Who Wore it Best? 19-10

Photo: Dr. Odd

The finish line is in sight on our recurring series “Who Wore It Best.” In our penultimate edition, we’re getting into the teens.

19 – Johnny Unitas

Starting off young, fresh, and hip. While 19 turns out to be an incredibly strongly represented number, Unitas is widely known as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. Four championships, three MVPs, and a member of all three of the 50th, 75th and 100th NFL Anniversary Teams gives Johnny U the nod.

Honorable Mentions: Tony Gwynn, Willis Reed, Steve Yzerman, Jonathan Toews

18 – Peyton Manning

Photo: CBS

Back to back Colts quarterbacks to get us started here. A member of the most recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee class, Manning put up some unreal numbers en route to two Super Bowl wins. Manning’s trophy case is busting at the seams with five MVPs, the 2012 Comeback Player of the Year Award, and number retirement plaques for his number 18 in both Indianapolis and Denver.

Honorable Mention: Denis Savard

17 – Todd Helton

Photo: Fansided

Todd Helton played baseball and football at University of Tennessee, and was a teammate of Peyton Manning’s. However, Helton makes our list for his accomplishments on the diamond. Helton retired in 2013 with a career average of .316, 369 home runs, and 2,519 hits. Along the way, he won three Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and a batting title in 2000.

Honorable Mention: Philip Rivers

16 – Joe Montana

Photo: Esquire

Much like Unitas, Montana is a firm part of the “best quarterback of all-time” conversation. Montana lead the 49ers to four Super Bowl rings, while being the MVP in three of those four wins. One of the more accurate quarterbacks of his time, he lead the NFL in completion percentage five separate seasons.

Honorable Mentions: Whitey Ford, Brett Hull

15 – Bart Starr

If we’re including Johnny Unitas, it’s only fair to involve Bart Starr. The quarterback who lead the Packers to victories in Super Bowls I and II, while winning MVP in both games, finished his career with five championships, a regular season MVP award, and four Pro Bowls.

Honorable Mentions: Carlos Beltran, Jim Edmonds

14 – Pete Rose

Photo: Time

Taking a bit of gamble including Rose on our list, but here we are. The all-time hit king (4,256) does have a stellar on-field resumé. Seventeen All-Star games, three World Series rings, the 1973 NL MVP, and two Gold Gloves.

Honorable Mentions: Ernie Banks, Oscar Robertson, Dan Fouts

13 – Wilt Chamberlain

Photo: SB Nation

Of course the only man to score 100 points in an NBA game is making our list. Wilt the Stilt averaged a silly 30.9 points per game and 22.9 rebounds per game over his 15 year career. He also won two rings, four MVPs, was a seven time scoring champion, as well as an 11 time rebound champion.

Honorable Mentions: Alex Rodriguez, Dan Marino

12 – Tom Brady

Photo: Amazon

The greatest quarterback of all time at the most important position in sports. TB12’s resumé is too long to outline here; but it’s headlined by his seven Super Bowl rings. On top of that, Brady has lead the league at one point in his career in passing touchdowns, yards, and rating.

Honorable Mentions: John Stockton, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Jim Kelly, Joe Namath, Bob Griese, Aaron Rodgers, Jarome Iginla

11 – Mark Messier

Being the center piece of a dynasty goes a long way in lists like these. Messier was the unquestioned leader & captain in Edmonton, where he lead the Oilers to five Stanley Cups. He also became the only player to captain two separate teams to Stanley Cup victories when he lead the Rangers to the cup in 1994.

Honorable Mentions: Barry Larkin, Larry Fitzgerald

10 – Fran Tarkenton

Fran Tarkenton walked to Steve Young, Michael Vick, and the like could run. Not only did Tarkenton sling it for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns, he also ran for 3,674 yards and 32 touchdowns in his career. Another fun fact: his only MVP season came in 1975, his 15th year in the NFL.

Honorable Mentions: Walt Frazier, Guy Lafleur

Heavy quarterback representation here. Any other noise was a faint whisper from baseball. Abysmal showing by hockey and basketball. We’ll bid farewell to our ongoing series in the next edition of “Who Wore It Best.”

Sunday State of Mind: April 5th-April 11th

We’ve reached the end of a week that was chalked full of sports. We review in this week’s Sunday State of Mind.

Another gorgeous weekend at Augusta National
The best golf weekend of the year, not irrational
Hideki Matsuyama is your first time Masters winner
He wins the green jacket and will host next year’s champions dinner

We had our first no-hitter this week against the Texas Rangers
Joe Musgrove made opposing hitters his baby, put them in the manger
It was the first no hitter thrown in Padres history
Musgrove moved to 2-0 this year, great second victory

Another sad chapter in the Jacob DeGrom story
The NY Post crushed the Mets and their chronic purgatory
Fourteen K’s, one mistake, and zero run support
Yet another hard loss to swallow, for one of the best in the sport

A wild cross-sport story, baseball to basketball
Alex Rodriguez breaking the bank as well as the ownership wall
He’s partnering with his boy Marc Lore to buy the Timberwolves & Lynx
The sale is reported to be $1.5 billion, back up the Brinks!

Friday News Dump: A-Rod and J-Lo Are No-Mo’

What else is there to live for?

On Friday, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez announced they are calling it quits. They are ending their four-year relationship and two-year engagement.

According to People, the ultimate source on celeb gossip, “[t]his has been a long time coming,”

What a shame.

J-Lo, an experienced veteran at being engaged, has butted her way out of another relationship and engagement. She’s walking out the backdoor, and onto bigger and better things. It appears the enthusiasm for the relationship has been plugged up, the foundation has cracked, and got wedged in a bad place. This is obviously the bottom for the power couple, and it has reached the hind end. It this relationship were a train, this is definitely the caboose. J-Lo took the hearts of all of her and A-Rod’s fans and totally wrecked ’em.

Speaking of A-Rod, a total change has been injected into his life. Being newly single, his business performance will definitely be enhanced. With more time to focus on his business ventures, he’ll definitely come into meetings with bigger balls, not shrunken ones. One can assume he’s really going to be ready to flex his huge business muscles and be ready to rage all over anyone sitting across the negotiating table.

With J-Lo putting A-Rod in her rear…view mirror, all we can hope is that both parties have truly amicably split, both remain happy, and find love down the road.