"Canada's Athlete Of The Year" (December 14, 2003)
Canada's Athlete of the Year is interesting to me, because it often goes to a Canadian in a sport not filled with Canadians. Martin Brodeur can qualify as the best Canadian athlete, but you can argue about 10 other Canadian hockey players too. So, none of them stand out, like 66 or 99 would, so they are all disqualified.
Then, there are sports that don't have athletes, like golf, bowling, or curling. I think a simple rule of thumb is that if you can do the activity while drinking 6 beers, you are not an athlete. Furthermore, while you might have 5 golfers in the whole world that makes 5 million$, you probably have 50 hockey players, and 100 baseball players that earn that much. Golf just does not attract the money/interest that hockey does on a gross level (as opposed to a per game level).
Seriously, only in hockey will players insist on going back to the ice after taking brutal hits that knock them unconscious, or getting stitches. Even an alleged soft Paul Kariya against a confirmed tough guy Scott Stevens came back to score the most improbable of goals.
Have we forgotten that hockey has the most incredible athletes in the world? And that Canada contributes over a third of these?
Martin Brodeur gets my vote that I don't have.
(I'll close posts to this thread, and direct you to Batter's Box.)
--posted by TangoTiger at 10:54 PM EDT