What Makes Certain Players Your Favorites?

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

Everyone has a favorite player, if not a few of them, like my favorite Cardinal of all time is Jim Edmonds, but my favorite baseball player is Ken Griffey Jr. I like noth of these guys because they are great players at their positions and they are good all around guys. Most people's favorite player isn't necessarily the best player on the team but that player has something about them that makes you root for them more than others.

So my question is, what makes your favorite player, your favorite?


Any sport.

 

[The Brain]

My favortie has always been Cal Ripken Jr. He's best known for his consecutive game streak and that's part of the reason I like him so much. He went out and played every day. I can't stand it when I hear the announcers today commenting on how a star player needs a day off because he hasn't had one in ten days. A professional baseball player should be able to play every day. The streak is just part of Cal. He was a natural leader, ultra competitive, and a class act. He always gave time to the fans and has been involved in many charitable organizations. He's aware of what his name means in the Baltimore and baseball community and he does not take that lightly. Cal is universally respected. I have never, ever heard anyone say anything bad about Cal.

 

[Ferbian]

I don't know really, It is a lot based on the whole fact that whether they impress me during the game, whether I find myself jumping up in a cheering manner, or whether I really just hate his guts.

As some people may know I absolutely hate Thomas Sørensen, and it's mostly due to him fucking up at insane moments where he shouldn't, like yesterday, but on the other hand, I'm an insane Steven Gerrard fan, because he's a great player, he scores some great goals, and is also a great captain for Liverpool.

 

[Dr. Stinger A. Zoidberg]

For me, it's the intensity that they play with that makes me a fan. A few years ago, when Joba Chamberlain came up to the Yankees, whenever he got a big out, he would pump his fists in the air, and celebrate. That showed that he loved the game, and that he wanted to be with the team. He quickly became a favorite of mine, and he still is.

Also, another factor in it is ability. Take Phil Hughes for example, I've liked this guy ever since he was in AA, because he played the game well. When he came up to the main roster, I was overjoyed. Not only has he done do well up in the big leagues, he has almost pitched a perfect game twice. The first one being ruined because of injury, and the second because of a ball that hit off of his elbow. Even without those games, he is still a very impressive pitcher. No matter where he is, bullpen or rotation, he can get guys out. Thats what makes Phil Hughes another favorite of mine.

 

[Megatron]

My favorites are Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera, both who play on my favorite team, the Detroit Tigers. The main reason why I like them both is because, even though they are some of the top players at their position, they still strive to do better each time they go out. They also look like they enjoy the game, and want to be there because they love it, not because of the money. They're competitors and are always looking to win. And they play for my favorite team, so that helps.

 

[CH David]

Blue, are you limiting this to baseball only? Favorite athlete of any sport? Just want to clarify for any other posts I may make.

Oh well, I have to say my favorite players are the quiet but hard working leaders of the team. The guys that go out, do their work, and look at wins, and look at what they can improve upon. Screw it, I'm going with hockey anyway.

Guys like Jonathan Toews or Duncan Keith, who incidentally are my favorite players on the Hawks, that are unquestionable leaders. They are looked at on both offense and defense to step up in situations and beat the opposition. They go out for their shifts, work their ass off on the PK, PP, offense, defense, and for Toews, faceoffs. Straight up battling on the boards for loose pucks. It all goes into it for me. I'll add more for baseball, football, and maybe basketball.

 

[Theo Mays]

When I started getting back into baseball around 2000 and I wanted to pick a favorite player. Well my father told me that my favorite player would chose me and then 2003 came around and Marlon Byrd was called up and named the Phils starting CF and a lot of people were questionable of the move and it came to me that Marlon was my guy. He had an excellent rookie year and then struggled and was eventually shipped off. I was devastated and I vowed to always support Marlon Byrd. And seeing as the last two and half season he has been a solid player and he is really having an excellent season in Chicago this year.

Same thing happened with football. Cris Carter was just such an incredible WR and I always enjoyed them more than any position growing up and he would just catch everything and gave it his all to make a catch. And I use that mentality when playing a game of backyard football haha. I will literally fly around the field to make a grab. Carter (and after he left, Moss) were my favorite Vikes and just the fact they were great at what they did made them so enjoyable to watch.

 

[People's Champ]

For me, its the desire to win and do whatever it takes to do it. That's why Kobe Bryant is my favorite player of any sport. The dedication this guy puts into his game is unmatched. He is constantly improving and looking for ways to improve, all for one purpose-to win and be the greatest. He battles thru injuries, poor shooting nights and finds ways to help his team win games. The guy is as clutch as anyone in the history of sports. Anyways, that's what makes players my favorites. The desire and dedication to win.

