In last week's Ladder Challenge it was Antoine Walker earning 59% of the vote to defeat Don Nelson and move up to #92. This week, in a cross-sport and cross-generational challenge, it is perhaps the greatest receiver in Patriots history, Troy Brown (#86) taking on perhaps the greatest goaltender in Bruins history, Tiny Thompson (#81). Both of these players have championships and personal accolades, but only one of these guys will win this week. When Tiny took on KG he got my vote, and he gets it again here against Troy Brown. So who has your vote in the latest Ladder Challenge?
Posts
5 comments:
TINY THOMPSON
Currently Ranked: 81
Challenge Record: 0-1-0
------------------------
*Played first 11 seasons (1929-39) with Bruins.
*Helped Bruins win the Stanley Cup as a rookie (1929).
*Won Vezina Trophy (top goalie) 4-times (1930, 1933, 1936, 1938).
*Named 1st Team All-NHL 4-times (1931, 1935, 1936, 1938).
*Regular season totals with Bruins: 468 games, 252-153-63 record, 1.99 GAA and 74 shutouts.
*Playoff totals with Bruins: 33 games, 15-18 record, 1.72 GAA, 6 shutouts.
*Led league in games played (by a goalie) 9 times in 11 seasons.
*Led league in Wins 5-times, GAA 4-times and Shutouts 4-times.
*Franchise all-time leader in Games by Goalie, Minutes, Wins and Shutouts
*Elected to Hockey Hall of Fame in 1959.
TROY BROWN
Currently Ranked: 86
Challenge Record: 2-0-0
------------------------
*Played entire 15-year career (1993-2007) with Patriots.
*Helped Pats win 3 Super Bowls (2001, 2003, 2004).
*Also helped Pats win 2 other AFC Championships (1996, 2007).
*Elected to Pro Bowl in 2001.
*Regular season totals: 192 games, 557 receptions, 6,366 receiving yards and 31 receiving touchdowns.
*Career return averages: Punt Return (10.4, 3 TD); Kick Return (21.4).
*Also had 3 career interceptions.
*In 2001 led the NFL in punt return average (14.2) and punt return TDs (2).
*Franchise record holder in receptions (557).
*1st Patriot to catch 100+ passes in a season (101, 2001).
I know I've said it before, but this is seriously one of my toughest votes yet. Voting with my heart I would almost never vote against Troy Brown, but the bottom line for me is that Tiny is a Hall of Fame player that brought Boston a Cup, and I don't think Brown is near that HOF caliber.
I'm not going to knock Troy Brown in any way here, but when the numbers started getting laid out Thompson's were too good to ignore.
Its real hard to vote against Thompson's numbers..But im gonna vote for Brown. Sure Brown likely wont be a HOFer. But Brown contributed on offense and defense as well as special teams.
I think I would go with Brown. As good as Tiny was, the NHL then was not the same as the NHL now. The NHL was just starting to grow during that era and he won 1 championship in a league that had only 8 or 9 teams. Still a fixture in hockey history and a member of the HOF, but I can't justify him being picked over Brown
Post a Comment