Author: scatty

Each year, the Major League Baseball Draft is supposed to have all of the best players taken from the first round, but things don’t always shake out that way. Instead, some of the best players in the MLB end up getting drafted much later, but there has still been a long list of great players selected in the first round, and that includes members of the Chicago Cubs.

When it comes to the first round of the draft, the Cubs have had a mixed bag of success. Some players ended up being cornerstones while others never made it to the bigs. Let’s take a look at the Cubs’ draft history and unveil the five best first round picks. For this list, we wanted to focus on their Cubs careers, as players like Josh Donaldson were great, but for other teams. The Cubs who just missed the list include Rafael Palmeiro, Nico Hoerner, Mark Prior, and Corey Patterson.

Kyle Schwarber

Indiana University isn’t really known for its baseball program, at least in terms of creating Major League talent. However, in 2014, Kyle Schwarber was one of the top prospects in the MLB Draft. Though he was slated to be a catcher, Schwarber was drafted to be an outfield by the Cubs, who used the fourth overall pick to acquire him. Schwarber didn’t have to wait long to make his debut, as he was called up in June 2015.

Schwarber proved early and often that he could mash the ball, hitting 16 home runs in 69 games during his rookie season. In just 551 games as a Cub, Schwarber was able to knock out 121 home runs before taking his bat to Washington in 2021.

Shawon Dunston

There’s only one member of the list who was drafted first overall, and that’s shortstop/outfield Shawon Dunston. Though he had his ups and downs in Chicago, Dunston was still a fine ballplayer during his time on the Northside. Dunston was selected first in 1982 and made his debut at the start of the 1985 season.

Dunston spent a dozen seasons playing for the Cubs, and in that time had a .267 batting average and 107 home runs to go along with 175 stolen bases. Dunston had two different stints with the Cubs and was a two-time All-Star with the franchise.

Javier Baez

The 2016 Chicago Cubs were one of the most beloved teams in baseball history thanks to a long list of characters who gelled together to bring the franchise its first title in 108 years. One of the more admired players was shortstop Javier Baez, who has been known throughout his career for his free-swinging at the plate, his exciting high-risk baserunning, and exemplary defensive plays. The Cubs selected Baez with the ninth overall pick in 2011, and he made his MLB debut three years later.

Baez hit home runs in some important spots, and by the time he got to his mid-20s was one of the MLB’s top players. Baez played for the Cubs in eight different seasons and was an All-Star in two of them and a Gold Glove winner in 2020. Baez finished with 140 home runs as a Cub and a .262 batting average.

Kerry Wood

There were many who thought that pitcher Kerry Wood would be the next Roger Clemens thanks to his insane velocity. The Texas native entered into the 1995 MLB Draft, and the Cubs used the fourth overall selection to take him. Wood was brought up to the Major League Roster for the 1998 season, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

In his rookie season, Wood was dominant and took him the Rookie of the Year title, finishing with a record of 13-6 and an earned run average of 3.40. Wood also had the best single-game performance for a pitcher, tossing a 20-strikeout one-hit game. Wood spent a total of 12 seasons with the Cubs, finishing with an 80-68 record and 3.67 ERA, splitting time between starting and bullpen duties.

Kris Bryant

Las Vegas native Kris Bryant was tabbed as a surefire star ahead of the 2013 MLB Draft and he indeed proved to be a safe pick for the Cubs with the second overall selection. Bryant was brought in to primarily play third base, and he had an instant impact on the team while also improving chemistry alongside Anthony Rizzo.

Bryant won the Rookie of the Year title in 2015 thanks to his .275 batting average, 26 home runs, and 99 runs batted in. The following year, he led the Cubs to the World Series and won the Most Valuable Player Award. In seven seasons, Bryant slugged 160 home runs while maintaining a .279 batting average before being traded to the San Francisco Giants in 2021, marking the end of an era.

There’s a new sport invented almost daily, but only a handful truly catch on around the world and become massively popular. These days, there are about a dozen sports that millions of people watch regularly, though not many know the true origins. Instead, we associate these sports with the countries where the highest level of play is held.

