The List — Athletes I'd Pay To Watch

By Jacob Carpenter

Created:
10/14/08 9:45pm

Last updated:
10/14/08 9:45pm

64 comments

Through the magic of five ESPN channels, constant major network sports coverage, a job where I go to sporting events and the bank account of a college student, I don’t have to pay to watch many games. But there are some guys and gals that, given the opportunity, I’d be willing to plunk down good money to watch them in person.

While clinging to every moment of yesterday’s Monday Night Football matchup between the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns (I had a fantasy win riding on the game), I realized how much of a treat it is to watch plus-sized Giants running back Brandon Jacobs bowl over defenders like an offensive lineman. Every time Jacobs got near a Browns tackler, you held your breath, wondering if he would put the defender on his butt three yards from the point of contact or five.

You can’t put a price tag on a moment like that and you can’t duplicate it yourself (Jacobs, on a good day, weighs twice as much as I do. For my sake, I’ll leave it to you to look up how much he weighs).

So who else would I be willing to spend my hard-earned money that I can’t afford to spend on right now? This week’s list:

1. Manny Pacquiao — With the Pretty Boy’s retirement earlier this year, Pacquiao is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I watched him meticulously destroy lightweight David Diaz earlier this year and I expect the lightning-quick Filipino to do the same to the Oscar De La Hoya in December.

2. Joel Zumaya — When the fireballer isn’t sidelined by a shoulder or Guitar Hero-related injury (if not for Kellen Winslow’s enlarged…well, you know by now…that would be the most embarrassing injury yet revealed), there is no pitcher more electric than the Tigers reliever. Call it a homer pick, but if you had to watch three innings of baseball, who would you want to see on the mound more than Zoom-Zoom?

3. Alexander Ovechkin — Sidney Crosby may be a better all-around player, but flash beats dash when it comes to ticket value. The NHL’s best scorer makes sweeter moves than Joey Tribbiani and looks better doing it.

4. Rafael Nadal — There’s a certain joy in the way Nadal plays that makes Roger Federer look like a robot in comparison. Tennis’ first or second best player, depending on the surface, darts around the court with abandon that makes him exciting to watch.

5. Kimbo Slice — Just kidding.

5 (for real). Tyler Hansbrough — My college basketball man-crush is like an Energizer Bunny in Tar Heel blue, jumping up from any knock down (Gerald Henderson, that means you) and coming back twice as strong. Any 6-foot-9 guy that plays as hard as Hansbrough and can knock down a 18-footer gets my dollar.

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Commentary

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tennislover

(10/15/08 1:24am)
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If Federer appears like a robot to people whow admire raw athletic prowess and emotion over pure skill. Nadal plays a style of tennis that is inefficient and, in Agassi’s words, “draws checks that his body can’t cash”. There can be no excuse for running out of gas in a Grand Slam tournament.

A purist would pay to watch Federer’s classical and seemingly effortless game versus Nadal’s rather frenzied grunts, not to mention repeated time-wasting between points. Federer’s game reaches an aesthetic plane not seen since the days of Edberg and Mecir. I would pay to watch Federer practice. But, you are the new generation sports fan, and more power to you.

boxinglover

(10/15/08 3:54am)
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You’re right on! Pacquiao is the most exciting fighter today and the Dream Match with De La Hoya on Dec 6 is worth watching with whatever extra money you have left. Two of the worlds greatest boxer alive today both evenly matched with their advantages and disadvantages will cap the year with a bang! I think Pacquiao will deliver his greatest performance yet, so don’t miss it folks!

afficionado

(10/15/08 4:07am)
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no doubt… pacman is the most exciting and best pound for pound fighter today! It would not be a surprise… Manny will stage again another big upset come Dec 6 with PACMAN’s big “WIN” over DLH…

Viel Mervic

(10/15/08 4:24am)
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Pacquiao is the best there is. Put him on UFC (just kidding) and he’ll still be the best lightweight there. Once he pulls the upset against De La Hoya (I pray he does), he’ll be on the top 20 great fighters of all-time. No doubt about it.

Joselito Madelo

(10/15/08 4:41am)
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Yeah its manny pacquiao and rafael nadal you get my taste…

mudskiper

(10/15/08 4:47am)
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pacquiao has juz made a history in boxing by fighting oscar. imagine, from 106 lbs to 147 lbs! dats a wow to me! its amazing journey. nobody did dat before!

