I have had a lot of issues with Eli but there is absolutely no doubt he's a very good person.
I might throw Mike Bossy in there. I was was very, very young when the Islanders were a powerhouse, but Bossy always seemed like the most humble guy for a superstar.
if I was Eli I would not be as gracious. I would likely tell Jones, "... good luck rook, its all yours now I am sure coach has it alk figured out.."
He almost seems too gracious about the whole thing. Just once I would like to know how Eli really feels.
I did love his quote from the press conference about how in football you do what you are told etc. Refreshing this day and age. He is a bigger man than me though, I would be bitter about it and let Jones stink or swim on his own. Laugh too when the likely situation arises that Eli has to come off the pine.
with so many teams here, there's been no shortage of high character/high profile athletes in NY over the years. Curtis Martin, Bernie Williams, Mo Rivera, David Wright, Mattingly, Adam Graves, Mike Richter, Bobby Murcer, Matsui, and countless others.
Difficult to answer without clarity of many things Â
My guess is there have been many extremely classy athletes and difficult to determine. I think lack of media exposure, performance (not being great maybe just pretty good), position probably is why we do not of them as much.
Even if we said it had to be a "star" I am sure there were quite a few in the history of NY sports but for many reasons we know little about.
with so many teams here, there's been no shortage of high character/high profile athletes in NY over the years. Curtis Martin, Bernie Williams, Mo Rivera, David Wright, Mattingly, Adam Graves, Mike Richter, Bobby Murcer, Matsui, and countless others.
I shared this story before but I saw him at a local bagel shop in his hometown. On his way out he made sure to say good bye to a special needs adult eating there that he must have met before. It was kinda funny as he had to call out to him a few time to get his attention when all the other guys in the room were watching his every move and wishing it was them he was talking to (at least I was)
His persona is not an act for the cameras. Not that anyone thinks that.
He was nominated as the lone NYG for NFL Man of the Year multiple times and won it one year (google if interested). So, yes, he embraced NY/NJ and his fan base tremendously while representing the organization near flawlessly.
What I noticed yesterday while watching the interviews with Eli and DJ, they have a tremendous similarity in their attitude, laid back approach, and even how they answer questions. It was a bit erie actually. Notice for example how they often end a short sentence with an "um" or "uh" sound to give them a little extra time to select the proper words with consideration of how their statements come off to the fans and media.
However, when it comes to class, there was no one better than Adam Graves. Even all these years later all he does for the community and how he is still involved in the Rangers organization.
was the guy most Giants fans recognized as "Mr. Giant" until he got caught between the sheets with a stewardess.
I can easily see Eli in the role of "Mr. Giant" and maybe even the modern day "Mr. New York" athlete. Someone mentioned Lou Gehrig... There are a lot of similarities between the Iron Horse and Eli.
RE: Tell you one thing if I was Eli I would not be as gracious. I would likely tell Jones, "... good luck rook, its all yours now I am sure coach has it all figured out.."
… among your friends at work. A real team player, willing to go the extra mile.
But Jeter? I think there is a good bit of evidence that Jeter was more than a bit arrogant, smug, and self-centered. The antithesis of Eli.
I still don't understand the Jeter love. Guy is the fakest guy in sports. I get why Yankees fans love him because of what he did on the field for him, but they are delusional when it comes to how he actually is.
Jeter was great at keeping all of his activities largely quiet Â
A man who said all the right things, did all the right public things as a Yankee, but was rather arrogant and had a vindictive streak. If you got on his bad side, you were permanently frozen out. Neither was the forgiving type.
RE: Jeter had more than a bit of Joe DiMaggio to him Â
A man who said all the right things, did all the right public things as a Yankee, but was rather arrogant and had a vindictive streak. If you got on his bad side, you were permanently frozen out. Neither was the forgiving type.
I think you're letting his Marlins tenure and behavior during it have too much of an impact on your memory of the player.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
I think you're letting his Marlins tenure and behavior during it have too much of an impact on your memory of the player.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
Um, no. I've been saying this about Jeter for at least a decade. The signs have been there for a long time, but most people were blinded to them by their Yankee fandom.
Mariano Rivera is a much better choice than Jeter.
I think you're letting his Marlins tenure and behavior during it have too much of an impact on your memory of the player.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
Plus he had gift baskets waiting in the limo service for all the fine ass he crushed over the years.
Jeter was brilliant as presenting himself as the humble, classy hero.. Â
but Lou Gehrig deserves much more than the few mentions he's gotten in this thread.
As for Jeter, wonderful ball player, good in front of a microphone, great face of the franchise, but c'mon. After the jump throw, his best skill was probably keeping a lot of his behavior out of the papers.
just slightly over Mariano because the NFL life is so much more difficult than the MLB life. Some other good ones mentioned on this thread. But Jeter doesn't belong on it.
His character plus the position he played, the success he had, his longevity and the environment around him make it so for me. For all but a brief window, he always faced a generally negative national media narrative, and never once voiced the kind of frustration with it that would have been totally justified.
