50 Iconic Athletes Any Sports Fan Would Love To Be for a Day

It's Game 7 of the World Series, bottom of the ninth, two outs, man on second and your team is trailing 3-2 as you walk to the plate.

A single here ties the game, and you are only looking for a pitch to poke into the outfield, when a pitch that looks to be the size of a watermelon is thrown down the middle of the plate.

CRACK! You drive the pitch into the left field seats and win your team the World Series. As you trot around the bases, soaking in the pandemonium of the moment, you can't help but think that you are now a hero in the city and a part of baseball lore.

Wouldn't it be awesome to be that guy, if only for one day?

Well, on this list you can be. Here you will find 50 iconic athletes any of us would love to be for one day. Maybe it is because of a career-defining play you would love to replicate, or the ability to experience their otherworldly talents, or even a chance to live their lavish lifestyle.

It's like Entourage for the sports fan (well, at least when Entourage was vicarious fun).

To the slides!

50. Jason Kidd

Kidd was a hell of a basketball player in his prime, and had a pretty solid postseason to help the Mavs win a championship.

But Kidd makes this list because of the above, along with the fact that I'd like to go on a date with one of the many beauties he has dated throughout the years: Porschla Coleman, Hope Dworaczyk, May Anderson, Joumana Kidd, etc.

49. Shaun White

I have a lot of respect for Shaun White's kahunas, his creativity and his versatility.

But if anybody called me "The Flying Tomato" while I was Shaun White for the day, I'd kick-flip them right in the face.

48. David Beckham

Millions of dollars, Posh Spice and a famous bending kick.

These are things I would enjoy whilst being Beckham for a day.

47. John Elway

In honor of Dave, the owner of Zook's—a wonderful coffee shop in West Denver where I have been spending a lot of time doing my work this month as I visit family—comes this selection.

It's a good one, as Elway combined a rocket-fueled arm with an above-average ability to scramble away from pressure and enough grit and determination to lead his team to victory late in games, time and time again.

It wasn't always pretty, but it was almost always effective.

46. Roger Federer

Style. Grace. Dominance.

No, this isn't a cologne commercial—I'm describing Federer's game—though I understand your confusion. I'm not much of a tennis buff, but I loved watching this man play, especially during his prime.

I'd love to be him for one day and go to the country club, where I would just dominate a bunch of stuffy rich folks on the court. And then I'd order food and charge it to the Underhills.

45. Chris Johnson

As you'll see, I'm a fan of football game-breakers, namely those who possess remarkable speed and agility.

I can't imagine what would be more fun than taking a handoff, juking a few defenders and outrunning the secondary on a long touchdown run.

In other words, being Chris Johnson must be a pretty good time every Sunday in the fall.

44. Arnold Palmer

Another excellent selection from Dave. We joked that part of the appeal of being Palmer would be having your own drink to order when you went out on the town. (For those of you who don't know, an "Arnold Palmer" is half iced tea, half lemonade.)

"And can I get any of you a drink today?"

"Yes, I think I would like a...well, I'd like a 'me,' thank you very much."

"Coming right up, Mr. Palmer."

43. Steve Nash

I love the way this guy plays the game, and he seems like a really intelligent and creative guy off the court as well.

Sometimes I think in America we fail to appreciate those who are artists of the game they play. Nash is an artist on the court, and I'd like to take his skills for a whirl if I could.

42. Jeb Corliss

1. I wish I had the balls to do this.

2. I wish I was dating Roberta Mancino.

Okay, so Corliss isn't iconic. Whatever. It would be awesome to zip through the air like a crazy flying squirrel, then make out with Mancino when I landed.

The end.

41. Ronnie Lott

Dear NFL wide receivers,

I've decided to be Ronnie Lott for one day. Which means I am chomping at the bit to remove your head from your body if you dare run your route over the middle.

Seriously, I will hit you so hard you will have flashbacks of the collision 25 years from now. Hell, your grandchildren will have flashbacks of this hit.

Your teeth are about to rattle so bad a seismograph would pick up readings from your mouth.

I just thought I'd let you know. Hope all is well with you!

Sincerely,

Guy deciding to be Ronnie Lott for a day

40. Ronaldinho

I want to be able to do this with a soccer ball for just one day.