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

I'm a huge basketball fan, and my favorite player has always been Allen Iverson. I know most people hate him and like to call him a "cancer", but I always loved the guy. He played for my hometown for this first 10 seasons and always did great in Philly. The fact that he is only 6'0'' and can still do what he does is amazing! I love him for his no fear attitude.

Other basketball players I really like are...

Dirk Nowitzki: He is the best PF in the game today, in my opinion. Sure, he doesn't have great defense, but he's reliable. He's one of the best shooting big men in the league. Can score in the paint, inside, outside, and from 3-point range... not to mention, he's a 90% free throw shooter. He's just awesome!

Tracy McGrady: Just like Iverson, Tracy McGrady has really been discredited from what he's done in his career. Because of various injuries in the past, including back spasms and many surgeries, McGrady has not been able to play at his top level. We all know he's capable... he used to be able to score atleast 30 on any given night. What I like about him is his confidence. He knows he hasn't been playing his best in the past couple years, he knows that, but he's still confident that he can get it done, and will next season.

Shane Battier: He is my favorite player from my favorite team. He, of course is not the best, but is a very deadly weapon. He'd be valuable to any team really. He can shoot 3's at any time and can defend the best players you have to offer. What I like about him is his attitude towards the game. He isn't concerned about how many minutes he plays or whether he starts or not. He just wants to get out there and do whatever he is asked to do.

I'm not gonna make a list of every player I like and why I like them, but I also really like Jason Kidd, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, J.J. Redick, Kyle Korver, Derek Fisher and more.

 

[Dave]

My favourite football (Soccer) player right now is Aiden McGeady.

I know that no one here will have a clue who I am talking about but trust me, he is a special talent. In football, the hardest thing to do is take on someone and beat them for skill and pace. Aiden McGeady is the talisman of Celtic FC and he has the ability to beat people with ease. His talent knows no bounds and he has made a name for himself surprisingly quickly when you think about how small a club we are in the grand scheme of things. It is because of his skill-set that people gravitate towards him and the fact that he is perhaps our best player plays a great role in helping to sustain my interest.

Sure, he could be more committed and he could be more consistent but when he plays to the best of his ability, there is no one on our team or the opponents who can even come close to playing with him. He is simply the best talent we have and I fully expect him to move away from us in the close-season as bigger teams from abroad try to snatch him up. He is almost certain to fetch the highest fee we have ever received for a player and that is not because of inflated prices. Rather, it is because he is that damn good and has bags on untapped potential that could see him be one of the best players in the world at some point.

At the end of the day, we all want to see people who can entertain us and Aiden McGeady is exactly that. He is an entertainer and I love to watch him ply his trade.

 

[Davi323]

My two favorite athletes of all time share the same characteristics....humility. For as great as both Barry Sanders and Steve Yzerman were, they were humble.

To this day, I don't know if Barry Sanders truly understands just how damn good he was.

I wonder if Steve Yzerman knows just how monumentally important his willingness to completely change how he played hockey for Scotty Bowman made him a far greater Red Wing than if he had stayed the one dimensional scoring monster he was. He traded in goals for teamwork, he learned to become a great two way player at the expense of his point totals. Why? Because he put the team first in a time when a lot of guys were more concerned with their own personal stats.

Neither one had an ounce of Terrel Owens in them, both preferred to act like professionals instead of me-first jackasses. It's handing the ball to ref after a TD and not making an assclown out of yourself. It's acting like you have been there before.

It's a strength of character thing, it's how they went about their business. They are my favorite all-time athletes, because they acted like men instead of spoiled rich boys.

 

[Platypus Palsy]

For me it's toughness and the accessibility of the star. I like someone who is nice and not so full of themselves and willing to talk to their fans. This is probably also a little biased of a pick, but I'm going with Steve McNair.

Steve McNair came to Nashville with the then Oilers and became the Titans. I was overjoyed that we had a football team and they had success very fast. Steve would play through multiple injuries and still go out there and perform great. He lead them to the Super Bowl against the Rams which I've heard several call one of the best if not the best Super Bowl ever, where they came up one yard short. The Titans made it to the playoffs several more years but could never make it back. He was eventually traded to the Ravens and retired with them. He continued to have a house here and lived right around the corner from me. I had the honor to meet him several times during his life and he was a great guy.