If you’ve ever wondered where your favorite sports come from, you might be surprised by the answers, especially if you’re an American. Here are five sports with surprising country origins, who they’re typically associated with, and how popular those sports have become over the years.

Baseball

There’s no sport that’s associated with the United States more than baseball (though there’s a different sport later in the list that could take that mantle). While baseball in its current form was invented in Cooperstown, New York in the mid-19th century. Many believe that it was Abner Doubleday who invented the sport, but that has proven to be a myth, and even Doubleday himself never said he was the inventor.

The first time that baseball received any mention was at the beginning of the 18th century in England. There were pamphlets and books about how to play the sport, and many who wrote in their diaries mentioned baseball during the middle part of the century. Rules were established over the years, but there was a branching off where England moved more toward cricket while America adopted the newer version of the original baseball game.

Hockey

There are a few countries that come to mind when thinking about hockey, and ice hockey in particular. Many attribute Canada as being the home of ice hockey, but that’s just where it became more popular. In the late 18th century, people in North America were more enamored with lacrosse. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, people were playing the first iteration of ice hockey called bandy.

When British soldiers were stationed in Canada, they introduced the sport to the country. Over the years, Brits almost entirely abandoned ice hockey when it became the national sport in Canada. It makes sense that it all went down that way, too, as there’s obviously a lot more opportunity to play ice hockey in Canada compared to England.

Tennis

The first two sports we highlighted were thought to be native to North America but actually came from England. Now, we have a sport that many associate with England, but was invented elsewhere. England is responsible for the more modern version called lawn tennis which evolved over time, with historians have said that northern France is the home of the basics of the sport.

The original tennis played in France essentially had the same rules, though a racket wasn’t involved. Instead, the game was called jeu de paume and people played exclusively with the palms of their hands. Rackets were introduced during the 16th century in England, which is why the country has been credited with inventing the sport. Having the first major championships at Wimbledon doesn’t hurt, either.

American Football

Though American football (or gridiron, as some call it) has a niche following in countries outside of the United States, no other sport comes close to popularity within the country. The modern version of football which would result in NCAA football and the National Football League started back in the late 19th century and exploded in popularity in the early 20th century.

The game takes a lot of concepts from other sports including rugby and association football, but the original sport dates all the way back to ancient Greece. It was called Episkyros, and over the years, there were small clubs that played a version of football that more resembles the NFL today. Of course, it wasn’t until the United States discovered British “mob football” that they developed it into a more refined game.

Volleyball

With all of these sports that many thought were invented in the United States, was there any sport that the country truly invented? It turns out there is, and it’s not just basketball, but another one of the world’s most popular sports in terms of participants. William G. Morgan of Holyoke, Massachusetts took an old tennis net in a YMCA gymnasium at 6’6” and volleyball was born.

During the early 20th century, the sport became a global phenomenon and has had variations including beach volleyball. The simplicity of the game and inclusiveness made volleyball attractive to millions. Interestingly enough, it was invented in the same five-year span in the same state as basketball.

When you have a history that’s as long as the Toronto Maple Leafs, there are going to be some great players that end up making their way through the franchise. In fact, no other franchise has put more players into the Hockey Hall of Fame, so it can be quite difficult to say who the very best of the best were.

We’re going to do just that, however, and take a look at the five greatest Toronto Maple Leafs of all time (in no particular order). Before we start the list, here are some Maple Leafs who just missed the cut: Wendel Clark, Dave Keon, Mats Sundin, Frank Mahovlich, Tim Horton, and Red Kelly.

Borje Salming

Sweden has produced a lot of great hockey players, especially on defense. Among the greatest is the late Borje Salming, who spent all but one of his 17 NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs. Salming came into the league in 1973 and had an immediate impact, putting together a +38 tally and 39 points as a rookie.

He only continued to get better and was named to the All-Star Team for six consecutive seasons. Salming finished his Maple Leafs run after the 1988-89 season, collecting a total of 768 points and 1,292 penalty minutes for Toronto. He played for one more season with Detroit before calling it quits and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.

