Category: Sports

The 2000s were a much different time for college basketball. Shortly after LeBron James went to the professional ranks straight out of high school, a rule was put into place that required players to attend college for at least one year. This caused the later part of the decade to have some elite talent that was NBA-ready.

Coaches of the time had to know how to utilize these players so that they could be part of a team after being the only piece of the puzzle while in high school. As a result, some coaches had a ton of success throughout the 2000s, with these five coaches being the best of the decade.

Jim Boeheim

Jim Boeheim began his head coaching career at Syracuse back in 1976, but heading into the new millennium had never won an NCAA championship. The closest that his Orangemen had gotten was runner-up, losing the 1987 title game to Indiana. After a rocky start to the 2000s, Boeheim landed star recruit Carmelo Anthony, propelling Syracuse to the championship in 2003.

Outside of that, the ‘Cuse had five more appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including reaching the Sweet 16 twice. Boeheim’s teams never lost more than 14 games in a season during the 2000s, and during their championship campaign lost just five times. While he may have been inconsistent, the highs were definitely worth the lows.

Tom Izzo

Tom Izzo had the unenviable task of taking over a Michigan State team in 1995 that had been coached by Jud Heathcote for nearly 20 years. In the first two years, Izzo’s Spartans failed to make the tournament, but he capped off the 1990s with an appearance in the Final Four. Izzo then started the 2000s by winning the NCAA Championship, and the success didn’t stop throughout the rest of the decade.

Izzo led his team to the NCAA Tournament in each season of the decade, including another two trips to the Final Four. Izzo never had more than 13 losses in a season, and never finished lower than seventh in the Big Ten standings. He had a trio of Big Ten championships during the regular season, as well.

Mike Krzyzewski

Coach K was already one of the best coaches in college basketball by the time the 1990s started, and that didn’t change at the start of the 2000s. After nearly winning the NCAA Championship in 1999, Krzyzewski began the 2000s with a 15-1 ACC record and a trip to the Sweet 16. The following year, Coach K led his team to a championship, his third with the program.

There was only one season in which Coach K finished with more than seven losses, and his team still made the NCAA Tournament. There were two trips total to the Final Four during the decade, as well as a quartet of Sweet 16 appearances. During that run, Coach K won the ACC four times.

Roy Williams

Kansas needed a replacement for Larry Brown after winning the NCAA Championship in 1988, and they found the right man in the form of Roy Williams. Williams had a great run with the Jayhawks, which included two trips to the Final Four at the start of the 2000s. After nearly winning the 2003 championship, Williams departed for North Carolina and quickly found success.

In his second season with the Tarheels, Williams finished 33-4 during the regular season en route to his first NCAA championship. He would win another title to cap off the decade and added trips to the Final Four and Elite Eight in between. Overall, Williams won six conference titles during the 2000s between the Big 12 and ACC.

Billy Donovan

During the early 1990s, Billy Donovan was an assistant coach at Kentucky before becoming the head coach at Marshall for two seasons. During that time, Donovan had a 35-20 record and was hired to be the head coach of the Florida Gators in 1996. Donovan had a losing record in each of his first two seasons but turned things around with a Sweet 16 trip in 1999.

In his fourth season, Donovan’s Gators reached the NCAA Championship Game but came up short against the Michigan State Spartans. Donovan would become a mainstay of the tournament throughout the entire decade, and in 2006 he finally led his team to a championship. Donovan didn’t stop there, either, as the Gators won back-to-back titles.

A lot of people look back at the 2000s era of the NBA as one where defenses could still win championships while a new era of superstars was ushered in after the retirement of Michael Jordan. During this time, there was a big shift in how the game was played, and only the best coaches who were able to adapt came out on top.

Out of the many coaches who led NBA teams from the 1999-2000 season to the 2008-09 season, which ones were the best? Here are our picks for the top five coaches of the decade, all but one of whom won an NBA title. Coaches who just missed the cut include Flip Saunders, Doc Rivers, Hubie Brown, and Avery Johnson.

5. Rick Adelman

The only coach on the list who didn’t win an NBA title but was still able to lead his teams to solid seasons is Rick Adelman. The Sacramento Kings don’t have a history of success, but the Adelman era was a great one for the franchise. He took over as head coach in 1998 after coaching the Golden State Warriors, and throughout the 2000s he reached the playoffs in every season.