The end.

39. Mario Lemieux

Possibly the most physically talented and graceful hockey player I have ever seen.

38. Adrian Peterson

How amazing would it be to have Peterson's blend of speed, power and agility for one day?

He really is the perfect running back.

37. Jim Brown

Well, Peterson is almost the perfect running back.

That distinction belongs to Jim Brown.

36. Devin Hester

My all-time favorite thing to do in sports is to juke somebody out of their jock in a football game (and I've played almost every sport there is, so I'm not coming from a narrow framework here).

There is something magical about somebody running at you full speed with the intention of disembodying you, and making that person miss with a clever stutter step and head fake followed by a quick change of direction.

It's just plain old fun, and Devin Hester is amazing at doing that very thing. I'd like to do it like he can do it for a day.

35. DeSean Jackson

See Hester, Devin.

Though with Jackson, you get the added benefit of also being a talented wide receiver and playing with Michael Vick.

Fun times, indeed.

34. Reggie Bush

I know, I know, we're establishing a theme here.

I would like to be Reggie Bush for a day at USC, before he became a disappointing pro who had his Heisman removed.

He was the toast of the college world, was one of the most elusive runners in college football history, won a national championship and was a king of the USC campus and its many beautiful ladies.

Sounds pretty good when I put it like that, right?

33. Randy Johnson

1. I'm not particularly tall, so standing closing to 7'0" tall would be pretty cool for a day.

2. I want to throw his slider, just once.

3. Randy Johnson made a bird explode with one of his pitches. Need I say more?

32. Sandy Koufax

I would want to pitch as Sandy Koufax during one of the final four seasons of his career. I'll allow Jayson Stark to explain why:

"

Now let me move along to Sandy Koufax. As I said in my "Stark Truth" book, it's very possible there has never been a more dominating pitcher ever than the dominator Koufax was over the last four years of his career (97-27, 1.86, while leading the league in ERA every one of those seasons). 

"

That, my friends, is dominance. Pure and brilliant dominance.

31. Alex Ovechkin

First of all, I'd love to be able to score a goal like that.

Secondly, I love Ovechkin's combination of skill and physicality, so I think it would be a whole lot of fun to skate in his shoes for a day.

30. Tiger Woods

Before the sex scandal, Tiger Woods was the most dominant golfer on the planet. He was the Michael Jordan of golf, without all of the tongue-wagging.

But Tiger was also making more money than any other athlete by large margins (he was the first billionaire athlete in history). Let's be honest here—for one day, it would be fun to take your own private jet to your own lavish beach house, where you spend the afternoon taking your yacht for a spin.

To review: dominate a round in the morning, hop on the private jet and spend the rest of the day sipping on cocktails and cruising in the yacht.

That's a good day.

29. Yogi Berra

Another great choice by Dave. Frankly, I just think it would be fun to be a character like Yogi Berra for a day.

But this isn't just about having fun—Yogi was an amazing catcher as well, what with his three AL MVPs and 16 All-Star Game selections.

And to think he never said most of the things he said...

28. Kobe Bryant

I would love to have the skills to post 81 points in one game.

Hell, I'd love to have the skills to post double-digit points in the average pickup game. I'd even settle for winning a game of HORSE every now and again.

27. Wilt Chamberlain

Then again, why stop at 81?

Let's go for 100.

26. Joe Namath

During his playing days, Broadway Joe was the consummate playboy. Living his life for one day most certainly would have been fun.

25. Shaq

Listen, it just seems like it would be a lot of fun to be Shaq. This would be how I spent my day as Shaq:

Wake up, call agent and tell him I'm firing him because I've decided I want to become "The Big Negotiator." Hang up, wait a few minutes, call him back and tell him I was just messing around because I am "The Big Prankster."

Tell agent I want to have my own movie, video game and rap album to work on in the offseason. Not because I think they will be good, but because I think it will be fun and because I can.

Talk trash on Kobe via Twitter or YouTube, just to rile up that competitive son of a gun.

Contemplate becoming a real-life superhero. Scratch those plans when I remember that I am a giant man and there isn't a costume in the world that I could be discreet in.

Break a backboard somewhere, then remind all in attendance that Kobe couldn't break a backboard.

Oops, almost forgot—play a basketball game that night.