Johnny Bower

While there have been a lot of talented skaters to make their way through the Maple Leafs franchise, the goaltender is a position that has been inconsistent since the days of Johnny Bower. Bower entered the league very late, making his debut at 29 years old with the New York Rangers. After three seasons in the Big Apple, Bower spent the final 12 seasons of his career with the Maple Leafs.

During that time, Bower won the Vezina Trophy twice and was named to the NHL All-Star Team. He started 475 games with Toronto and posted a record of 219-157-79, a .922 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals against average. Bower was 45 years old when he retired in 1970, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame six years later.

Darryl Sittler

Darryl Sittler may not have spent his entire career with the Maple Leafs, but he was the face of the franchise throughout the entirety of the 1970s. He joined the team at the start of the decade, and throughout his 20s became one of the best players in the NHL. Almost every year saw him in contention for the Hart Trophy, and in 1978 he became an All-Star for the first time.

Sittler played in a total of 844 games for the Maple Leafs and scored 389 goals with 527 assists, good enough for 916 total points. Sittler then went on to join the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings before retiring at 34 years old in 1985, and joining the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989. At the time of his retirement, nobody had ever scored as many points as a Maple Leaf as Sittler, who was eventually passed by Mats Sundin.

Auston Matthews

It can be hard to be considered an all-time great for such a historic franchise by the time you’re in your mid-20s, but that’s what Auston Matthews did. The American player from Arizona was highly sought-after when he entered the 2016 NHL Draft, and the Maple Leafs were able to win the lottery and acquire his services. Matthews certainly lived up to the pre-draft hype, too.

In his first season, Matthews won the Calder Trophy thanks to 69 points in 82 games at just 19 years old. Matthews then established himself as one of the top players in the entire NHL, averaging well over one point per game. With multiple All-Star selections and scoring titles, Matthews is undoubtedly a Maple Leafs legend already.

Doug Gilmour

Doug Gilmour made his way around the NHL quite a bit, playing for seven different teams throughout his long career. No team got more out of Gilmour than the Maple Leafs, though, in terms of both production and time. Gilmour spent seven different seasons in Toronto, appearing in 393 total games.

Over that span, Gilmour had an impressive 452 points and won himself a Selke Trophy along the way. The most impressive seasons for Gilmour came during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 campaigns. In those two seasons combined, he was able to amass 238 points including 59 goals. Gilmour returned to Toronto in his final NHL season, appearing in one last game in 2003 before calling it a career.

Cristiano Ronaldo has had one of the most celebrated careers in football history. The Portuguese striker has set records left and right while being considered an elite player for well over a decade. Of course, when you’re talking about football, you have to mention the World Cup. Even countries that aren’t represented in the event are tuning in, shining the spotlight on the world’s top players.

During his career, Ronaldo played in five World Cups with varying success. Let’s take a look at how he performed in each World Cup and rank those five performances from worst to best. Interestingly enough, the legendary player has never been to the World Cup Finals but has come awfully close.

5. 2014

There were four teams who were given better odds to win the 2014 World Cup over Portugal, meaning that the squad should have accomplished much more than they did. With Brazil playing host, the Portuguese team had their worst World Cup in the Ronaldo era in what should have been a relatively easy group to advance from.

Portugal was slotted in Group G with Germany, the United States, and Ghana. Germany easily qualified, winning two matches while drawing with Ghana. As for Portugal, they tied with the United States in points but had a -3 goal differential. In three games, Portugal was outscored 4-7, with Ronaldo only netting one goal himself. 

4. 2010

The expectations for Portugal weren’t as high in 2010 as they would be four years later, but there was still some hope that the then-young Ronaldo would excel in his first World Cup while wearing the #7 kit. While Portugal advanced out of the group stage, Ronaldo didn’t have a strong event with just one goal throughout and a yellow card.

Portugal was given a tough test in the group stage, as they were placed with Brazil and the Ivory Coast while North Korea allowed the other teams to get an easy victory. Portugal defeated North Korea 7-0, with Ronaldo scoring the seventh goal. They drew in their matches with Brazil and the Ivory Coast, both of which were scoreless. In the round of 16, they advanced on penalty kicks over Japan after a 0-0 match, but then lost 1-0 to rival Spain.

