Tag Archives: decade of dominance

H2H 113: Hank Greenberg vs. Johnny Mize – Who was Better?

During World War II, many of MLB’s biggest stars lost years of their playing careers to military service, e.g. Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Bob Feller, etc., just to name a few.  Two of the most productive first basemen of the 1930s, Hank “Hammerin’ Hank” Greenberg and Johnny “The Big Cat” Mize, both served in the war effort for three plus seasons during their prime and consequently, their overall career numbers were impacted greatly by the prolonged absence.  Nevertheless, when they were in the lineup, the duo were among the best first basemen to ever play in the major leagues – in addition to thinking about what could have been, let us compare these two great sluggers and ask:

Who was better – Hank Greenberg or Johnny Mize?

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H2H 112: Brandon Marshall vs. Reggie Wayne – Who was Better?

With the NFL becoming more and more of a passing league, there has been no shortage of outstanding wide receivers since the turn of the 21st century.  In addition to the no-doubt Hall of Famers like Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald, or Calvin Johnson, the recent group of top-flight pass-catchers has tremendous depth and includes underrated, but highly prolific and consistent receivers like Brandon Marshall and Reggie Wayne.  While Marshall and Wayne were never quite THE best receivers in the league, each one was an annual 1,000-yard pass-catcher and a weekly fixture in fantasy football starting lineups; with their careers largely overlapping in the 2000s and 2010s, it is only natural to line them up side-by-side to compare and wonder: 

Who was better – Brandon Marshall or Reggie Wayne?

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H2H 111: Penny Hardaway vs. Brandon Roy – Who was Better?

A basketball player comes into the NBA, takes the league by storm, and quickly becomes a superstar, only to be derailed by injuries and never again return to that form – what could have been?  This career arc has played out in the Association countless times during the league’s history, with recent notable examples including Penny Hardaway and Brandon Roy – both were versatile, all-around players who quickly rose to All-Star/All-NBA status in their early to mid-20s, but were never the same explosive player after a series of knee injuries.  Looking back on these big “what if” players, let us compare the pair and ask:

Who was better – Penny Hardaway or Brandon Roy?

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H2H 110: Brian Dawkins vs. John Lynch – Who was Better?

As literally the last line of defense (hence the name “safety”), an intimidating safety can not only keep points off the board, but can also instill a sense of fear in the opposing team’s offensive players.  During the 2000s, a number of great safeties roamed the NFL’s defensive backfields (Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed, etc.), including a pair of hard hitters in Brian Dawkins of the Philadelphia Eagles and John Lynch of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Both defensive stalwarts were known for bone-crushing tackles, as well as intensity and leadership on the field, thus embodying the proverbial “heart-and-soul” type player any team would be lucky to have.  The career parallels run even deeper, as Dawkins and Lynch both coincidentally concluded their NFL playing days with the Denver Broncos – thus, let us look at these two great safeties of the early 21st century and ask:

Who was better – Brian Dawkins or John Lynch?

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H2H 109: Lou Brock vs. Tim Raines – Who was Better?

The stolen base has become a lost art in the game of baseball – case in point, during the 2019 MLB season, teams averaged 226 home runs, but only 76 stolen bases; in contrast, going back to the heydays of speed in the 1970s and 1980s, there were individual PLAYERS stealing 76 bases in a season!  While Rickey Henderson is widely regarded as the greatest base-stealer ever (he is the only player with more than 1,000 career stolen bases and is nearly 500 ahead of #2), two other prolific speedsters from this era were Lou Brock and Tim Raines.  One was previously the career record-holder for stolen bases and the other was overshadowed in his prime by Henderson, but likewise incredible on the basepaths – with similar career profiles and statistics, both can stake a claim to being the second-best base-stealer of the modern era, thus the question is:

Who was better – Lou Brock or Tim Raines?

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H2H 108: Paul Coffey vs. Denis Potvin – Who was Better?

In the late 1970s and during the 1980s, the NHL saw the rise of two new dynasties in the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers – both teams were blessed with a plethora of Hall of Fame forwards (e.g. Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy for the Islanders, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jari Kurri for the Oilers, just to name a few), star goalies (Billy Smith in New York, Grant Fuhr/Andy Moog in Edmonton), and on the blue line, offensively gifted defensemen in Denis Potvin (Islanders) and Paul Coffey (Oilers).  With multiple Norris Trophies and over 1,000 career points apiece, these two Hall of Fame blueliners are among the greatest defensemen in league history – from their jaw-dropping statistics to individual accolades to team successes, it is only natural to compare the pair and ask:

Who was better – Paul Coffey or Denis Potvin?

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H2H 107: Earl Campbell vs. O.J. Simpson – Who was Better?

Though it has become devalued in the NFL in recent years, the running back position used to be the centerpiece of a football team’s offense, with many franchises using top draft picks on potential workhorse backs.  Before he became infamous as an alleged murderer, O.J. Simpson was a #1 overall draft pick and would go on to become the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season; a few years later, another #1 overall pick in Earl Campbell would take the league by storm with his bruising and powerful running style, and nearly match Simpson’s 2,000-yard season.  As two of the greatest #1 overall picks ever, running backs of the 1970s, and running backs in NFL history overall, let us set aside off-the-field issues and compare these two Hall of Famers to answer the question:

Who was better – Earl Campbell or O.J. Simpson?

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H2H 106: Tiny Archibald vs. Walt Frazier – Who was Better?

Though the NBA in the 1970s may not have had the transcendent superstar power and great rivalries of the decades directly before and afterwards (Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell in the 1960s, Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson in the 1980s), and faced a legitimate competitive threat in the upstart American Basketball Association (ABA), it was nevertheless a high-flying era with no shortage of legendary players.  At the point guard position, two flashy floor generals who stood out during this time were Nate “Tiny” Archibald and Walt “Clyde” Frazier – one was a dynamic playmaker and explosive scoring threat in his prime, while the other was an early prototype “big” point guard who was as colorful off the court as on it.  Both Hall of Famers, let us reminisce on this pair of brilliant 1970s point guards and pose the question:

Who was better – Tiny Archibald or Walt Frazier?

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H2H 105: Wade Boggs vs. George Brett – Who was Better?

While Mike Schmidt was the dominant third baseman in the NL during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s (and arguably the best at the position in all of baseball), the AL also had its share of elite players at the hot corner during this time, chief among them Wade Boggs and George Brett.  Even though their careers overlapped for more than a decade and both are members of the rarified 3,000-career hit club, the two were very different types of players – Boggs the ultimate hit machine and Brett more of an all-around hitter.  Nevertheless, as two of the greatest third basemen in MLB history, the question that thus arises is:

Who was better – Wade Boggs or George Brett?

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H2H 104: Jared Allen vs. DeMarcus Ware – Who was Better?

During the 2011 NFL season, Jared Allen of the Minnesota Vikings and DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys were engaged in a fierce race to break Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record of 22.5 sacks.  While both players would ultimately fall just short of surpassing that mark (22.0 and 19.5 sacks, respectively), this sack race was a microcosm of each player’s greatness as a pass rusher.  For the better part of a decade each, Allen and Ware were among the most feared pass rushers in the NFL, wreaking havoc in the backfields of opposing offenses – given their almost perfectly overlapping playing days and similar career sack totals, it makes sense to line them up side-by-side and pose the question:

Who was better – Jared Allen or DeMarcus Ware?

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