Last week former BU All-American and the captain of the "Miracle on Ice" squad, Mike Eruzione of Winthrop, beat out 4 other finalist to move onto the RBSF ladder, ranked #100. This week is the first battle between people already on the ladder as #96 Ben Coates attempts to swap places with #86, Nomar Garciaparra. A look at the two challengers: COATES: Played 9 seasons with the Pats (1991-99). He totalled 490 receptions for 5,471 yards and 50 TDs. He made 5 straight Pro Bowls from 1994-98. Was team's leading receiver 5 times from 1993-98. On the Pats all-time lists he is #2 in touchdowns, #3 in receptions and #4 in receiving yards. One of the three finalists for the Patriots Hall of Fame this year. GARCIAPARRA: Played 9 seasons for the Sox (1996-2004). In 966 games he batted .323 with 178 homers and 690 RBI. Named to 5 All Star teams. Won the '96 Rookie of the Year. In '98 was runner-up for AL MVP. Won the 1999 & 2000 batting titles. His .372 average in 2000 is Sox record for a right-handed hitter. Also led the league in hits (1997), doubles (2002) and triples (1997) during his stay in Boston. Places top 10 on Sox career lists for Average (4th), Slugging (5th), OPS (6th), Doubles (8th) and Extra Base Hits (8th). THE VERDICT: Due to a slightly longer time span of excellence and the iconic status he once carried here, I'm voting Nomar. Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts and cast your votes!
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13 comments:
Nomar was incredible, but I cannot stop thinking about how sad/ridiculous his downfall has been. Ben Coates was a superstar who played a key role in the suprising Super Bowl appearance year of 1997. Additionally, Ben Coates was by far the best tight end in the game for . Also, he only missed 2 games as a Patriot in 9 years. I give a slight edge to Coates even though Ted Williams just rolled over in his grave.
I am slightly puzzled by the downfall of Nomar in Boston. I attended a screening of the World Series video at the Wang Center in 2004 after they won it, and when Nomar was shown the crowd started to boo. I don't get it. Was Nomar the reason we hadn't won in 86 years? Unfortunately the 2004 Championship was the best thing that ever happened to a million people, but probably the worst thing that could have ever happened to Nomar. He shouldn't be downgraded for what happened after he left town in my eyes.
Ben Coates was a great TE for the Patriots. He most def deserves to be in the Pats hall of fame. Coates didnt really do to much his 1st 2 yrs, then came Bledsoe and he became a great player because of a great QB..yes i said great QB..would you have rather Rick Mier or Mark Brunell
Nomar was consider by many to be the next guy to hit .400 and if i'm not mistaken Ted Williams called him the best hitter he had seen. The praise Williams gave him is enough for me. Had it not been for injuries i think Nomar would've been a 1st ballot MLB hall of famer.
Nomar gets my vote.
ps. Nomar never was up on charges of assault and battery on his girlfriend, Coates was in 1998 and plead no contest
Two Reminders:
1. Don't forget to vote in the actual poll to decide the winner (votes aren't counted off the board).
2. Don't forget to email your Challenge ideas for upcoming weeks.
GMAC - I'll take Brunell over Bledsoe any day.
Career QB rating:
Brunell #23 all time at 88.2
Bledsoe #66 at 77.1 (behind Tony Eason)
Bledsoe best ever for a single season was 87!
Both have a .500 playoff record. Brunell led an expansion team to the playoffs in its second year for crying out loud.
Career playoff stats
Bledsoe QB reating 55 (6TD and 12 INT)
Brunell 64 (11 TD 11 INT)
How about yards per pass attempt?
Bledsoe 6.6
Brunell 6.9
Bledsoe is the most overrated athlete in any sport, ever! His stats are based solely on volume.
I am not saying it is time to induct Brunell into the hall of fame. I am just saying that a 5th round draft pick who was often a backup has stats as good or better than #1 overall Bledsoe.
I hope you don't bring up the quality of teams that Bledsoe played on because the guys who have replaced him have done pretty well.
Buffalo chose JP Lossman over Bledsoe for Pete's sake.
