# Most Popular Athlete Who WASN'T a Jerk **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 18, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733 "2009-12-18T12:37:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/61 "2009-12-21T00:22:08Z")
Bo Jackson ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/62 "2009-12-21T04:48:27Z")
Mick McCarthy. Played for Ireland. Managed Ireland and went through a torrent of abuse. A class act all the way. Took far too much abuse from that reprobate Keane despite all that he did for Ireland. Whatever you may say about the Irish debacle in the 2002 WC McCarthy didn’t deserve to be called English by Keane. I’ve met him a number of times and he’s considerate, humourous and genuine. Just don’t call him English. Seriously, never met a man from Yorkshire so proud to be Irish. Keane’s lucky he didn’t tear his head clean off. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/63 "2009-12-21T06:11:02Z")
Richard Petty has always been known to go out of his way for fans. He would stay for several hours after autograph sessions were over to make sure no fans were left without one. He even went to a local college and took a penmanship class to improve his signature. His son has been known to say bad things about him though. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/64 "2009-12-21T07:33:27Z")
> [@Ring](#): > > A long time ago and very late one night six of us drunks got in an elevator, and, low and behold, Ali was in there with us. After talking to us slobering idiots for about twenty minutes and signing autographs for all of us, he finally said softly and politely, “guys, I’m sorry, but I’ve just got to get to bed.” > > One of us had previously hated the guy, but from then on Muhammad was his idol. Mine too. That’s one long elevator ride. Did you push the “Up & Out” button? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/65 "2009-12-21T15:46:09Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Jesus H. Christ, it was a _joke._ I’m Jewish, and Sandy Koufax is one of my all-time heroes. I read his biography when I was 10 years old. He’s a great man, a class act, and a legend of baseball. > > I can’t believe that after more than _ten thousand_ posts on this message board, a fellow poster would see what I wrote about Koufax and actually take it at face value. It’s quite impossible to keep up with the personal histories of everyone, both for moderators and the rest of the posting public. The comment looked rather nasty to me. ---
**Author:** ![Foma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Foma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foma)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/66 "2009-12-21T17:05:48Z")
I had the pleasure of meeting Albert Pujols when he was fresh out of community college and on his way to the majors. His attitude may have changed since his salary has increased, but at the time he was polite and willing to struggle through a conversation despite not having a firm grasp of the English language. He was a real class act. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/67 "2009-12-21T20:49:19Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > Richard Petty has always been known to go out of his way for fans. He would stay for several hours after autograph sessions were over to make sure no fans were left without one. He even went to a local college and took a penmanship class to improve his signature. His son has been known to say bad things about him though. Well, his son has been left without a ride (not that he deserves a full time ride in the top series at this point, Kyle’s son, Adam was the real talent in future generations, but died way to early in a crash at NHMS during practice for the “Jr. League” race), and as a result of changes in Petty Enterprises, pretty much has no company to inherit when the King finally leaves the track. I came in to say pretty much this same thing about Richard Petty, but would extend this to a great number of the NASCAR drivers. Some are real jerks, but as a whole, they go out of their way to treat their fans well. They really seem to understand that they are where they are, due to their fans. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/68 "2009-12-21T20:52:04Z")
Like almost everybody else, sportswriter Joe Posnanski has always had glowing things to say about Stan Musial. But this one little anecdote from Posnanski was sort of touching and telling. Shortly before a meet-and-greet/autograph signing session, Posnanski saw Musial all alone in the corner of the St. Louis Cardinals’ clubhouse sneaking a puff on a cigarette. Instantly, Musial ‘s face fell, and with a guilty voice, he asked Posnanski, “Could you not tell anybody about this?” Musial smokes, but was heartbroken that anybody would see him smoking. He’s only human, but he hated being anything less than a perfect role model. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/69 "2009-12-21T21:18:12Z")
I see no mention of Yogi Berra. He might be the nicest person that ever lived. No one ever has any thing bad to say about meeting him and this is a man that took a lot of abuse early on from the NY press. To the last week Phil Rizzuto lived, Yogi still visited twice a week to play cards. Every player liked or loved him. He always made time for fans and family. However, I can see where he might not be the most popular athlete. How about Derek Jeter? So far he says and does everything right and never has controversy. He is popular enough to probably be considered the face of baseball even though he is clearly not the best player. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/70 "2009-12-21T21:26:53Z")
Chuck Liddell is a nice guy, completely down to Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/71 "2009-12-24T09:10:24Z")
