Monday, May 8, 2006
Overrated/Underrated
It's late, I'm bored and I was watching a show on ESPN last night that got me to thinking about who are some of sports overrated and underrated stars. Everybody's got their own opinions on this, so share yours as I will share mine.
Overrated
Peyton Manning: Throw all the stats out there that you want but the bottom line is this guy has yet to win a really big game in college for the NFL. He's 3-6 in the playoffs and still found a way to bite the big one last year when he lead a team that some foolishly were trying to say was the best ever when they were 13-0, that had home-field advantage and that did not have to worry about the Patriots again. As the Steelers showed, all you have to do is pressure Manning and she craps herself...and then she throws her offensive linemen under the truck afterward. This guy is so great that Tennessee went undefeated, beat Florida and won the national championship the year after he left.
Underrated
Jake Delhomme: He may not have gaudy stats but the guy wins. True, he was horrible in the NFC title game last January but that was the first time he played bad in the playoffs. In two postseasons, this guy has led less-talented teams than Manning-led Colts to a 5-2 playoff record, winning four of those games on the road and coming within a whisker of winning the Super Bowl. In a big game I'll take Delhomme over Manning any day. If it's a regular-season AFC South game, though, against the Texans Manning is the guy I want.
Overrated
Alex Rodriguez: This guy is the Peyton Manning of baseball. Think about the last time he flourished in the postseason. Stumped? It doesn't happen. Remember his pathetic karate chop on a swinging bunt in a key situation against the Red Sox in the 04 ALCS? How about last year in Game 5 against the Angels when he grounds into a ninth-inning double play after Jeter led the inning off with a single. This guy does his best work when the Yankees are way up or are playing the likes of the D-Rays, Orioles and Royals. I think New York fans get it because they boo him a lot because they know he chokes under pressure but I don't know if the rest of the country gets it. When you get the kind of money this guy does you should dominate come playoff time. Also think about this: Every team A-Rod has left immediately has had a better season in his first season not there. Think about how awful those Ranger teams he was on were. Well, the year he leaves they have a huge turnaround and finish above .500 and nearly win the division. The year he leaves Seattle they win 116 games!
Underrated
Omar Vizquel: If Ozzie Smith is in the Hall of Fame then this guy has to go as well. Laugh if you want but check the numbers. Omar beats him across the board in offense and is the best defensive shortstop of the last 10 years. They both have a ton of gold gloves. Ozzie has more but Vizquel has a better fielding percentage and has never made more than 20 errors in the season while Ozzie used to do that quite often. Surprising, but true. Omar also has played on two teams that reached the world series so if the writers reasoned that Ozzie should go then Omar should get his call soon after he retires.
Overrated
Pat Riley and Phil Jackson: First, Riley. Why was the media so excited when this guy forced his way in this year? What had Riley done with the Heat when he was there. In his last seaosn with the Heat they were embarrassed after getting swept by the lower-seeded Hornets in the first round. Before that they lost to the Knicks every year...even when the Knicks were the No. 8 seed! He always lost to MJ's Bulls when he coached the Knicks and he has been to one finals that he lost since leaving the Lakers...and that came when Jordan retired the first time. And come on, like he really had to do a lot of coaching on those Lakers teams. Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Scott, Cooper, Thompson...Yeah, Riley's the reason they won. Please. Paul Westhead coached that team to a title...Paul Westhead!
Jackson meanwhile showed what a fraud he is this year. If he's the genius everyone makes him out to be then the Lakers should have done better than a No. 7 seed and should have been able to hold onto a 3-1 lead against a depleted Suns team playing without one of its most important players...and two of its key players in Game 6 when Bell was out. But like I always said when he coached the Bulls and the Kobe/Shaq teams, if you don't suround this guy with at least two mega superstars he's going to struggle. Look at what happened when Jordan retired the first time. The Bulls lost in the second round to the Knicks then were headed for a 6 or 7 seed the following year and a first-round loss before Jordan came back late in the season, helped them get a 5 and win a first-round series. But since Jordan wasn't completely back in shape yet and Phil's a fraud they lost in the second round to the Magic. Great coaching, Phil. I especially loved his strategy in Game 6 against the Suns when the Lakers were down by about 6 with 50 seconds to go and he had the Lakers let the Suns run about 15-20 seconds off the shot clock and then foul...Steve Nash! Brilliant!
Underrated
Greg Popovich: Why this guy doesn't get more respect, I don't know. All he's done is win three championships since 1999. This team is always tough in the postseason because it is discplined and mentally tough which he deserves a lot of credit for. Unlike Jackson, he did not inherit players like Jordan or Shaq or Kobe as they were entering their primes. Instead, he helped build Duncan up upon his arrival into the league and has helped him become one of the league's most dominant players. He's also helped Tony Parker and Ginobili come out of nowhere to become one of the league's top backcourts. What all-stars other than the ones he inherited in Chicago and L.A. has Jackson developed? Riley and Jackson walked into great situations and could sit back and watch the good times roll. Popovich has built a team and has built them into a powerhouse.
Here are some other quick hits:
Overrated: the home run; Underrated: the stolen base and the sacrifice bunt
Overrated: (as a commentator because he couldn't be rated anything but a bum as a quarterback), Sean Salisbury; Underrated: Darren Woodson and James Hasty
Overrated: running backs; Underrated: Offensive linemen
Overrated: Rocky IV; Underrated: Rocky I
Overrated: John Cena; Underrated: Bret Hart
Overrated: Hulk Hogan; Underrated: Ric Flair
Overrated: Joe Torre; Underrated: Jim Leyland
Overrated: Joe Namath; Underrated: Bart Starr
Overrated: Katherine McPhee; Underrated: Elliott Yamin
Overrated: Pamela Anderson; Underrated: Elisha Cuthbert
Painfully overrated: Stuart Scott; Underrated: Fred Hickman
Overrated: ESPN's anchors stupid catch phrases that Stuart helped foster and that are painfully unorigininal; Underrated: Just showing the sports highlights
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