3. 2006

The 2006 World Cup in Germany marked the first time in which the legendary Ronaldo played in the event, and it was the fourth time in World Cup history where Portugal qualified. The oddsmakers gave Portugal the ninth-best chance to win the title, so they would end up exceeding expectations.

Ronaldo scored one goal in his six matches, the most that he played in a singular World Cup event. Portugal won all three of its group stage matches over Mexico, Angola, and Iran, with Ronaldo’s lone goal coming against Iran. Portugal advanced to the semifinals after defeating the Netherlands and England, but lost 1-0 to France and then 3-1 to Germany in the third-place game.

2. 2022

There weren’t quite championship aspirations for Portugal in 2022 as Ronaldo had started the twilight of his career a couple of years prior, but there was still a good squad around him. Portugal entered as the ninth-ranked country in the world, and they would mildly surpass what was expected from them. With Qatar playing host, Portugal was given a group with South Korea, Uruguay, and Ghana.

Many expected Uruguay to join Portugal as the other squad to advance, but the South Koreans would advance on goals scored. Meanwhile, Portugal won thy group with two wins and a loss to South Korea to help the Korean team advance. Portugal then dismantled Switzerland 6-1 in the round of 16 before being knocked out in the quarterfinals in a 1-0 upset by Morocco. Ronaldo finished the World Cup with one goal in his five matches.

1. 2018

If there was ever a year in which Portugal was going to make a run at the World Cup finals, it was to be 2018. That was when the country had Ronaldo in his prime and they were expected to at least reach the semifinals by a lot of experts. While they didn’t make it that far, the Portuguese still had a solid showing, with Ronaldo having his best World Cup.

In a group that also held Spain, Iran, and Morocco, Portugal defeated Morocco 1-0 while drawing 3-3 with Spain and 1-1 with Iran. In the round of 16, Portugal ran into Uruguay, but ultimately suffered a 2-1 loss that knocked them from the tournament. Overall, Ronaldo had four goals in the four matches that he played, including a hat trick against rival Spain in a match that the Portuguese held with a sense of pride despite ending in a draw.

Ever since it was introduced in the early 1990s, the English Premier League has almost always been the top professional football league in the world. The best players typically want to make their way to England and thus have created a level of competition that’s essentially unmatched. Because of this, it can be difficult for one club to truly stand out among the rest, but it has been done.

We’ve seen a few seasons in which one club was able to dominate, setting records for points and goals. Who has put together the most dominant seasons, though? Here are the top five single-season performances by English Premier League teams, with just three different clubs taking those five spots.

Chelsea (2016-17)

The first two seasons on the list both come from Chelsea, with the first being in the 2016-17 season. Tottenham Hotspur had one of their best campaigns that season but still finished seven points out of the EPL title. That’s because Chelsea was on a tear that year, winning 30 of its 38 matches. Just five of those were losses, as well, finishing the season with 93 points and a +52 goal differential (Tottenham was actually first with +60).

After six matches, Chelsea had won just three while losing to Liverpool and Arsenal. The rest of the way, though, Chelsea barely stuttered. Diego Costa was the top goal-scorer with 20 during the EPL season while Eden Hazard added another 16.

Chelsea (2004-05)

The other Chelsea season which made the list came more than a decade prior to their dominating 93-point performance. Chelsea finished with two more points in this season, but it was actually far more impressive. Not only did they have a goal differential that was five better than the 2016-17 season, but they lost just one match. There were eight draws and 29 wins for Chelsea, finishing with 95 points, which was 12 ahead of second-place Arsenal.

The one loss for Chelsea came in the ninth match day with a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City. The goals were spread fairly evenly amongst the Chelsea players, with 13 for Frank Lampard, 12 for Eiour Guojohnsen, and 10 for Didier Drogba.

