If you could have one (or two) sports questions answered with absolute certainty...

[danzig6767]

Speaking of poker, i stopped playing online a few years ago, but do play some games with friends once in awhile. That said, i also stopped regularly watching High Stakes Poker on the GSN. Well, i decided to tape a few episodes lately and i saw an absolutely fabulous hand of poker between Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan. I'm not sure if it if it was from this season or last, but it became a 650,000 dollar pot and neither guy had anything. After Dwan threw in a third and final big bluff, around 250,000 i believe even though he only had 9 high, Ivey seriously looked like he might call even though he was only holding a pair of sixes and the board was showing a King, Queen, and Jack i believe.

 

That was fabulous poker to watch between arguably the two best players in the world. Dwan has some ridiculous balls of steel whenever i've watched him play, i'd hate to ever play against the guy while Ivey is thought of as the best player in the world by the majority of the better players. The very definition of sharks at the poker table.

[phxMILWfan]

With Ichiro now over 3,400 hits between MLB and Japan combined... If he had played his entire career in America would he have eventually passed Pete Rose?

[TooLiveBrew]

As for which pro athletes are gay, I'm sure about the same % as is elsewhere, which is anywhere from 2-10%, depending on which survey you believe. I'm shocked no active player has come out, as it would barely make the press after the first one or two...much like minority coaches/managers. I never knew SEA's manager was a native American, for example.

 

I can't find anything noting that Wakamatsu has any American Indian ancestry. Not saying it isn't so, but nothing returned in several searches. His father is Japanese-American, his mother Irish-American (according to his Wikipedia page).

 

And if you're equating homosexuality to skin color, I think you underestimate the amount of homophobia that's prevalent in our culture, and I'm sure especially in the macho world of pro sports.

[logan82]

If Mark A. has been involved in any of the moves Melvin has made, which ones and how involved?

[PlayerHader]

As for which pro athletes are gay, I'm sure about the same % as is elsewhere, which is anywhere from 2-10%, depending on which survey you believe. I'm shocked no active player has come out, as it would barely make the press after the first one or two...much like minority coaches/managers. I never knew SEA's manager was a native American, for example.

 

I can't find anything noting that Wakamatsu has any American Indian ancestry. Not saying it isn't so, but nothing returned in several searches. His father is Japanese-American, his mother Irish-American (according to his Wikipedia page).

 

And if you're equating homosexuality to skin color, I think you underestimate the amount of homophobia that's prevalent in our culture, and I'm sure especially in the macho world of pro sports.

I think he was comparing the afterthought that homosexuality in sports would become after the first few "come out" to the afterthought that minorities being hired as coaches has become.

And I just realize that you may be aware of that, so ignore me if so.

 

[RightFieldCoder]

Just like people ignored the racism in this country in the 40's and 50's? Eventually right minded people will win out.

 

My SO had a good question. What would this year look like if Hoffman was still a dominate closer?

 

I would like to know if the Brewers will ever reward the fans and win a championship.

[NeedMoreFans]

2 more...

 

How far would the Badger basketball team have gone had Devin Harris not left school early?

 

How far would the Badger football team have gone had Brian Calhoun not left school early?

[GAME05]

if you knew for a fact that the Brewers would never again make the playoffs in your lifetime, would you still root for them?

 

considering Joe Montana was arguably the best QB to play the game yet was drafted fairly late, how many superstars in any sport have we never seen because they weren't drafted?

[homer]

GAME05 wrote:

considering Joe Montana was arguably the best QB to play the game yet was drafted fairly late, how many superstars in any sport have we never seen because they weren't drafted?

To piggyback on that... how many guys in the inner city would have been NBA superstars but never even played high school hoops?

[mothershipconnection]

That's actually a cool hypothetical question. I like "who's the greatest (in a given sport) to have had his career derailed by injury, and how great would he have been without getting hurt?" also, "who's the greatest athlete who never played due to personal problems, incarceration, or just not getting a shot and how great would he have been without those problems?".

[valpocrewsader]

To piggyback on that... how many guys in the inner city would have been NBA superstars but never even played high school hoops?

I've always wondered about how many superstar hockey players might be out there who never even laced up skates. Of all sports, it seems like hockey would have the greatest chance for undiscovered talent -- everyone kicks a ball, shoots hoops, throws a football, and swings a bat a handful of times growing up, but ice hockey is just so involved with equipment, prerequisite skills, and kids just aren't nearly as confronted with it. I think about this during the winter olympics all the time. I mean, if you had the skill of an olympic runner, you'd probably figure that out growing up, but it's quite likely you'd never know if you had some incredible god-given gift to be revolutionalize speed skating or curling or skiing or whatever.

 

Same with auto racing. Unless you come from a racing family or something like that, you'd probably never be put in position to realize you're one of the best racecar drivers the world has ever seen.

 

 

[InsomniacInkRoss]

I don't want to turn this into trying to answer these questions... but...

"who's the greatest athlete who never played due to personal problems,

incarceration, or just not getting a shot and how great would he have

been without those problems?"

Earl "The Goat" Manigault would be my answer/guess

 

Would like to add, in the same thought as the last few, how good could American soccer be if it was the #1 sport? If it is what everyone wanted to do?

I don't want to see an entire list, just want to know if Pujols is "clean"

[FVBrewerFan]

My SO had a good question. What would this year look like if Hoffman was still a dominate closer?

Well, this one CAN be answered. When Hoffman was dominant he didn't blow any saves. So, if he was dominant this year, you can add 5 wins to the Brewers record. They would be 39-36 and 2.5 games out of 1st place.

 

 

[mothershipconnection]

Earl "The Goat" Manigault would be my answer/guess

 

That was who I thought of when I got interested in that question, and Lloyd Daniels as well.

[danzig6767]

To piggyback on that... how many guys in the inner city would have been NBA superstars but never even played high school hoops?

I've always wondered about how many superstar hockey players might be out there who never even laced up skates. Of all sports, it seems like hockey would have the greatest chance for undiscovered talent -- everyone kicks a ball, shoots hoops, throws a football, and swings a bat a handful of times growing up, but ice hockey is just so involved with equipment, prerequisite skills, and kids just aren't nearly as confronted with it.

I can relate to this a bit. When i was a kid i played little league baseball and was really good at it, but i so badly wanted to play hockey. Two of my cousins that i was very close to both played pee wee hockey at Wilson Park. Not only that, my grandma lived a few minutes walking distance from Wilson Park and back then the Admirals played there. My uncle was a county worker that took care of Wilson Park and got to know Admiral players enough that two or three times a couple players came over to eat at my grandma's house. I had signed sticks and jersey's. I'd sit and watch the Admirals practice at Wilson Park with my cousin. I'd watch my cousin's pee wee games. I skated all the time. Every Saturday/Sunday night i'd watch Badger hockey rebroadcasts on PBS channel 36 at 10:30 if they played at home, pre-cable TV days.

 

Hockey though was expensive to play and my folks couldn't afford to put me in given they had three kids to feed and take care of. Thinking about it now, i wonder if i'd have been any good at hockey. Man i loved hockey back then.