# Who are the marquee athletes of the four major (American) sports?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 9, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311 "2007-03-09T20:47:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/1 "2007-03-09T20:47:22Z")
I clearly remember talking with a friend at my old job at the good ol’ sub shop back in '90 or '91. We were talking about who the one marquee active players were in each sport…MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL.
The list was pretty easy for me:
MLB - Jose Canseco (believe it or not)
NBA - Michael Jordan
NHL - Wayne Gretzky
NFL - Joe Montana
I was pondering the same question for 2007 and I can not come up with one single player that I could label “marquee” for any of the four sports. Pujols? A-Rod? Farve? O’Neil? Bryant? Crosby? Brady? Those are just a few names but I really can’t come up with one list of four names.
Can you?
---
### Author:  [@Andrew\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andrew_Bird)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/2 "2007-03-09T20:52:43Z")
[QUOTE=King Friday]
I clearly remember talking with a friend at my old job at the good ol’ sub shop back in '90 or '91. We were talking about who the one marquee active players were in each sport…MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL.
The list was pretty easy for me:
MLB - Jose Canseco (believe it or not)
NBA - Michael Jordan
NHL - Wayne Gretzky
NFL - Joe Montana
I was pondering the same question for 2007 and I can not come up with one single player that I could label “marquee” for any of the four sports. Pujols? A-Rod? Farve? O’Neil? Bryant? Crosby? Brady? Those are just a few names but I really can’t come up with one list of four names.
Can you?
[/QUOTE]
Basketball is James (or will be when he wins more).
Football is probably Peyton Manning.
---
### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/3 "2007-03-09T20:53:27Z")
For the NFL, it is Payton Manning. That one is easy.
---
### Author:  [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/4 "2007-03-09T20:57:16Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty]
For the NFL, it is Payton Manning. That one is easy.
[/QUOTE]
Being from Baltimore, I choose not to acknowledge the Colts, but you’re probably right.
---
### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/5 "2007-03-09T20:59:34Z")
Basketball, it’s still Jordan. Prolly always will be. Everybody else is fighting for second.
Football = Peyton Manning
Baseball–dunno that they really have one at the moment.
Hockey–do they still have hockey? I’ll go with Gretsky, since he’s about the only hockey guy I can name.
Golf = Tiger Woods.
Pro Wrestling= Hulk Hogan. Yeah, he sucked and helped kill regional promotions, but the guy had a license to print money.
---
### Author:  [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/6 "2007-03-09T21:28:24Z")
The OP specified active players, so that lets out Gretzky and Jordan.
For hockey I would say Sidney Crosby.
---
### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/7 "2007-03-09T21:31:56Z")
There is no single standout currently in most sports. The top few in each sports I think are the following:
NFL: Brady or Peyton Manning
MLB:
- Most well known: The infamous Barry Bonds
- Face of baseball/positive Image: Derek Jeter
- Best player not connected to Steroids: Alex Rodriguez or Albert Pujols
NBA:
- Rising Super Star: Lebron James
- Established Star: Kobe Bryant
NHL:
- That kid, you know the one. Yeah him. secret message—\>Sidney Crosby\<— secret message
Seriously, Hockey is no longer in the Top four. Pick Golf or Nascar or maybe even Tennis.
Golf: Easy one, Tiger Woods
Tennis: Easy one: Roger Federer
Nascar: I am clueless, sorry.
---
### Author:  [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/8 "2007-03-09T21:37:52Z")
What do you mean by “marquee” in this context? The superstar above all other superstars?
---
### Author:  [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/9 "2007-03-09T21:56:21Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene]
What do you mean by “marquee” in this context? The superstar above all other superstars?
[/QUOTE]
I was just thinking about what I would say if someone asked that exact question. I guess I’d describe the “marquee” player as the face of the league, the one player that stands out above all else. That automatically makes him a star, and it eliminates any off-field (ice) shenanigans…steroids, shootings and such. In 1990, when I thought of basketball, I thought of Jordan. When I thought of football, I thought of Montana.
Either I’m older, or it just doesn’t seem to be that way anymore (or both).
Not to sound like a homer, but Ripken is the last baseball marquee player I can think of, but he’s been out since '01.
---
### Author:  [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/10 "2007-03-09T22:00:42Z")
So it’s a subjective thing, right? 🙂 I mean, you thought Canseco was the marquee player of 1990, while someone else might easily have thought of Ripken or Nolan Ryan or Ryne Sandberg or someone else (Barry Bonds!). That being the case, this might go better in IMHO.
And MHO are as follows, using your criteria about who comes to mind when I think of a particular sport:
NBA: LeBron James or Dwyane Wade
MLB: Barry Bonds or Albert Pujols
NHL: Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin
NFL: Peyton Manning or LaDanian Tomlinson
---
### Author:  [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/11 "2007-03-09T22:09:56Z")
my two cents, as has been mentioned before, hockey needs to get pulled from the “Big Four” . Go big three or add NASCAR or PGA.
---
### Author:  [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/12 "2007-03-09T22:14:17Z")
Canseco was the man back then, what can I say? 40-40, bash brothers, mane of hair, all over This Week in Baseball. Of course hind sight is 20/20.
