10 Most Significant Athletes of Our Generation

I love looking back on things I have written in the past because sometimes there is a treasure trove of ideas to be rediscovered. Over a year ago, I came up with this list. It was just for fun, something to send to a few friends. But, I think it is still relevant and at times funny. Some of you might agree and others might just enjoy the trip down memory lane. I hope so. So, without further ado, here are the 10 most significant athletes of our generation.

10) We were 11 years old, (well some of us were anyway), but all of our concepts of right and wrong, fair and unfair, were cemented by the athlete at number 10. With his "Hand of God" goal, Diego Maradona lifted Argentina into World Cup championship history and claimed the throne of the world's best soccer player.

9) Mike Tyson. He was the most feared man in the boxing ring the world over. We all played his video game, we all cried when he lost to James Buster Douglas, we all rued the day he ever got involved with Robin Givens. But then together we all gave up on him after he bit Evander Holyfield's ear, twice, while saying to ourselves, "That was one heck of a train wreck. What happened?"

8) Growing up in the south BP, "Before the Panthers", the only ticket in town was the Washington Redskins. And for a brief and shining moment the most historic Redskin was black. Doug Williams comes in at #8 like a lamb, but boy did he leave the Super Bowl like an unconquerable lion.

7) Dan Jansen. We watched him fall. Twice. The agony of defeat; we learned it from him. Sports humble all in time and Dan Jansen was humilities whipping boy. Oh, how America wept for him in 1988.

6) I give this slot, not to a single athlete, but to a special team. The '86 Mets. For one season they were magical. They played hard and partied harder. The names are legendary, their fall from grace even more so. Doc, Straw, Dykstra, Hernandez, Mookie...To the memories!

5) Tom Brady. Almost Perfect.

4) When the lights came on, he was "Prime Time." Deion Sanders was a two sport star who changed the face of sports forever by being larger than life. Neon Deion. The greatest shut down corner professional football has ever seen and a superbly gifted baseball player. Deion lived the dream! "Must Be the Money."

3) The Fab Five.

2) The greatest two sport star, our generations Jim Thorpe, comes to us from the deep south out of the state of Alabama. He hit home runs that towered over fences and he raced around the bases as easily as he plowed through overrated Seahawk linebackers. He was mythically unstoppable in Tecmo Bowl. He was and always will be Bo Jackson.

1) Michael Jordan. He is ours. A 90's icon. We lived each moment of each championship. He is North Carolina. He is the humble beginnings of a small high school in Wilmington and the Carolina Blue of Chapel Hill. He is the raging Bull. He won before the three point line, and became the master of the modern game. The tongue, the Gatorade, the shoes, and the epic slogans. Capitalism's Prince. He is America. He is Jordan!