"Years led league by statistical category,". Honestly, it's generally more surprising when a 23-year-old doesn't smoke pot. The man loved the game, and people loved watching him play it. In some circles, Dmitriev is considered to be the best male pairs skater of all time. I don't have as much body to adjust when I make a mistake, and not as much body to get tired. Name: Scott Hamilton Birth Year: 1958 Birth date: August 28, 1958 Birth State: Ohio Birth City: Toledo Birth Country: United States Gender: Male Best Known For: Scott Hamilton is a U.S.. Witt's post-skating career has included some acting gigs on such TV hits as "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Arli$$" as well as big-screen smash "Jerry Maguire. Back in 2016, with the addition of a second Eli to the team, Manning joked that he might have to revert back to his actual name Elisha in order for his teammates to avoid the confusion. Chuck definitely has a better ring to it. Hogan was actually born Terry Gene Bollea. I was anti-Lakers during the Shaq and Kobe days, but even I had to admit that Shaq had a way of making everything a little bit more fun. He was just 28 years old, and Gordeeva was 24 at the time, with a 3-year-old daughter. Its not like athletes are exempt from being slightly bizarre. The name we know him by is actually owned by the WWE. Full disclosure: I hate the Yankees, with their big-spending ways, smug fans and larger-than-live iconography. At the apex of his record-breaking 9.58 100-meter sprint at the 2009 World Championships, Bolt reached a speed of 27.45 MPH. Brett Lawrie (born 1990) Adam Loewen. A name change might be a lot more common than most might think, especially in the world of pro sports. Rodnina is the only skater to win 10 straight world championships (1969-78) and three consecutive Olympics gold medals (1972, '76 and '80) for pairs skating. He typically goes by Cristiano, Ronaldo or CR7. Frankly, his name now carries weight with a lot of non-fans of racing as well (present company included). If you can watch this and say it isn't one of the bravest things you've ever seen in sports, you simply don't understand sports. Teamed with Alexei Ulanov then Alexander Zaitsev, Rodnina was the first pairs skater to win Olympic gold with two different partners. Agassi was talented, full of personality and a whole lot of fun to watch. Hamill, who also placed second twice at the Worlds, was known for her "Hamill camel" combination camel and sit spin. As a runner, no one has ever combined his size, strength, agility, speed and vision into one package (Bo Jackson might have had football not been his hobby). | His legacy as one of the greatest, most-respected legends of the game lives on. The four on this year's list join only five other athletesFederer,. A name like John Cena is a real one, however, his former fiance Nikki Bella goes by a fake name. Scott Hamilton is a U.S. Olympic gold medalist also known for his sports commentary and for raising cancer awareness. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. The year before the 1984 Olympics was my most intensive year of training. We include a basketball coach on this list. Status as an Icon of the Sport - There are always those players who weren't necessarily popular as players but have become beloved as icons of the games they played (though it doesn't work for those athletes who are icons but still remembered as salty individualsI'm looking at you, Ty Cobb and Ted Williams). Rich Harden. The same goes for some other wrestling stars we feature on the list. In addition to her Olympic success, Heiss finished first five times at the world championships (1957-60). Nicknames have a tendency to stick. Were tennis as popular as some of the other sports on this list, Federer would be higher. ), but he gave you everything he had every time he stepped on the court, throwing his body around and making ridiculous plays. If any of the above bothers or offends you, feel free to not mention it. Sure, he sullied his name later in his career with his retirement indecisiveness and the Jenn Sterger fiasco. Bob Scott (C-G-T) 1926-1926. 40. Love for an athlete always begins with how they play the game. Back in the 1930s, there were not many male skaters better than the Austrian Schfer. In reality, they should be identified as the Garcia-Colace twins, their actual last names. He is certainly one of the most respected and loved. Doc continues to use the name these days. He may not have the sex symbol status or cool aura of Tom Brady, but for my money, he's the better quarterback (by a slim margin, but better nonetheless). Return to Top; Players. Both use abbreviated versions of their full names. However, Kwan is a five-time world champion and her amazing nine national titles are tied for the most in U.S. history. To this day, the NFL gives its "Walter Payton Man of the Year" award to the athlete who is recognizable