Adelman never made the NBA Finals during that time, but that’s because the number one coach on the list was constantly in his way. Adelman reached the Western Conference Finals in 2002, losing in controversial fashion. The Kings finished with a 395-229 record under Adelman, good for a .633 winning percentage.

4. Pat Riley

Pat Riley was already one of the most successful coaches in basketball history by the time the 2000s rolled around. He had spent the 1980s coaching the Showtime Lakers and then much of the 1990s with the New York Knicks. In 1995, he was hired as the head coach of the Miami Heat and had a successful end of the decade.

Riley had some ups and downs during his time with the Heat, but there’s no doubt that the high moments were worth it. Riley had two seasons in which he didn’t make the playoffs during the 2000s, but he did have a season in which he won the NBA Championship. With Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal leading the way, Riley won his 5th NBA title in 2006.

3. Larry Brown

Larry Brown is one of those rare coaches who has found success in both college and the NBA. In fact, Brown is the only coach to win an NCAA Tournament and an NBA Finals. Brown won the 1988 NCAA Championship with the Kansas Jayhawks, then turned to the NBA to coach the San Antonio Spurs. He then jumped to the Clippers, Pacers, and 76ers throughout the 1990s.

Brown was still the coach of the 76ers when he reached the NBA Finals to start the 2000s, and had three straight playoff appearances before he left after the 2002-03 season. Brown then coached the Detroit Pistons for two years, and both finished with 54-28 records. Brown reached the NBA Finals on both occasions, winning the 2004 title against the lakers. He then wrapped up the 2000s with stints in New York and Charlotte.

2. Gregg Popovich

After being hired as the San Antonio Spurs coach in 1996, Gregg Popovich got off to a rocky start with a 17-47 record as the team missed the playoffs. However, the Spurs won a title before the 1990s wrapped up, and Popovich extended his great fortune throughout the 2000s. In each season, Popovich’s Spurs made the playoffs, and he won three titles during the decade.

There’s a big jump between the top two and the rest of the field, but Popovich is firmly in the second position. His worst season during the 2000s still saw his Spurs win 53 games and he never finished worse than second in his division. Unfortunately for Pop, three titles still isn’t the record for the decade.

1. Phil Jackson

Ant that’s because Phil Jackson won more champions than any other coach not only in the 1990s with the Chicago Bulls but also in the 2000s with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson took over the Lakers head coaching gig in 1999 and he reached the NBA Playoffs in each of his seasons as a coach. Throughout the decade, Jackson won four titles, including the first three of the 2000s.

Jackson’s fourth title came in the 2008-09 season, and he added a fifth just outside of the decade as he won the 2010 championship. Jackson never had a losing record with the Lakers, and he won the Western Conference six times. He’s had two Hall of Fame-worthy careers if you count his runs with the Bulls and Lakers.

Sports are more than just a game. They provide us with valuable life lessons that can be applied to all aspects of our lives. One of the most important lessons we can learn from sports is how to overcome adversity with grace and dignity. In this article, we will explore what sports teach us about integrity and how it can help us face life’s challenges.

The Importance of Integrity in Sports

Integrity is one of the core values in sports. It means doing the right thing even when nobody is watching. Athletes who demonstrate integrity on and off the field inspire others to do the same. When athletes cheat, they not only let themselves down but also their teammates, coaches, and fans.

In a world where winning is often prioritized over everything else, it takes courage to stand up for what is right. Athletes who show integrity in the face of adversity are true role models. They prove that you don’t have to compromise your values to achieve success.

Overcoming Adversity with Grace and Dignity

Sports provide us with plenty of opportunities to face adversity. Whether it’s losing a game or suffering an injury, athletes must learn how to deal with setbacks and come back stronger. How they handle these challenges can reveal a lot about their character.

Athletes who overcome adversity with grace and dignity inspire others to do the same. They don’t make excuses or blame others for their failures; instead, they take ownership of their mistakes and work hard to improve themselves.

One example of an athlete who demonstrated grace under pressure is Michael Jordan. In his famous “Flu Game” during the 1997 NBA Finals, Jordan played through a severe case of food poisoning to lead his team to victory. Despite being visibly ill throughout the game, Jordan refused to give up or let his team down.

Applying Lessons Learned from Sports

The lessons we learn from sports can be applied beyond athletics. When faced with challenges in our personal or professional lives, we can draw on these experiences for strength and inspiration.

