The Old Sportsmans Appreciation Thread

I've been thinking a lot lately about a lot of the players of certain sports that I used to idolise as a kid. From basketball, to footy, to cricket, to boxing and probably a few others inbetween there's always been those few players that were extra special, who have now retired and are long gone... but not forgotten..

So, who's an old sportsman (or woman) who is no longer playing the game, that when you look back you cant help but think was good for the game. What did they do for it? What made them so good? If you've got a picture of them in action, stick it up. Hopefully this can jog a few memories for those of us who are sports mad and love to reminisce about the game and the real characters who played it the way they used to be. We dont get such flambuoyant sportspeople anymore and it's a real shame all sports have become so sanitised these days. Charcters are what make the game.

I've got a million I could list off, a lot seriously and a lot that are utter pisstakes, but I'd like to start with one really genuine one. Dean Jones.

I remember watching Deano in the Aussie one dayers as a kid, he was a walking advertisement for zinc cream and he could play too. Lightning fast between the wickets, always pissed the opposition off and had every shot in the book. I will never forget his clash with Curtley Ambrose in a one dayer over Ambroses white wristbands, and seeing this mad as fuck, 7 foot (well nearly) west indian steaming in at him and Deano carving him up. It was spine tingling.

Deano, I salute you.

image not archived: deano-print.jpg

This post has been edited by reewind: Feb 27 2005, 07:22 PM

I used to love Deano as well but my all time fave cricketer was Mark Waugh

Such an elegant batsmen, he was a fave of mine from the moment he hit 127 ( I think) on debut at the Adelaide oval in the early 90's. He was a freakishly gifted slips fielder as well. Uncanny reflexes and made it it all look so easy

One of the best days of my life was when he broke his form slump with a century in the Adelaide one dayer in 2000, doubt there were too many happier people at the ground that day than me.

Here he is celebrating that tonne



His offside strokes are some of the best cricket footage you will ever see.



This post has been edited by Stryke: Feb 27 2005, 06:32 PM

Always liked watching Wayne Gardner race growing up as a kid...

QUOTE (Trucker @ Feb 27 2005, 08:41 PM)

Always liked watching Wayne Gardner race growing up as a kid...

Wayne Gardner was my boy hood hero, loved his rockstar motorcyle lifestyle.

Next up is Kurt Rambis. I used to collect basketball cards as did a lot of other kids and we used to rate pulling a rambis card almost as much as a Jordan. The buck teeth, the awesome physique, the occasional headband, those glasses, the awkward running style with the socks pulled up. He was testament to how a sportsman should look.

Thanks for the memories Kurt.

image not archived: LeaderPaulKurtRambis.jpg

Well maybe that isn't him... but here's the real Kurt.



And for any other Rambis fans, get you fix at kurtrambis.com

This post has been edited by reewind: Feb 27 2005, 07:28 PM

my hero

Great thread too Mikey. One of the best ever one here I reckon.

I think Michael Jordan is pretty much a given for most of our generation but damn did I idolise this guy. Well still do I guess. IMO the greatest sportsmen to have ever lived.

I agree with you on Jordan, Spank. Apart from Bradman, maybe the greatest player to ever play a category of sport and completly dominate, redifine it, tear it apart and raise the bar to a level that will never be reached again. No one will ever get close to Jordan. No one should, he was in a league of his own.

More locally, I'd like to reminisce about Darren and Rowan Smith for the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL. Now, I'm the bigest one eyed Glenelg supporter you are ever likely to come across, but these guys deserve respect. My old man and/or my uncle used to take me to the games as a kid and the number of times that the Tigers went down by just a couple of points on the back of the performance of these guys was just amazing. If Port got a team in the AFL sooner they were definatly AFL quality players who went a long way to helping their team achieve the uncanny success they enjoyed in the 1990's. I cant ever recall a big game that either of them played a bad game, they always stepped up.

Cant find any photos of either of them on the net though.

I hate their guts, they murdered the bays in finals and grand finals, but I have to take my hat off to them, they were fucking great players.

This post has been edited by reewind: Feb 27 2005, 07:25 PM

It was all about the VFL for me when I was a kid. Watching stars like Warwick Capper, Dermet Bereton, Garry Ablet, Steven Silvagni etc take screamers and get into huge punch-ups. During half time I'd go outside and kick the footy with mates and jump off my backyard trampoline to try and take mark of the year.

there was another mike!!!

the one known as THE GREAT ONE

Wayne Gretzky did to ice hockey what jordan did to basket ball!!

Correct me if I am wrong but wasnt Gretzsky known as the Great One from about 13 years old?

QUOTE (junglist @ Feb 27 2005, 08:19 PM)

During half time I'd go outside and kick the footy with mates and jump off my backyard trampoline to try and take mark of the year.

Hahhaa!! We used to do that at change of innings/lunch/tea in the cricket.

Classic catches jumping out of a tree and into the pool. Great memories!

Cant forget arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play NFL, at least IMO anyway...Joe Montana.

QUOTE (junglist @ Feb 27 2005, 09:19 PM)

Watching stars like Warwick Capper

saw in the paper today that he's working in road construction now, turning the stop/go sign at traffic works.

first ever sporting hero of mine was andrew jarman, when i first got into footy when the crows came into the competition. my dad worked with a guy who worked for the crows part time, and he got my yearbook signed by andrew jarman, i was so stoked at the time.