both for their achievements on the field and their charity and volunteer work off of it. When his competitive days ended, the four-time Canadian champ became one of the most sought after skating choreographers, working with the likes of Tara Lipinski, Evan Lysacek, Patrick Chan and Yuzuru Hanyu. It isnt every day that we see a massive dude by the name of Hyland. He is widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. He's the only male skater to win Olympic gold with two different partners, first, with Natalia Mishkutionok at the 1992 Games in Albertvill and then in '98 while teamed with Oksana Kazakova at Nagano. He won gold at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and twice stood alone at the top of the world championships in men's singles. Winners of the NBA's Community Assist Award receive the David Robinson Plaque, with the inscription "Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece." We also look atoccurrences of athletes opting for their middle name instead. It isnt uncommon for an athlete to use their middle name; Steph Curry is an example usedearlier in the article. Bruce Laird (DB) 1972-1983. Not only did Mays excel (and exceed his peers) at nearly every facet of baseball, he did so with a genuine joy for the game he played. He relocated to Illinois to take up training, but stopped in the mid-1970s due to its high financial costs. NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford is another example. Former great Sergei Fedorov abbreviated his name and so did Evgeni Malkin (no Y in the front). Shane MacGowan born on December 25, 1957. All Rights Reserved. As an homage to one of his war buddies, Earl Woods (Tiger's dad) decided to use the nickname Tiger on his son. The young Russian took home a pair of silver medals (singles, team) at the 2018 Winter Games, and she's already won two world championships (first to do so back-to-back since Michelle Kwan in 2000 and '01) and a pair of European Championship titles. Years later, it would be reported that Joe DiMaggio was a fiercely private, cantankerous man. Ever wonder where he got the motive for his finisher the RKO? According to his book, its either Phillips, Stewart or Demaree. Charlottes real name is actually Ashley Elizabeth. Simply put, Gwynn was one of the best for-average hitters in baseball history. He didnt think so apparently, the NBA star chooses DeAndre, his middle-name these days and throughout his professional basketball career. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. Stan the Man was the perfect nickname for Musial, but not because it rhymed. Dmitriev and Mishkutionok also took home silver at the '94 Olympics in Lillehammer. 1, LeBron James. But he embraced the polarizing nature of his personalitylove me or hate me, but you will respect my game. Bill Cosby. And so I can only tell you who I think it might be and perhaps more importantly, who it absolutely should be. Thankfully, he only deals with this name in his passport when traveling. Niki has been with the third baseman . He was one of the most famous and loved athletes in American history and certainly one of the most recognizable faces in the world. Yeah, patriotism!). Posey suffered a fractured fibula. The man they called the "Minister of Defense" was one of the most dominating defensive forces in NFL history (NFL Network named him the seventh greatest player of all time) and an ordained minister to boot. From the man, the myth, the legend and the fictional character himself: I've established a scientifically perfect, 10-point scale of human beauty. This Daisy is broken, but still . Bill Lajousky (G) 1936-1936. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. OK, so that's an exaggeration, but the world lost its sit-with-an-"h" when they heard the news. I mean, have you seen his highlight reel? Of course, he uses Eli because it is a short version of Elisha. Perhaps there are a lot of racing fans out there that don't love the greatest driver in NASCAR today, but I can't imagine there are many who don't respect him. That can sometimes create for interesting or unfamiliar names for the average sports fan, but often these are just ethnic or religious names that are normal in the players culture. One is inevitable, and the other was ridiculous. Often considered the greatest figure skater in the history of the sport male or female Norway's Henie won Olympic gold three times in ladies' singles (1928, '32 and '36) and a remarkable 10 consecutive world titles from 1927-36. Ichiro's agent Tony Attanasio described his client's status, "When you mail Ichiro something from the States, you only have to use that name on the address and he gets it [in Japan]. After turning pro as a skater, Henie entered the world of film, starring in such films as "One in a Million" (1936) and "Second Fiddle" (1939). Clarence Scott (DB) 1969-1972 . A