Alex Ovechkin is now one win away from lifting the Stanley Cup, hopefully putting the questions about his ability to win in the playoffs to rest. He can fill the last hole in his peerless resume. Ovechkin has a shot to end up as the NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer, given he has about 280 goals to go at 32. Someone who is one of the very best players to ever play his sport deserves a moment like this.
Call it a symptom of rooting from Peyton for all those years. No one deserved a win more than him. From watching him, I've started basically accepting that I want every all time great level player to experience Championship glory at least once. Felt the same way about Ed Reed when the Ravens won the 2012 Super Bowl, definitely the same with Dirk (and Jason Kidd, and Peja, and so many members of the 2011 Mavericks), and hell, even LeBron and Kevin Durant. Given that Ovechkin is close to accomplishing this, I wanted to go through the list of guys who ascend next up that list.
Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi
This is limited stricly to the World Cup, but it would be nice if one of the two generational players of the last 10 years gets a World Cup on their resume. Nearly all the all-time greats have one, maybe with the exception of Johan Cruyff (or a George Best - someone who played for a country who never qualified). For Messi, it would be truly meaningful to finally get it to match Maradona. There will sadly always be stupid people in Argentina who will put over Diego because Leo hasn't won a World Cup. For Ronaldo, at least he has a European Champoinship to his name, but a World Cup truly eludes him - the closest he got was a Semifinal appearance as a 20-year old in 2006. Both probably have one more shot after 2018; sadly given it is every four years, it really seems difficult to see either pull it off.
Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw's injuries this year have once again sadly shown that the best is probably behind him. As guys like Kluber and Scherzer and healthy and start gaining on Kershaw, people may soon start forgetting how unconsciably good he was from 2009 - 2016. Kershaw is the best pitcher since Pedro Martinez, and just like Pedro deserved to experience a World Series in 2004, so does Kershaw. Even though my team was the one who capitalized, it was so depressing him wilt in Game 5 last year. He was great in Game 7, but it was already over at that point. Kershaw is one of the truly great people to couple with being a historically great pitcher. More than anyone active in US sports, he deserves a Championship - even if baseball is the sport where rings mean the least for someone's place in history.
Joey Votto
Slowly, Joey Votto has become a beloved figure the last few years, putting up Frank Thomas like numbers for a terrible team in Cincinnati. He had two playoff teams, both felled in teh NLDS. In some respects, I hope he is a Cincinnati lifer. On the other, get him the hell out of there to a playoff bound team who has a shot. If this was two months ago, Votto would be replaced by Ichiro, but with the latter in momentary retirement, the focus shifts to Joey Bats. On the one hand, I wish he stole last year's NL MVP from Giancarlo Stanton, as it would have been hilarious for Joey Votto to have two MVPs. But in the end, Votto can continue his anonymous hall of fame life.
Chris Paul
He's the only NBA player on my list (Harden & Westbrook haven't accomplished enough to me to get a place here). Chris Paul at least can rest easy knowing he made it to Round 3, but then again, it is going to pain him so much to get there, only to shimmy his way to a Rockets 3-2 lead before missing games 6-7. He'll be 34 the next playoffs. He's clearly past his prime. He may only get there in the same way Jason Kidd did in 2011. But even if that is the case, I'm perfectly fine. Here's hoping he is the Sixers backup point guard in 2023.
Joe Thornton
Thornton had his chance in 2016. He was great for the Sharks in their run to the Stanley Cup Final, only for the Sharks to get outclassed by the Penguins. This of course came after so many previous attempts when they had a better team than their 2016 vintages. Thornton is the assist-instead-of-goals version of Obechkin, a generational talent always criticized more than he deserved. In his older days, he started getting the credit as people looked past the playoff failures to focus on his brilliant career, but even then, it would be nice to fill the last hole in his resume. It probably won't happen. This year was tough - his team without him gave the Knights a nice series. The Sharks are built to have a few more good years, but it will become a question if Thornton will be a part of them.
