Reading ESPN Page 2's 'Lists.'

[sauce1977.livejournal.com]

After chuckles over a high number of votes for the 2001 Lions being about as bad as the inaugural Tampa Bay Bucs in the 70s, I began to hone in on more Detroit-based 'list' material.

Dirtiest Player in Pro Sports (http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/readers/dirtiest/players.html)

By far, Ty Cobb gained this moniker.

This is one that stuck out like a sore thumb to me.

My grandfather lives near Detroit. He went to games for years and decades past . . . he's seen these old-era guys play. How many people I know who are alive and can say they saw Ruth and Cobb . . .

My grandfather can attest to his voting as 'dirtiest.' The beauty is that he was also one of the best players ever to play for the major leagues.

And then . . . he sharpened his spikes!

I don't condone 'dirty' play. I watched Bill Romanowski on the Raiders these last couple years . . . all 'roided up and in complete rage out there . . . he could surely be blamed as jonesing for Shannon Sharpe in that matchup last year that ended up costing Sharpe an ugly injury and a few games out of action . . . that's just wrong.

However, you have to marvel at the fact that this guy was probably as good as Ruth, on the simple premise that if you went up against him, he'd do ANYTHING to beat you. The result almost always worked out for him.

That's competition. The only guy I know talked of with such an absolute will to be on top is . . . Michael Jordan. Such Machiavellian ethos rarely matches with the most talented players.

My gramps generally tells me of an instance in rag-ball days where someone challenged him on his constant slap-hitting technique. The critique was that he couldn't swing for any power whatsoever.

Pausing, with a smile, gramps then tells me that very game, he went out and socked three homers . . . during the 'dead ball' era.

That is part of the lore of this vicious, wonderous, bigoted, and utterly Alpha Man. Ty Cobb, rest in peace, fire, or wherever . . . he'd have clubbed Babe Ruth if it came down to a crucial victory. :D