Brad Freeman's All-Time Legends Hockey Team

My all-time legends hockey team:

Starting Lineup:

C: Jean Beliveau (Montréal Canadians)         

LW: Bobby Hull (Chicago Blackhawks)

RW: Gordie Howe (Detroit Red Wings)

LD: Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins)

RD: Eddie Shore (Boston Bruins)

G: Georges Vezina (Montréal Canadians)

Bench:

C: Elmer Lach (Montréal Canadians)

C: Stan Mikita (Chicago Blackhawks)

C: Phil Esposito (Boston Bruins)

LW: Toe Blake (Montréal Canadians)

LW: Bernie Geoffrion (Montréal Canadians)                         

LW: Frank Mahovlich (Toronto Maple Leafs)

RW: Maurice Richard (Montréal Canadians)

RW: Guy Lafleur (Montréal Canadians)

RW: Andy Bathgate (New York Rangers)

LD: Doug Harvey (Montréal Canadians)

LD: King Clancy (Toronto Maple Leafs)

RD: Tim Horton (Toronto Maple Leafs)

RD: Larry Robinson (Montréal Canadians)

G: Terry Sawchuk (Detroit Red Wings)

Non-Roster Players (in case someone gets injured since rosters have expanded from the traditional 20 players above to 23):

C: Henri Richard (Montréal Canadians)

LD: Red Kelly (Detroit Red Wings)

RD: Brad Park (Boston Bruins)

Brad Freeman's All-Time Legends Basketball Team

My all-time legends basketball team.

Starting Lineup:
C: Bill Russell (Boston Celtics)
PF: Wilt Chamberlain (Harlem Globetrotters/Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors/Philadelphia 76ers/LA Lakers)
SF: Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76ers)
SG: Pete Maravich (New Orleans/Utah Jazz)
PG: Bob Cousy (Boston Celtics)

Bench:
6. PG/SG Jerry West (Los Angeles Lakers)
7. C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee Bucks/Los Angeles Lakers)
8. SF Elgin Baylor (Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers)
9. PF Moses Malone (Philadelphia 76ers)
10. PG John Havlick (Boston Celtics) 
11. SG/SF George Gervin (San Antonio Spurs)
12. PG Oscar Robertson (Milwaukee Bucks)

Non-Roster Players (in case somebody gets injured)
13. PG Walt Frazier (New York Knicks)
14. C Willis Reed (New York Knicks)

Brad Freeman's All-Time NFL Football Legends Team

With this year being the 100^th anniversary of the NFL, and 150^th anniversary of college football, as a student of the game, here is my list of the legends of the game if I was to create a team.

I was born July 1984, and will create a separate list for the players I grew up watching. Therefore, as the historian I am, I feel it only right to do a list for the players before my lifetime, and then during my lifetime.

Legends Team

Offense:

QB1: Otto Graham (Cleveland Browns)

QB2: Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers)

RB1: Jim Brown (Cleveland Browns)

RB2: Walter Payton (Chicago Bears)

RB3: Eric Dickerson (Los Angeles Rams)

RB4: Gayle Sayers (Chicago Bears)

WR1: Fred Biletnikoff (Oakland Raiders)

WR2: Lance “Bambi” Alworth (San Diego Chargers)

WR3: Paul Warfield (Cleveland Browns/Miami Dolphins)

WR4: Steve Largent (Seattle Seahawks)

WR5: Raymond Berry (Baltimore Colts)

WR6: Don Hutson (Green Bay Packers)

WR7: Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch (Los Angeles Rams)

                                                                                                                                   

TE1: John Mackey (Baltimore Colts)

TE2: Mike Ditka (Chicago Bears)

TE3: Kellen Winslow, Sr. (San Diego Chargers)

LT1: Roosevelt Brown (New York Giants)

LT2: Art Shell (Oakland Raiders)

LG1: Jim Parker (Baltimore Colts)

LG2: Gene Upshaw (Oakland Raiders)

OC1: Mel Hein (New York Giants)

RG1: John Hannah (New England Patriots)