Manchester City (2018-19)

Many people who watch the English Premier League felt bad for Liverpool in the 2018-19 season. That’s because they posted one of the best campaigns in league history with 97 points, but it was only good enough for second place. That’s because Manchester City was just one point better, finishing with a whopping 32 wins compared to just two draws and four losses. The goal differential was also absurd for Man City, finishing at +72. No other club besides those two finished with more than 72 points.

What made things interesting was that Manchester City’s struggles came toward the middle of the season. At one point, the club had lost three out of four matches, dropping decisions to Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and Leicester City. However, after the 19th match day, Man City lost just one match while winning the rest. Sergio Aguero had the most goals, scoring 21 in the season.

Liverpool (2019-20)

The following season, things were made right for Liverpool as this time they finished ahead of Manchester City in the top two of the standings. Liverpool didn’t just win the league by one point, however, as they thoroughly dominated with 99 points, which was 18 points ahead of Man City and 33 points ahead of third-place Manchester United. Liverpool finished with 32 wins, three losses, and three draws during the season.

Liverpool had just one draw in its first 27 matches while the rest of them were victories. By then, Liverpool had already set itself ahead of the rest of the group and was able to coast to a title. Most of the losses and draws came at the end of the season, with the leading scorers being Mohamed Salah (19) and Sadio Mane (18).

Manchester City (2017-18)

Only one club has ever been able to achieve 100 points in an English Premier League season, and it came at the height of Manchester City’s run at the top of the table. In the 2017-18 season, Man City got 100 points on the dot thanks to a record of 32 wins, four draws, and just two losses. The club’s +79 goal differential was also a record, and they finished 19 points ahead of runner-up Manchester United.

The two losses came by one goal each, with the first one coming in the 23rd match against Liverpool (4-3) and the other coming in the 32nd week against Manchester United (3-2). Sergio Aguero led all scorers with 21, while Raheem Sterling added 18 and Gabriel Jesus scored 13.

Perhaps more than any other sport in North America, hockey gives its franchises more of a palette to create a unique uniform. The uniforms consist of large sweaters that allow for a lot of room to use, and there are only a handful of teams that are really handcuffed to one design that won’t be changed (Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, etc.).

Some of the newer teams in the National Hockey League have toyed around with a lot of different designs in hopes of finding something different and cool that will catch on with fans. Sometimes it works, and other times it misses badly enough that they get worn once or twice. Here are five of those uniforms that really stood out, with some being beloved while others were panned.

Vegas Reverse Retro

When the NHL launched the Reverse Retro uniform program, many were left wondering what the newer teams like the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights were going to do. The Knights answered that question by not using any throwback uniforms, but instead creating one from scratch. They paid tribute to the resorts of early Las Vegas, with font taken straight from the signs of the Excalibur and Stardust casinos.

That wasn’t the part that made the Vegas uniforms really stand out, though. The numbers were given special stitching, allowing them to glow in the dark. Anyone that has been to a Knights game knows that it’s a spectacle, and seeing the lights go out and the team entering with their lit-up uniforms while “John Wick Mode” plays gets the blood pumping.

Tampa Bay Alternate (Late-1990s)

During the later part of the 2000s, the Tampa Bay Lightning switched to a very simplistic format that many graphic designers absolutely loved. The colors combined well and the minimalist logo really stuck out. However, that wasn’t the case in the late 1990s when the Lightning revealed an alternate uniform.

The alternate took the basic layout of the standard home uniform but added a lot of new bells and whistles. The unis were supposed to show lightning striking down the sleeves while it rained into an ocean that was starting to get a bit choppy. Many said the uniform was much too busy, and it was scrapped for the 21st century, only to return during the Reverse Retro era.

Dallas Stars Alternate (Mid-2000s)

The Dallas Stars had a pretty memorable uniform during the late 1990s and early 2000s when they were one of the premier franchises in the NHL. When they wore their alternate uniforms, however, it was sort of hard to take them seriously. On the black alternate, the star pattern was ditched and instead the only reference to stars was in the form of a constellation on the chest.

The constellation was supposed to represent Taurus, but not many saw it that way. Instead, it looked like a cow and many people referred to the logo as “Mooterus” due to its shape. Was it unique? Absolutely, but they were almost immediately panned by fans around the league. After the 2005-06 season, Mooterus was left behind as the Stars went years without another alternate.