LT? Ok, he’s a great player, but I don’t think I could pick him out of a line up.
Barry Bonds is not on any list of mine, thank you.
The only name I know in hockey is Crosby, so I guess that tells you something right there.
James is workin’ on it.
This is a debate and an opinion thread. Had to pick one or the other, in my opinion.
---
### Author:  [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/13 "2007-03-09T22:24:11Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Canseco was the man back then
Canseco was _a_ man back then. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/14 "2007-03-10T01:49:02Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene]
And MHO are as follows, using your criteria about who comes to mind when I think of a particular sport:
NBA: LeBron James or Dwyane Wade
[/QUOTE]
I don’t feel it’s quite there for Wade yet. In the two commercials I’ve seen him in he had had to be mentioned by name during the actual commercial!
1. Car commercial: he gets out of a car, a kid goes “Look, it’s Dwyane Wade”
2. Barkley commercial: “Look, I know you’re Dwyane Wade and all” (paraphrased)
Poor Guy! While he did lead the current NBA champions, I wouldn’t call him recognizable. LeBron James, however, I expect the Cavs to go 82-0 with all the hype he gets.
I agree with the rest, though.
---
### Author:  [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/15 "2007-03-10T01:54:42Z")
As far as the OP, I don’t think any of today’s stars match the mystique of the Big Three listed, but it is an admittedly exceptional trio. Heck I’d be hard-pressed to name an NBA, NHL, or NFL star bigger than that trio even in the past.
NBA - Michael Jordan (yep. Russell and Chamberlain aren’t as popular as Jordan)
NHL - Wayne Gretzky (yep)
NFL - Joe Montana (maybe Unitas or Jim Brown, but Montana belongs in that company)
---
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2007, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/16 "2007-03-10T02:30:25Z")
It’s somewhat unusual that in 1990 you had the great hockey player ever, in Gretzky, still at the height of his powers, and arguably the greatest basketball player ever and certainly basketball’s greatest STAR ever, at the height of his powers. It’s quite a coincidence. That normally will not happen.
Today I think the NFL’s no-questions-asked marquee man is Peyton Manning. In the other sports, however, there’s no clear answer. Sidney Crosby is great but is, at this point, unaccomplished; the league’s MVP this year is obviously Martin Brodeur, and he’s a Hall of Famer, but he’s not really a big name star the way a scorer can be. Baseball has no clear #1 guy; Derek Jeter is its most popular player, Barry Bonds its most famous, Albert Pujols its best. The NBA has several guys who are looking to be the next megastar, and it’ll likely be Wade or James, but they haven’t decided which it will be.
---
### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2007, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/17 "2007-03-10T03:24:47Z")
[QUOTE=HubZilla]
As far as the OP, I don’t think any of today’s stars match the mystique of the Big Three listed, but it is an admittedly exceptional trio. Heck I’d be hard-pressed to name an NBA, NHL, or NFL star bigger than that trio even in the past.
NBA - Michael Jordan (yep. Russell and Chamberlain aren’t as popular as Jordan)
NHL - Wayne Gretzky (yep)
NFL - Joe Montana (maybe Unitas or Jim Brown, but Montana belongs in that company)
[/QUOTE]
The first two are easy picks. Few people will agree with the third pick. I do not even think he was the best player on his team or the best quarterback while he played. Jerry Rice was the more talented player. Elway and Marino were more talented QBs. Lawrence Taylor dominated his position more than any other player of the 80s.
I would take Unitas and Brown and Walter Payton over Montana without a second thought. There are many others as good. If you are basing it on his success than Brady is currently at least his equal and he does not have Rice to throw to. It is telling the QB that followed Montana is also in the Hall of Fame. The Team made Montana a great QB instead of just a very good one.
Jim
---
### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/18 "2007-03-10T16:09:54Z")
I think everyone has missed the biggest player of both baseball and football in 1990:
Bo Knows who I’m talking about.
For further proof, I bring you the ProStars cartoon from 1991 ([ProStars - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProStars)). In it, superhero athletes protect the world from bad dudes. Wayne Gretzky represented hockey, Michael Jordan for basketball and Bo Jackson for baseball and football.
As for today, Peyton Manning is the only clearcut winner. And I’d say Lebron James is a season or two away.
---
### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/19 "2007-03-10T19:35:38Z")
NASCAR is so competitive that you really can’t pluck one guy out right now. Several years ago
you could possibly argue Jeff Gordon, or (before he died) Dale Sr., but not right now. 20 guys
probably have a realistic shot at the championship, and if it’s not 20 it’s 10 at least.
---
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311/20 "2007-03-10T20:55:16Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey]
I think everyone has missed the biggest player of both baseball and football in 1990:
Bo Knows who I’m talking about.
[/QUOTE]
Jackson was a major media star for a couple of years because he was so unusual, but certainly was not THE marquee player in either sport he played. He wasn’t a particularly noteworthy baseball player, and his football career was too short to matter. It’s telling he won no major awards in either pro sport, won no championships, and didn’t have any important individual achievements. A brief measure of pop stardom does not put him in a class with The Great One.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-marquee-athletes-of-the-four-major-american-sports/395311.md?page=2)