Erik Karlsson
There are a lot of hockey players who have played around 10 years, who have all made a huge impact, who haven't won the Stanley Cup. Guys like PK Subban, or the duo in Tampa (Stamkos & Hedman), but none of them can match Karlsson. This is a guy who put up Orr-like numbers as a defenseman, who carried a notably shit team to overtime in Game 7 of the Conference Finals, pushing the Penguins further than anyone else did in their back-to-back Cup runs. Hopefully, Karlsson can escape a deteriorating Ottawa sitaution and get his Cup. Give me your Doughty's adn Subban's and Hedman's (and Keith's though I'll argue he was a previous generation). Karlsson is better than all of them. The best defenseman of an era needs a Stanley Cup. Hopefully he's also the Captain when it happens, and its not a pathetic Borque situation.
Philip Rivers & Antonio Gates
These two guys went 14-2, 11-5, 8-8, 13-3 in foru straight seasons, and never got close. They've been all-pro level guys since then and haven't gotten close. They've been snake-bitten, whether it was Marlon McCree fumbling a game-sealing interception, or Nate Kaeding missing three field goals, or somehow missing teh playoffs last year with a +81 point differential. For Rivers, he needs it so people can stop pretending he is worse than Eli Manning: Rivers is demonstrably better. For Gates, it would be fitting for a guy who is arguably the best Tight End ever (at least before Gronk takes that title for good). With a rapidly improving defense and an equally rapidly declining AFC, this isn't even too farfetched. Out of anyone named, Rivers probably has the least tenuous claim to being an 'all-time great', but part of that is because he doesn't have a ring. If he had one, he's an easy hall of famer - of course, he should be anyway.
Larry Fitzgerald
If I did this a couple years ago, I would have added Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson to this list, but with those two gone, the last great WR of the 2000s easily gets his place. Fitzgerald has arguably come closer than anyone on the list so far (maybe Messi beats him). Fitzgerald willed the Cardinals to a lead in Super Bowl XLIII (annyoingly, a full 10 years ago!) only to see Santonio Holmes, a guy who was last relevant in 2010, rip it all away. Fitzgerald has been a conssumate pro, even staying in Arizona despite QB turnover and new starts. He also seems probably further away from getting another chance, but I'm all for Fitz signing a 1-year deal with some juggernaut - just as long as it isn't New England.
Call it a symptom of rooting from Peyton for all those years. No one deserved a win more than him. From watching him, I've started basically accepting that I want every all time great level player to experience Championship glory at least once. Felt the same way about Ed Reed when the Ravens won the 2012 Super Bowl, definitely the same with Dirk (and Jason Kidd, and Peja, and so many members of the 2011 Mavericks), and hell, even LeBron and Kevin Durant. Given that Ovechkin is close to accomplishing this, I wanted to go through the list of guys who ascend next up that list.
Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi
This is limited stricly to the World Cup, but it would be nice if one of the two generational players of the last 10 years gets a World Cup on their resume. Nearly all the all-time greats have one, maybe with the exception of Johan Cruyff (or a George Best - someone who played for a country who never qualified). For Messi, it would be truly meaningful to finally get it to match Maradona. There will sadly always be stupid people in Argentina who will put over Diego because Leo hasn't won a World Cup. For Ronaldo, at least he has a European Champoinship to his name, but a World Cup truly eludes him - the closest he got was a Semifinal appearance as a 20-year old in 2006. Both probably have one more shot after 2018; sadly given it is every four years, it really seems difficult to see either pull it off.
Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw's injuries this year have once again sadly shown that the best is probably behind him. As guys like Kluber and Scherzer and healthy and start gaining on Kershaw, people may soon start forgetting how unconsciably good he was from 2009 - 2016. Kershaw is the best pitcher since Pedro Martinez, and just like Pedro deserved to experience a World Series in 2004, so does Kershaw. Even though my team was the one who capitalized, it was so depressing him wilt in Game 5 last year. He was great in Game 7, but it was already over at that point. Kershaw is one of the truly great people to couple with being a historically great pitcher. More than anyone active in US sports, he deserves a Championship - even if baseball is the sport where rings mean the least for someone's place in history.
