Lagartixa
Well-known member
Inspired by @AnimeAmore's thread on players you didn't like when they were playing, but came to like (or at least not dislike so much) after they retired, I want to start another one on a related topic.
Have there been any players you liked when they were playing, even though you disliked the teams for which they played?
My dad really disliked two teams: the Cowboys and the Raiders. In the case of the Cowboys, he disliked the way they got so much media attention and he really disliked the "America's team" nonsense. In the case of the Raiders, it was their openly dirty play and the fact that their fans reveled in it. I think he disliked Al Davis too.
So you can imagine my shock when Dad was telling me about George Blanda, and I could see that Dad really respected and even liked Blanda. I said something about Blanda having played many years for the Raiders, and my dad said that he respected Blanda so much that he couldn't ignore it just because Blanda was with the Raiders for so long.
Similarly (but obviously in a different sport), Dad disliked the Red Sox, but respected and even liked Ted Williams.
I can think of a few NFL players that I liked even though I didn't like their teams.
There were Patriots players that I came to like because my neighbor, the town police chief's son who taught me how to play football, liked them so much and managed to show me why, like John "Hog" Hannah, John Adams, and Julius Adams. I went back and forth on Sam "Bam" Cunningham.
We used to call for long passes in neighborhood pickup games as "Grogan to Francis," referring to the Patriots QB and Pro-Bowl tight end, but I have to admit I never really liked Grogan, and while I thought Francis was pretty good at what he did, I was never more than lukewarm on him.
Have there been any players you liked when they were playing, even though you disliked the teams for which they played?
My dad really disliked two teams: the Cowboys and the Raiders. In the case of the Cowboys, he disliked the way they got so much media attention and he really disliked the "America's team" nonsense. In the case of the Raiders, it was their openly dirty play and the fact that their fans reveled in it. I think he disliked Al Davis too.
So you can imagine my shock when Dad was telling me about George Blanda, and I could see that Dad really respected and even liked Blanda. I said something about Blanda having played many years for the Raiders, and my dad said that he respected Blanda so much that he couldn't ignore it just because Blanda was with the Raiders for so long.
Similarly (but obviously in a different sport), Dad disliked the Red Sox, but respected and even liked Ted Williams.
I can think of a few NFL players that I liked even though I didn't like their teams.
There were Patriots players that I came to like because my neighbor, the town police chief's son who taught me how to play football, liked them so much and managed to show me why, like John "Hog" Hannah, John Adams, and Julius Adams. I went back and forth on Sam "Bam" Cunningham.
We used to call for long passes in neighborhood pickup games as "Grogan to Francis," referring to the Patriots QB and Pro-Bowl tight end, but I have to admit I never really liked Grogan, and while I thought Francis was pretty good at what he did, I was never more than lukewarm on him.
