As a kid, I always had certain sports athletes that I idolized without regret. Some of them were unnecessary (Matt Unertl of the Wisconsin Badgers' football team), some were unfortunate (Keyshawn Johnson when he was with the New York Jets) and some caused me to be disowned by my own father (John Elway during the 1997 season in which Denver beat my beloved Packers in the Super Bowl).
While my father and I have patched things up - for those of you who are worried, things were never bad to begin with - I find myself looking back at these times without much happiness or gratitude.
Maybe it's because I never found that one person whom I could latch onto for my entire childhood, or maybe it has to do with the obvious confusion I had about sports as a child. Maybe I was just a fair-weather fan in need of a new role model every other week.
However, there have been some that I have loved without repent for what seems like a lifetime of sports watching. And since I am sure you are ecstatic to find out, here are my childhood idols who I have still managed to hold onto after all these years:
Brett Favre
This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I am from Seymour, Wis., which is about 15 minutes west of Green Bay. I grew up loving the Packers, except for a time in the very late '90s when Curtis Martin and a new Jets uniform pulled me to East Rutherford for a few seasons. But Favre has been here for as long as I can remember.
If it wasn't for my fathers exhaustive library of old Packer Yearbook videos, I doubt I would have any knowledge of the Green and Gold before 1991.
Since this may be Favre's last season, it seems fitting for him to break every passing record possible, and not give a damn about it. He is No. 1 in our hearts, and No. 4 in our programs, but Brett Favre is easily the best quarterback in the modern NFL, and that's why I still idolize him.
Chris Chelios
Chelios played here in Madison for two seasons in the early 1980s, and left about four years before I was even born. Growing up I was always told about Chelios, and how great he was, and believed it for probably about eight years before I finally saw him play. Since he left Wisconsin, Chelios has had an unbelievable NHL career.
On Oct. 9 Chelios played in his 1,550th NHL game and recorded his first goal since April 8, 2006. Chelios has been asked to do basically everything in his career, which has spanned almost a quarter of a century, and he has done it with great style and poise. Now if only he were traded to Ottawa, then we would have something going.
Ray Allen
I know, I know, why am I talking about the NBA? Honestly, I can't stand the NBA, and only like to watch it to count how many traveling calls aren't made, and to watch Tim Duncan hit 30-foot bank shots from behind the basket. But Ray-Ray has always been one of my favorite basketball players, and his departure from Milwaukee basically broke any and all contact that I had with the NBA.
Allen has had a stellar NBA career, and is still going strong with the revamped Boston Celtics, who some critics are labeling as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference (although that is not a hard feat to accomplish). Ray has been a seven-time All Star, and holds the NBA record for 3-pointers made in one season with 269. It is obvious that Allen has proven to all of us that He Got Game"".
These are just a few of the guys that I have stuck with over the years. Craig Biggio has always been one of my most favorite baseball players, along with Jeff Cirillo and Mark Loretta.
Collectively they would make the greatest short-white-somewhat fast-infield in the history of baseball, and I'm not exaggerating.
But while some of these athletes may hang up their cleats, kicks or skates soon, they will always be remembered fondly and in the best of light in my eyes, as they should be in your eyes too.
If you'd like to e-mail Nate a top-10 list of your sports idols or if you think his list is mediocre at best, e-mail him at ncarey@dailycardinal.com.