Solid defense here!

QUOTE (junglist @ Feb 27 2005, 08:43 PM)

Cant forget arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play NFL, at least IMO anyway...Joe Montana.

How about Troy Aikmen, Brett Favre or John Elway?

I left Dan Marino out of that list as he has not won a superbowl, but he should be in there too...

QUOTE (TCB @ Feb 27 2005, 08:22 PM)

Wayne Gretzky did to ice hockey what jordan did to basket ball!!

i disagree, NHL never had worldwide free to air broadcasting unlike the nba (anyone remember watching the 92 all star game on a saturday afternoon?! and all the regular season games they showed for 1/2 the day every saturday, damn that was good)

the nhl sucks so much now that they dont even have a season

he was the best ever. nhl will be back soon enough. they are taking a stance so that players salaries dont get out of hand like in other sports! something alot of others leagues should of done.

i dont like your lack of respect.

This post has been edited by TCB: Feb 27 2005, 08:22 PM

Alex has a point...

Gretzky was in another class, but he never impacted the NHL the way Jordan impacted the NBA.

QUOTE (Trucker @ Feb 27 2005, 08:57 PM)

How about Troy Aikmen, Brett Favre or John Elway? I left Dan Marino out of that list as he has not won a superbowl, but he should be in there too...

Yes they are good, but I'm not gonna put down every good quarterback. Besides Montana is the only player to have 3 Superbowl MVPs.

The one, the only. The greatest full forward ever to play the game.

Mr Tim Evans!!!!



Great thread!!!!!

QUOTE (Trucker @ Feb 27 2005, 10:27 PM)

Alex has a point... Gretzky was in another class, but he never impacted the NHL the way Jordan impacted the NBA.

im sorry will clear this up a little.

i meant how the game was actually played nothing else. both gretzky and jordan lifted the bar for the other athletes one big notch.

Darren Smith


Here is the mighty 88 port magpies team
and for mikey

Darren Smith.. 4th from the right.. top row
Rowan Smith.. 3rd from the left.. middle row

and my schoolboy hero...
Scott Hodges (check the mullet).. 1st on the left.. top row

and mikey
here is the bald warrior rohan smith
fuck he was a good player in his era

nice one spadge. mike has out done himself this time well though thread.

QUOTE (Trucker @ Feb 27 2005, 09:27 PM)

Alex has a point... Gretzky was in another class, but he never impacted the NHL the way Jordan impacted the NBA.

Jordan impacted the whole world. Not just the NBA.

You cant really compare him to anyone else in sports history IMO.

Bradman may have been just as /more dominant in his chosen era, but without TV/Internet/ Marketing his impact is a lot lower.

Gretzky may have also been just as dominant, but you need a large sheet of ice to be able to play his game, not just a ball, some concrete and a loop of metal.

Cricket - Dean Jones. For the same reasons as reewind. I used to 'be him' in every backyard game of cricket ever played in my neighbourhood. His fielding along with Jonty Rhodes was ahead of his time. And the zinc. Sick.

Football - Gary Mcintosh. I'm as red and blue blooded as they come, and Macca was hard as nails. Didn't play in the VFL because he hated them, won 2 (i think) Magery medals and lost another due to suspension. Gutsy and inspirational.

James Hird - Some label him a glamour boy, or soft etc, but they couldnt be further from the truth. Never shirks a contest, never goes the man and not the ball. As gifted a leader as you will find. Has B&F's, a brownlow, and a Norm Smith to prove it. My hero.

QUOTE (Stryke @ Feb 27 2005, 10:32 PM)

QUOTE (Trucker @ Feb 27 2005, 09:27 PM) Alex has a point... Gretzky was in another class, but he never impacted the NHL the way Jordan impacted the NBA. Jordan impacted the whole world. Not just the NBA. You cant really compare him to anyone else in sports history IMO. Bradman may have been just as /more dominant in his chosen era, but without TV/Internet/ Marketing his impact is a lot lower. Gretzky may have also been just as dominant, but you need a large sheet of ice to be able to play his game, not just a ball, some concrete and a loop of metal.

yeah well i got inpiration from him when i play so thats all that matters to me. there will never be a player like him. ice hockey is the game i play and when i look at the questions mike asked at the begining then his name comes to mind.

ah yeah deano would have to be my childhood favourite aussie cricketer~ what a champ

This post has been edited by TCB: Feb 27 2005, 08:40 PM

Dean Jones was a god, yes, but one man beat him in the one day arena.

The king of the late innings tonk who could pull some hell swing out of his medium pacers, I present.......

Simon O'Donnell

QUOTE (junglist @ Feb 27 2005, 09:27 PM)

QUOTE (Trucker @ Feb 27 2005, 08:57 PM) How about Troy Aikmen, Brett Favre or John Elway? I left Dan Marino out of that list as he has not won a superbowl, but he should be in there too... Yes they are good, but I'm not gonna put down every good quarterback. Besides Montana is the only player to have 3 Superbowl MVPs.

I predict we'll be adding Tom Brady and Payton Manning's name to that list in 10-12 years time (if Manning can get himself a ring or two...)

I think Favre has two league MVPs plus two or three rings to his name. Aikmen was part of the 90s dynasty that was the Dallas Cowboys. Elway has two trophies in his cabinet, but unsure of his MVP status. I know he is the NLF all time passing leader.

We could argue good QBs all night really