RG2: Dan Fortmann (Chicago Bears)

RT1: Forrest Gregg (Green Bay Packers)

RT2: Cal Hubbard (Green Bay Packers)

Special Teams:

K1: Jan Stenerud (Kansas City Chiefs)

P1: Ray Guy (Oakland Raiders)

KR1: Gayle Sayers (Chicago Bears)

PR1: Gayle Sayers (Chicago Bears)

                

Defense:

DE1: David "Deacon" Jones (Los Angeles Rams)

DE2: Gino Marchetti (Baltimore Colts)

DE3: Doug Atkins (Chicago Bears)

DE4: Bill Hewitt (Chicago Bears)

DE5: Lee Roy Selmon (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

DT1:”Mean” Joe Greene (Pittsburgh Steelers)

DT2: Alan Page (Minnesota Vikings)

DT3: Merlin Olsen (Los Angeles Rams)

DT4: Junious "Buck" Buchanan (Kansas City Chiefs)

DT5: Bob Lilly (Dallas Cowboys)

MLB1: Joe Schmidt (Detroit Lions)

MLB2: Dick Butkus (Chicago Bears)

MLB3: Jack Lambert (Pittsburgh Steelers)

MLB4: Willie Lainer (Kansas City Chiefs)

OLB1: Chuck Bednarik (Philadelphia Eagles) *Doubles as your backup Center on offense

OLB2: Bobby Bell (Kansas City Chiefs)

OLB3: Jack Ham (Pittsburgh Steelers)

OLB4: Ted Hendricks (Oakland Raiders)

CB1: Mel Blount (Pittsburgh Steelers)

CB2: Dick "Night Train" Lane (Detroit Lions)

CB3: Willie Brown (Oakland Raiders)

CB4: Michael Haynes (New England Patriots/Los Angeles Raiders)

FS1: Emlen Tunnell (New York Giants)

FS2: Paul Krause (Minnesota Vikings)

SS1: Ken Houston (Houston Oilers/Washington Redskins)

SS2: Larry Wilson (St. Louis football Cardinals)

Brad Freeman's All-Time Legends College Football Team

So, with this August being the start of the 150th anniversary of the start of college football, here’s my all-time team of college football players before my lifetime (or at least those I don’t remember watching play college ball, but instead remember more in the pros because I was too young).
 
In college football there are 85 players on the team under scholarship. Then every year, somebody graduates, transfers, or there’s walk-on’s. Walk-on’s are guys that show up for an open tryout as a student-athlete in the spring and summer, and if they are really good that player gets a full scholarship to pay for all his academic expenses like the other players who are on full scholarships, and recruited by the coaching staff straight out of high school.

College has no preseason, so they start the very last week of August and finish the season with the national championship game between the 2 best big state schools around New Year’s.
 
Note: I’m a much more defense oriented person.

Also, it is important to mention that from 1869 to 1919 college football was the only type of football in existence. Professional football did not start until 1920. The NFL itself did not begin until 1933. And furthermore, every university made its players play both offense and defense. So, each player would play a position on both sides of the ball, much like modern-day high school does. A player playing only one side of the ball did not take hold until 1965, and continued through to the present day.

Lastly, the reason there are a lot more Quarterbacks and Running Backs on my legends list then Wide Receivers and Tight Ends is because from 1869 to 1959 football in general was much more of a running oriented sport on offense, whereas, starting in 1960 and continuing to the present, football became much more of a passing oriented sport on offense. And therefore, the defenses changed accordingly to defend the evolving offenses.