I am going to have to go with Ben Coates on this one.
I think it is not suprising that the year that Nomar left - the Sox won the World Series. Also, my lasting impression of Nomar is him sitting on the bench, unable to play as Derek Jeter dove face first into the stands in Yankee Stadium. Hate to say it - but Nomar was about Nomar. Deciding factor - Coates played in a SB - Nomar could not make it to a WS with the Sox.
Think Nomar still regrets not signing whatever that deal was w/ the sox?? 4 + years, something like 15 million a year? Now he's playing for (relative) peanuts in LA. ouch. I'm guessing his wife outearns him at this point...i vote for coates....nomar's fall from grace has been huge.
Keep in mind that the judgement should only be based on what they did in Boston, and the day he left MANY people were upset about it. I realized that changed when they won the Series, but that doesn't seem like something that Nomar should be punished for. If not for a ridiculous comeback against the Yanks we may still be in a drought and Nomar may be remembered more fondly.
Not only did Coates play in a Super Bowl, but he was a driving force in getting them there. Who was our personnel then: a young Troy Brown, a great O Lineman (Bruce Armstrong), a before his prime Bruschi, and a couple of other solid defensive players (Chris Slade, and Willie McGinest come to mind)
... and Bledsoe. Okay, so that was more names than I initially thought I could come up with, but still... it doesn't begin to compare to the squads we've had in the big game since.
Bledsoe is crap. You are buggin if you think otherwise. His greatest performance was playing second fiddle to Brady weeks before our first Super Bowl. The only records he has are, like throwing 45 completions and attempting 72 in the same game. That's impressive on some level, but not because of elite achievement, more that his arm held up.
Anyway, apart from him there is Troy Brown on offense. Good but not great player. I love him, but that's the truth. Okay, there was Curtis Martin too. Can't say anything bad about him. He did big things in his first couple seasons. Still...
Coates was one of the top Tight Ends of the 90's. I only have Tony Gonzalez, Shannon Sharpe, and Jay Novacek ahead of him in that decade. And with Novacek there is the argument that his supporting cast allowed him to do what he did. Football is not that old a sport (as compared to Baseball, etc.), this puts Ben Coates at least among, or in the understudy section for all time great tight ends.
As for Nomar, he was a good Boston Red Sock. I'm not gonna lie, I enjoyed watching him play and even defended him during the end of his run here when people said he should get out of town. He fell apart. There are many Red Sox I would put ahead of him. This sport has 9 (10 with DH) and throw in a couple more starting pitchers. Football, 11 on D, and 11 on O. Ben Coates IS one of the best Patriots we've had the privilege of seeing.
After Nomar left the Sox and was a Cub, and though our team didn't have to but voted to give him a World Series Ring and his full Playoff salary (for sitting on his couch), and he had the gaul to say, he "wanted" to play for the Yankees, that sealed the deal for me. Despite our team's gracious efforts, that statement showed a bitterness that some had suspected he had, but I was not sure of. That is the ultimate sin in my book. The only Red Sock (don't even know if that is the right way to spell the singular form of that word) I have continued to like/respect after having left us for the Yankees is Wade Boggs. That's it. Go anywhere, not there (the team in Queens is acceptable too). All that said, Coates still was a better player in his sport, did more for our team, which is relevant, and is overlooked continually. I would not be against seeing Nomar inch up in the future, but there is no way Ben Coates should be sitting behind Walker, and others, he needs to move up the maximum ten spots.
I still think that Nomar, at the top of his game, was a top 10 player in the league. Coates never even came close to reaching that height. Nomar was simply a better player, period. And before Nomar we never had a shortstop in Bosotn even think about numbers like .371, 35 home runs, 115 RBI, 50+ doubles, etc. Amazing to me how quickly people forget.
I hear the comparison to Jeter, etc, but he is not going against a guy of that quality here. He is going against somebody who had a very good, but not great career. I'm honestly shocked Coates is winning so easily right now
Looks like people are starting to listen to me...Nomar closing the gap with only 28 hours to go!
Coates was a great player. He just is in a sport where each position is utilized/highlighted less.
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