Most exciting player to watch?

[Brendon]

I'm not sure how many people here actually go to games or sporting events, but hopefully it's more than just me...

Anyway, I was just curious at what the most exciting players people who have gone to games remember seeing. For me, it goes like this:

Football - This one is a three way tie between Barry Sanders, Dante Hall, and Reggie Bush. Overall, Barry and Reggie are more exciting, but Dante Hall has had a few "HOLY ****!" moments. I've only been to one Sanders game in person (as compared to two games with Dante and at least an entire season's worth of home games for Bush), but I don't think I've ever seen opposing crowds cheer for the other team's player nearly as often.

Basketball - Jason Williams and Shawn Kemp, here. (And yes, I HAVE seen a few games with Jordan, but I've never managed to catch one where he does anything amazing or clutch.) Williams (back in his Sacramento days) was just amazing at getting a crowd going with fancy passes, crazy shots and dunks. Shawn Kemp is probably the only player who I've actually stood up for after a dunk. Back before the donuts and children, he was an awesome player.

[TheTaxidermist]

For football (Current Player) Steve Smith. The man is an animal. Jerry Rice is probably the most exciting player I've ever seen play at wide receiver. At runningback at least for current players, LaDainian Tomlinson is a very exciting runningback to watch. Barry Sanders is the best ever at runningback in my opinion. He'd lose 3 yards to try to make a big play. You never knew if he was gonna make somethin out of nothin and he usually did. Just a shame the Lions suck and eventually caused him to cut his amazing career short.

In baseball, the most exciting player to watch would have to be David Ortiz. How can someone be so clutch so much?

In hockey, the most exciting players would have to be Alex Ovechkin and Sindey Crosby because those two are the future of the NHL.

[Nick_Fury]

I agree about Ortiz. People should just walk him and Manny in the 9th and take their chances with everyone else. As for someone I have seen in person, I would have to go with Juan Pierre. His speed is amazing and when he hit a ball in the gap or he is on first, anything can happen. He makes a lot of pitchers lose their composure when they have to think about him over at first all the time.

For football, (again, people I have seen in person) I would go with Mike Brown on the Bears. I guess I have always been weaned on defense growing up as a Bears fan and that's why I have picked a safety for my most exciting player. When he is healthy - which he hasn't been recently - he just zooms around the field ever making plays on the ball or making huge hits. It's awesome when a huge hit gets the crowd back in a game.

[Brendon]

Hey, another defense fan! All of my favorite teams have always been offensive based, but growing up I always spent more time at DE or ILB than I did on the offensive side of the ball. There's just something about the hits that makes you love it. That, and making some cocky guy shut his mouth after you completely shut him down.

[Quasar]

Baseball? Football? Basketball? Hockey? Bah.
The July 4th hot dog eating contest. Now that's what I call sport.
Takeru Kobayashi is the man. 53 1/2 dogs in 12 minutes. Ok, maybe it's not sport, but that's a ton of hot dogs. I wonder if this guy can pick up an endorsement contract with Alka Seltzer.

[TheTaxidermist]

I'd have to say the most exciting receiving duo in the NFL is Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. They are simply the best at their position.

[noobman]

NFL Football - Terrel Owens. He may be rude, outspoken, and a bit of a prick off camera, but there's no denying his talent. I love watching this guy play.

Basketball - LeBron James. Lets face it, the kid can do it all. Crazy dunks, a great shot, and good two way play

Baseball - Randy Johnson. Yeah, I chose a pitcher. I picked him cause I think it's pretty amazing, the way he can totally fool you with his pitches. There's nothing better than watching a guy swing, miss, strike out, and walk back to the dugout with no idea as to what exactly happened

Hockey - Now since this is my FAVOURITE sport by far, it's hard for me to choose... but I gotta go with Alexander Ovechkin. He hits hard, scores some of the prettiest goals you'll ever see, and can make some defenceman just look stupid. He's the epitome of pure, raw talent.

[Brendon]

I'd have to say the most exciting receiving duo in the NFL is Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. They are simply the best at their position.

Too bad Porter cares too much about himself to willingly let Moss have the top spot in the WR list. If he would actually try, that would be an amazing duo.

[Chrispy]

Here's my list for active players:

NBA - Kobe. I can't tell count the number of times he just went crazy and torched the opposing team..some of the highlight films I have laying around with him are nothing short of insane.

NFL - Steve Smith. I kept trying to come up with someone, but no one wows me like he can. He can catch the ball behind the line of scrimmage and turn it into a 40 yard gain with ease.

MLB - David Ortiz. It pains me to say as a Yankees fan, but it seems like every single time the Sox need a late home run, he gives it to him. Bah.

[TheTaxidermist]

Too bad Porter cares too much about himself to willingly let Moss have the top spot in the WR list. If he would actually try, that would be an amazing duo.
Yeah but that's no even steven comparison. Moss is twice as good as Porter even though Porter can be an amazing receiver and he proved that 3-4 years ago. Fitz and Boldin are very evenly matched. Their statistics were almost identical last year. 103 receptions for Fitz, 102 for Boldin. I believe Fitz had one more TD as well and the yards were almost equal too. They are both just as dangerous so you can never focus on just one.

[Brendon]

Wasn't Boldin hurt last year? Or was that the year before that?

[TheTaxidermist]

year before. He played through minor injuries last year. He missed two games last year. I believe Fitzgerald missed one. I'm not sure of that but I'm positive Boldin missed two. Fitzgerald has 161 receptions in his first two seasons. That's more than Randy Moss had in Minnesota. Boldin also topped Moss' mark two years ago with over 150 receptions in his first two years, and plus he missed 6 games in 04.

[Chrispy]

I don't recall the running situation in Minnesota during Moss early years, but I can't imagine it being as bad as what Arizona has had in recent years.

I'm not trying to discount their receiving duo, but there are some things to take into account.

[TheTaxidermist]

A good running game makes receivers even more deadly. The Vikings haven't had a good runningback in ages. The Cardinals had the least effective rushing attack in the NFL. I believe they averaged somewhere between 3.2-3.5 yards per carry last year. That's pretty pitiful.

Pretty much what I'm saying is that if there is no running game, they defenses are going to focus more on the receivers. And even with the extra attention on them, they still kicked arse. Now you take a receiver like Moss and then you need to figure in the fact that he's not a very good route runner. He's more of a jump-ball receiver, unlike Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin who are both possession receivers. Moss usually makes things happen after the catch, as do Fitzgerald and Boldin also.

[Brendon]

It's not that the Cards haven't had a running game, it's that they've constantly had the worst (or second worst) OL in the league. Sure, Barry Sanders could run without an OL, but he's the best for a reason. You can put Shaun Alexander on the Cardinals, and he'll struggle to break 1000.