Offense:
QB1: Sammy Baugh (TCU)
QB2: Harry Stuhldreher (Notre Dame)
QB3: Arnold Tucker (Army)
QB4: John Lujack (Notre Dame)
QB5: Paul Hornung (Notre Dame)
QB6: Roger Staubach (Navy)
QB7: Bob Griese (Purdue)
QB8: Davey O'Brien (TCU)

 
RB1: Jim Thorpe (Carlisle)
RB2: Jim Brown (Syracuse)
RB3: Harold “Red” Grange (Illinois)
RB4: Don "Midnight" Miller (Notre Dame)
RB5: “Sleepy” Jim Crowley (Notre Dame)
RB6: Elmer Layden (Notre Dame)
RB7: Doc Blanchard (Army)
RB8: Glenn Davis (Army)
RB9: Archie Griffin (Ohio State)
RB10: Gale Sayers (Kansas)
RB11: Ernie Davis (Syracuse)
RB12: Doak Walker (SMU)
 
WR1: Don Hutson (Alabama)
WR2: Fred Biletnikoff (Florida State)
WR3: Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska)
WR4: Ozzie Newsome (Alabama)
WR5: Anthony Carter (Michigan)
WR6: Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State)
 
TE1: Leon Hart (Notre Dame)
TE2: Mike Ditka (Pitt)
TE3: John Mackey (Syracuse)
TE4: Kellen Winslow, Sr. (Missouri)
 
LT1: Anthony Munoz (USC)
LT2: Bill Fralic (Pitt)
 
LG1: Jim Parker (Ohio State)
LG2: John Hannah (Alabama)
 
OC1: Chuck Bednarik (Penn)
OC2: Dave Rimington (Nebraska)
 
RG1: Ralph Heikkinen (Michigan)
RG2: Bob Brown (Nebraska)
 
RT1: Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski (Minnesota)
RT2: Ron Yary (USC)
 

Special Teams:
K1: George Gipp (Notre Dame)
K2: Chuck Nelson (Washington)
 
P1: George Gipp (Notre Dame)
P2: Jim Arnold (Vanderbilt)
 
KR1: Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska)
KR2: Gale Sayers (Kansas)

PR1: Gale Sayers (Kansas)
 
Defense:
DE1: Hugh Green (Pitt)
DE2: Reggie White (Tennessee)
DE3: Bubba Smith (Michigan State)
DE4: Bruce Smith (Virginia Tech)
DE5: Alan Page (Notre Dame)
DE6: Ted Hendricks (Miami FL)
DE7: Billy Ray Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
DE8: David “Deacon" Jones (South Carolina State/Mississippi Valley State)
 
DT1: Lee Roy Selmon (Oklahoma)
DT2: Randy White (Maryland)
DT3: Joe Greene (North Texas)
DT4: Merlin Olsen (Utah State)
DT5: Alex Karras (Iowa)
DT6: Rich Glover (Nebraska)
DT7: Mike Reid (Penn State)
 
LB1: Dick Butkus (Illinois)
LB2: Lawrence Taylor (North Carolina)
LB3: Tommy Nobis (Texas)
LB4: Jack Ham (Penn State)
LB5: Derrick Thomas (Alabama)
LB6: Cornelius Bennett (Alabama)
LB7: Lee Roy Jordan (Alabama)
LB8: Jerry Robinson (UCLA)
LB9: Junior Seau (USC)
LB10: Mike Singletary (Baylor)
LB11: Woodrow Lowe (Alabama)
LB12: Chris Spielman (Ohio State)
 
CB1: Deion Sanders (Florida State)
CB2: Rod Woodson (Purdue)
CB3: Darrell Green (Texas A&M)
CB4: Michael Haynes (Arizona State)
CB5: Dennis Thurman (USC)
CB6: Dave Brown (Michigan)
CB7: Bill Armstrong (Wake Forest)
 
S1: Jack Tatum (Ohio State)
S2: Ronnie Lott (USC)
S3: Kenny Easley (UCLA)
S4: George Webster (Michigan State)
S5: Brad Van Pelt (Michigan State)
S6: Chet Moeller (Navy)
S7: Johnnie Johnson (Texas)
S8: Thomas Everett (Baylor) 

World Series 2015 Reaction

I thought 2014 was pretty memorable, and historic. But 2015, topped that by miles.

From my favorite player, Alex Gordon’s super human foul ball catch, more epic comebacks, our Swiss Army knife Ben Zobrist, and lastly Michael Jackson dance moves on the mound from Yordano Ventura, when he uses that big sweeping curveball to make hitters look foolish.