By maintaining our integrity even when facing difficult circumstances, we show ourselves and others that we are capable of overcoming adversity with grace and dignity. We may not always win every battle, but by staying true to our values, we will ultimately emerge victorious.

In conclusion, sports teach us invaluable lessons about integrity that can help us navigate life’s challenges with grace and dignity. By embodying these principles both on and off the field, we become better individuals who inspire others around us as well as ourselves.

Sports are more than just games or physical activities. They also offer a unique opportunity to face our fears and push ourselves out of our comfort zones. Whether it’s trying a new sport, competing at a higher level, or simply overcoming personal challenges, sports can be a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery.

The Power of Sports

Sports have the power to challenge us both mentally and physically. They require discipline, focus, and determination. But they also offer the chance to learn from failure, build resilience, and develop new skills.

For many people, sports provide an outlet for stress relief and a way to stay healthy. But they can also be an avenue for self-discovery and personal growth. By pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones, we can learn more about our strengths and weaknesses, as well as what motivates us.

Overcoming Fear

One common fear that many athletes face is the fear of failure. Whether it’s missing a shot in basketball or falling off a skateboard, the fear of not succeeding can be paralyzing. However, by facing this fear head-on and continuing to try despite setbacks, athletes can build confidence and resilience.

Another fear that athletes may encounter is the fear of injury. While injuries are always a risk in sports, taking precautions such as wearing protective gear and practicing proper technique can help minimize this risk. By acknowledging this fear but not letting it hold them back from participating in their sport, athletes can gain a sense of control over their fears.

Stepping Outside Our Comfort Zones

Trying out new sports or competing at higher levels can also push us outside of our comfort zones. It can be intimidating to join a team or compete with others who are more experienced than us. However, stepping outside our comfort zones in this way allows us to grow as individuals by learning new skills and gaining confidence in ourselves.

For example, someone who has only ever played recreational soccer may feel nervous about joining a competitive league with more skilled players. However, by taking that leap and challenging themselves to improve their game alongside others who are better than them, they may discover newfound abilities they never knew they had.

Conclusion

Sports offer much more than just physical activity – they provide an avenue for personal growth through facing fears and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones. By embracing these challenges head-on instead of shying away from them, we can learn more about ourselves while becoming stronger both mentally and physically. So whether you’re already an athlete or considering trying something new – take that leap! The rewards could be greater than you ever imagined.

Football undoubtedly inspires passion from many of its fans, but some clubs seem to attract more fanatical support than others. We rounded up five clubs who, for better or worse, really took following a sports team to the next level.

1. Manchester United

While Manchester City may be having a moment at the moment, we’re giving this one to Manchester United due to its generational fan love. While all fans like to think their club is the greatest club ever, the Red Devils’ remarkable legacy may actually give the team’s fans true bragging rights to this distinction.

This isn’t to say the fans blindly go along with club leadership—quite the opposite, in fact. For the past few years, United fans have staged many public demonstrations objecting to the club’s current owners, the Glazer family.  In one instance, protesters were so riled up that they stormed the pitch at Old Trafford before a match with Liverpool leading to the game’s cancellation for safety reasons.

These same fans had tried to block the Glazers’ purchase of the team, and were so outraged when the sale went through that they formed their own breakaway club, FC United of Manchester.

Those that stuck around, meanwhile, implored Elon Musk to abandon his plans to take over Twitter and use his $41 billion to buy the club instead.

2. Liverpool

Speaking of Liverpool, they’ve got some truly fanatical—and creative!—fans of their own.

If you take in a match at Anfield, prepared to be wowed by its awe-inspiring crowd mosaics. The idea of one longtime super-fan, Andy Knott, they involve thousands of fans coming together to create a cohesive living piece of art.

These massive displays may look seamless, but it’s a true labor of love—and the embodiment of the lengths Liverpool fans go to again and again.

3. Chelsea

No roundup of fan bases would be complete without mention of Chelsea Football Club, AKA the Blues and the Pensioners. True diehard supporters, Chelsea fans have passionately—and loudly!—backed their team for decades with cheering, chanting, singing, and seas of blue flags.

They’ve also backed their team with death threats. In 2005, top referee Anders Frisk quit his job after he and his family were inundated with threats for Chelsea fans.

