10 Recent Unsung Sports Hero Shoutouts
Some sports heroes seemingly come from nowhere. Athletes who routinely perform their duties to little or no fanfare earn praise for helping teams win games or for bringing attention to an organization some would've otherwise ignored.
CM Punk is a great example. Passionate fight fans may say Punk didn't belong in an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage this past September, and there may be some validity to those opinions. Punk nevertheless proved to be important for the promotion even though he did not put up much a fight vs. Mickey Gall on Sept. 10.
The offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys is forgotten, by some, because of the play of two rookies who have earned headlines throughout the fall. Cleveland Indians closer Cody Allen became somewhat of a forgotten man due to Andrew Miller dominating hitters during postseason games. Michail Antonio evolved into a goal-scoring machine in Premier League play while featuring for a relegation candidate.
We salute these recent unsung sports heroes who maybe didn't generate headlines or were overshadowed by the accomplishments of others. Perhaps, in time, casual sports fans will appreciate the contributions offered by these notable warriors.
Who is your favorite unsung sports hero from the fall of 2016?
Michail Antonio
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You'll see some familiar names on the list of the footballers leading the Premier League in scoring as of Oct. 24, per the BBC. Diego Costa, Romelu Lukaku and Sergio Aguero are all proven stars and proven scorers.
Michail Antonio stands out among those talents. As Louise Taylor of The Guardian wrote near the end of August, Antonio morphed from a supposed "invisible man" to one of the top scorers in the league during the early days of the current campaign. Antonio has currently netted five tallies, only two fewer than league-leader Aguero. Some fans may have missed Antonio's goals, however, because of his employer.
Antonio plays for West Ham United, a club currently closer to flirting with relegation than they are to earning a spot in a European competition. West Ham don't play against the world's elite clubs on weekdays, nor are they routinely featured on cable television in the United States.
Neither of those facts take anything away from Antonio's production or what he has meant to his club.
Francisco Lindor
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There's never been a better time to be a fan of Cleveland professional sports than right now.
The Cleveland Indians clinched a spot in the World Series. Across the walkway from Progressive Field is the Quicken Loans Arena, the home of NBA champions the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even the Cleveland Browns are playing their part by losing games and "earning" the highest possible draft pick.
Multiple players for the Indians have been unsung heroes during the Tribe's current run. Shortstop Francisco Lindor, one of the top future stars in baseball, has been slightly overshadowed by the team's bullpen, particularly lights-out reliever Andrew Miller.
As Jesse Spector of the Sporting News recently wrote, Lindor quietly had himself an American League Championship Series to remember. His home run produced the only scoring in Game 1 of the series, and he batted .368 and had an OPS of .979 vs. the Toronto Blue Jays. Lindor also happens to be a gem in the infield, to the point some may take his extraordinary defensive skills for granted.
He'll no longer be an unsung hero if he continues to excel vs. the Chicago Cubs in the World Series while playing in front of national television audiences.
Dan Henderson
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Dan Henderson was supposed to ride off into the sunset after UFC 204. The 46-year-old faced Michael Bisping for the middleweight championship in early October in a rematch that was years in the making. What was already a compelling story about an aged veteran attempting to win a title in his final fight became even more epic when Henderson nearly defeated Bisping during the encounter.
Bisping retained his title via decision, a ruling that didn't sit too well with Henderson. Per Henderson's own words provided by Champions.co, Henderson remains rather displeased with the judges' scorecards from that evening. He even wrote he would be willing to meet Bisping for a third match "for the right money."
A variety of different heroes bolstered the UFC in different ways this year. Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz and Brock Lesnar immediately come to mind. Don't sell Henderson's contributions short, especially if he, the UFC and Bisping can come to terms on a future fight.
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Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coaches
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford was flying high on the morning of Oct. 23. The Vikings were 5-0 and perceived to be one of the best teams in the NFL, and Bradford was preparing to face off with the Philadelphia Eagles, the club that gave up on him earlier this year, in Week 7.
The Eagles, not Bradford, had the last laugh that Sunday afternoon.
Bradford had a disastrous outing vs. his former club. He completed 24-of-41 pass attempts, he was intercepted once, and the single touchdown pass he tossed occurred in the final minute of play well after the result was decided.
This wasn't a fluke or just a bad day by Bradford. ESPN's Ben Goessling explained:
"According to ESPN Stats and Information, - the Eagles sent a defensive back as a pass rusher on 13 of Sam Bradford's dropbacks, the same number as the Eagles' total from the first five games of the season. On those plays, the Eagles sacked or pressured Bradford on 8 dropbacks.
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Philadelphia's staff may have provided the blueprint for how to attack the Minnesota offensive line moving forward. We'll see how the Vikings react to their first loss of the season.
Conor Gillaspie
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"Who?!?"
This was the question on the minds and lips of baseball fans around the country when a guy named Conor Gillaspie hit the home run in the ninth inning of the National League Wild Card game that propelled the San Francisco Giants past the New York Mets and into the next round of the 2016 playoffs.
As Zach Schonbrun of the New York Times wrote, Gillaspie was as unassuming a hero as any player who entered Citi Field that night. He appeared in only 17 regular season games in 2015, and he played 75 games in the minor leagues last season. Casual fans wouldn't have recognized the infielder on Oct. 1 had he knocked on their doors.