Dave Stewart, who pitched for the Oakland A’s in the late eighties and early nineties, was not only very nice to fans, but would show up for any sort of public event when someone asked for his support - playground dedications, school events, art gallery openings. . . He had a reputation of never saying “no.” He would come without an entourage and wouldn’t alert the press. He wasn’t interested in getting any publicity for this - he did it because he thought it was the right thing to do. When the World Series was interrupted by the earthquake in 1989, he showed up the next day at the collapsed Cypress Freeway structure to serve coffee and doughnuts to rescue workers. Dave Henderson on the same team was a nice guy in a different way than Stewart. Henderson had a great relationship with the fans. He actually had a set of hand signals worked out with the fans in the bleachers to tell them which bar to meet him at after the game. Other athletes with good reputations include Mike Schmidt, Willie Stargell and Steve Young. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/72 "2009-12-24T14:51:48Z")
I was just gonna say Willie “Pops” Stargell. They idolized him in Pittsburgh in the late Seventies and early Eighties, but he never let it go to his head, from all I’ve heard. A great athlete, a mainstay of the Pirates, and a genuinely nice guy. ---
**Author:** ![HeadNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@HeadNinja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadNinja)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/73 "2009-12-28T19:06:12Z")
Ten year old me remembers sixtyish year old Gordie Howe’s handshake. It was not unlike shaking an oak tree. He made a much bigger impression on me then the active Whalers. Though given the state of the team at the time that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/74 "2009-12-28T19:26:42Z")
I’m going to go with **Buck O’Neil**. Don’t take my word for it - read Joe Posnanski’s wonderful book “The Soul of Baseball: A Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America”. Posnanski spent about a year traveling with O’Neil shortly before he died and wrote about it in the book. I don’t think there was ever a nicer guy on the face of the planet, athlete or not, and it was a sad day for me a few years ago when he finally passed away. Even when he got screwed by the HOF, he had nothing but kind words for the Negro League players that did get voted in. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/75 "2009-12-28T19:38:43Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I’m going to go with **Buck O’Neil**. Don’t take my word for it - read Joe Posnanski’s wonderful book “The Soul of Baseball: A Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America”. Posnanski spent about a year traveling with O’Neil shortly before he died and wrote about it in the book. I don’t think there was ever a nicer guy on the face of the planet, athlete or not, and it was a sad day for me a few years ago when he finally passed away. Even when he got screwed by the HOF, he had nothing but kind words for the Negro League players that did get voted in. Seconded. I don’t know how he was ever able to manage a ballclub with such an amiable disposition, but the Buck O’Neil I knew was utterly magnanamous, sincerely interested in your point of view, and did not seem to understand that there could possibly be another way to live life. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/76 "2009-12-28T20:51:41Z")
Ayrton Senna was a dick on the track but an absolute saint away from it. ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/77 "2009-12-28T23:07:58Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > The kid RAVED and I mean RAVED about …are you ready? > > TERRELL OWENS!! He said he was the nicest to him and talked to him the longest about everything. He also singled out Randy Moss, but the kid LOVED Terrell Owens. This brings up the interesting element to the thread: players who must be jerks by the way they present themselves in the media or on the field but are pretty good guys/gals to individual fans. The two that fit here are **Ron Artest** & **Rickey Henderson**. Artest might just be certifiable, but listening to his actions and antics since he got here (L.A.) in regards to interacting with his fans and doing charity work has been beyond stellar. I’m talking stuff like accepting invites to come over for dinner _and then going back a second time_ because he liked the food. (I heard he ran into a bedroom to punch out one of the kids, though.) Henderson may have seemed pretty egotistical, but I gather he was absolutely loved by his left field fans in Oakland and he loved them back equally. Rickey be Rickey, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/78 "2009-12-28T23:11:36Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Ernie Els came across as a fantastic bloke when I met him in a pub. Steve Cram was also a pleasure to spend time with. > > And I will repeat what i said in the other thread - my bartender and waiter friends who knew him in Philly had nothing but praise for Iverson as a person. Iverson is the most misunderstood guy in sports, IMHO. His only crime is that he’s a “shoot first” point guard (oh, and the time he was in that brawl in high school where he got sent to jail). ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/79 "2009-12-29T02:16:40Z")
> [@Moonchild](#): > > This brings up the interesting element to the thread: players who must be jerks by the way they present themselves in the media or on the field but are pretty good guys/gals to individual fans. > > The two that fit here are **Ron Artest** & **Rickey Henderson**. I have another that fits here - Chad Ochocinco. He’s portrayed as a few cards short of a full deck in the media, but I have a friend who was eating at a downtown Cincinnati Japanese steakhouse when Chad stopped in for lunch. He signed autographs and posed for pictures with anyone who asked, then, after the meal service, paid for the lunches of everyone at his table - none of whom he even knew. That’s pretty darn nice! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733/80 "2009-12-29T02:39:52Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I’m going to go with **Buck O’Neil** … His good humor and humility certainly came through loud and clear in the 1994 Ken Burns series _Baseball_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-popular-athlete-who-wasnt-a-jerk/521733.md?page=3)