BY CRAIG MORWOOD – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
In a new feature on Fan Fuel, we look at individual jersey numbers and compile a list of the greatest to wear that number across the four major sports: NHL, MLB, NFL and NBA. Today, it’s the number 4 and it’s an all-star list.
NHL: Bobby Orr. This hockey legend from Parry Sound, Ontario personifies the greatness that goes with wearing the number four. He is arguably the best hockey player of all time. Not only was he a trend-setter for offensive defencemen, but if not for wobbly knees, one can only wonder how much longer he would have dominated fellow NHL foes. He was such a fast skater and avid playmaker who scored at will. These skills predominantly helped Orr not only win the league scoring title twice, but also the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenceman on eight straight occasions. He also won two Stanley Cups, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame at the young age of 31. And the list goes on. Who else could have made Don Cherry look so good?
NFL: Brett Favre. This gunslinger from Mississippi was one of the best quarterbacks to ever line up behind centre. He threw the ball so hard that you could probably follow the vapour trail if you looked close enough. He made Vince Lombardi’s legendary legacy proud when he brought yet another Super Bowl championship back to Green Bay in 1996. His very accomplished resume includes the following: 508 touchdowns (NFL record), 71,838 yards passing (NFL record), three MVP awards, and two Super Bowl appearances. Pretty stellar career for a guy that was only picked 33rd overall in the 1991 draft.
MLB: Lou Gehrig. This Yankee thoroughbread’s career epitomized a nearly un-matched durability that would not only make the Energizer Bunny seem out of shape, but also earned him the nickname “Iron Horse”. He strapped on the cleats for 2,130 straight games, a feat that wasn’t broken till 56 years later by Cal Ripken Jr. He is also remembered for his sweet swing, that rewarded him with a .340 career batting average, a Triple Crown Award in 1934, the record for most career grand slams (23; since tied by Alex Rodriguez)), and two American League MVP awards. Arguably the best first baseman in the history of the game, his career and life was cut short roughly two weeks before his 38th birthday.
NBA/NCAA: Chris Webber. Although one of the defining moments of his illustrious career may be the infamous attempted timeout that he called during the NCAA Championship game in 1993 against the University of North Carolina, he was a great basketball player. Not only did he help lead the Michigan Wolverines, as part of the vaunted Fab Five, to two straight NCAA Tournament Finals, but he was also drafted first overall in 1993. His impressive resume includes: 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year, five All-Star appearances, one rebounding title, with a career average of neary 21 points per game. He was a key cog in Sacramento’s offensive juggernaut from 1998 to 2005, as he was not only a gifted scorer, but also a good distributer for a big man.
Related read: