As part of the 2020 Hockey Hall of Fame class, Marian Hossa was selected in his first year of eligibility; while Hossa was certainly worthy of induction, Alexander Mogilny, who has been on the ballot for more than a decade, was snubbed once again. Yet a closer look at the statistics and accomplishments of Hossa and Mogilny show two players who were relatively evenly matched in terms of both peak performance and overall career achievements – thus, let us compare these two offensively gifted Eastern European NHL stars and evaluate the question:
Who was better – Marian Hossa or Alexander Mogilny?
When you think of the great pitchers of the 1960s and 1970s, the first names that probably come to mind are the likes of Sandy Koufax in the early to mid-1960s, Bob Gibson in the mid to late-1960s, Tom Seaver in the 1970s, etc. And while those pitchers were certainly legends of the game, two other consistently dominant hurlers from that era who may not have gotten the same fanfare were Juan Marichal and Jim Palmer (in fact, Marichal may be one of the most underrated pitchers in MLB history). Despite the stark contrasts between the two – Dominican-born vs. All-American, NL vs. AL, West Coast vs. East Coast, etc., there are also numerous similarities in their consistent brilliance over a decade plus each. Thus, let us compare Marichal and Palmer side-by-side and ask the question:
After John Thompson Jr. took over as the head coach of the Georgetown men’s basketball team in 1972, he helped turn the program into a powerhouse, in the process producing numerous future NBA stars. While the Hoyas have certainly sent a number of elite guards to the NBA (e.g. Allen Iverson and Sleepy Flood), they are perhaps best known for their outstanding big men. In particular, two giants (literally) who stood out at both the college and later professional level were centers Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning; both were All-Americans at Georgetown, top NBA draft picks, and yearly All-Star/All-NBA performers – given their close Georgetown ties and later rivalry in the NBA, it is an inevitable comparison and question:
Who was better – Patrick Ewing or Alonzo Mourning?
In the NFL, the wide receiver position is probably most associated with primadonna or diva-type players, i.e. talented pass-catchers who also like to trash talk, run their mouths, and generally make news off the field – think Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin, Antonio Brown, etc. During the past two decades or so of professional football, two of the brashest and best wide receivers who fit this mold were Chad Johnson and Keyshawn Johnson, who are actually related (Chad is Keyshawn’s cousin). At their relative peaks, each wide receiver was not only an annual 1,000-yard threat, but also generated weekly headlines unrelated to their in-game performances. While passing numbers have become increasingly inflated over time, both still have impressive career totals of 750+ receptions, 10,000+ receiving yards, and 60+ receiving touchdowns – given their similar career numbers, personalities, and familial relationship, it seems only natural to ask the question:
Who was better – Chad Johnson or Keyshawn Johnson?
With his selection to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, Jarome Iginla represents perhaps the last of a dying breed of hockey player: the quintessential power forward (think Gordie Howe, Mark Messier, Cam Neely, Phil Esposito, or Eric Lindros). In fact, with both his physical style of play plus his knack for putting points on the board (career totals of 600+ goals and 1,300+ points), Iginla’s game in many ways resembles that of another great power forward from an earlier generation in Brendan Shanahan. Both were not only consistent point-per-game producers for two decades each, but were also not afraid to drop their gloves if necessary – see this fight between the pair from 2001. Thus, with Iginla rightfully joining Shanahan in the Hall of Fame, let us compare these two skilled physical forces and ask:
Who was better – Jarome Iginla or Brendan Shanahan?
