Monthly Archives: April 2019

H2H 15: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova – Who was Better?

Throughout the history of tennis, different eras have been defined by their hallmark rivalries, whether it be Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal currently, Pete Sampras vs. Andre Agassi in the 1990s, or Jimmy Connors vs. John McEnroe in the 1970s and 1980s.  Oftentimes, these great rivalries are characterized by their great contrasts; this was certainly the case with arguably the greatest women’s rivalry in tennis history between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Over the course of nearly twenty years, the All-American baseliner and the Czech-born serve and volley-er dominated the women’s game and each staked their claim to best women’s player ever (though Serena Williams has likely surpassed both in recent years) – even today, the debate rages on:

Who was better – Chris Evert or Martina Navratilova?

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H2H 14: Randall Cunningham vs. Michael Vick – Who was Better?

For most of the modern NFL era, general managers and coaches have had a very defined view of the prototypical quarterback: a tall, usually white, relatively immobile player who is a traditional pocket passer with a strong arm.  Even as black quarterbacks such as James Harris, Doug Williams, and Warren Moon began to enter the league, they were still relatively traditional quarterbacks; however, the NFL would soon witness the advent of the dual-threat quarterback with “The Ultimate Weapon” Randall Cunningham in the late 1980s and then later, the electric Michael Vick in early 2000s.  As mobile, scrambling quarterbacks have become more popular at all levels of football, we look back upon two of the pioneers of the dual-threat quarterback and ask:

Who was better – Randall Cunningham or Michael Vick?

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H2H 13: Daniel Sedin vs. Henrik Sedin – Who was Better?

Much like father and son duos (see Bobby and Brett Hull), there have been many great sibling combos in sports history, from Peyton and Eli Manning in football to Pau and Marc Gasol in basketball to the Alou and DiMaggio brothers in baseball to Phil and Tony Esposito in hockey, etc. Go a step further and there have even been numerous accomplished sets of identical twins (Ronde and Tiki Barber, Brook and Robin Lopez, etc.) – however with the exception of doubles partners Bob and Mike Bryan in tennis, perhaps no brothers/identical twins have had their careers quite as intertwined as Daniel and Henrik Sedin.  As long-time stalwarts for the Vancouver Canucks, the brothers were drafted together, played their entire careers with the Canucks together, and retired together. Given how closely their careers were linked (you could almost say they were identical…), naturally one might ask:

Who was better – Daniel Sedin or Henrik Sedin?

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H2H 12: Hakeem Olajuwon vs. David Robinson – Who was Better?

While today’s NBA game values finesse and shooting (particularly from the three-point line), the 1980s and 1990s saw a different style of play that focused on power and physicality.  As such, the old-school NBA was dominated by towering seven-foot centers that controlled the paint both offensively and defensively, and often formed the foundation of successful teams during that time.  In an era that featured centers like Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Brad Daugherty, and Dikembe Mutombo, just to name a few, two of most dominant big men were Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets and David “The Admiral” Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs.  Each player was a number one overall pick, an MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, and an NBA champion, leading to inevitable comparisons and the obvious question:

Who was better – Hakeem Olajuwon or David Robinson?

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