They’ll also go to the ends of the earth for their team—or nearly so. In 2019, two Chelsea fans went above-and-beyond to make it to the Euro final: They took four flights, a train, a taxi, and a total of 8 days to make it to the match.

4. Barcelona

Europeans love their football…and their football teams. Barcelona FC’s iconic Culés are the embodiment of fervent fans. According to a Sport+Markt study, the Blaugrana has more fans than any other club in Europe—and nearly twice the fan base of rival Real Madrid.

Just how crazy are Barcelona fans? On the 10-year anniversary of Barcelona’s Champions League victory over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United, the shirt Lionel Messi wore when he scored the game’s second goal was going for a whopping $3,500 on eBay.

And then there’s how they react when players move on. Take in 2002, for example, when Barcelona fans hurled the severed head of a pig at former player Luis Figo during a match against his current team Real Madrid.

5. Real Madrid

While Barcelona may outnumber Real Madrid in European fans, Real Madrid reigns supreme in the teams’ home country of Spain.

This is no better evidenced than by the tens of thousands of crazed Real Madrid fans who swarmed the Bernabeu in the hours before the team’s Champions League semi-final against Manchester City in May.  It’s hardly surprising that the crowd—and city!—went absolutely wild when Los Blancos took home the victory in extra time.

When things don’t go their way, they can be equally rapid. In 2015 after a loss to Barcelona, three Real Madrid fans attacked Gareth Bale’s car. (They were each fined and banned for their actions.)

The sporting world loves a football wunderkind — someone who takes over a match despite being one of the youngest players on the pitch. For most players, however, it isn’t so easy to endure years of toil and sacrifice in the lower leagues. That being said, a select few manage to find their stride later in life. They even convert their experience into production on the grand stage. Noteworthy examples include:

 

Teddy Sheringham

Hall of Famer Teddy Sheringham had a solid early career with Millwall and Nottingham Forest. Still, it wasn’t until he joined Tottenham Hotspur at the age of 27 that his career really took off. Despite this, individual and team honors still eluded him. 

A transfer to Manchester United remedied this, as Sheringham was a key player in the Red Devils’ Treble winning season of 1998-99. After this breakthrough, Sheringham continued to play for more than a decade. He retired in 2008 at the age of 42.

 

Gareth McAuley

It took Gareth McAuley more than a decade of solid performances in the NIFL Premiership, EFL League Two, and Championship before he finally made it to the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion. His top goal-scoring season came at the age of 37. He also made twelve appearances for the National Team in Northern Ireland in 2016 — more than any other year in his career.

 

Jamie Vardy

Jamie Vardy climbed the ranks of European football slowly but consistently. After solid seasons spent with FC Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town, Vardy finally made his ascent to the top with Leicester City.

Despite being with the squad since 2012, it took Vardy several years before he found himself playing for England on the international stage in 2015. Vardy continued to flourish — and in 2020 he became the oldest player to win the Premier League Golden Boot.

 

Antonio Di Natale

Italian football club Empoli enjoyed nine solid seasons from Antonio Di Natale, who helped the squad gain Serie A promotion. Not much was made of his transfer to Udinese in 2004, but it turned out to be the greatest move of his career. Di Natale would go on to flourish, scoring 191 goals in 385 appearances with the club.

 

Kevin De Bruyne

Now a star with Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne began his career with some notable disappointment. His first stint in the Premier League, for example, was brief. After only three appearances with Chelsea, he made his way to Wolfsburg and the Bundesliga.

It was there that De Bruyne began to flourish as a player, winning Germany’s Footballer of the Year in 2015. Back in the Premier League with Manchester City, De Bruyne has become one of the best overall players in the world.

If the footballers referenced above are any indication, it really is never too late to make your mark. They should serve as enduring inspiration for people from all walks of life. No, not everybody can achieve athletic greatness at any time, but these examples remind us that the adage “slow and steady wins the race” is worth repeating.

No matter what era it is or if it’s men or women, there are certain people who dominate in tennis for an extended period of time. Out of the many generations of women’s tennis, there have been a handful of names who have been so much better than the rest of the field that you expected them to win each tournament.

It’s hard to say which ones were the best of the best as they mainly come from different eras, but here are our picks for the five greatest women’s tennis players of all time. Before we begin the list, here are some of the women that just missed the cut: Billie Jean King, Venus Williams, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, and Kim Clijsters.

