The great one

[wrongway]

Most sports fans know who this refers to, Wayne Gretzky. At work my twenty something co-worker said he was just a cherry picker.

After picking my jaw off the floor me and everyone else in the room took turns bashing him. His records are truly amazing and may never be broken.

 

[cowboyec]

I actually thought this was about The Rock.

I'll leave now.

 

[GMO415]

Funny his son played football as a QB

 

[diefree666]

Jackie Gleason

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I thought it was about Ric Flair.

 

[maxdogg]

His daughter is hot.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Most sports fans know who this refers to, Wayne Gretzky. At work my twenty something co-worker said he was just a cherry picker.

After picking my jaw off the floor me and everyone else in the room took turns bashing him. His records are truly amazing and may never be broken.

That was amazing time period for hockey...

I first started becoming interested in the sport during the Flyer's mini-run. Then you had the Canadians go on a run and then the Islanders.

The sport was slowly changing... Less fighting... More scoring.

Gretzky was an amazing talent, who was surrounded by several great players, who made him better and he made them better. In a game that seems to have a bunch of 3-2's and 2-1's now, back then 6-4's and 5-3's were typical.

The result was a "perfect storm" for a team with unbelievable talent who had the best player in the game.

Very doubtful anyone ever beats many of his records... And impossible under today's rules and mindset in the NHL which depresses scoring.

 

[big dog cowboy]

 

[cowboyec]

Cowboys Congregation says....AND THE MILLIONS......
IF
YOU
SMMMMMMEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
WHAT THE ROCK.
IS.
COOKIN'.
and Amen.

 

[wrongway]

That was amazing time period for hockey...

I first started becoming interested in the sport during the Flyer's mini-run. Then you had the Canadians go on a run and then the Islanders.

The sport was slowly changing... Less fighting... More scoring.

Gretzky was an amazing talent, who was surrounded by several great players, who made him better and he made them better. In a game that seems to have a bunch of 3-2's and 2-1's now, back then 6-4's and 5-3's were typical.

The result was a "perfect storm" for a team with unbelievable talent who had the best player in the game.

Very doubtful anyone ever beats many of his records... And impossible under today's rules and mindset in the NHL which depresses scoring.

Very telling when you look at the amount of games played between him and the rest. The only player in history to have 200 pts. In a season, three times I believe.

 

[Bigdog]

I read his autobiography and I could not believe how good he was. Didn't have great nutrition (ate hot dogs before games) and did not have the physical attributes but was just smarter than everyone else. There was an excerpt in the book where his father threw the puck in the corner and said this is how most players get it but this is how the smart ones do it. His instincts and anticipation skills were off the charts. We may never see some one like him again in our life time.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

There are those few rare athletes that transcend a sport.

I have never been a fan of hockey. Don't have a clue of how many players on a team, how many on the ice at one time, what fouls are called and so on beyond seeing a few "hockey movies". Probably could not name 4-5 hockey stars today and that is with Sports center being more prevalent than it was years and years ago.

But some Stars are just so big that even if you don't watch a sport, you know their names. Gretzky is one of those.

 

[Cowboys_22]

The only hockey game I’ve ever seen is USA vs Russia way back in the last century but when I think of hockey, Gretzky comes to mind. He must have been great

 

[Roadtrip635]

There are those few rare athletes that transcend a sport.

I have never been a fan of hockey. Don't have a clue of how many players on a team, how many on the ice at one time, what fouls are called and so on beyond seeing a few "hockey movies". Probably could not name 4-5 hockey stars today and that is with Sports center being more prevalent than it was years and years ago.

But some Stars are just so big that even if you don't watch a sport, you know their names. Gretzky is one of those.

Being born and raised in Texas, hockey wasn't something I ever watched. I knew a guy that was a big hockey fan and when he found out I had never seen a game in person, he offered to take me. He had 3 pairs of season tickets for the Austin Ice Bats, at different spots in the arena and figured for my first game we would sit in his seats on the glass, right behind the goalie. It was friggin awesome, like a life size 3D TV, guys came crashing into the boards with their face smushed against the glass and all of us just pounding away at the glass. It got pretty crazy down there, felt like a border line riot. I will say watching hockey live, especially in seats like that was a totally different experience.

 

[Bigdog]

The only hockey game I’ve ever seen is USA vs Russia way back in the last century but when I think of hockey, Gretzky comes to mind. He must have been great

Must have been great? He was declared a national treasure for his country. The only other athlete that I know of who has that claim is Pete.

 

[Cowboys_22]

His name is synonymous with hockey...yep must have been great for me to know a hockey player

 

[BigStar]

Being born and raised in Texas, hockey wasn't something I ever watched. I knew a guy that was a big hockey fan and when he found out I had never seen a game in person, he offered to take me. He had 3 pairs of season tickets for the Austin Ice Bats, at different spots in the arena and figured for my first game we would sit in his seats on the glass, right behind the goalie. It was friggin awesome, like a life size 3D TV, guys came crashing into the boards with their face smushed against the glass and all of us just pounding away at the glass. It got pretty crazy down there, felt like a border line riot. I will say watching hockey live, especially in seats like that was a totally different experience.

Same for me with the Capitols in DC. I couldn't imagine watching hockey until I went to the game and was surprised to find I enjoyed it a lot. Would recommend it any day over baseball to football first/only types like myself. I also noticed that the crowd was much more friendly and cordial compared to any other sporting event I've been to. They were teaching me the rules, what to look out for, etc. Changed my whole perspective on the sport.

But to the OP's point I definitely always went straight to Wayne Gretzky before I knew anything about the sport. The Mighty Ducks movie exposed a lot of kids to hockey in parts of the country that normally wouldn't be. Love that movie.."cake eater"

 

[lukin2006]

Gretzky is absulotely one of my top five favourite athletes all-time, and easily one of my favourite people as well. That era was incredible. Growing up watching Gretzky and Lemieau ... amazing ... let’s not forget, if Mario wasn’t suffering from so many injuries throughout his career, he’d likely be right there with Gretzky point wise, maybe even slightly ahead, just a great era.

 

[lukin2006]

Gretzky leaves secret message at LCBO

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2010/12/08/gretzky_leaves_secret_message_at_lcbo.html

One of my favourite stories...this just shows the type of person he is.

There are many stories like this.

Let’s also not forget, his dad Walter is the most famous hockey dad in Canada, and Wayne will tell you how important his parents and family were in his career, a true gentlemen, a true a legend ... in so many ways he’s in a class by himself.

 

[Vomit]

Jackie Gleason

That's the "Great one" to me. I'm old. He MADE "Smokey and the Bandit". Comic gold.