With the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets entering the NHL as expansion teams in 2000, each new franchise sought to build via the draft. In early years, the Wild and Blue Jackets drafted Marian Gaborik and Rick Nash, respectively, with high first-round draft picks to serve as franchise cornerstone players. Each forward eventually went on to have an illustrious career with the team that drafted him, sitting at or near the top of various career offensive categories, e.g. goals scored. Moreover, the duo had similar overall career lengths and statistics, thus making for an interesting comparison:
The NFL is dominated by athletic marvels, whether it be dual-threat quarterbacks, unicorn left tackles, or physically imposing defensive ends. For instance, at linebacker, Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher had prototypical size and speed and accordingly were among the best defensive players of the 2000s. On the other end of the spectrum, football players lacking ideal physical attributes are often overlooked despite strong production. Instead, it takes grit and perseverance to overcome these perceptions and still be a productive player – case in point, London Fletcher and Zach Thomas were both undersized, yet were two of the best linebackers of their era as contemporaries of Lewis and Urlacher; given their similar paths to great NFL careers, it is natural to compare the pair and ask:
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Milwaukee Brewers had some of their best seasons to-date in the young franchise’s history, led by players such as sluggers Gorman Thomas and Cecil Cooper, catcher Ted Simmons, and pitchers Pete Vuckovich and Rollie Fingers. However, the cornerstones of the team were homegrown stars and future Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Robin Yount – members of the 3,000 career hit club, neither was a flashy star and each was probably a bit underrated, but both were nevertheless consistently great players. As the best players of the 1980s Brew Crew and arguably the two best players in franchise history, it is a natural comparison to make:
Even in a league full of athletic marvels, there are certain players who stand head and shoulders above the rest (literally and figuratively speaking). For instance, at power forward, Shawn Kemp and Amar’e Stoudemire both exhibited a level of athleticism rarely seen at the position and were known for throwing down monstrous dunks while dominating in their respective primes. Though each was later plagued by health and personal issues that ultimately impacted his longevity, the duo remain two of the most electrifying big men ever to don an NBA uniform – given their similarly dominant peaks and overall career trajectories, it is apt to make the comparison and ask:
During the NHL’s big growth phase in the 1990s, the league made a concentrated effort to expand the game of hockey in the South, as evidenced by both expansion teams (Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992-1993, Florida Panthers in 1993-1994, Nashville Predators in 1998-1999, Atlanta Thrashers in 1999-2000) and relocations (Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix Coyotes in 1996-1997, Hartford Whalers to Carolina Hurricanes in 1997-1998). A decade later, the Lightning and Hurricanes hoisted the Stanley Cup in back-to-back NHL seasons (around the 2004-2005 lockout), spurred in large part by the stellar goaltending play of Nikolai Khabibulin and Cam Ward, respectively. Long-time starting goalies who both had up-and-down careers highlighted by their Cup triumphs, there are some strikingly parallels between their careers, which leads to the question:
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