5. Margaret Court

The first player on the list is Margaret Court, an Australian player who would dominate when it came to her home country’s largest tournament. At the Australian Open Court won her first title in 1960, the same year she became a professional player. Court went on to win the Aussie Open a total of 11 times, four more than anybody else in tennis history.

Court was no slouch in the other grand slam events, either. She won Wimbledon three times while adding five titles each at the French Open and US Open. Court added a long list of titles as a doubles and mixed doubles player, including 12 combined at the Australian Open. While Court played in an easier era, she still proved that nobody was even close to her skill level at the time.

4. Chris Evert

Someone had to take the mantle from Margaret Court as the next best player in tennis, and that honor went to Chris Evert. Toward the end of Court’s career, Evert started to take off and won her first grand slam titles in 1974, just two years after turning pro. That year, Evert won the French Open and Wimbledon, which was just the start for her career.

Evert won a total of 18 grand slam events as a singles player and another two as a doubles player. Evert was certainly more in her element when playing solo, and she won a total of 157 professional tournaments. The 1995 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee pulled home nearly $9 million in career winnings and her record of 34 grand slam finals appearances is top all time.

3. Steffi Graf

Evert played a good chunk of her career in the 1980s, and during that time she had competition from our next two players. The first of which is Steffi Graf, who was the young up-and-comer during the decade whereas Evert was the seasoned vet. The German-born Graf turned professional in 1982 and won her first grand slam title five years later at the French Open.

Graf would win 107 titles in total, good enough for third all-time. The former number-one player took home the championship at 22 different grand slam events and added a doubles title at Wimbledon in 1988. Graf isn’t in the top 10 of prize money due to the increase in payouts but was still able to take home $21.89 million.

2. Martina Navratilova

For many years, Martina Navratilova was considered the greatest player in women’s tennis history, and it’s easy to see why. After several years of grinding as a young professional, Navratilova won her first grand slam in 1978 at Wimbledon and set the record for most titles at the tournament with nine.

Navratilova would win nine more grand slams spread across the other three events, including four US Open championships. Navratilova won a total of 167 professional tournaments, setting the women’s record. Overall she won 1,442 professional matches and earned $21.6 million in prize money.

1. Serena Williams

It should come as no surprise that Serena Williams is the top player on the list as she dominated in the modern era when players from around the world were at a higher skill level thanks to being able to focus on tennis full-time. Williams made her professional debut in 1995 and was a force all the way up until her retirement in late 2022.

As a singles player, Williams won her first grand slam in 1999 by taking the US Open title, and she would go on to add multiple titles from every grand slam event along the way. Williams won a total of 23 grand slam titles, including seven each from Wimbledon and the Australian Open. Just to make things even more impressive, she added another 14 doubles grand slam titles and brought home a record $94.8 million in winnings.

When people think about Nebraska sports, only one thing comes to mind, and that’s football. The Nebraska Cornhuskers have won multiple national championships in football and have produced some of the biggest star players in the college landscape. From Heisman winners to certified star players that made it into the NFL, there are a lot of great Cornhuskers.

Out of the many that have made their way through Nebraska, though, which ones truly stand out as the best? Here are our picks for the five greatest Nebraska sports stars from the gridiron and what made them so special.

5. Lawrence Phillips

The story of Lawrence Phillips is undoubtedly a tragic one, but there was no doubt that when he was on the field, he was the best player. The athletic running back dazzled in his freshman season with 508 yards on just 92 carries. The following year, Phillips gashed defenses for 1,722 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding another 172 receiving yards.

Phillips was well on his way to being the Heisman favorite in 1995, but he got suspended from the team after the Cornhuskers defeated Michigan State. Phillips returned for the Fiesta Bowl and helped Nebraska to win a national championship. He then declared for the NFL Draft and didn’t last long in the league due to off-the-field issues and sadly took his life while imprisoned in 2016.

4. Mike Rozier

The other running back on the list is Mike Rozier, who made his way to Lincoln in 1981 after spending a year in junior college. As a sophomore, Rozier saw significant playing time and collected 943 rushing yards with five touchdowns. Given the starting role the next year, Rozier was able to gallop for 1,689 yards and 15 touchdowns, finishing in the top 10 of Heisman voting.

Rozier then exploded in his final season with Nebraska in 1983. He rushed for 2,148 yards and a jaw-dropping 29 touchdowns. He’d finish his college career with 4,780 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns while also winning the 1983 Heisman Trophy. Rozier then spent his pro career in the USFL and NFL, making the Pro Bowl twice.