Unlike last year, this year was all about unfinished business. They were on top of the baseball world from beginning to end and out to prove they were no fluke.

And then once we hit the playoffs, the Royals toyed with the Astros. After the eighth-inning of ALDS Game 4, IT WAS ON! I would never mock anybody, but I wondered if the Royals were like, let’s spot them some runs so they can feel good about themselves. Haha. Or maybe it was the karma the Texas Governor brought upon them when he prematurely posted on social media about an Astros series victory. Then Kendrys Morales' homer sealed the deal on our way to advancing to the ALCS in the next game.

That brings us to the glorious World Series Game 5. The Mets left Matt Harvey in for one inning too long! Finally! After years of suffering as a Kansas City sports fan from the Chiefs, and Royals.

Kansas City is title town USA.

Brad Freeman’s All-Time Lifetime Baseball Team

My all-time baseball team during my lifetime.

Starting Lineup:

LF: Rickey Henderson (Oakland Athletics)

CF: Ken Griffey Jr. (Seattle Mariners) *favorite non-KC Royal position player

RF: Tony Gwynn (San Diego Padres)

3B: George Brett (Kansas City Royals) *favorite KC Royal position player

SS: Cal Ripken Jr. (Baltimore Orioles)

2B: Roberto Alomar (Toronto Blue Jays/Baltimore Orioles/Cleveland Indians)

1B/DH: Frank Thomas (Chicago White Sox)

C: Ivan Rodriguez (Texas Rangers)

Batting Order:

1. Rickey Henderson

2. Cal Ripken Jr.

3. Ken Griffey Jr.

4. Tony Gwynn

5. Frank Thomas

6. Albert Pujols

7. George Brett

8. Ivan Rodriguez

9. Roberto Alomar

Bench:

OF: Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners)
OF: Carlos Beltran (Kansas City Royals/Houston Astros)
1B/DH: Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals)
C: Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants)
OF/IF/DH: Ben Zobrist (Tampa Bay Rays/Kansas City Royals) *26^th man during double headers

Starting Pitching Rotation:

1. Randy Johnson (Seattle Mariners/Arizona Diamondbacks) *favorite left-handed starter

2. Roger Clemens (Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees) *favorite right-handed starter

3. Pedro Martinez (Boston Red Sox)

4. Greg Maddux (Atlanta Braves) *favorite member of the 90s Atlanta Braves rotation

5. Curt Schilling (Philadelphia Phillies/Arizona Diamondbacks/Boston Red Sox)

Bullpen:

Nolan Ryan (Houston Astros/Texas Rangers) *can be a 6th starter/long reliever

Jesse Orosco (New York Mets/Baltimore Orioles)

John Franco (New York Mets)

Billy Wagner (Houston Astros)

John Wetteland (Texas Rangers/New York Yankees)

Dennis Eckersley (Oakland Athletics) *Set up man

Mariano Rivera (New York Yankees) *Closer

I’d feel this post would be incomplete if I didn’t give honorable mention to being able to watch the last 2 dual sport athletes that last played. They played both professional football and baseball. Deion Sanders with the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in baseball, and Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys in football. As well as Bo Jackson with the Kansas City Royals in baseball, then, Los Angeles Raiders in football.

Unfortunately, kids specialize by elementary school for health and financial reasons. Making the 2-sport athlete an astonishing feat, that may be unattainable ever again, and a relic of the past.

Brad Freeman's All-Time Baseball Legends Team

My all-time baseball legends team:

LF Ted Williams (Boston Red Sox)

CF Willie Mays (New York/San Francisco Giants)

RF Hank Aaron (Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves)

3B Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia Phillies)

SS Cal Ripken Jr. (Baltimore Orioles)

2B Ernie Banks (Chicago Cubs)

1B Lou Gehrig (New York Yankees)

C Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds)

P Babe Ruth (Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees) *94 wins before all the homers

DH Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds)

Try facing that lineup. What do you think baseball oriented friends?