random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear them - Page 30

anatta · #**291** 08-25-2007, 05:21 PM

Was watching a bit of the game on Fox today, Dodgers Mets, they interviewed Ralph Kiner and said he led the NL in homers 7 straight years. Surpised me.

JaredL · #**292** 08-25-2007, 05:23 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Not sure if this was mentioned but Christian Laettner being a former NBA allstar is not the most suprising/remarkable/unbelievable/interesting/mindboggling note on him.

What is, is that he was on the 1992 DREAMTEAM! You know, the one with Jordan, Magic, Bird, Barkley, Stockton, Malone, Robinson, Pippen, Drexler, Ewing, Mullin, and yours mutha f*ing truly....Christian Laettner??????????????????????????

[/ QUOTE ]

Honest question. How old are you?

I'm not being a dick here because I was 12 then and remember it being well known at the time that he was on the team as the best collegiate player. I think most people thought it added a nice touch. I don't remember there being grumbling about who was dropped because of this, nor can I think of anyone obvious, though as I said I was 12 and am not a huge NBA guy relative to a lot of people.

I certainly could see this being surprising if you are younger than say 23 or so or just weren't into sports at the time.

jlocdog · #**293** 08-25-2007, 05:32 PM

'Random sports facts/stats that suprise you when you first here them'

This is the title of the thread. If it is more surprising to you that the OP posted Laettner as being an AllStar then him being considered 1 of the 12 best in the world at the time then congrats.

I am 30 and was plenty old enough to remeber him on the team. The fact that he is on the team is as startling now as it was then. Also, some of the other posts in this thread are very unremarkable but I didn't see anyone trolling them.

Seriously Jared...asking me how old I am in a condescending way...no likey. Don't do it anymore.

JaredL · #**294** 08-25-2007, 05:40 PM

[ QUOTE ]
'Random sports facts/stats that suprise you when you first here them'

This is the title of the thread. If it is more surprising to you that the OP posted Laettner as being an AllStar then him being considered 1 of the 12 best in the world at the time then congrats.

I am 30 and was plenty old enough to remeber him on the team. The fact that he is on the team is as startling now as it was then. Also, some of the other posts in this thread are very unremarkable but I didn't see anyone trolling them.

Seriously Jared...asking me how old I am in a condescending way...no likey. Don't do it anymore.

[/ QUOTE ]

I apologize if I offended. While I knew it could well come off as condescending I wasn't trying to be.

My only point is that to me it wasn't surprising the first time I heard it because the reason he was on the team was given at that time and it kind of made sense as it was the first time professional players had played, at least for a while. I could see it being surprising if say you instead learned it by going to his wikipedia page.

I think that's the key to a lot of these. A ton of them are surprising to people because of the way they learned about them.

TheNoodleMan · #**295** 08-25-2007, 07:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Seriously Jared...asking me how old I am in a condescending way...no likey. Don't do it anymore.

[/ QUOTE ]

This part makes me think you are about 12. Confirm or deny?

ArcticKnight · #**296** 08-25-2007, 07:32 PM

Hope it hasn't been mentioned, but here is an interesting one (at least a few years down the road, anyway).

Neither Wayne Gretzky or Sydney Crosby won rookie of the year in the NHL.

Assani Fisher · #**297** 09-13-2007, 06:17 AM

Just came across another one....

Despite having years like 1650 total yards and 17 TDs in 1998 and 1650 total yards and 14 TDs in 2000, Fred Taylor has never made a pro bowl.

In 1998 especially this seems like a total tragedy. Go look at the numbers that year, and pay special attention to number of carries(Taylor basically outperformed Curtis Martin and Eddie George on about 100 less carries).

Assani Fisher · #**298** 09-13-2007, 06:26 AM

[ QUOTE ]

Honest question. How old are you?

I'm not being a dick here because I was 12 then and remember it being well known at the time that he was on the team as the best collegiate player. I think most people thought it added a nice touch. I don't remember there being grumbling about who was dropped because of this , nor can I think of anyone obvious , though as I said I was 12 and am not a huge NBA guy relative to a lot of people.

I certainly could see this being surprising if you are younger than say 23 or so or just weren't into sports at the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Many people thought it was a very big deal that Isiah Thomas was not on the team, and many many people believed that Michael Jordan had lobbied to keep him off of it(hard feelings dating back to their late 80s rivalry I guess).

Other notables left off the team: Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Hardaway, Mark Price, Dominique Wilkins, Joe Dumars, Kevin Johnson, and a few others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

gusmahler · #**299** 09-13-2007, 03:21 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Hope it hasn't been mentioned, but here is an interesting one (at least a few years down the road, anyway).

Neither Wayne Gretzky or Sydney Crosby won rookie of the year in the NHL.

[/ QUOTE ]Hard to win rookie of the year when you're not eligible for it.

Gretzky played a year in the WHA before they merged with the NHL, so was considered ineligible. He did win the MVP and was tied for the lead in points scored (though he didn't win the scoring title because of the tie breaker).

ArcticKnight · #**300** 09-14-2007, 01:00 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hope it hasn't been mentioned, but here is an interesting one (at least a few years down the road, anyway).

Neither Wayne Gretzky or Sydney Crosby won rookie of the year in the NHL.

[/ QUOTE ]Hard to win rookie of the year when you're not eligible for it.

Gretzky played a year in the WHA before they merged with the NHL, so was considered ineligible. He did win the MVP and was tied for the lead in points scored (though he didn't win the scoring title because of the tie breaker).

[/ QUOTE ]

I was in Edmonton for Gretzky's rookie year in the NHL. I think it's fairly common knowledge about why/how he didn't win. To further compound the NHL's goofy ruling (which was anti WHA), they deemed Peter Stastny elegible for rookie the year in 1981??? Go figure. Years from know it will still be suprising to some fans to know that neither Gretzky or Crosby won, though.