3. Ndamukong Suh

Many feel that Ndamukong Suh not winning the Heisman Trophy while at Nebraska was one of the biggest snubs in college football history. Suh played for five seasons in Nebraska, including a redshirt freshman year where he had one tackle. He became more explosive as the years went on, and by 2009, he was the best defensive player in college football.

Suh, in his final season, had 85 total tackles including more than 20 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Suh was absolutely disruptive but still finished just fourth in the 2009 Heisman voting. He finished his college career with 24 total sacks and even added four interceptions on his way to being drafted second overall by the Detroit Lions in 2010.

2. Eric Crouch

Now we get to the quarterback section where we find Eric Crouch. Hailing from Omaha, Crouch decided to stay in-state for his college career and had an immediate impact on the Cornhuskers following a redshirt season. Crouch had 459 rushing yards and 601 passing yards as a freshman and only got better with time.

By his final season, Crouch was the biggest impact player in the nation. In 2001, he won a second Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award while also taking home the Camp, O’Brien, and Heisman Trophies. He finished his Cornhuskers career with 3,434 rushing yards and 59 touchdowns while adding 4,481 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air. 

1. Tommie Frazier

Like Eric Crouch, Tommie Frazier was a player that continued to get better after seeing the field slightly as a freshman. Frazier would win two national titles after coming to Nebraska by way of Bradenton, Florida during the 1990s. Though he didn’t win a Heisman, Frazier still stood out as an all-time great as a dual threat.

Frazier had 1,955 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns on the ground while passing for 3,521 yards and 43 touchdowns during his four-year career. He also threw just 11 interceptions, which is astonishing for a four-year span at any level of football. Unlike the rest of the players on the list, though, Frazier went undrafted into the NFL.

Baseball is one of those sports where you want to try to be around six feet tall as you want to generate power while also not giving too big of a strike zone. However, there have been plenty of short players that made their way to the MLB with the hopes of taking walks and stealing bases.

Then, there were a few players that were really short to the point where they became famous due to their small statures. Here’s a look at the five players to reach the MLB standing at 5’3” or shorter:

5. Pompeyo Davalillo

Also known as Yo-Yo, Pompeyo Davalillo came from Venezuela, which made him one of the first from the country to join Major League Baseball. Davalillo spent much of his time playing in the Minor Leagues due to the fact that he didn’t like flying on airplanes while also getting injured multiple times. Still, Davalillo was able to get at least a little bit of time in the MLB.

Standing at 5’3”, Davalillo appeared in just 19 games, all during the 1953 season with the Washington Senators. During that time, he collected 17 hits in his 64 plate appearances. He was also able to steal one base and knock in a pair of runs. Like everyone else on the list, Davalillo failed to hit a home run during his Major League career.

4. Stubby Magner

When you’re short and played baseball at the turn of the century, you’re bound to have a matching nickname. Born as Edmund Magner in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1888, Magner earned the nickname Stubby due to his 5’3” frame. Magner attended Cornell and turned his attention to professional baseball afterward. 

In 1911, Magner made his Major League debut with the New York Highlanders (now the Yankees). It would be Magner’s only season in the MLB as he had 41 plate appearances. He collected seven hits and four walks en route to a .212 career batting average. Instead of sticking around baseball, Magner returned to Cornell where he coached hockey.

3. Bob Emmerich

Another member of the 5’3” members of the list, Bob Emmerich was a New York City native that was born in the 1800s. Emmerich took many years to reach the MLB as it wasn’t until 1923 he finally made his debut at the age of 32. Emmerich was a member of the Boston Braves during all 13 games of his Major League career.

During that time, Emmerich made 27 plate appearances but collected just two hits and two walks. He was also able to steal one base, though it wouldn’t be enough to keep him on an MLB roster. Emmerich lived until 1948 after his MLB season ended, passing away at the age of 57.

2. Jess Cortazzo

While he’s another 5’3” player on the list, Jess Cortazzo didn’t last as long as the others that have been mentioned already. A native of Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, Cortazzo was just 18 years old when he made his Major League debut in 1923. He did so with the Chicago White Sox, and his debut was his only MLB game to boot.