24. Ken Griffey, Jr.

The Kid could do it all—hit, field and run like a gazelle.

And he did it while cracking a smile. He still should be cracking that smile, despite the fact that numerous injuries will keep him off of the short list of the greatest players of all time. He still put up silly numbers while remaining clean in an era tarnished by rampant steroids use.

It would be fun to be able to play the game the way he could during his prime, that is for sure.

23. Pete Maravich

Pistol Pete had fun playing; there's no doubt about that.

To wield his vision and creativity on the court would be to see the game in a brand new light, if only for one day.

22. Magic Johnson

Then again, if we are going for point guards who played the game at a high level with a creative flair—and in this case, we can also add a huge smile—Magic Johnson has to make the list.

And yes, I would choose the Magic from the '80s, when he was at the top of his game and exhausting opponents with his Showtime Lakers.

And having a blast doing it.

21. Brett Favre

You walk out on a football field, happy to be playing a game.

You fool around on the sidelines, cracking jokes and making fun of teammates to keep things loose.

You walk into the huddle and command respect.

You aren't the biggest, strongest or fastest man on the field, though you are probably the toughest.

You scramble around in the pocket, eluding pressure and somehow slinging the ball deep down the field to a receiver who isn't quite open, though that fact is rendered moot by your perfect throw.

You normally walk off the field a winner, though you've had your fair share of both success and failures, thrown your fair share of touchdowns and interceptions, taken your fair share of hits.

You undress in the locker room, knowing you left everything you had on the field, guns blazing.

You aren't a perfect man, but you are one hell of a football player, that's for sure.

You are Brett Favre.

20. Peyton Manning

Football is a funny game: It has a broad appeal given its fast-paced and hard-hitting nature, yet only a select group of people have a truly deep understanding of what is happening on a football field at any given moment.

You see a guy running one route, but you have no idea how the route might be different if the defensive coverage was different. You see offensive linemen blocking, but you have no idea what sort of adjustments they considered pre-snap given the defensive alignment.

Guess what?

Peyton knows. He is one of the smartest players in NFL history, and he has a damn good arm to boot. For one day, I would love to be inside of his head and understand what he understands on the football field.

19. Ted Williams

You can take everything I just wrote about Peyton Manning and apply it to hitting a baseball, and that's what it would be like to be Ted Williams for one day.

The Splendid Splinter, indeed.

18. Vince Carter

I want to be able to dunk like this, if just for one day.

So awesome.

17. Michael Vick

Since this is going to come up, I should address this right away: I only want to be Michael Vick for three hours on a Sunday (or Monday, or Thursday, or any day they freaking have football). I really want to know what it is like to possess the ridiculous skill set he has.

But no, I don't want to live with the guilt of having killed dogs, so after the game the fantasy ends.

16. Lionel Messi

I would love to be this good at anything for a day, but to dominate the world's game like this?

Where do I sign up?

15. Willie Mays

To me, the ultimate benchmark of success is being really good at something you love doing.

Willie Mays in his prime is the epitome of that sort of success, and for that I would love to walk in his shoes for a day.

Especially because what he was good at is so much fun to do in the first place.

14. Allen Iverson

Not only would I like to have Iverson's absurd skills for a day, but I'd also like to be able to say, "I juked the socks off of the greatest basketball player ever."

No matter what you may think of Iverson, there are only a handful of people on the planet who can say that.

13. Cristiano Ronaldo

1. I want his footwork with a soccer ball.

2. I want a date with one of the many beauties Ronaldo has been linked to. Preferably his current girlfriend, Irina Shayk, but I'd also settle for Gemma Atkinson, Kim Kardashian, Maria Sharapova or any of these ladies.

12. Roy Halladay

I think it would be remarkable to throw a perfect game.

I mean, it would also be incredible to throw a playoff no-hitter, or be a two-time Cy Young Winner, or be able to lay a legitimate claim as the most dominant pitcher of your generation.

But if I only get one day to be Doc, I'm taking the perfect game.

11. Wayne Gretzky

The grace, precision and intelligence Gretzky displayed on the ice makes him an easy decision for this list.

Frankly, if you can be an athlete for one day, why not experience what it is like to be the best? And if you are going for the best in hockey, you want to throw Gretzky's skates on for the day.

