Manny Pacquiao, Brian Wilson and the Most Likable Guys in Sports
The world of sports offers athletes a fairly unique public forum. If they choose, they can let their personalities fly without many repercussions.
Sure, there are the athletes who speak with endorsements in mind and use the forum as a chance to obtain a perception of perfection.
They will find no placement on this list.
We are concerned about the ones that seem to have fun with it and then use whatever pull or resources they have to help make the world a better place.
For the most part, these are the likable ones.
The following are the people you think it'd be cool to go out for a night on the town with and/or have for a neighbor—the ones that are going to make you laugh and feel good about being a human.
The following are the most likable people in sports.
No. 25: Jon Lester
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Jon Lester had achieved his dream—he was a big league pitcher. Then he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
He was fortunate enough to beat it, and he has returned to become one of the best pitchers in the game.
He has handled his trials with grace. He is respectful and close with his family. He uses his position of fame to help bring awareness and add funds to the fight against cancer.
His story has helped inspire others, and he takes the time to reach out and speak to those that are facing similar fights to the one he has already won.
No. 24: Apolo Ohno
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I would just like to take a moment to say good-bye to anyone reading this list from South Korea.
While Ohno may be a public enemy there, that hatred and hostility has endeared Ohno to Americans.
He has single-handedly made short-track speed skating relevant—while making himself completely relevant.
He is hard-working, good for quotes and charitable.
Anyone who can make a soul patch not seem passé must be likeable.
No. 23: Tim Tebow
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Seemingly minutes after Tim Tebow was drafted by the Denver Broncos, his jersey became the highest selling jersey in the NFL.
Tebow's smash-mouth style of QB play has earned him a legion of fans. His whatever-it-takes attitude is infectious.
His press conference proclaiming that no team would ever play harder than his Florida Gators is iconic.
He is not shy about sharing his beliefs, and this certainly turns some people off, but you won't find many people that don't respect him.
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No. 22: Emile Hesky
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Emile Hesky isn't very well liked by the fans of the teams he played for, but that certainly doesn't mean he isn't a likeable chap.
His play actually inspired his own line of jokes. Like this one:
Emile Hesky would be a great pub owner. His shots always go over the bar.
Hesky takes it all in stride. There is something likeable about a person who can take a joke. There is also something endearing about a person with lots of power and not much accuracy.
He also has been very involved with the community, and by all accounts he is easy to get along with.
No. 21: Rocco Mediate
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Rocco Mediate has been a successful golfer for years, but he really came into the public consciousness during the 2008 U.S. Open when he battled Tiger Woods shot for shot in a one-round playoff.
Mediate is the everyman golfer. He takes risks, he jokes around, he smokes a lot and he makes fun of himself.
He appreciates his fans, and he is one of the easiest golfers to root for.
No. 20: Caroline Wozniacki
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She's talented, she's beautiful, she likes the beach and she fights kangaroos. What's not to like about that?
OK, she didn't really get in a fight with a kangaroo, but that is even better. She was just joking about it. Sense of humor is a key likeable factor.
No. 19: Hines Ward
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Hines Ward is the only man that could ever get run over by a train and come up smiling.
Hines has a zest for football, for life and strip clubs. Whatever it is, he goes all out.
He comes across as kind and thoughtful. While his style of play doesn't leave him with many fans on the opposition's side, it is hard to find a person who wouldn't want him on their team.
Ward has become very involved with his charity, the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation, and he is very involved with the community he lives in and his native South Korea.
No. 18: Ichiro
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"To tell the truth, I’m not excited to go to Cleveland, but we have to,” Ichiro once said.
“If I ever saw myself saying I’m excited going to Cleveland, I’d punch myself in the face, because I’m lying."
While this isn't going to endear him to the people of Cleveland, it will to many other people. Ichiro is far from the typical athlete. His quotes are the stuff of legend.
His fame in Japan is at Elvis levels.
The attention of the press has taught Ichiro to approach interviews on a different level than most.
While he can come off as aloof and serious, he is really a joker at heart.
Ichiro started a tradition at the All-Star game. In the locker room before the game, he cracks up his AL All-Stars with a colorful speech.
While exact quotes are not available here is an excerpt: “Bleep … bleep bleep bleep … National League … bleep … bleep … bleeeeeeeeep … National – bleep bleep bleepbleepbleep!”
No. 17: Dwight Howard
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Dwight Howard has been criticized for being too nice on the court. Howard is a laid back and friendly individual.
He is thoughtful and funny in interviews. He always treats people with respect.
Dwight Howard is also considerate with his time. He has set up the Dwight Howard Fund that was established to help kids in Haiti.
He is involved in his community. Howard received a fan letter one day. It was from a lady who said her mother was dying of cancer. Her mother's one wish was to meet Dwight Howard.
Howard showed up on her doorstep and visited with her for two hours.