In my lifetime, the only NY who compares with those credentials, in my view, is Mo. Even though he was the greatest closer ever, it's admittedly more of a niche role --though hugely important-- than an NFL quarterback.
I think you're letting his Marlins tenure and behavior during it have too much of an impact on your memory of the player.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
Plus he had gift baskets waiting in the limo service for all the fine ass he crushed over the years.
but Henrik Lundqvist's name needs to be added to the list. He's been a model citizen on and off the ice, excellent in the community, and you can tell he genuinely loves his team and city.
Eli is not a Saint
McAdoo was kind enough to let Eli know there was going to be a QB transition
Eli bench himself rather than do what HC asked him to do
hardly a team player
I have a friend who donates her time to Ronald McDonald House, and she said that Piazza would show up and spend hours with the kids, without any press around.
Eli is in that mold, with all of the charity work he has done and continues to do.
I think you're letting his Marlins tenure and behavior during it have too much of an impact on your memory of the player.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
Meh. Mr. Team Player wouldn't move off SS even when the Yankees acquired a superior defensive shortstop.
Don't kid yourself into thinking Jeter didn't have an egotistical streak. Rivera is definitely ahead of Jeter when it comes to this conversation, IMO. I'm not saying Jeter wasn't classy - he was, and he certainly understood the value of discretion in the public eye. But to say "Jeter is the only possible answer..."? Uh, no.
Adam Graves was very involved in the community.
Harry Carson is a pretty classy guy.
Winfield and Mattingly from the 80's
Al Leiter , Gary Cater, Mike Piazza
Eli is at or near the top of the list but NY has had a number of classy athletes mentioned by others.
If your in company with Eli, you did or are doing something right.
For sincere class and humility in great NY athletes it's Mo and Eli for me, at least in my lifetime. Curtis Martin and Adam Graves are up there too. I think the next group could be Judge, Alonso and Saquon.
Eli is not a Saint
McAdoo was kind enough to let Eli know there was going to be a QB transition
Eli bench himself rather than do what HC asked him to do
hardly a team player
I think it was pretty classy of Eli to give the new QB the entire game, rather than to keep a streak alive.
There are two things that I didn't like about DiMaggio.
The way he treated Mantle was poor. He did not like the fact that "The Next Big Thing" was coming and was going to take away attention from himself. He felt threatened by Mantle and was not a good mentor.
The way he demanded to be called "The Greatest Living Ballplayer" after his career was over. Just an insanely egotistical move. Especially since he was never worthy of that title.
A man who said all the right things, did all the right public things as a Yankee, but was rather arrogant and had a vindictive streak. If you got on his bad side, you were permanently frozen out. Neither was the forgiving type.
You could argue DiMaggio didn't always say the right things, at least not like Jeter.
There are two things that I didn't like about DiMaggio.
The way he treated Mantle was poor. He did not like the fact that "The Next Big Thing" was coming and was going to take away attention from himself. He felt threatened by Mantle and was not a good mentor.
The way he demanded to be called "The Greatest Living Ballplayer" after his career was over. Just an insanely egotistical move. Especially since he was never worthy of that title.
A big reason people aren't saying DiMaggio is he wasn't very classy. He was known to be a big prick and a lot has come out since his death to that end. I read a book, I forget by whom, that did not paint him in a positive light at all.
Saw a Documentary several years ago that interviewed several teammates of both Gehrig and Babe and they said Ruth was so open and giving to fans especially the kids in every city and Gehrig couldn't be bothered he just ignored them.
and I'm a Mets fan. Great pitcher but a total a-hole in real life. There are many example of stuff like him agreeing to go to the Boy Scouts, then cancelling without notice to go to a "nicer" dinner etc. I heard stories of him sending the gardener over to the country club by his house to ask for free fertilizer etc so he wouldn't have to pay for it. No class at all.
As mentioned by a few others, Adam Graves is nothing but class.
to be more classy than Mo. I've heard first hand from people who do charity work how selfless Rivera is, both from a time and a financial perspective. Really great to see someone so supremely talented also be so humble.
Very classy for one diagnosed with one of the worst diseases a man can die from.
Voted the best first baseman of all time by the baseball writers' association.
Catfish Hunter was brought to Yank's spring training facility, suffering from ALS, in the hopes that being around the ballplayers would raise his mood. But all he could do was cry.
For me, it has been Jeter, Mattingly, Carson and Van Biesbrouck.
I might throw Mike Bossy in there. I was was very, very young when the Islanders were a powerhouse, but Bossy always seemed like the most humble guy for a superstar.
He almost seems too gracious about the whole thing. Just once I would like to know how Eli really feels.
I did love his quote from the press conference about how in football you do what you are told etc. Refreshing this day and age. He is a bigger man than me though, I would be bitter about it and let Jones stink or swim on his own. Laugh too when the likely situation arises that Eli has to come off the pine.
Even if we said it had to be a "star" I am sure there were quite a few in the history of NY sports but for many reasons we know little about.
Curtis Martin is a good call, too...
His persona is not an act for the cameras. Not that anyone thinks that.