member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, Browning is a four-time world champion (1989, '90, '91 and '93) and also took home a silver. However, like lots of other wrestlers, his name is a fake one. Shes a tremendous UFC fighter with a name to match her attitude in the octagon. Here's a look at 19 of the most famous athletes in the world. Plus, that gnarly hair is pretty iconic at this point. He's loud, outspoken, often brazen and almost always controversial. In fact, few have ever been better athletes than Jim Brown was. 4. Upon turning pro, he started the touring show Stars on Ice and worked as a skating commentator for television. When thinking United States figure skating of any gender, Boitano is usually near the top of the list. An author as well, Hamilton has survived cancer and started the Scott Hamilton CARES Initiative in 1999. The San Francisco 49ers were down by three points with 3:20 left when Montana spottedno, not an open receiverbut a personality. Ten years later, the four-time, world championship-winning pair returned to capture Olympic bronze at Lillehammer. She is still celebrated on and off the ice and is a breast cancer survivor who has battled depression. The 1994 gold medalists at Lillehammer and four-time world champions were skating royalty when Grinkov collapsed during a training session in November 1995 and died from a massive attack. The award is given out monthly by the league to recognize players for their charitable efforts. Clemente was well-known for the charity work he took part in, and today the Roberto Clemente Award is given to the MLB player who best exhibits Clemente's humanitarian spirit and gives back to the community. In 2002 he became the only driver in Formula One history to finish in the top three in every race of a season. Possibly one of the most well-known athletes of all-time, George Herman Ruth could have had his nickname "Babe" included with Tiger Woods, Magic Johnson, and Boomer Esiason, but it was just one of many for the 22 year pitcher turned outfielder. Thankfully, only in his passport and other pieces of documentation does this name show up. I have a friend who is a diehard Eagles fan (really, a diehard Philadelphia fan). One of the most popular, if not most recognizable wrestlers of all-time is Hulk Hogan. After winning the '84 World Championships, Hamilton turned pro. Why wouldnt he want to be called John like the great NFL QB John Elway? Scott Cawthon, 44 Some will argue that this Japanese wonder might be the greatest male singles skater ever to grace the ice. The meet begins at 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday and 12 p.m. on Saturday. mark reinstein/Shutterstock. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. For years Button was a staple as a television analyst, most notably for ABC. Together, the two won five world titles and a pair of Olympic bronze medals in 2010 and '14. q&a; trivia; popular; trending; random; Famous Scotts 1. He beat the sporting world's enemy No. Throughout his wrestling journey that began in the late 90s, AJ has used this name. One of the most beloved players on the Philadelphia Phillies is catcher Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz, which might seem to be a conundrum, as he is about the 10th most talented player on the team. Off the track Schumacher is an ambassador for UNESCO and a spokesman for driver safety. During the early portion of the 20th century, there were not many better than Sweden's Salchow. Star Wars fans, rejoice! "Babe" Ruth: "The Great Bambino/The Sultan of Swat". He had a friggin' movie named after him, for heaven's sake. Stargell was one of his generation's greatest hitters and also has perhaps the greatest quote about hitting in baseball history: "Trying to hit Sandy Koufax was like trying to drink coffee with a fork.". Need more reasons? He was tough, passionate and exuberant. Off the ice, Yamaguchi is probably best known for winning Season 6 of "Dancing with the Stars.". He's a four-time Olympic medalist (tied for second all time) with singles gold in 2006 and team gold in '14. On Feb. 24, 2023, a Los Angeles County judge approved a new legal identity for Dwyane's daughter with ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade: The 15-year-old is now legally female and has a new official . This is similar to both Manny and Mike earlier in the article. Has there anyone been as much fun to watch play a sport than Barry Sanders? Getting knocked out by a dude named Michael just doesnt have the same effect as a name like Mike. Once he realizes the famously hostile Philly crowd is cheering for him, an emotional Lemieux bends over for a few moments, then rises up and waves his stick in the air to acknowledge the crowd. