Favorite Athletes

Omar Vizquel because he is the best defensive shortstop ever, Shoeless Joe Jackson for the eternal mystery of what could have been, Jamie Moyer because there's something endearing about old guys and 82mph fastballs, Brett Favre, whose presence in the pocket transcends any team he plays for, BIlly Wagner for possessing the rare quality of admirable arrogance, Trevor Hoffman for his quiet toughness and class, Dan Marino because a quick release that good will never be duplicated, Ken Griffey Jr. for being a living example of everything that is good about baseball, Gerald "The Ice Cube" McNeil, who was my first "favorite player", Grady Sizemore for being rare proof that exceptional talent and relentless effort are not mutually exclusive, Kenny Lofton for making me fall in love with the Indians, Aaron Boone for reasons involving an inflatable moonbounce, Paul Molitor, who wrote me the letter that changed everything, Crash Davis for being the fictional hero to every one of us who ever loved the game more than it loved us, and Derek Jeter because he's Batman.

Favorite Sports Teams

Indians, Browns, Vikings. Honorable Mentions: Milwaukee Brewers, St Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Green Bay Packers, NY Giants, Chicago Bears (except for Jay Cutler).

Favorite Coaches

Lou Piniella, Mike Hargrove, Ken Macha, Ron Gardenhire, Bobby Valentine, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox, Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Scioscia, Don Shula, player-manager Frank Chance, and the (unfortunately) fictional Billy Heywood.

All Time Sports Moment

1997 World Series, Marlins vs. Indians Game 7. Roger Kahn said it best in Boys of Summer: "You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."

Most Memorable Game Attended

Indians-Yankees, ALDS game 5, 1997, when The Tribe hit back to back to back HRs to win the series; Browns-49ers,1993, scene of the infamous Tord Faurus debacle (see my humor bowl article); the sold-out games at The Jake I snuck into while in high school, purely because you appreciate it so much more after you've outrun the police; and finally those games with significance that only my dad will fully understand at which the following incidents occurred: Barnes and possibly the world's best heckler; Discovering the exceptional obedience of Randy Winn via the The Dead Spot; "Pagel!";the stunning effectiveness of "Jo-ey"; The Blood Sacrifice Game (accidentally putting a pair of scissors all the way through my hand while making an anti-Yankees sign, then electing to go to the Jake when we should have gone to the hospital, eventually ending up in the Jake's first aid center after I tried to catch a foul ball with the wounded hand); and games which may or may not have involved seat vulturing, stealing vestigial hardware from the lower reserve section, and crank calling Red Sox pitchers.

Most Unbreakable Sports Record

Consecutive Complete Games Thrown: Jack Lynch, 198, or Number of Doves Hit With a Pitch: Randy Johnson, 1.

Ruth or Mays?

Ted WIlliams

Unitas or Montana?

Marino

Jordan or Russell?

Gretzky or Orr?

Pele or Maradona?

Federer or Sampras?

Tiger or Nicklaus?

Petty or Earnhardt?

Schumacher or Senna?

Pac 10, Big 12, Big 10, SEC, ACC, or Big East?

Big 10. Go PSU!