No. 16: Alexander Ovechkin
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Alex Ovechkin is a pretty funny dude. Check out this quote: "Овечкин сегодня перед игрой подъехал к вратарю."
I can't believe he said that.
OK, so maybe the language barrier prevents many of us from getting the full force of Ovie's colorful personality, but we can still tell he his a playful mega-star.
He does speak enough English to offer up some pretty funny quotes in that language, too.
"I wear tinted visor not to trick other players," Ovie adds some insight, "but so hot girls in stands don't see me looking at them."
This is actually enough to hate him, but it is still pretty funny. Having never hit a golf ball before, Ovie went golfing and got a hole-in-one.
"I hit it, yeah! I shot it right there and I got it!"
His English isn't perfect.
"I swear God! Whooo! I swear my mom! My hole!"
No. 15: Kevin Durant
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Kevin Durant is the odd NBA superstar who would rather play basketball than become a corporation.
He is a gym rat and dedicated to his sport. He recently called Chris Bosh a fake tough-guy, and many assumed that it was a contrived statement to show opponents he has an edge of toughness.
Except that he seems like a regular 22-year-old.
Last offseason, he quietly signed an extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder while LeBron held his one hour all-about-me mega special.
It should not be lost that Durant eagerly signed an extension to play for a team that occupies one of the smallest media-markets in the NBA. Maybe he just loves that Oklahoma City night life?
No. 14: Travis Pastrana
12 of 25Thanks to Travis Pastrana, I can vicariously do things I am even scared to think about.
I like that.
He does not limit his crazy to one field. He jumps anything that moves, he sky-dives, he races—essentially, if it is extreme, he is going to do it.
And he does it all with a smile and a good attitude—there is no other way Nitro Circus would never work.
He also has proven he is willing to donate his time to charity, and he seems to always treat those around him with respect.
Well, except for his circle of friends who tease each other on near Jackass levels. But that may be his most likeable quality.
No. 13 Nnamdi Asomugha
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Nnamdi Asomugha has been one of the highest-paid players in the NFL, and he still drives the same car he drove in high school—a '97 Nissan Maxima he calls Maxi.
He has well thought out opinions, he gives great interviews and he is a total class act.
Asomugha spent the first two years of his NFL career with the bust label, but hard work and dedication has turned him into one of the game's premier players.
He was born in the impoverished country of Nigeria. He is the chairman of his family's Nigerian charity and he contributes to many American charities as well.
Among other things, he spends most of his Mondays mentoring and tutoring inner-city Bay Area youth.
No. 12: Matt Hasselbeck
14 of 25Matt Hasselbeck looks like he'd fit right in in your neighborhood bowling league.
This past season, he hurt his hip while running with no one close to him, he played behind one of the worst offensive lines in football and he displayed the arm strength of a chipmunk. Yet he can still play at a high level.
What's not to like about that?
More importantly, he is funny. He is as competitive and confident as a person can be, but at the same time he is self-depreciating—like in the posted video.
Recently, Antonio Cromartie criticized union leadership. Matt then tweeted: "Somebody ask Cromartie if he knows what CBA stands for?"
Matt erased the message, but Cromartie still tweeted: "....I will smash ur face in."
Matt simply said: "...No hard feelings. DBs and QBs have a hard time getting along some times."
One of these responses was much more charming than the other.
No. 11: Kim Clijsters
15 of 25I don't have many fears in this life. I'd say maybe just three:
1) Suffocating while burning and falling from a plane without a parachute
2) A life without sports
3) Asking a non-pregnant woman if she is pregnant
If you do the third, I am fairly certain it says in the constitution that that women can stab you in the eye with a rusty chainsaw.
This is what makes Kim Clijsters so damn likeable. She opts around the violent revenge and goes instead for the embarrassment angle, and she laughs about it the whole way through.
No. 10: John Daly
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Yup, that is a two-time major champion. One thing strikes me as odd about this picture: why aren't those cutoff jeans?
John Daly is a flawed man, and that is what makes him so likeable. He has always been open about his problems, and he seldom tries to hide who he is.
These flaws and honesty help me connect to John Daly. It makes me root for him.
John Daly has a problem drinking too much alcohol, eating too much, smoking too much. He plays guitar and writes songs about the struggles of life. He likes to hit a golf ball as far as he possibly can.
This is a man who has been at the top of the golf world and also signed autographs at the closest Hooters to Augusta while the Masters was taking place.
This is a man who refuses to stay stagnant and has apparently turned his life around.
I like these things.
No. 9: Jamie Moyer
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Jamie Moyer was involved in one of the most violent brawls in baseball history as a rookie, and his career was almost over before it started.
As he said: "I never should've thrown high and tight to that T-Rex."
Thank you! I'll be here all week.
Honestly, though, what's not to love about Moyer?
