Tag Archives: decade of dominance

H2H 153: Kerry Collins vs. Vinny Testaverde – Who was Better?

When a quarterback is drafted high in the first round, he is expected to become a franchise savior and turn around a team’s fortunes; though some of these lofty draft picks go on to become Hall of Famers (e.g. Peyton Manning and John Elway, to name a few), others are colossal busts (e.g. JaMarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, etc.).  Somewhere in-between these two extremes is the quarterback who does not quite become a superstar, but nevertheless has a very long and productive career as a starter with flashes of brilliance; two signal-callers in recent memory who fit this mold were Kerry Collins and Vinny Testaverde – neither was an all-time great, but both played nearly two decades in the NFL and had Pro Bowl seasons, retiring as among the most prolific passers in league history (which is certainly nothing to scoff at).  Looking back on these two underrated, but productive quarterbacks, the comparisons lead to a natural question:

Who was better – Kerry Collins or Vinny Testaverde?

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H2H 152: Juwan Howard vs. Antonio McDyess – Who was Better?

In the late 1990s, two of the brightest up-and-coming young big men in the NBA were Juwan Howard of the Washington Bullets/Wizards and Antonio McDyess of the Denver Nuggets; both averaged 20+ points per game and were All-NBA selections by the age of 25, leading many basketball pundits to anoint them as future superstars in the post-Michael Jordan era.  While neither player quite reached the expected superstardom for one reason or another, both nevertheless had long and productive careers in the Association; given their comparable playing positions and similar career trajectories across overlapping careers, it makes sense to ask the question:

Who was better – Juwan Howard or Antonio McDyess?

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H2H 151: Ernie Banks vs. Eddie Mathews – Who was Better?

500 career home runs is one of baseball’s magical milestones, with only 28 players in league history having reached that mark as of the end of the 2021 MLB season; aside from those with issues of steroid usage during their careers (e.g. Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, etc.), it is also generally viewed as an automatic ticket to the Hall of Fame.  Among this illustrious group, two of the first 10 players to achieve the milestone were Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews – both longtime NL stars and peers in the 1950s and 1960s, each played a non-traditional power position (shortstop and third base, respectively) and finished his career with exactly 512 home runs, which makes for an interesting comparison:

Who was better – Ernie Banks or Eddie Mathews?

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H2H 150: Dave Keon vs. Henri Richard – Who was Better?

During the 1960s, as the NHL moved from the Original Six era into expansion, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs won nine out of the possible 10 Stanley Cups for the decade (five for Montreal, four for Toronto).  While each team was loaded with future Hall of Fame players, two of the brightest stars were centers Dave Keon of the Maple Leafs and Henri Richard of the Canadiens – despite relatively diminutive physical sizes (both stood less than 5’10”), each was a giant on the ice, playing nearly 20 years apiece for their respective franchises and serving as captain for a number of those years.  Even more than half a century later, these two stars from a bygone era remain legends of the game – in comparing the duo, the question arises:

Who was better – Dave Keon or Henri Richard?

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H2H 149: Scott Rolen vs. Ron Santo – Who was Better?

Note: Updated for Scott Rolen’s 2023 Hall of Fame selection.

In 2012, longtime Chicago Cubs star (and later broadcaster) Ron Santo was finally elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the newly formed Golden Era Committee after never coming close during his 15 years on the regular writers’ ballot, a long overdue recognition for a third baseman who was equally adept with both the bat and the glove.  Fast forward a decade or so, and another all-around great third baseman in Scott Rolen faced a similar uphill climb since first becoming eligible in 2018, finally earning his induction in 2023. A closer look at their respective careers shows some striking similarities between the accomplishments of Santo and Rolen, thus prompting an interesting question and comparison:

Who was better – Scott Rolen or Ron Santo?

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H2H 148: Antonio Gates vs. Jason Witten – Who was Better?

With the evolution of the passing game in football, the tight end position has likewise undergone a revolution from primarily an extra blocker to a versatile pass-catching weapon.  In particular, the 21st century NFL has not only seen all-world tight ends like Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski (arguably two of the best tight ends ever), but also dominant forces like Antonio Gates and Jason Witten – the former is the most prolific scorer in league history at the position, while the latter is the all-time iron man among tight ends and also once held the single-season tight ends receptions record.  Both longtime legends announced their retirement in recent years and are most assuredly Hall of Famers, thus bringing up the debate:

Who was better – Antonio Gates or Jason Witten?

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H2H 147: Antawn Jamison vs. Rashard Lewis – Who was Better?

With the growing prevalence of shooting three-pointers in today’s NBA, stretch forwards are becoming an increasingly important part of any team, i.e. a forward who traditionally was positioned closer to the basket, but has a shooting range that extends to beyond the three-point line.  Yet just a generation ago in the 2000s, such players were still somewhat of a rarity; two of the early prototypes of the modern stretch forward were Antawn Jamison and Rashard Lewis, prolific scoring forwards who could stroke the three-ball.  Given their similar playing styles and perfectly overlapping careers, it is thus a natural question to ask:

Who was better – Antawn Jamison or Rashard Lewis?

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H2H 146: Miikka Kiprusoff vs. Evgeni Nabokov – Who was Better?

For much of the 2000s, the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks were perennial playoff contenders in the NHL’s Western Conference, with the Flames even making a surprise run to the Stanley Cup Finals.  Though both teams were led by offensive stars such as Jarome Iginla (Calgary) and Joe Thornton (San Jose), each was also backstopped by an outstanding goalie in Miikka Kiprusoff and Evgeni Nabokov, respectively.  The two European goalies were workhorses for much of the decade who often competed against each other, both in the NHL and on the international stage; throw in their overlapping careers and near parallel paths to stardom, and it is only a natural question to ask:

Who was better – Miikka Kiprusoff or Evgeni Nabokov?

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H2H 145: Carlos Delgado vs. Mark Teixeira – Who was Better?

First base in the 21st century MLB has traditionally been a premium power position manned by some of the game’s biggest sluggers (both literally and statistically), e.g. Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Howard, etc.  In addition to these aforementioned MVP winners, Carlos Delgado and Mark Teixeira also stand out from the past two decades as consistently excellent, yet perhaps sometimes underrated big boppers at the first base position – in their respective primes, each was a near-lock to hit 30+ home runs and drive in 100+ runs per year.  Moreover, both played the majority of their careers in the AL and finished up their playing days in the bright spotlight of New York – with similar career profiles, it is an interesting profile in comparison to make:

Who was better – Carlos Delgado or Mark Teixeira?

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H2H 144: Matt Forte vs. Ahman Green – Who was Better?

As one of the greatest rivalries in sports, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers have faced off as NFC North rivals more than 200 times dating back to 1921, with the latter holding a slight all-time lead in terms of won-loss record.  Moreover, from Gale Sayers and Walter Payton to Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung, both franchises have a long tradition of standout running backs; in recent memory, two Pro Bowl running backs who donned the respective Bears and Packers uniforms during the 21st century were Matt Forte and Ahman Green – each was a consistent workhorse back in his prime with similar all-around versatility both running and catching the ball, thus making for an interesting comparison:

Who was better – Matt Forte or Ahman Green?

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