Cortazzo, as the youngest player in the league at the time, had just one at-bat and didn’t reach base. It was interesting to see that he never got another chance since he was so young, making it so that he had the absolute minimum time that you can get while being in the Major Leagues. Cortazzo lived until 1963, returning to Pennsylvania after his brief MLB stint.

1. Eddie Gaedel

The rest of the list is comprised of players who were the only 5’3” members in league history, but Eddie Gaedel stands well below the rest of the list. Gaedel was just 60 pounds and was 3’7” when he was working on airplanes with the United States Army before turning his attention to performing arts.

St. Louis Browns owner Bill Beeck discovered Gaedel’s showmanship and signed him to play a game with the team to drive up ticket sales. Gaedel, like Cortazzo, had just one plate appearance but was able to reach base. On four straight pitches, Gaedel drew a walk and was pulled for a pinch runner. The next day, American League president Will Harridge voided Gaedel’s contract and his plate appearance was temporarily lifted from the MLB record books.

Trades happen in the NHL all the time, especially these days as teams are more inclined to make moves shortly before the trade deadline every season and either play for a Stanley Cup or build for the future. However, a lot of these trades tend to be for role players that are only on the team for the rest of the season.

Then, there are trades where superstars are sent and received, changing the entire landscape of the NHL. Over the years, a handful of trades have really shaken things up and set multiple franchises on a different course of history. Here are the five biggest trades in the history of the NHL.

5. Joe For Jarome

After the Flames moved from Atlanta to Calgary, the team improved almost instantly and were competitors by the second half of the 1980s. They also had a superstar come up through the ranks in the form of Joe Nieuwendyk, who in his first full season with Calgary scored 92 points in 75 games. In his second season, he was equally impressive and helped the Flames win the Stanley Cup in 1989.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars had just selected Jarome Iginla 11th overall in the 1995 NHL Draft and were in win-now mode with a solid roster. The Stars traded Iginla and Corey Millen in exchange for Nieuwendyk in the ultimate win-win trade. Nieuwendyk helped the Stars win the 1999 Stanley Cup while Iginla became the highest-scoring player in Flames history.

4. Senators Unload Karlsson

The Ottawa Senators were oh-so-close to reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017 but lost to the Penguins. The next year, the team struggled and it seemed their window may be closing, so the team offloaded much of their top talent. Mark Stone went to Las Vegas, Matt Duchene went to Columbus, and Erik Karlsson went to San Jose.

The defenseman was fresh off of a Norris Trophy win and was considered an all-time great at the position. To obtain Karlsson, the Sharks gave away four players and four draft picks, including three first-rounders. It will be many years before a true winner of the trade is fully decided due to the sheer volume of draft picks that have been part of the trade tree since it happened in 2018.

3. Colo-Roy-Do

The Colorado Avalanche had just been established in 1995 after moving from Quebec City, and the team wanted to win a Stanley Cup as quickly as possible. To do so, the team knew that it needed a goalie, and there was no better goalie than Patrick Roy. The timing couldn’t have been any better for Colorado as Montreal had just hired a coach who famously didn’t get along with Roy.

Roy wanted out of Montreal, and he was shipped alongside Mike Keane to the Avalanche in exchange for Andrei Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky, and Jocelyn Thibault. Roy got the lost laugh on coach Mario Tremblay as he won the Stanley Cup in his first season while Tremblay lasted just two years as a head coach.

2. Lindros Comes to Philly

Needless to say, there’s a real doozy at the top spot for this to not be the biggest trade of all time. This is also another trade that involves Jocelyn Thibault and the Quebec Nordiques. In 1992, Eric Lindros was considered the best draft prospect since Wayne Gretzky and was selected first overall by the Nordiques during the draft. 

Every team wanted him, but not many had the trade capital to get him. The Nordiques did, and gave away Steve Duchesne, Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Kerry Huffman, Mark Ricci, $15 million in cash, and two first-round picks that would become Nolan Baumgartner and Jocelyn Thibault. Multiple Hall of Famers were involved in one trade, which is incredibly rare.

1. The King’s Ransom

Of course, when talking about NHL trades, you have to bring up the one that’s had multiple documentaries made on the subject. After coming up with the Edmonton Oilers when they entered the NHL, Gretzky was sent to the second-largest market in the nation, Los Angeles.

The Kings also got Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorely while giving away Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, a trio of first-round picks, and enough cash to keep the small-market Oilers running. So who won the trade? Many say that it was Mark Messier, who got a chance to become the star in Edmonton.