Los Angeles Kings Alternate (1995-96)

While the Los Angeles Kings had the best player in hockey history (Wayne Gretzky), they had one of the most bizarre uniforms. For the 1995-96 season, the team used an alternate uniform that featured two oddly placed grey stripes, but the icing on the unique cake was the logo of a king’s head that hadn’t been used before.

Many came to know this uniform as the “Burger King” jersey due to its resemblance to the fast food mascot. They left almost as quickly as they arrived as the uniforms were only worn a handful of times before disappearing after the season.

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1995-96)

The Kings weren’t the only Southern California team that has a really unique jersey for the 1995-96 NHL season. Back when they were known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and were heavily involved with the Walt Disney Company, the Ducks featured their mascot Wild Wing prominently on their uniform. It looked incredibly busy as they didn’t just use the mascot’s mask, but rather his whole body.

Wild Wing can be shown bursting through a frozen pond on the jersey, carrying a large goalie stick and padded up with the exception of his feet. The logo was simply too large to look natural for their uniform, which is why it was scrapped after just one season. However, nostalgia has put the Wild Wing unis in a better light, and the Ducks chose to use it for their Reverse Retro nights.

Liverpool has one of the richest traditions of any European professional football team, and they have been a mainstay of the upper half of the English Premier League standings since the league started in the early 1990s. Throughout Liverpool history, there have been many players to make their way through the ranks, but only a handful of managers.

With just over 20 managers in a history that dates back well over a century, the Liverpool managers have had varying success. Of these men, which ones have proved themselves as the best? Here are our picks for the top five managers in Liverpool history. Before we begin, some of the managers who just missed the cut include Rafael Benitez, Joe Fagan, Tom Watson, and Roy Evans.

Gerard Houllier

French native Gerard Houllier had a lengthy playing career, spending most of his time with Le Touquet in the 1970s. Houllier would then go on to manage the club, and then spent time with several other clubs including Lens and Paris Saint-Germain. After managing the French national team and U18/U20 squads, Houllier made his way to Liverpool in 1998, sticking around for six years.

The one thing that Houiller is truly missing from his resume is winning the top league title in England. However, there were many other accomplishments, including a winning percentage of 52.12%. Houllier was also able to win the FA Cup and EFL Cup, finishing his career with six total club honours.

Bill Shankly

Like Houllier, Bill Shankly had a long playing career, with almost all of his time spent with Preston North End. The right-half had nearly 300 appearances with the club and immediately went into managing after his 1949 retirement. Shankly had short stints with Carlisle United, Grimsby Town, Workington, and Huddersfield Town before taking over in Liverpool, which would be his final stop that lasted for 15 years.

Shankly didn’t have the extremely high winning percentage like the other managers on the list had, but he did have absurd longevity compared to the rest. Shankly managed 783 matches during his career, winning 407 of them and drawing another 198. Shankly finished with three top league titles and a pair of FA Cups.

Jurgen Klopp

We now turn our attention to by far the youngest man on the list, Jurgen Klopp. The German native spent more than a decade playing for Mainz 05, scoring more than 50 goals in 325 appearances. After retiring in 2001, he took over as the club’s manager where he spent seven years before spending another seven managing Borussia Dortmund. In 2015, Klopp became the 21st manager of Liverpool after the club offered a lucrative contract based on advanced analytics.

After his first seven years, Klopp had the third-highest winning percentage in Liverpool history at over 60 percent. Klopp is the only German manager that Liverpool has had, and he helped guide the team to an English Premier League title to go along with an FA Cup and UEFA Champions League title, making him one of just four managers to do that.

Kenny Dalglish

Kenny Dalglish began his senior playing career with Celtic, making more than 200 appearances and scoring 111 goals. The forward then joined Liverpool in 1977 and played in 355 matches between then and 1990. Beginning in 1985, Dalglish served as a player-manager for the rest of his playing career, slightly extending into his retirement from the pitch. Dalglish resigned in 1991, then went on to manage Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United in the 1990s before returning for one more stint in 2011-12 with Liverpool.