Joey Votto
Slowly, Joey Votto has become a beloved figure the last few years, putting up Frank Thomas like numbers for a terrible team in Cincinnati. He had two playoff teams, both felled in teh NLDS. In some respects, I hope he is a Cincinnati lifer. On the other, get him the hell out of there to a playoff bound team who has a shot. If this was two months ago, Votto would be replaced by Ichiro, but with the latter in momentary retirement, the focus shifts to Joey Bats. On the one hand, I wish he stole last year's NL MVP from Giancarlo Stanton, as it would have been hilarious for Joey Votto to have two MVPs. But in the end, Votto can continue his anonymous hall of fame life.
Chris Paul
He's the only NBA player on my list (Harden & Westbrook haven't accomplished enough to me to get a place here). Chris Paul at least can rest easy knowing he made it to Round 3, but then again, it is going to pain him so much to get there, only to shimmy his way to a Rockets 3-2 lead before missing games 6-7. He'll be 34 the next playoffs. He's clearly past his prime. He may only get there in the same way Jason Kidd did in 2011. But even if that is the case, I'm perfectly fine. Here's hoping he is the Sixers backup point guard in 2023.
Joe Thornton
Thornton had his chance in 2016. He was great for the Sharks in their run to the Stanley Cup Final, only for the Sharks to get outclassed by the Penguins. This of course came after so many previous attempts when they had a better team than their 2016 vintages. Thornton is the assist-instead-of-goals version of Obechkin, a generational talent always criticized more than he deserved. In his older days, he started getting the credit as people looked past the playoff failures to focus on his brilliant career, but even then, it would be nice to fill the last hole in his resume. It probably won't happen. This year was tough - his team without him gave the Knights a nice series. The Sharks are built to have a few more good years, but it will become a question if Thornton will be a part of them.
Erik Karlsson
There are a lot of hockey players who have played around 10 years, who have all made a huge impact, who haven't won the Stanley Cup. Guys like PK Subban, or the duo in Tampa (Stamkos & Hedman), but none of them can match Karlsson. This is a guy who put up Orr-like numbers as a defenseman, who carried a notably shit team to overtime in Game 7 of the Conference Finals, pushing the Penguins further than anyone else did in their back-to-back Cup runs. Hopefully, Karlsson can escape a deteriorating Ottawa sitaution and get his Cup. Give me your Doughty's adn Subban's and Hedman's (and Keith's though I'll argue he was a previous generation). Karlsson is better than all of them. The best defenseman of an era needs a Stanley Cup. Hopefully he's also the Captain when it happens, and its not a pathetic Borque situation.
Philip Rivers & Antonio Gates
These two guys went 14-2, 11-5, 8-8, 13-3 in foru straight seasons, and never got close. They've been all-pro level guys since then and haven't gotten close. They've been snake-bitten, whether it was Marlon McCree fumbling a game-sealing interception, or Nate Kaeding missing three field goals, or somehow missing teh playoffs last year with a +81 point differential. For Rivers, he needs it so people can stop pretending he is worse than Eli Manning: Rivers is demonstrably better. For Gates, it would be fitting for a guy who is arguably the best Tight End ever (at least before Gronk takes that title for good). With a rapidly improving defense and an equally rapidly declining AFC, this isn't even too farfetched. Out of anyone named, Rivers probably has the least tenuous claim to being an 'all-time great', but part of that is because he doesn't have a ring. If he had one, he's an easy hall of famer - of course, he should be anyway.
Larry Fitzgerald
If I did this a couple years ago, I would have added Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson to this list, but with those two gone, the last great WR of the 2000s easily gets his place. Fitzgerald has arguably come closer than anyone on the list so far (maybe Messi beats him). Fitzgerald willed the Cardinals to a lead in Super Bowl XLIII (annyoingly, a full 10 years ago!) only to see Santonio Holmes, a guy who was last relevant in 2010, rip it all away. Fitzgerald has been a conssumate pro, even staying in Arizona despite QB turnover and new starts. He also seems probably further away from getting another chance, but I'm all for Fitz signing a 1-year deal with some juggernaut - just as long as it isn't New England.
