Beloved Sports Icons of Past

Spud Webb

Mugsy Bogues

Eddie Gaedel

(Listed in descending order.)

 

I was pretty young (9) when he died. But every non-Yankee fan I knew hated him. They hated everyone on those teams. After Reggie, they probably hated Munson the most. And I didn’t grow up in Boston.

 

Billy Martin’s various sagas had high entertainment value.

 

Evel Knievel

Guy had his own action figure doll and motorcycle when I was a kid. Wore the American flag colors.

 

I had that Snake River Canyon set: Evel, motorcycle and a launching ramp. It worked as well as the real thing when I tried to jump it over the open stairs canyon leading to my upstairs room.

 

That Evel stunt cycle and action figure was the greatest toy of the 1970s. I think I got two of them, and I wish I still had them around.

 

Imagine Billy, George, and Reggie in today’s world.

The Internet would combust.

 

On the morning of the Snake Canyon jump, the late great Wells Twombly both said it all about Knievel and wrote the perfect lead: "It's Man vs. Canyon. And Canyon is the sentimental favorite."

 

This is hard because the bar is so high.

Mantle
Banks
Madden
Magic
Shaq
Andre the Giant
Ali in his later years
Walter Payton
Peyton Manning
Musial
Palmer

That would be my initial list.