OT: Who is your vote for most overrated or underrated/underappreciated athlete in any sport?
Simple question...someone who is widely praised but you feel is probably a bit overhyped.
Aside from OSU QBs, there are a number of NFL HOFers that I think are questionable as HOFers.
Kurt Warner..only played 3 complete seasons, and if you take away 99 and 01, he's about a .500 qb with no significant accomplishments. Now granted...those were 2 amazing seasons with one of the most prolific offensive minds/skill talent in the game. But you could make an argument that he wasn't the one who elevated them to greatness. And even still, that HOF resume seems a little thin.
Who's your pick?
Emmitt Smith - not even the best running back the Cowboys ever had.
Hank Greenberg - if you're not a Tigers fan you may not know his story. One of the dominant players of his era that went to WWII in his prime.
April 20th, 2023 at 10:48 PM ^
Had he not been walked 119 times (especially at the end of the season) with 58 homers, he would have crushed Ruth's 60...his HR per at bat ratio his peak year was absurd. Here's to our own hometown Hammerin' Hank.
EDIT: Out of respect for Ruth, I would also acknowledge that he got walked an obscene number of times throughout his career as well, or 60 wouldn't have been his record either.
April 21st, 2023 at 12:47 AM ^
Imagine if Barry Sanders ran behind that Cowboys line.
April 20th, 2023 at 10:10 PM ^
Overrated: John Elway, Phil Jackson, and every OSU QB pre-draft.
Underrated: Barry Sanders... Non Lions fan don't understand how bad his offenses were. If he had the cowboys OL and an Aikman and Irvin he would of put up multiple unbreakable records.
April 20th, 2023 at 10:35 PM ^
For underrated Piston I am going to say Adrian Dantley. He was mercurial, moved around a lot, and didn’t get along with Isiah. The Pistons seemingly improved after he left, but as a scorer, he is hard to beat. There may be no better 6’5” low post scorer. Some of the youngsters are probably saying Adrian who? But his Wikipedia page tells the story:
Dantley is a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBAselection and a two-time NBA scoring champion. Dantley finished ninth on the all-time NBA scoring list at the time of his retirement and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
April 22nd, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
People forget about Dantley because he was traded to Dallas for Mark Aguirre, who slotted right in and became one of the, "glue," guys that put in workman-like performances during the Pistons' two championship runs in that era.
April 20th, 2023 at 11:42 PM ^
Under-rated: Michael Cooper of the 1980s Lakers. Bird's responsibility was to guard Cooper. Cooper had an excellent 3-point shot. That forced Bird to actually cover someone, thus burning up precious energy Bird needed on offense. Cooper's D-responsibility was Bird. Cooper played very good D versus Larry Bird. Cooper was the perfect foil to slowing down Larry Bird.
Over-rated: Elway. He didnt win a SB until he a had a great RB, and a nearly great O-line. Terrell Davis and that 1990s O-line finally created the wide-open receivers Elway required, because lord knows Elway never had the touch, nor vision, of QBs like Brady or Montana.
#GoBlue
April 21st, 2023 at 12:45 AM ^
Way overrated-2015 MSU Football Team.
April 21st, 2023 at 12:29 PM ^
0-38.
LOL.
Troy Aikman is completely overrated.
Underrated I would go with London Fletcher
FREDDIE HUNTER.
JORDAN MORGAN.
Underrated/ under-appreciated.
Let’s throw coaches in here.
Overrated: Bill Belichick. We talk about him like he’s the GOAT, but he won nothing before Brady and he’s won nothing after Brady.
Underrated: Scotty Bowman. He gets his due in the hockey world, but he’s the greatest coach in the history of any North American major team sport.
April 22nd, 2023 at 11:51 AM ^
Bowman needs to get more credit outside hockey for his sheer longevity and success at the highest levels of hockey because of his endless ability to devise ways to adapt to major changes in the sport.
Who else would have come up with the Russian Five? Or realized you could put Brown-ov in as the sixth member of that unit? Or thought to play Fedorov as a defenseman?
April 21st, 2023 at 11:14 AM ^
Felt like Patrik Elias Never got the credit he deserved, Scott Niedermayer and Ilya Kovalchuk seemed to get it all..
Overrated: Jose Theodore. besides that 01/02 season, (it was a remarkable season for him ) he was average at best
April 21st, 2023 at 12:01 PM ^
underappreciated athlete in any sport?
Suzuki Ichiro
That guy did everything perfect.
Approached baseball as an art form rather than a sport.
I'll never forget this strike he threw across the field from right field to 3rd base.
April 21st, 2023 at 11:40 PM ^
Overrated:
Bill Belichick * with Brady 8 Super Bowl wins, 3rd best win% all time,16 divisional titles in 17 years (Brady missed 2008) ** without Brady 9 years,1 playoff win .468 win%
Underrated :
Dale Murphy (Atlanta Braves) 7 x All-Star, 2 MVP, 5 straight Gold gloves,had a streak of 983 consecutive games played (81-86) ,finished top 5 in NL MVP voting 7 times ,he has the most total bases for a player NOT in Cooperstown ....
Underappreciated:
Nolan Ryan ,i dont think people realize how GREAT he was.,people say " he doesnt have a great win pct,he played on bad teams, etc" He lead the league in strikeouts 11 times, 7 no hitters, 27 times pitched into the 10th inning giving up 0 runs ,(this has happened 24 other times combined in MLB history ) had a stretch of 21 out of 22 years where he started 27+ games each season ( the season he didnt 1981 "MLB strike season" ,he started 21 games that year -leading MLB ) Nolan Ryan is top 10 All Time in Wins,Strikeouts ,no hitters, games started,shutouts and he pitched in 8 all star games . Hes in the Angels,Astros and Ranger hall of fame ,he was named the RH pitcher on MLBs all century team,2nd highest Hall Fame vote % ...and when we see these " 10 best pitchers of all time lists" the guy that gets the most criticism is Nolan Ryan and hes left off many of these lists !!!
April 22nd, 2023 at 12:05 PM ^
Underappreciated: Brendan Shanahan
Don't believe me? Check out this crap:
Only 7 of 15?: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/971564-the-nhls-15-best-power-forwa…
Only 8 of 10?: https://www.si.com/nhl/2013/03/06/top-10-nhl-power-forwards
As Johnny Mac once said, "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS?!"
The guy was all around excellent in all facets of the game and rugged as hell, as shown by his Games Played numbers, particularly with the Wings in the second half of his playing career.
Comparing him to guys like Clark, Tochet, Neely, and a few others on those lists is laughable.
Shanny was THE key piece that helped the Wings finally break their historic Stanley Cup drought. Acquiring him from the Whalers for the skilled, talented, yet ultimately soft Keith Primeau, the speedy, yet mostly spent Paul Coffey, and a pick is probably one of the best trades, if not the best trade the Wings ever made.
I also think it's disgusting that Shanny wasn't a first ballot NHL HoF for largely political reasons.