Mariano Rivera is the first guy I think of right up there with Eli.
A couple of Mets come to mind.
Mike Piazza and David Wright
Lundquist
Obviously well before my time but Lou Gehrig from everything you hear/read about.
What I noticed yesterday while watching the interviews with Eli and DJ, they have a tremendous similarity in their attitude, laid back approach, and even how they answer questions. It was a bit erie actually. Notice for example how they often end a short sentence with an "um" or "uh" sound to give them a little extra time to select the proper words with consideration of how their statements come off to the fans and media.
I can easily see Eli in the role of "Mr. Giant" and maybe even the modern day "Mr. New York" athlete. Someone mentioned Lou Gehrig... There are a lot of similarities between the Iron Horse and Eli.
I'm a Yankee fan who doesn't like Jeter, he's a bit of a bish.
… among your friends at work. A real team player, willing to go the extra mile.
Messier was a Ranger from 1991-96 and then again from 2000-04.
I still don't understand the Jeter love. Guy is the fakest guy in sports. I get why Yankees fans love him because of what he did on the field for him, but they are delusional when it comes to how he actually is.
Agreed, Greg.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
Um, no. I've been saying this about Jeter for at least a decade. The signs have been there for a long time, but most people were blinded to them by their Yankee fandom.
Mariano Rivera is a much better choice than Jeter.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
Plus he had gift baskets waiting in the limo service for all the fine ass he crushed over the years.
It's really telling how he and A-Rod's reputations have split following their retirements.
As for Jeter, wonderful ball player, good in front of a microphone, great face of the franchise, but c'mon. After the jump throw, his best skill was probably keeping a lot of his behavior out of the papers.
In my lifetime, the only NY who compares with those credentials, in my view, is Mo. Even though he was the greatest closer ever, it's admittedly more of a niche role --though hugely important-- than an NFL quarterback.
Quote:
I think you're letting his Marlins tenure and behavior during it have too much of an impact on your memory of the player.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
Plus he had gift baskets waiting in the limo service for all the fine ass he crushed over the years.
Hope those gift baskets came with Valtrex.
McAdoo was kind enough to let Eli know there was going to be a QB transition
Eli bench himself rather than do what HC asked him to do
hardly a team player
For me, it has been Jeter, Mattingly, Carson and Van Biesbrouck.
I think Rivera and Bernie need to be on that list too, but I can't argue with any of those.
Eli is in that mold, with all of the charity work he has done and continues to do.
Take yourself back. The guy was the epitome of class. One of the finest players to ever wear the uniform. Led by example. Never bashed teammates or coaches. Derek Jeter is the only possible answer to this question if you're not going to take Eli.
Meh. Mr. Team Player wouldn't move off SS even when the Yankees acquired a superior defensive shortstop.
Don't kid yourself into thinking Jeter didn't have an egotistical streak. Rivera is definitely ahead of Jeter when it comes to this conversation, IMO. I'm not saying Jeter wasn't classy - he was, and he certainly understood the value of discretion in the public eye. But to say "Jeter is the only possible answer..."? Uh, no.
I was going to mention Dave Jennings as well. Not a superstar, but a genuine, likable person.
Harry Carson is a pretty classy guy.
Winfield and Mattingly from the 80's
Al Leiter , Gary Cater, Mike Piazza
Eli is at or near the top of the list but NY has had a number of classy athletes mentioned by others.
If your in company with Eli, you did or are doing something right.
At what he has done with Marlins.
To me, Mariano was the real deal. Always behaved in s dignified manner.
Others
Mookie Wilson
Henrik
Harry Carson
Bill Bradley
McAdoo was kind enough to let Eli know there was going to be a QB transition
Eli bench himself rather than do what HC asked him to do
hardly a team player
I think it was pretty classy of Eli to give the new QB the entire game, rather than to keep a streak alive.
Half ass plan by Mac, literally.
There are two things that I didn't like about DiMaggio.
The way he treated Mantle was poor. He did not like the fact that "The Next Big Thing" was coming and was going to take away attention from himself. He felt threatened by Mantle and was not a good mentor.
The way he demanded to be called "The Greatest Living Ballplayer" after his career was over. Just an insanely egotistical move. Especially since he was never worthy of that title.
Quote:
people aren't bringing up DiMaggio?
There are two things that I didn't like about DiMaggio.
The way he treated Mantle was poor. He did not like the fact that "The Next Big Thing" was coming and was going to take away attention from himself. He felt threatened by Mantle and was not a good mentor.
The way he demanded to be called "The Greatest Living Ballplayer" after his career was over. Just an insanely egotistical move. Especially since he was never worthy of that title.
As mentioned by a few others, Adam Graves is nothing but class.
The book you're think of was Richard Ben Cramer's.
Very classy for one diagnosed with one of the worst diseases a man can die from.
Voted the best first baseman of all time by the baseball writers' association.
Catfish Hunter was brought to Yank's spring training facility, suffering from ALS, in the hopes that being around the ballplayers would raise his mood. But all he could do was cry.