With one swing of the bat, Gillaspie became a hero among San Francisco supporters and a villain among those who love the Mets. Gillaspie drove home a few runs vs. the Chicago Cubs in the National League Divisional Series, but he'll mostly be remembered next spring for his one at-bat that occurred in Flushing on a cool, October evening.
Bradley Wright-Phillips
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The majority of sports fans in the United States ignore Major League Soccer for whatever reasons. Television ratings for league matches tell us this each season. Thus, we assume you probably haven't noticed the play of New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Wright-Phillips equaled the record for most goals scored in any MLS season (27) back in 2014. On October of this year, the New York front man won the 2016 MLS Golden Boot award after topping international star David Villa for the most goals scored during the regular season. Wright-Phillips hit the back of the net in New York's 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union on the final day of the campaign, assuring he would finish ahead of Villa and anybody else in the category.
Wright-Phillips may, all things considered, be the greatest overall player to ever feature for the Red Bulls, and the argument could be made that he is one of the most prolific scorers in MLS history. The 31-year-old unquestionably found a home in the United States, and they may erect a statue in his honor outside of Red Bull Arena if he helps the Red Bulls win MLS Cup this fall.
Matt Read
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Some out there may find themselves entering Matt Read into their favorite Internet search engine upon arriving to this portion of the piece.
The winger for the Philadelphia Flyers is not one of the bigger names in the National Hockey League. He isn't Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin or Patrick Kane. Read isn't a star as is rookie Auston Matthews, who recently posted what may have been the best debut in NHL history.
The Philadelphia man is merely one of the hottest goalscorers in the NHL early into the season.
Per NHL.com, Read averaged a goal per game in Philadelphia's first five contests. He earned at least a point in four of those five games, and he notched goals in four consecutive outings.
As Jordan Hall of CSNPhilly.com explained, Read's production is no fluke. Read worked to improve his attacking skills and his hockey intelligence following a couple of disappointing seasons. He is currently one of the hottest wingers and best attacking options in the league.
Casual fans may want to keep an eye on Read if he holds his form through the holiday season.
Dallas Cowboys Offensive Line
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Dallas Cowboys rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott earned headlines and praise with their play during the first six weeks of the 2016 NFL season. Prescott, per ESPN's Todd Archer, set a new league record when he began his career with at least 163 passes without an interception. Elliott, meanwhile, leads the NFL in rushing yards as of Oct. 24.
It's time Dallas supporters, passionate football followers and casual fans give praise to the offensive line of the Cowboys.
Prescott, who has impressed while filling in for the injured Tony Romo so much so he may remain the Dallas starting quarterback even when Romo is able to return, seemingly understands the importance of those who play in front of him, as he had high praise for his linemen during an appearance on CBS Sports podcast Roughing the Passer.
Per Ben Grimaldi of blog The Landry Hat, the Cowboys led the NFL in multiple categories following Week 6 of the season thanks largely to the team's offensive line, a unit that has done well to protect Prescott and open holes for Elliott.
Offensive linemen usually don't become stars. They don't make big plays that earn highlights, and thus they become forgotten figures among fans who watch football on Sundays and then ignore the sport until the following week. Dallas' offensive line is arguably the best overall faction in the league today, and all should recognize its greatness halfway into the current season.
Cody Allen
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Cleveland Indians reliever Andrew Miller became a household name in Oct. 2016. The lengthy southpaw seemingly struck batters out at will during the American League Championship Series en route to winning MVP honors for his performances. As ESPN.com news services explained, Miller fanned 14 of the 26 Toronto Blue Jays he faced in his four appearances.
Don't forget about Cleveland closer Cody Allen.
Allen doesn't dominate and baffle hitters at a noteworthy rate. He merely does his job admirably and without error. Per ESPN.com, Allen earned five total saves during the American League playoffs, and he was on the hill for the final outs that closed out the AL Divisional Series and the ALCS. Allen was even willing to work as a standard reliever and hand closer duties over to Miller for a game when asked.
Allen, in reality, was as important for the Cleveland bullpen as was Miller during games against the Boston Red Sox and the Blue Jays.
CM Punk
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Those running the UFC signed CM Punk in the fall of 2014 because Punk made a name for himself working in World Wrestling Entertainment. Nobody at that time knew what Punk would become as a professional fighter, and customers were intrigued to see Punk enter the cage for his debut match vs. Mickey Gall at UFC 203 this past September.
It took less than a minute into the encounter for us to realize Punk couldn't hang with a fighter such as Gall. Gall quickly took Punk down to the mat, and the 24-year-old dominated the action until he won via submission in the first round of the one-sided affair.
Punk's skills, or lack thereof, are not why he is an unsung sports hero of 2016. MMA Fighting's Dave Meltzer explained:
"In other words, Punk probably brought in anywhere from 125,000-225,000 extra buys, meaning he generated added revenue of somewhere between $3.75 million and $6.75 million for the company. So for all the criticism of the $500,000 base pay Punk earned for his debut, along with a possible percentage of pay-per-view that was Punk's deal ended up being a financial bargain.
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Revenue generated means nothing for the fan who watched Punk while sitting on his couch or on a stool at a bar. What's noteworthy here is that Punk apparently attracted over 100,000 viewers to an event those individuals otherwise wouldn't have purchased. Those people, thus, were introduced to names such as Stipe Miocic, Jimmie Rivera and Jessica Andrade.
That is why Punk is arguably the biggest unsung UFC hero of 2016.
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