Top 10 Favorite Athletes

Not long ago, I threw out my picks for my 10 most hated athletes in all sports. Now it’s time to take a look at who I like. It’s not easy to come up with a list like this since it’s so easy to root against athletes nowadays, but there are a lot of players in sports that I will pull for in almost any situation and I’m obviously going to lean towards the Cleveland teams when it comes to finding my favorites:

10. Chris Paul – Already my favorite PG in the NBA, I dream about the Cavs plugging him into the starting lineup to shore up one of our major weak points in place of Eric Snow. Paul is a true PG who has helped propel the Hornets into contention for a playoff spot. The few games I saw him play, he looked good.

9. Coco Crisp – It was painful to see him leave Cleveland but I hope he helps contribute in Boston when it comes to beating New York in the AL East. Luckily, we’ve been able to forget about Crisp (so far) in 2006 thanks to Jason Michaels, but he’ll still be missed at some point.

8. Jake Peavy – There are certain players you get attached to when you play Fantasy sports and Peavy is the player that I’ve grown to love because of that fact. Peavy was one of my keepers from 2005 as he is one of the great budding aces in Major League Baseball. I got the chance to watch him pitch in the opener and it was a real treat watching him shit down Barry Bonds and the Giants.

7. Jake Westbrook – It’s strange to say this, but this is my favorite pitcher to watch on the Indians. I like his style and his delivery. He’s a quick worker and he has a lot of movement on most of his pitches. I also like the way he moves the ball all over the strike zone. It’s because of these traits that he’s my favorite Indian pitcher. I look forward to him pitching every time he toes the rubber.

6. Ladanian Tomlinson – Among the best RBs in the NFL, and whenever he’s not going up against the Browns, I look forward to seeing him do well. He’s one of the most exciting RBs to watch since my favorite RB Barry Sanders retired. He’s such a complete back and he’s well on his way to capping off a Hall of Fame career out in San Diego.

5. Grady Sizemore – Quickly rising up the charts as my favorite Cleveland Indian. Sizemore is a major catalyst for the Cleveland offense and he just signed a 6 year deal to remain in Cleveland for a while. I like the fact that he hustles, and can do just about anything out on the baseball field.

4. Peyton Manning – Manning is a good dude, and I hate how he’s gotten a bad rap over the years for not stepping up in the big games. No QB since Dan Marino has been as good of a passer as Manning, and it’s great watching him coach the offense as he calls plays, adjustments, and blocking schemes at the line during games. There’s no other QB in the league who does that and he doesn’t get enough credit for doing that.

3. Victor Martinez - My favorite current Indian right now and it’s well deserved. It’s a treat to watch him hit from either side of the plate as he has already established himself as one of the top hitting catchers in all of baseball while he tries to help the Indians win their first World Series since 1948.

2. Charlie Frye – I tend to root for any QB in Cleveland and it’s extra special now since Charlie Frye is a local boy who played football at the University of Akron and resides in the state. Frye burst on the scene in 2005 and instantly became a fan favorite due to his poise and his tough-nosed style of play at the QB position. Let’s hope the Cleveland Browns have improved enough to help him grow in the NFL.

1. LeBron James – The savior of Cleveland basketball as he single-handedly put Cleveland back on the map in the NBA, brought national attention to the team and the city, helped attract top notch players, coaches, and executives, and is helping Cleveland push for its first ever NBA championship. He may be the best professional athlete in Cleveland since the great Jim Brown way back in the 60s, and he’s already one of the very best in the NBA. The only drawback to all this: LeBron is a marked man by many other teams in the NBA and one can only wonder how other teams in the league will go about trying to tamper their way to getting the local boy out of Cleveland.