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Hamilton won a number of skating championship titles before earning a spot at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, becoming the entire team's flag bearer during the opening ceremonies and placing fifth in the male figure skating competition. He leads the league in jersey sales, his popularity is global. He has been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts throughout his life and donated tens of millions of dollars to charity. Scott signed to Epic Records before eventually .more The Best Travis Scott Songs #2 of 136 9. I love the way he plays the game like every one is his last. In Chapter 177 of the The CEO's Ex-Wife Is A Famous Doctor series, Powerful Papa with Triplet Babies novel is about Shantelle and Evan . He married Traci Robinson in 2002, and the couple have two children. At the very first Grammy Awards in 1958, Ella Fitzgerald, known as the First Lady of Song, was awarded two . Updated January 14, 2023 He is also responsible for one of the most famous shots in golf history, his birdie on the 17th hole during the last round of the 1986 Masters. Sports is full of such players, beloved figures we choose to emulate. 2. In the past four postseasons for the Phillies, he has been a source of clutch hitting. A two-time Olympic champion (1948, '52) and five-time world champ, Button was the youngest male skater to win Olympic gold (18 years, 202 days) and the only non-European competitor to win a European championship. When it comes to ice dancing, the conversation really must begin with the legendary pair of Great Britain's Torvill and Dean. In 2014 he won silver at Sochi where he also took home the same medal in men's singles. Listen, Ron Swanson is in love with Steffi Grafthat is enough for me. Golf used to be a bunch of middle-aged white guys who dressed like idiots and didn't relate to the vast majority of the population. Astrological Sign: Virgo, Article Title: Scott Hamilton Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/scott-hamilton, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 23, 2021, Original Published Date: April 3, 2014. Flair would later go by Richard Fliehr. And in that regard, there is no question who that man is. Known for his style and elegance on the ice, Britain's Curry reportedly posted the highest score for a men's singles competition at the time (105.9) while placing first at the Innsbruck Games in '76. Scott has been vegan since 1997 and practices and advocates a 100% vegan diet and claims this is crucial in supporting endurance, recovery and health. Johnny Logan - currently Ireland-based singer; only soloist to have won the Eurovision Song Contest twice (1980 & 1987) [32] Toby Martin - songwriter and lead singer of the ARIA Music Award-winning rock band Youth Group [33] Kathleen McGuire - orchestra conductor, composer and activist [34] Still, her victory over Riggs will always be remembered as her crowning achievement for the casual tennis fan. At the 1984 Winter Games in Sarajevo, the pair delivered a passionate and sensuousperformance to Ravel's "Bolro." Feb 26, 2023 10:45 A.M. Like her husband, Rev Drew Walsh was mobilized to become a victims' rights activist after the tragic death of their son Adam Walsh, though she has remained behind the scenes. Has there ever been a more belovedor accomplished, for that mattercollege athlete than Tim Tebow? The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Even his really weird post game interviews are somewhat endearing. Examples of that include popular soccer star Neymar along with former soccer legend Kaka. He was the consummate gunslinger, which made him that much more fun to watch. Back in her earlier days, Cyborg was known as Cristiane Venancio - certainly a name not nearly as intimidating to Cris Cyborg. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Teamed with Alexei Ulanov then. He's also gone on to become one of the most well known and respected skating commentators and analysts. (Source ESPN). Though Hamilton faced significant health challenges, the boy thrived once he took to the ice, playing hockey but choosing to focus on figure skating, entering competitions by the time he was 11. The name change was a wise decision. Examples of that include popular soccer star Neymar along with former soccer legend Kaka. First to win back-to-back Olympic 100-meter gold medals, in 1964. and '68; won another gold and a silver in Olympic career. Stuart Scott, a longtime anchor at ESPN, died Sunday morning at the age of 49. . Perhaps the greatest female skater in U.S. history, Kwan never won Olympic gold but did capture silver in 1998 and the bronze in 2002. As of now, Tebow will always remain College Football's Chosen One. He wasn't a mythic figure like other ballplayers, and he wasn't beloved for having an entertaining public persona or a flashy style of play. His primary lead roles were in two science-fiction television series: as Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap, and as .more #380 of 643 The Best Actors In Film History #81 of 349