Dalglish holds the Liverpool record for win percentage at 60.91%, putting him slightly ahead of coaching pair William Edward Barclay and John McKenna in the late 19th century. Dalglish won three First Division titles as manager and four FA Charity/Community Shields. 

Bob Paisley

The top spot belongs to Liverpool legend Bob Paisley, who began his playing career with Bishop Auckland for two years before joining Liverpool as a player for 15 years. After 253 appearances, Paisley retired and took some time away from football before coming back as an assistant manager for more than a decade. Paisley then became the primary manager, spending another decade in charge before ultimately retiring.

Paisley was the manager for 535 matches, and the club won 308 of them while only dropping 96. His 57.57% win percentage is good enough for fourth all-time in Liverpool history, but what really helped Paisley stand out was his league trophies. Nobody has more top league titles in England than Paisley, winning six of them in his career. Bill Shankly is second all-time in Liverpool club trophies with 11 while Paisley is far ahead of anyone with 20.

Whether it be the Summer or Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee has often chosen some of the largest and most-visited cities in the world to host the games. However, there have been some notable cities that have been left off ever since the Olympics started moving to different cities at the start of the 20th century.

Which cities are the most egregious omissions to the list of hosts, though? Here are our picks for five cities that should host an Olympics. Some cities that just missed the cut include Chicago (United States), Auckland (New Zealand), Brussels (Belgium), and Cairo (Egypt).

Toronto, Canada

Canada has been the host to the Olympics three times, with the first coming in 1976 when Montreal hosted the summer games. 12 years later, Calgary hosted the country’s first-ever Winter Olympics, and Vancouver became the second in 2010. However, the largest city in the entire country hasn’t hosted the Olympics in any season. That doesn’t mean that Toronto hasn’t at least tried, though.

The first time that Toronto tried to host the games came in 1960, but the city ultimately lost out to Rome. Toronto then tried again in 1964, 1976, 1996, and 2008, and each time was passed over. At this point, it doesn’t seem that Toronto is even all that interested in hosting the Olympics. The city has said that putting together a full bid and playing into the hands of the IOC isn’t at the top of their list.

New York City, United States

Just like Canada, the United States has never hosted the Olympics in its largest city. This comes as a huge surprise to many as the country has hosted the games more than any other country, and New York City certainly has the infrastructure to pull it off. However, the closest that the Big Apple has gotten to hosting an Olympics was when the 1980 Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid.

The bid for the 2012 Olympics nearly went to New York City, but the IOC ultimately decided to have the games in London. Some speculate that the city is simply too packed for the Olympics as it is, but cities with high population density have hosted before. There are still plenty of chances for New York, though, as the city ramps up for a 2036 bid.

Madrid, Spain

Spain is one of the most beautiful and visited countries in the world, but throughout the long history of the Olympics, it has been host to only one Olympiad. That came in 1992 when Spain hosted the summer games, but it wasn’t held in Spain’s largest city, but rather in Barcelona. The games proved that Spain was more than capable of hosting, so it should only be a matter of time before Madrid gets its chance.

Madrid has certainly been trying over the years, too. The city started bidding for the 2012 games and has continued to place a bid in for every Summer Olympics ever since then. Due to being passed over, city officials have talked about taking some time off and then preparing an all-in bid to finally land an Olympiad.

Delhi, India

The largest city in the world (Tokyo) has hosted multiple Olympics, but the second-largest city has not even come close. Delhi, India has a population of more than 28.5 million, which is nearly 3 million more than third-place Shanghai and 7 million more than fourth-place Sao Paulo. What has kept Delhi from hosting the Olympics is simply infrastructure.

Delhi city officials have been making improvements with hopes of one day hosting the Olympics, though. They know that stadiums need to be up-to-date and the city has to be easily accessible to visitors. Because of this, Delhi has high hopes that it will be the host of the 2048 Olympics, which would be the first in India.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Argentina has a rich history of soccer, but the country has never played host to the Olympics. In fact, South America has only had one ever Olympics, and that came in 2016 when Rio de Janeiro, Brazil played host. The natural next step for the Olympics in the continent would be to come to Argentina.

