tour
Shane Warne just because you had to watch him as something would happen
Cycling - Mario Cipolline brilliant but nuts
Eddy Merckx the best there has ever been
Athletics - Bolt the 100m in Beijing was just an iconic moment

PS good thread Luke - makes a change from the circular transfer discussion thread we have ongoing

 

ooh forgot one
Rugby - Keith Burton for being the first England RFU player sent off for deservedly twatting an Aussie.
Fran Cotton just because he & my old man (who also played Rugby) looked alike

 

That Fran Cotton picture covered in mud is iconic. He was playing for England when I started going over the road to watch Wasps and play for their junior sides. I was always a forward and played prop until I hit 6' 5" and ended up as a No. 8. Him, Dean Richards, Andy Ripley (mentioned previously) and Billy Beaumont were role models of top level English forwards when we were really not that great as an international side.

 

Would be interested to hear from @PleaseNotPoll @humanbeingincroydon @O.Spurcat @SpursDisciple (amongst others) with their sporting heroes

 

AFAIK, Nigel Mansell in his early career days spent some time
living in a caravan in order to make ends meet while pursuing his career.

 

remember meeting Andy Ripley in about 75/76 came over as a top bloke.
Loved the story about the how after the Ireland match in Dublin in the early 70's John Pullin's captain speech at the after match dinner "We might not be any good but at least we turned up " after both Scotland & Wales refused to play there due to the "troubles".

 

Merckx was difficult to have as a hero, because he was so
much greater than his peers.

 

Mansell was the greatest F1 racer I've seen.
Nothing was a lost cause.
He undoubtedly lost races through his lack of pragmatism, but he was a great talent.
Not the best F1 driver ever, but a great competitor

 

I remember seeing Andy Ripley on Superstars, and
he ran the 100m in something like 12 seconds.
A truly terrifying prospect, and nearly 20 yrs before the
age of Jonah Lomu.

 

not really
Merckx tried to win everything he took part in so even if much better than his peers he was vulnerable as he put it on the line .
can't be arsed to check but think one year he won TdF he also won Polka dot & Green jerseys.

 

Merckx was the Big Mig of his day - a freak of nature,
Tall, but slim and lightweight with phenomenal lung capacity.
There were drug issues with him - which might have been more controversial these days - but assuming he was generally clean and not a cheat, he benefited from the advantages nature gave him.

 

Top man. Now that's funny!

 

cycling has always been awash with drugs , in the early days of TdF people took Strychinnine (sp) as a stimulant , so i almost ignore it as whole generations can be assumed to have been using.

 

I've never been a great one for loving the opposition. However, of 'them' Jean Pierre Rives and Serge Blanco would be up there.

Also, I had a bit of a 'sporting crush' for Mark Spitz. The first time I went to Germany I made a pilgrimage to the Munich Olympic Park and Stadium and had pictures taken next to the Spitz celebration area. Come on, I was only 18.

When Spitz was 40 he came back to swimming and tried to qualify for The Olympics. He didn't quite make it but his times were phenomenal for his age. A god

 

Yeah, I would have happily put Lance Armstrong at the top of my list on here once.....