He is 48 and rehabbing, and he is rehabbing after suffering a possibly career-ending injury—a birthday no-no that wasn't. He did it while rehabbing from another career-ending injury.
His latest happened while playing winter ball in the Domincan Republic.
That is 100-percent dude.
Moyer also is a very charitable individual. The Jamie Moyer Foundation has been helping disadvantaged kids since 1742...I mean 2000.
No. 8: Shaquille O’Neal
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Shaquille O'Neal has battled unbelievably long odds to become one of the more likeable people in sports.
Coming out of college, he was seen as the big dunking bully who couldn't speak.
Now he is a lovable goof-ball.
He gives himself crazy nicknames and puts himself down while at the same time hyping his legend.
He is a quote machine and they are usually pretty funny. Most of all, he just seems like he enjoys having fun and that is always a likeable quality.
No. 7: Zenyatta
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I know what you are saying. What is Zenyatta doing on this list? She retired!
Well, I am breaking the rules—deal with it. Besides, Zenyatta is just recently retired.
Zenyatta almost retired perfect but lost in the Breeder's Cup by a head. That capped a remarkable career. The way she ran was infectious.
There is no quit in Zenyatta. She would often start off slow out of the gate and then use an amazing late burst to capture the victory.
Her narrow Breeder's Cup loss put this on display as Zenyatta charged from the back of the pack and almost to first place.
I'm not that big of a horse racing fan, but that got me out of my seat.
No. 6: Steve Nash
20 of 25Steve Nash is just your run-of-the-mill, short, ugly Canadian with a bad back and a two-time NBA MVP.
He plays in shoes made from recycled material, for crying out loud. What is not to like about these things?
Steve Nash is also freaking hilarious. He currently holds the throne as the Most Ridiculous Man in the World.
Most importantly he lets guys like me say: "If Steve Nash can do it, why can't I?"
No. 5: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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If you are like me, then you bonded with Junior the day his dad died at Daytona. As I struggled to come to grips with the pain I felt over losing a man I never knew, I only wondered what it must be like for the man who called him Dad.
He works in a sport in which the memories of that day and his dad's legacy are always present, and he deals with it as well as you could expect out of anyone.
Junior has done a lot to build his relationship with his fans. While he has been in a slump on the track, he remains honest and giving off of it.
Given all of this, he comes across as just a regular guy—someone you'd sit down and BS with over a cold one.
Dale Jr. has been heavily involved with the Make a Wish Foundation, and this video is his 200th involvement with the project.
If you haven't seen that video from ESPN, check it out. Junior makes this kid feel so special by building an actual friendship with him, and it is impossible to come away not doing anything but liking and admiring Junior.
No. 4: Peyton Manning
22 of 25By all appearances, he is a clean-cut workaholic. That is why it is always so surprising when he ends up being hilarious.
I think it is his unassuming nature that makes his acting so funny.
Beyond being good for a laugh, Manning is also thoughtful in his responses and considerate of his time with fans.
He has always been active giving back to his community and he founded the Pey-Back Foundation.
Manning is the rare type that appears to live beyond reproach, yet he still seems entirely approachable.
No. 3: Brian Wilson
23 of 25Brian Wilson is crazy. Maybe not as certifiably as his namesake of Beach Boys fame, but in a very entertaining and likeable way.
He is a hard worker, yet he doesn't take himself to seriously. He is one of the most intense baseball players, but he still comes out with a beard that he shines with shoe polish.
He is an entertaining enigma.
You never know what you are going to get with Brian Wilson. He has done interviews dressed as a sea-man and he does them with his pets.
Well, you do know two things you'll get: a memorable interview.
Wilson likes to have a good time, and that usually results in the people around him having fun as well.
No. 2: Drew Brees
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Pictures are worth a thousand words, and Drew Brees cemented himself in the psyche of American sports fans as an awesome dude with this pic.
Most Super Bowl-winning QBs are hiding beers and holding trophies—Brees held his son.
Brees doesn't limit his efforts to enhancing the lives of just his own children. He also started the Drew Brees Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing research in the fight against cancer and providing care, education and opportunities for children in need.
His size has made him an underdog in the NFL world, and he has succeeded and done it with pure class.
No. 1: Manny Pacquiao
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Manny Pacquiao does more than just lend his name to a charity; he gets down and dirty with it.
After typhoons ravaged his native Philippines in 2009, he took time out from his training schedule to help clean up efforts and distribute food and supplies to the victims.
He has since become a Sarangani Congressman who is dedicated to improving the conditions of his home country.
He also comes across as a humble and charming individual. He treats his opponents and members of the media, along with everyone else, with the utmost respect.
He gives great interviews, he likes to sing, he pays his giant entourage well, he is one of the baddest men on the planet and yet he is also one of the nicest.
He must not ever sleep. He has already done enough to fill 10 lifetimes.
Oh, and he also is the face of some of the funniest photo-shopped pictures you'll find.
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