This day in history

[tballa55]

I guess RA comparing Orr to Gretzky is like me saying Pierce is top 5 in the Nibba.

[rearadmiral]

I'd never heard that there was an argument that Gretzky was anything but the best player ever.

In fact the only debate I've ever heard about him was whether he was the most dominant athlete in his sport of all time.

Setting aside 5Tooler and jerking off, I'd say he's got it locked up.

There's a few actually. This isn't RA-generated. Some think Howe (who held most of big records 99 broke) or Mario. I'm not trying to take him down a peg---I love Gretzky. But your job is a hell of a lot easier when you're playing a half-dozen HOFers. Lemieux didn't have that (at least all at same time) and who knows what he'd have done without the back/cancer shit. Per game #s are similar.

[Ronnie B]

Do you guys really remember him? I mean pre 100 th operation? I rememebr Brad Park and Rick Middleton,and Terry at the earliest.

Barely.

Nobody around here saw too much of Gretzky unless it was highlights, Bs games, or playoffs (if you were lucky). For all his accomplishments, very little of it was seen by Americans, especially in the northeast.

But it's a timeless argument and I'm in the Orr camp.

If youre under 50 rearad You and I both saw more of Gretzky than you did Orr. The guy scored 1,000 more points than the 2nd all time points scorer. He wasn't the biggest, the strongest or the fastest. He was simply the best.

[rearadmiral]

And Orr changed the game forever.

I'm just saying, in Canada and hockey circles, there is healthy debate about who would you build your team around. Gretzky is the obvious choice. But there are compelling arguments for others. Like Mario.

[Section 40]

Don't let these yahoos sway your opinion RA. Bobby Orr is the greatest hockey player of all time. He was the best skater of his day, he was the best defensemen, he wasn't afraid to drop the gloves if need be and he is the only defensemen to win the scoring title, which he did twice. Howe was Mr Hockey, Gretzky was fantastic, Lemieux was phenomenal, LaFleur was as dominant as anybody I've ever seen for a five year span but Orr was head and shoulders above them all.

[AY]

I've stayed out of this because one could have this same argument in any sport. At this level you're talking about players of a different breed and arguments could be made for any one of them, but to say Orr was heads and shoulders above them all? That's too much.

[Section 40]

I just call em as I see em. I'm not going to denigrate any of the others because they were all unbelievable players but #4 dominated the sport like nobody I have ever seen before. Orr was that good.

[lugnutz]

I agree with what you are saying about Howe, then Orr, changed the game. But 99 dominated the game after they changed it.

[lugnutz]

11 years ago today God agreed to coach the Pats!

[Ronnie B]

I just call em as I see em. I'm not going to denigrate any of the others because they were all unbelievable players but #4 dominated the sport like nobody I have ever seen before. Orr was that good.

99 averaged 2 points a game for his career. He has the most goals for a career. He has the most assists for a career. He has 9 of the top 10 season point totals including the top 5. Orr was great but if I was starting a team tomorrow and I can have anybody 99 is the hands down choice. Is Orr even in the top 10?

[lugnutz]

The premier scoring defenseman of all time??? he better be or your GM gets canned in a NY minute.

[Ronnie B]

The premier scoring defenseman of all time??? he better be or your GM gets canned in a NY minute.

Pretty sure Ray Bourque is the all time scoring defenseman. Lug, I know this is the misc section but this has turned into a sports thread for a while. Probably a good idea to stop posting here for a while.

[lugnutz]

You stealing McAdams martial doesn't suit you...stick to telling 5tooler mom jokes.


Orr 1.5 points a game Ray <1 a game


Ray played 1,000 more games.


Orr sold out other teams arenas in his day. Even Ray knows your dumb, he has said Orr was the preeminent scoring defenseman of all time on more than one occasion.

[AY]

You stealing McAdams martial doesn't suit you...stick to telling 5tooler mom jokes.

[lugnutz]

Stupid spell check hahaha No mustang for you!