# Name Your Favorite Team's Ten Greatest Players **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 8, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730 "2009-03-08T14:07:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [March 9, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/61 "2009-03-09T21:28:11Z")
Might be a bit premature to put Rashard Lewis on the team… he’s only played one full season in blue, and he wasn’t nearly as big a deal on the court as advertised (though he has been good). ---
**Author:** ![jjohns828](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jjohns828](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjohns828)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/62 "2009-03-09T21:39:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Might be a bit premature to put Rashard Lewis on the team… he’s only played one full season in blue, and he wasn’t nearly as big a deal on the court as advertised (though he has been good). Maybe a little premature but I didn’t feel right putting Dennis Scott in over him and Grant Hill’s numerous injuries while in Orlando led me to exclude him from the list. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/63 "2009-03-09T22:48:13Z")
**New York Jets** 1. Joe Namath 2. Don Maynard 3. Curtis Martin 4. Wesley Walker (like Namath, when he played, the team won; when he was injured, they lost). 5. Mark Gastineau 6. George Sauer (retired much too soon; he could have eventually surpassed Maynard) 7. Richard Todd 8. Gerry Philbin 9. Pat Leahy (One of the great field goal kickers ever. Trivia: from 1965-1991 the Jets only had three kickers – Jim Turner, Bobby Howfield, and Leahy). 10. Freeman McNeil ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/64 "2009-03-09T23:20:16Z")
> [@Wilson](#): > > I’m not a Royals fan, but I can see an argument for Amos Otis over Danny Tartabull. Tartabull was only in KC for five years - although it was a hell of a five years. Otis doesn’t have as high a peak (but his 1978 was a great year considering the offensive environment) but he played in KC for 14 years and was an integral part of the great 70s era teams. Plus he was a far better defensive player than Tartabull. > Guess it all depends if you want to emphasize career value or a high peak. Yeah, that’s the hard part about this. Certainly I’m “rewarding” players like Appier and Montgomery for longevity and service to the team, so you try to balance it out with high peaks from Tartabull and such. But what makes Appier’s long term value more than Otis’? I think eventually you just admit that most of those players south of Sweeney are all of about equal talent, and a few just can’t make the Top Ten for whatever reason. And comparing across eras really is hard - the numbers are so skewed these days. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/65 "2009-03-10T00:20:01Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Notre Dame Football: > > Tim Brown > Ross Browner > George Gipp > Leon Hart > Paul Hornung > Rocket Ismail > Joe Montana > Alan Page > Brady Quinn > Tony Rice Brady Quinn, my foot. Give me Tom Clements at QB any day. I love Tony Rice, but there need to be more defensive players. I’d put LB Jim Lynch in instead. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/66 "2009-03-10T00:35:40Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Brady Quinn, my foot. Give me Tom Clements at QB any day. > > I love Tony Rice, but there need to be more defensive players. I’d put LB Jim Lynch in instead. No reason you can’t make your own list- NOBODY said mine was the last word on anything. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/67 "2009-03-10T02:36:55Z")
I’ve lived the first half my life in Southern California and the latter half in Minnesota, so this might get long. This is a combination of franchise all time greats and favorite players. Brooklyn/LA Dodgers Jackie Robinson Pee Wee Reese Roy Campanella Duke Snider Sandy Koufax Don Drysdale Don Sutton Steve Garvey Fernando Valenzuela Orel Hershiser Minnesota Twins Kirby Puckett Harmon Killebrew Tony Oliva Rod Carew Bert Blyleven Kent Hrbek Frank Viola Johan Santana Justin Mourneau Joe Mauer Los Angeles/St Louis Rams Eric Dickerson Elroy Hirsch Bob Waterfield Deacon Jones Merlin Olsen Isiah Robertson Jack Youngblood Jackie Slater Kurt Warner Marshall Faulk Minnesota Vikings Alan Page Carl Eller Jim Marshall Paul Krause Fran Tarkington Chuck Foreman Adrian Peterson Randy Moss Matt Blair Scott Studwell Los Angeles/Minneapolis Lakers Jerry West Magic Johnson George Mikan Wilt Chamberlain Kareem Abdul Jabbar Shaquille O Neal Elgin Baylor Kobe Bryant Gail Goodrich James Worthy Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Garnett ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/68 "2009-03-10T03:04:23Z")
University of Virginia football: 1. Bill Dudley 2. Shawn Moore 3. Herman Moore 4. Chris Slade 5. Tiki Barber 6. Ronde Barber 7. Heath Miller 8. Matt Schaub 9. Ray Savage 10. Anthony Poindexter University of Virginia men’s basketball: 1. Ralph Sampson 2. Bryant Stith 3. Jeff Lamp 4. Buzzy Wilkinson 5. Barry Parkhill 6. Wally Walker 7. Cory Alexander 8. Roger Mason 9. Curtis Staples 10. Sean Singletary ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/69 "2009-03-10T03:50:09Z")
Criteria: career value to franchise, post-1970 Philadelphia Phillies 1. Richie Ashburn (includes announcing, and because it’s my damn list) 2. Michael Jack Schmidt 3. Steve Carlton 4. Jimmy Rollins 5. Chase Utley 6. Ryan Howard 7. Bobby Abreu 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. Tug McGraw 10. Darren Daulton 11. Von Hayes Philadelphia Eagles 1. Reggie White 2. Brian Dawkins (sigh) 3. Donovan McNabb 4. Bill Bergey 5. Brian Westbrook 6. Wilbert Montgomery 7. Harold Carmichael 8. Stan Walters 9. Mike Quick 10. Eric Allen 11. Tra Thomas (sigh) University of Central Florida 12. Daunte Culpepper 13. Kevin Smith 14. Joe Burnett 4.-10. Seven guys you’ve never heard of ---
