# Who were your childhood sports heroes? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 29, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398 "2009-11-29T23:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/41 "2009-12-01T17:19:28Z")
Johnny Moxon Steve Lattimer ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/42 "2009-12-01T17:44:18Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > I admired him as a kid, especially after he tried to share the blame for Jackie Smith dropping the sure touchdown pass in Super Bowl XIII. I thought that was kinda classy. I remember that play like it was yesterday. Smith actually had very good hands. That drop was an abberation and I always felt kinda sorry for him that it would become part of his legacy. I didn’t know that about Roger but it doesn’t surprise me. A good friend worked for the Staubach Group. She never had anything but the highest praise for his intellect and character. You’re right, he is a classy guy. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/43 "2009-12-01T17:55:07Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I remember that play like it was yesterday. Smith actually had very good hands. That drop was an abberation and I always felt kinda sorry for him that it would become part of his legacy. > > I didn’t know that about Roger but it doesn’t surprise me. A good friend worked for the Staubach Group. She never had anything but the highest praise for his intellect and character. You’re right, he is a classy guy. I had even cut out the quote from our local paper that Staubach had given to the media (IIRC it was something along the lines of “I took a bit off the ball. I should have made a better pass”). I thought it was cool. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/44 "2009-12-01T18:01:35Z")
Trautmann Leivers Little Barnes Ewing Paul Johnstone Hayes Revie Dyson Clarke. The Man City FA Cup winning team of 1956, I was there 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/45 "2009-12-01T19:35:05Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Some Aussies that only Aussies would know and Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali. > > I was 10, just about to turn 11, when Clay fought Sonny Liston the first time. The fight received enormous coverage (for those days) and I thought my parents would be just as thrilled as I was at the prospect of young upstart Clay winning. When I mentioned it to them it became apparent that they despised him and hoped that the hoodlum he faced would beat him badly. > > It was one of the events that made me realize that, genetics aside, I didn’t really have much in common with my parents. Their attitude had nothing to do with admiration for Liston just disdain for Clay’s persona. It was good timing because there was a flurry of 60s stuff coming along. > > I remained a life long fan. > [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > He might be the only Assie on the board… > > Joe Hardly ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/46 "2009-12-01T19:45:15Z")
I can only recall two, off the top of my head. - Joe Willie Namath - Roger Staubach - Steve Carlton My dad knew someone who worked for the Jets organization, so I sort of adopted the team. I even had a Joe Namath action figure! Roger Staubach is a bit of a puzzler. When I was a kid, I was a big Cowboys fan. I don’t know why exactly. Especially since I grew up in Cowboy-haters central, Philadelphia Eagles territory. Maybe it had something to do with the Cowboy’s cheerleader poster that was hanging on my wall. 🙂 Steve Carlton wasn’t really a sports hero to me. I remember my grandmother telling me that Steve visited some sick kids at that hospital where she worked. That someone as famous as Lefty would take the time to do that left an impression on me. So he was sort of a regular hero. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/47 "2009-12-01T19:46:38Z")
Willie Stargell and Mario Lemieux ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/48 "2009-12-01T20:33:37Z")
John Riggins Lynn Swann John Stallworth Mean Joe Greene Doug Williams Ricky Bell Jimmy Giles Leroy Selmon Darrel Green Jerry Rice Carson Palmer and the entire roster of the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals (I’ve never grown up, you see) ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/49 "2009-12-01T21:36:30Z")
Ozzie Smith Jerry Rice Ronnie Lott Michael Jordan ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/50 "2009-12-01T22:17:38Z")
Ryne Sandberg Walter Payton Magic Johnson Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Hersey Hawkins ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/51 "2009-12-01T22:43:17Z")
Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/52 "2009-12-02T00:11:55Z")
As a kid, I wasn’t really into sports… But even then [ProStars](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px5njG8ikvo)taught me who to Idolize…\* Jordan’s jets in yo’ Face… gonna put them in their place. Wayne WILL score! Bo’s the Man… Gonna hit a Grand Slam.\* ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/53 "2009-12-02T03:59:47Z")
Dominique Wilkins - The Human Highlight Film Tony Dorsett Jessie Tuggle ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/54 "2009-12-02T05:49:47Z")
Eddie Murray, Rick Dempsey, Cal Ripken, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/55 "2009-12-02T06:57:59Z")
I grew up in Chicago in the late 70s / early 80s, so Walter Payton, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Cullain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cullain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cullain)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/56 "2009-12-02T10:58:30Z")
Larry Bird Reggie Lewis Bo Jackson Jerry Rice Bo Jackson might not have been a great football or baseball player, but he was mesmerizing to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/57 "2009-12-02T15:54:54Z")
Growing up in central PA in the 80’s: Michael Jack Schmidt. Made me a Phillies phan for life, which has only recently started to pay off. Dr. J. And I wasn’t even a Sixers fan. Todd Blackledge. Yeah, really. I even chose my uniform number (14) after his. A king of sorts at Penn State. I suppose you could add everyone on the 1982 and 1986 MNC teams, too. ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398/58 "2009-12-02T17:04:32Z")
Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito, Bobby Hull, Keith Magnuson. Chicago Blackhawks in the 70s [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-your-childhood-sports-heroes/519398.md?page=2)