When you come to Argentina, it makes sense to come to Buenos Aires. The city hasn’t really put in a serious bid for the Olympics just yet, but is working with other countries to possibly have a joint bid. However, Argentina is more focused on hosting another World Cup for now, so it could be a while for Buenos Aires.

Some people say that newer is always better, especially when it comes to sporting venues. However, some of the stadiums that have been tossed aside and demolished over the years had a certain kind of charm that a lot of us miss. Whether it’s live animals serving as mascots or an unmatched home-field environment, we wish some stadiums were never abandoned.

Out of all of the past NFL stadiums, though, which ones do we miss the most? These five were memorable for decades and offered great fan experiences, only to be replaced by more cookie-cutter mega stadiums that lack a certain charm.

Miami Orange Bowl

Maybe it was the fact that it was such a historic college football venue that makes people miss it, but there was something intangible about the Orange Bowl that made it the signature football stadium in Florida. Located within the city limits of Miami, the Orange Bowl was home to the University of Miami Hurricanes from 1937 until 2007, while the NFL’s Miami Dolphins played there from their inaugural 1966 season until the end of the 1986 campaign.

During the middle years of the Dolphins playing at the Orange Bowl, an actual live dolphin was situated in the end zone for home games. Even when the Dolphins weren’t at the top of their game, the Orange Bowl was home to five Super Bowls, including three of the first five and four of the first 10. Sadly, the Orange Bowl was demolished in 2008 after the Hurricanes rejoined the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

RFK Stadium

Now known as the Washington Commanders, the franchise hasn’t performed well since making the move to FedEx Field in 1997. When they were still known as the Washington Redskins and playing at RFK Stadium in actual Washington, D.C., however, the team was one of the premier franchises of the NFL.

Teams were legitimately afraid of coming to play games at RFK as the fans would get so rowdy that the stadium would literally shake. While the ‘Skins called RFK their home from 1961 until 1996, the team won three Super Bowl titles and five NFC Championships. After the team moved to FedEx Field, RFK was home to the Washington Nationals for three seasons when they relocated from Montreal, and it took years for demolition plans to come to fruition.

Giants Stadium

Sticking with the NFC East theme, the New York Giants and Jets now play in the massive MetLife Stadium, but for many years called Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey their home. The Giants moved into the stadium when it opened in 1976, which shouldn’t come as a surprise due to being the stadium’s namesake. It took a few years for the Jets to join, though, as they finally came over in 1984.

Due to playing host to two different franchises for decades, Giants Stadium hosted more NFL games than any other stadium by a wide margin when it was shut down after the final game of the 2009 NFL season. It only took a few months for the stadium to go from hosting its final game to not standing at all, as it was demolished in August 2010.

Mile High Stadium

Fans of the Denver Broncos will always remember the glory days of the 1990s and the Elway-led teams that did the Mile High Salute after each touchdown. Mile High Stadium originally opened up in 1948 and was actually a baseball venue with 18,000 seats that was built where a landfill once was. When the Broncos entered the AFL/NFL in 1960, though, the stadium expanded and was home to the franchise through the 2000 season.

Mile High Stadium felt like a huge home-field advantage for the Broncos, especially as expansion continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s. When the Broncos became one of the top teams in the league, the capacity increased all the way to over 76,000. The Broncos moved to a new stadium in 2001 that has switched names several times while the old Mile High was demolished in 2002.

Pontiac Silverdome

For many years, the Pontiac Silverdome was the largest venue in the NFL. Though not really close to downtown Detroit itself, the Silverdome was still the sports hub for the metro area for decades, opening up in 1975 and becoming the home of the Detroit Lions. The Silverdome was known for hosting other events, as well, including WrestleMania III, the 1994 World Cup, and even the 1979 NBA All-Star Game.

When the Lions left the Silverdome for Ford Field in downtown Detroit, they moved to a much smaller venue and the Silverdome stood empty. After many fumbled demolition attempts, the Silverdome finally (and sadly) came down in March 2018.