Im an avid fan of roger, i really like the way he play in all surfaces, even he didnt get the paris slam. he juz made an history in tennis. he broke most of all the record, and still…. I admire rafa too… if rafa makes 15 straight final to a slam tournament. i can say, he is better than roger…. lets just wait for three years what this 2 men achieve…

Ted

(10/15/08 5:32am)
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I agree with you. There’s no boring fight with the PACMAN.

maximus

(10/15/08 5:53am)
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NO doubt about it… with PACMAN’S heart, speed and explosiveness i saw another upset. he is a real Mexicutioner. Barrera, Solis,Morales, Marquez, Diaz and Dela Hoya = K.O. Is there no one else from Mexico?

PacnutsDismantler

(10/15/08 5:58am)
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De La Hoya will KO Pacquiao 20 secs of Round 1…

PacnutsDismantler

(10/15/08 6:01am)
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De La Hoya will KO Pacquiao 20 secs of Round 1…

tolosso

(10/15/08 6:10am)
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Pacquiao will look like a punching bag against De La Hoya !!

hoyafan

(10/15/08 6:18am)
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pacman will get a brutal beating against the golden boy… pacman’s luck will run out .

ioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioio

(10/15/08 6:21am)
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most posters here are flips…. so expect nut hugging at its best….

The General

(10/15/08 6:38am)
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How can be a man who moves with lightning speed be a punching bag??? How can you brutally beat a man if you can’t hit him???? No doubt the Golden Boy is one of the greatest fighter of his generation but his time has ran out. Come December 6 all PACMAN haters will be proven wrong. PACMAN will send ODLH to retirement for good.

The Analyst

(10/15/08 7:35am)
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Hmmm…Rd 1 in 20 sec.?, punching bag?…brutal knockout!….Hahahahahahahaha!!…Hehehehehe!!
Hihihihi!!..Hohohoho!!(laughing selections of PacmanFanatics)….uh oh!..i almost forgot the last vowel of the alphabet…HUHUHUHU…(Pac Haters..Got my point?)

lorz

(10/15/08 8:57am)
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Pacman is the best

http://www.lorztech.com

caputric

(10/15/08 9:14am)
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ODLH is too big to mis for the pacman

Lindsay

(10/15/08 9:18am)
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I’m a big Pacman fan and I’m excited about his fight with dlh, but I think dlh is going to be too strong, too big and too skillful for the Pacman but I’m still going to support the pacman all the way and if he loses, it takes nothing away from him because it took an elite welterweight to beat him. After this fight i hope he fights marquez who got lucky twice because he got knocked down on the ending seconds of the first round in the first fight and the ending seconds of the 3rd round in the second fight if it was a minute more he would’ve been knocked out.

boxeo

(10/15/08 9:25am)
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The Pacman is really one of the greatest fighters in boxing history and is no doubt going to be a first ballot hall of famer, he started his pro career at 106 lbs while the elite boxers that he already beat are essentially bigger than he is, because they all started in 3-4 weight divisions over the 106 pounds that Pacquiao started at and still got knocked out or knocked down by the Pacman. Who else from the 106 lbs division can go up in weight up to 135 lbs and still hurt your opponent? no one else can do it just the one and only Pacman.

Blumenschein

(10/15/08 9:38am)
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Rafael Nadal, Oscar Dela Hoya and Manny Pacquiao are one of the few people that are worth watching for. coming December 6, I’m there to watch Pacquiao against Dela Hoya. I like both fighters, some say one has the edge and vice versa; but for me it’s an even fight with one has to take advantage from a certain degree of mistake(s).

clifftags

(10/15/08 9:40am)
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pacman is the modern day of boxing..if we michael jordan in basketball…we have manny pacquaio in boxing…

he truly is the pacman so to speak.
by dec 06, pacman will be leveling up to a superpacman…hehehehe

edong

(10/15/08 9:45am)
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Pacman wins due to ODHL exhaustion. 87 percent of dela hoyas punch will miss, while more than 70 percent of Pacmans punch will be felt by ODLH.

nitro

(10/15/08 9:45am)
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I like the moniker superpacman hehehe.

aries manalo

(10/15/08 10:04am)
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although i think dela hoya is too big and too strong, it will be pac-man for me all the way!

ed baldwin

(10/15/08 10:07am)
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pacman will destroy delahoya. watch it on december 6.

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Sports reporter Jacob Carpenter examines sports issues from the past and present.

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