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Happy 65th Bobby Orr, the greatest hockey player ever

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by JR, Mar 20, 2013.

  1. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    Yes, but he won the MVP award at the Canada Cup in the summer of 1976, when he was 28. That was his last hurrah.

    Nobody wants to remember anything after that, especially his abbreviated tenure as a Black Hawk.
     
  2. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    Wayne Gretzky won the MVP at the 1987 Canada Cup.
     
  3. Double J

    Double J Active Member

  4. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    Just sayin'.
     
  5. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member



    That's your MVP.
     
  6. Huggy

    Huggy Well-Known Member

    Was just watching TSN's top 10 Orr moments and it seemed like he was playing the game at a different speed than anyone else. Orr completely reinvented the way his position could be played (few athletes in any sport can say that) but, mind you, the game bears no resemblance to what we see today. Nobody checked, defenders just stood and watched as he tore around and the goaltending was horrific.

    When I was in the hockey bidness I dealt with Bobby on occasion in his new gig as an agent. Never failed to introduce himself to me as if I didn't know who he was. Class act.
     
  7. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    Lemieux was great in that series, Gretzky was better.
     
  8. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    it is sacrilege to compare namath to gretzky; only their knees are comparable. but as players, orr was 10 times the player namath was. no one on the planet argues that orr isn't among the greatest hockey players of all time. meanwhile, namath had and still has any detractors who contend he's perhaps the most overrated players in the history of pro football; heck, the only reason he's in the hall of fame is because of one game when his TEAM puled off the greatest upset in history -- and the game he had was nothing special. he was the essence of a 'game manager' that day.

    namath's play on the fied lost as many games for the jets as it won. orr, however, was simply spectacular in all phases, dominating games offensively as a DEFENSEMAN. gretzky was indeed an incredible player but orr was more skilled and more unique; high-scoring centers are the norm in hockey. gretzky's spectacular vision was genius and set him apart from all others.

    but orr played a defenseman's game like none other, before or since. i'd most compare him to gale sayers in terms of unique, indescribable talents whose careers were cut short by knee injuries. mantle is an apt comparison, too, though his career wasn't cut dramatically short by his ravaged knees but their effects on the quality of his play was dramatic. had he been working with healthy legs from '52-'64 his hall-of-fame numbers would have been off-the-charts sick, ruthian, and he'd be considered perhaps even the greatest ever -- his triple crown season in '56 could've been an annual event had he been playing on healthy legs. oh, well...
     
  9. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    I'll take 11 goals over 18 assists. Plus, Mario started that rush with an insane play on the boards, basically he could have assisted on his own goal.

    All these players are great, but if I had one game to play for the championship of the universe, I would take Mario's best game over Wayne's best game.

    Just my opinion and I'm some will share it and some will go against it, but all the skill Mario showed in those 10 seconds just blows me away.
     
  10. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    I would add Gale Sayers to that list and since your a Ranger fan Brad Park. Imagine what the Bruins would have been like if Orr and Park got to play together on good knees. ( Not suggesting that Park was Orr's equal but he could play)

    With the advancements in surgery today they would have had better careers.
     
  11. RonClements

    RonClements Well-Known Member

    Bobby Orr was top five all-time, but I think it's Gretzky, Lemieux (Mario, not Claude), Howe and then Orr.
     
  12. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    At their absolute peak I wouldn't argue Lemieux or Orr over Gretzky. As careers go, I would say it's not close.

    Hauwerchuks interference might be the most important part of that 87 goal. Lemieux's finish was great but you are really overstating the poke check to get the puck by the Russian defenceman. You can definitely make a case foe Lemieux being the MVP of that series but a lot Lemieux's goals were a direct result of Gretzky's brilliance.

    It was the most entertaining hockey I have ever watched.
     
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