**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:** [March 10, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/70 "2009-03-10T04:23:04Z")
> [@furt](#): > > University of Central Florida > > 1. Daunte Culpepper > 2. Kevin Smith > 3. Joe Burnett > 4.-10. Seven guys you’ve never heard of It’s a pretty short list 😉 I’d throw Ryan Schneider in there; he put up some pretty amazing numbers until he went nutso as a senior. Asante Samuel and Brandon Marshall for what they’ve accomplished in the NFL, too, and Doug Gabriel for what he accomplished in college. Rashad Jeanty has been a pretty solid linebacker for the Bengals. Plus, Travis Fisher, the first UCF player to be drafted. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/71 "2009-03-10T14:43:49Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Criteria: career value to franchise, post-1970 > Philadelphia Phillies > > 1. Richie Ashburn (includes announcing, and because it’s my damn list) > 2. Michael Jack Schmidt > 3. Steve Carlton > 4. Jimmy Rollins > 5. Chase Utley > 6. Ryan Howard > 7. Bobby Abreu > 8. Lenny Dykstra > 9. Tug McGraw > 10. Darren Daulton > 11. Von Hayes Von Hayes? Old Five For One? The guy the Phillies traded a young Julio Franco, Manny Trillo and 3 other guys I can’t remember for? You’re kidding, right? Not Garry Maddox? Bake McBride? Greg Luzinski? Bob Boone? Curt Schilling? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/72 "2009-03-10T15:12:05Z")
New York Giants 1. Lawrence Taylor 2. Harry Carson 3. Michael Strahan 4. Tiki Barber 5. Y.A. Tittle 6. Sam Huff 7. Frank Gifford 8. Bart Oates 9. Phil Simms 10. Sean Landetta (?) The Giants have had a ton of great LBs. Taylor, Carson, and Huff are legit Hall of Famers, and Carl Banks, Pepper Johnson, Jessie Armistead, are Hall of Very Good type guys. I wanted to put in Fran Tarkenton, but he only had the five seasons in New York. I was tempted to put in Chris Snee. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/73 "2009-03-10T15:25:34Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > 1. Sean Landetta Landeta. No love for Eli? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/74 "2009-03-10T16:09:10Z")
I like Eli, but he’s too flawed a player to put him on a Giants’ Top 10 list based on only 4.5 years as a starter. Jessie Armstead, Toomer, and Bavarro would probably be my next three (in that order). Maybe I could consider Eli after that. (Actually, Armstead should probably be above Landetta; I was mostly being cute there.) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/75 "2009-03-10T16:33:45Z")
Off the top of my head: Boston Red Sox: 1. Babe Ruth 2. Ted Williams 3. Cy Young 4. Carl Yastrzemski 5. Pedro Martinez 6. Tris Speaker 7. Curt Schilling 8. Joe Cronin 9. Smokey Joe Wood 10. Harry Wright ---
**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:** [March 10, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/76 "2009-03-10T16:44:56Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > I like Eli, but he’s too flawed a player to put him on a Giants’ Top 10 list based on only 4.5 years as a starter. Jessie Armstead, Toomer, and Bavarro would probably be my next three (in that order). Maybe I could consider Eli after that. (Actually, Armstead should probably be above Landetta; I was mostly being cute there.) Actually.. I can’t believe you left Toomer off, now that I think about it. Isn’t he the Giant’s all-time leading receiver? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Walking\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@The\_Walking\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Walking_Dude)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/77 "2009-03-10T16:52:11Z")
> [@imthjckaz](#): > > Minnesota Vikings > > Alan Page > Carl Eller > Jim Marshall > Paul Krause > Fran Tarkington > Chuck Foreman > Adrian Peterson > Randy Moss > Matt Blair > Scott Studwell Some good choices, but I can’t imagine leaving Cris Carter off this list. I may be biased by the fact that he is one of my favorite receivers, but there is a good reason for that. He is one of the best. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/78 "2009-03-10T17:22:36Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Criteria: career value to franchise, post-1970 > Philadelphia Eagles > > 1. Reggie White > 2. Brian Dawkins (sigh) > 3. Donovan McNabb > 4. Bill Bergey > 5. Brian Westbrook > 6. Wilbert Montgomery > 7. Harold Carmichael > 8. Stan Walters > 9. Mike Quick > 10. Eric Allen > 11. Tra Thomas (sigh) No Randall Cunninghman? I guess I can’t really argue with any of your choices… sigh, what could have been with Randall. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/79 "2009-03-10T17:55:01Z")
> [@imthjckaz](#): > > Los Angeles/Minneapolis Lakers > > Jerry West > Magic Johnson > George Mikan > Wilt Chamberlain > Kareem Abdul Jabbar > Shaquille O Neal > Elgin Baylor > Kobe Bryant > Gail Goodrich > James Worthy Mikan, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar and O’Neal. That’s a heck of list at the center position. Vlade Divac wouldn’t make anyone’s list, but he wasn’t bad either. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730/80 "2009-03-10T17:58:51Z")
> [@Shot\_Clock](#): > > Ten Clippers, Some of Whom Were Great > > [ul] > [li]“Shithead” Walton[/li][/ul] :D:D:D [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-teams-ten-greatest-players/488730.md?page=5)