In last week's Ladder Challenge it was Paul Pierce defeating Roger Clemens and moving up to the #26 spot. This week it is the only undefeated heavyweight champion in history, Rocky Marciano (#14), attempting to move up the Ladder by challenging Celtics legend, and owner of 16 championship rings, Red Auerbach (#8). In a virtual coin flip I'm backing the Brockton Blockbuster, since I believe a great athlete slightly trumps a great coach/GM.....even the greatest coach/GM of all-time. Who has your support in this week's Ladder Challenge?
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10 comments:
RED AUERBACH
Currently Ranked: 8
Challenge Record: 1-0-0
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*Worked for the Celtics for a total of 57 years as a head coach (1950-66), general manager (1966-84) and team president (1984-2006).
*As head coach he led the Celtics to 9 NBA Championships, including 8 in a row (1957, 1959-66).
*Coaching record with Boston of 795-397 (.667) in the regular season and 90-58 (.608) in the playoffs.
*Named 1965 NBA Coach of the Year, an award that is now named in his honor.
*Most wins of any coach in Celtics franchise history.
*Won 6 more titles as Celts GM (1967-69, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984).
*Named 1980 NBA Executive of the Year.
*Won another title (1986) while team president.
*Total of 16 NBA Championships.
*Named to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969.
*Celtics have retired the #2 in his honor.
ROCKY MARCIANO
Currently Ranked: 14
Challenge Record: 0-1-0
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*Native of Brockton, Mass.
*Professional heavyweight boxer from 1947-55.
*World Heavyweight Champion from 1952-55.
*Retired with a perfect 49-0 record with 44 KO.
*Was 8-0 with 7 KO in title fights.
*Was named Ring Magazine Figher of the Year 3-times (1952, 1954-55).
*Was winning boxer in Ring Magazine Fight of the Year 3 consecutive years from 1952-54 (1952: KO Jersey Joe Walcott in 13. 1953: KO Roland La Starza in 11. 1954: KO Ezzard Charles in 8).
*His 49 consecutive wins is longest streak ever for a heavyweight.
*Only Heavyweight Champion to finish career undefeated.
*Only knocked down twice his entire career (he KO’d both of those opponents).
*Elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
It is obviously difficult to vote against a man who had a hand in 16 of the Celtics championships, but I do think a Boston (Brockton) native deserves to be in the Top 10...especially one with credentials like Rocky's. Auerbach was certainly amazing...and I don't think he deserves to fall down to #14 if he loses...but he didn't win every title, Rocky did. Red is certainly close, but no cigar.
How is it possible it took until 1990 for Marciano to get into the Hall of Fame of Boxing?
Did it open in '89?
Do they only put one guy in per year?
1990 was the first class....53 were inducted. I was actually going to write "inaugural class" and forgot to go back and edit. Good catch.
I actually broke down outside of the boxing hall of fame about 10 years ago and the guy who ran it let us wait in there and so we got a private tour of everything. Pretty neat. He was really excited that I was from the same down as Paul Pender.
According to him, Willie Pep was his favorite all-time boxer, Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest ever and Muhammed Ali ws the most overrated.
I heard Ali was so fast that you could tape him, take out a freeze frame (of which there are 30 in a second), and it would still be a blur. No crisp shot of his fist.
I heard a similar thing about Bruce Lee.
Mrs. WJ has some film like that of me in the sack...it doesn't last too long though.
I suggest people voice their support on here....this one may be headed to a tie-breaker.
magic number?
(if it's not Orr)
i have to go red here. 16 titles is no joke. maybe if marciano was more recent or had one a gold or something it would push him over the edge but i think red wins this
both probably should be top 10 though
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