Big Lead Sports Bar

5/10/2010

THE 10 MOST CONTROVERSIAL LEGACIES IN PITTSBURGH SPORTS



Ahh, the "controversial legacy". Longtime MH readers know my fascination with this topic all too well. It once was its own series a few years ago, and today, it's been condensed into one neatly-packaged list. You know the deal: Player X performs well in Pittsburgh, something goes wrong (be it injury, an exit, a bad game, etc.), and that person is never remembered in the same way again. Some fans still love these players, other fans fight back blind rage when you mention their names. 

Today at The Fan's website, we're looking at the 10 Most Controversial Legacies in Pittsburgh Sports (as I see them) and to make it a little more interesting, each player has a poll for you to weigh in on how you remember them. Basically, your input will be an integral part of this story as to how this sample size of Pittsburgh sports fans remembers some selected icons.

For the audio portion of this argument, I'll be on with Joe Starkey and John Seibel at 2:40 p.m., and as always, you can listen online at The Fan's website.


[93.7 The Fan]

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5 comments:

Unknown said...

hopefully big ben doesn't find himself on the top of this list someday...

The Mad Bubbler said...

Jason Bay: "Tendency to come up short in big moments". There hasn't been a "big moment" involving the Pirates in 18 damn years.

Also whoever voted their memories of Jagr as "mostly negative" deserves a kick in the groin.

Papa Eo said...

Bubbler, I completely agree with you on JBay.

I think this list is awesome, though. I like most of these guys regardless of what team they play(ed) for/ what sorts of terms they left Pittsburgh on: Bonds, Parker, Bonilla, Kordell, Bay, Jagr. However, the one guy who really stands out on this list is Neil O’Donnell. When ESPN2 starts showing NFL Films Super Bowl Specials around January/ February every year, I literally cannot watch the last 10 minutes or so of Super Bowl XXX. It is just too painful. Even if Neil O’Donnell had broken all of Dan Marino’s passing records while with the Steelers AND rescued the Penguins from bankruptcy, that still would not supplant that backbreaking interception as his lasting legacy in this town. No one will ever get over that, or associate Neil with anything other than it. Somewhat of a shame, but on the other hand, not so much.

Also, I would love to fast forward ten years and see where Ben Roethlisberger ends up on this list. I haven’t seen an athlete embraced to the degree that he was early his career in this town before or since, and his sudden crucifixion (deserved, in my opinion) is an interesting plot twist in his already lengthy Pittsburgh legacy.

Also, Penguins 5, Canadiens 2 tonight.

SantoGold said...

Jagr is one of the top 5 to ever wear the Pen's logo. His departure had more to do with the Pens not being able to pay him than anything else. Boo Santa Clause before you boo him.

Has it ever been officially determined that Neil was at fault for the 2 INTs in SB XXX? I always hear that both INTs were on timing pattern plays in which his WRs ran wrong routes.

BAMAQT said...

What about DAVE PARKER???? he was so much controversial than Parker, Bonilla, and Jason Bay.