10. Jerry Rice

See Gretzky, Wayne.

9. Muhammad Ali

Yes, I want to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

I want to put on the boxing gloves with Ali's potent triad of speed, strength and savvy.

And I want to be as entertaining as he was.

For the record, the fact that a fighter is even on this list is surprising. I would never choose to be a professional fighter, what with the brain damage and somewhat barbaric savagery of the act.

Which isn't to say I don't enjoy a good fight—I most certainly do—but given my druthers, I'd rather do something else. All of that said, I couldn't leave Ali off of this list.

8. Derek Jeter

Honestly, I'd just like to spend some time with Minka Kelly. Or Jessica Alba. Or Adriana Lima. Or Scarlett Johansson. Or Jessica Biel. Or Tyra Banks. Or Mariah Carey. Or Jordana Brewster. Or Vanessa Minnillo. Or Vida Guerra.

And it would be fun to play shortstop for the day as well, I suppose. But really, I'm more interested in the ladies.

7. Usain Bolt

Let me put it to you this way: Whenever the inevitable "What super power would you want?" conversation comes up between friends, I always choose super speed.

To support my claim: It would be awesome to run incredibly fast, you would likely have amazing reflexes to go along with your super speed, your running momentum would make any jump akin to short-term flight and you could always leave your house at the last minute because you could get anywhere pretty quickly.

Usain Bolt is as close to super speed as an actual human being has ever come.

6. Gale Sayers

Doesn't it just look like it would be fun to be Gale Sayers?

There is only one running back in history I'd rather be, and given the list thus far, I'm sure you can guess who will be making an appearance on this list soon.

5. Randy Moss

I think it would be a blast to have Randy Moss' abilities for one day. There has never been a receiver that combined his size, speed, jumping ability, the body control to contort mid-air to make a catch and his Spider-Man hands.

If you were constructing the perfect receiver, you would end up with Moss.

Well, minus one thing—his attitude never matched his abilities. If they had, he could have been the greatest receiver to ever play the game.

Instead, he will be remembered as the most physically gifted. Not a bad consolation prize, but disappointing nonetheless.

4. Barry Sanders

Just for one day, I would like to feel what it would be like to be this elusive in an NFL game.

And after the game, I would go to the mall and run through the crowds, weaving in and out of all of the shoppers, juking the pants off of unsuspecting patrons.

Awesome.

3. Tom Brady

Let's see: You are a Super Bowl and MVP-winning quarterback who is widely respected and has earned millions of dollars.

After another ridiculous passing day, you come home to your gorgeous supermodel wife, who by the way actually earns more money than even you do. So money is never an issue.

You play a game for a living, you are really good at doing it and you are married to Gisele—sounds pretty good to me.

(I can't help but wonder if Tom Brady ever feels guilty when he gets sad or life sort of sucks for him—because let's be honest, life sort of sucks for everyone once in a while—which thus makes it even worse. "Why am I so sad—I'm Tom Brady. Life is really good. I'm such a jerk for being sad right now." Not that he hasn't earned what he has with hard work or paid his dues, but still—he gets paid millions of dollars to play a game.)

2. Michael Jordan

In general, I'm not sure I would want to be Michael Jordan—he seems competitive to the point of insanity.

Nonetheless, there is one moment I would love to be Jordan, and that is with a game on the line and the ball in my hands. Because if you are Jordan in that moment, you know you are going to make the shot.

That level of confidence is rare. I'm not talking about thinking you will make the shot, or feeling confident that you might make the shot; I'm talking about knowing without question that you will make the shot because you've done it time and time again.

That moment must be surreal.

1. Babe Ruth

What do I want to do today?

Hmm, I think I'll eat way too much food during the day, visit a kid in the hospital and promise him I'll hit a few home runs for him, eat some more, go to the ballpark and actually hit those home runs I promised the kid, eat a huge meal after the game, drink far too heavily, go home with a beautiful woman and sleep easy knowing I'm probably hitting more home runs in my season than most teams in baseball.

A day of excess and carousing, brought to you by the life and times of the legendary Babe Ruth.

Be sure to hit me up on Twitter (@TRappaRT) along with the entire B/R Swagger team (@BR_Swagger)