Ty Anderson: Finding the Black and Gold's Pedro Martinez

Orr, Brady, Bird, Williams, Russell, and Pedro are argably in the conversation as "best ever" or top 5-10 to ever play there sport (position).

Don't know if we have had a player like that on the Bs for awhile. Maybe Bourque.........I guess an argument could be made for Chara. But compared to the above names, I can't really see Chara lasting as long.

EDIT: Mount Rushmore of each sport (and for the sake of argument splitting MLB into pitchers and hitters) almost all would definitely be on it.

Orr, Brady, Bird, Williams, Russell, and Pedro are argably in the conversation as "best ever" or top 5-10 to ever play there sport (position).

Don't know if we have had a player like that on the Bs for awhile. Maybe Bourque.........I guess an argument could be made for Chara. But compared to the above names, I can't really see Chara lasting as long.

EDIT: Mount Rushmore of each sport (and for the sake of argument splitting MLB into pitchers and hitters) almost all would definitely be on it.
- JIwasinskiJr

I think your pretty much on target. Orr revolutionized the way the game was played. He stands alone. Bourque had an enormous feel for the game. Chara might have been more dominant than Bourque (in his best year) but Bourque did it so well for such a long time. Tough to choose between the two.

Orr, Brady, Bird, Williams, Russell, and Pedro are argably in the conversation as "best ever" or top 5-10 to ever play there sport (position).

Don't know if we have had a player like that on the Bs for awhile. Maybe Bourque.........I guess an argument could be made for Chara. But compared to the above names, I can't really see Chara lasting as long.

EDIT: Mount Rushmore of each sport (and for the sake of argument splitting MLB into pitchers and hitters) almost all would definitely be on it.
- JIwasinskiJr

I think an argument could be made for Chara being on the Rushmore of d men.

Think about it. Last minute of game 7 of the cup final. You're up by a goal. You can have ANY two d men, from their prime, in NHL history hit the ice for you. I'd have a hard time not saying Orr and Chara.

Plenty of defensemen have been more talented but I can't think of anyone who was more effective locking down their own end.

But, as a fellow "basketball player on skates" (im 6'7") he will forever be my hero so maybe I'm just biased haha

I think an argument could be made for Chara being on the Rushmore of d men.

Think about it. Last minute of game 7 of the cup final. You're up by a goal. You can have ANY two d men, from their prime, in NHL history hit the ice for you. I'd have a hard time not saying Orr and Chara.

Plenty of defensemen have been more talented but I can't think of anyone who was more effective locking down their own end.

But, as a fellow "basketball player on skates" (im 6'7") he will forever be my hero so maybe I'm just biased haha
- Shaundre93

Chara probably deserves more credit for what he has been able to do for the last decade.

In fact he probably ends up being in the Hall of Fame debate.

Pedro was different though. I've been such a hardcore Bs fan since I can remember, but Pedro kinda pulled me into getting jacked up about the Sox.

If Pedro was on the mound........no matter what you were doing. You stopped and watched him because he might do something that was so unbelievable that you had to watch it with your own eyes.

He was as close to perfect as a player could be at there respected position and there was nothing that anyone else on the other team could do to stop him.

As much as Chara or even Thomas could do some crazy things to help there team win.

Tthe other guys I mentioned would take the ball or the puck and beat you and nobody else on the ice, field, or court could do a damn thing about it.

I think it is the shut-down benefit of Chara and his consistency that makes him so great. He would stop you from scoring, period.

The other guys could kinda single handedly beat you. Chicken or the egg......

Interesting perspective from Mr. Kraft. I didn't know he was such a big Bs fan. Haggs article.

“The Bruins/Canadiens rivalry is as special and as intense as any other rivalry that exists in this region. On a personal note, it’s one that first stoked my interest in sports – even though I’m dating myself – in the early 1950’s. It really was a big part of turning me into a passionate sports fan in the region. I remember as a young boy being under the covers in my bed late at night with my transistor radio listening to the likes of Milt Schmidt and Sugar Jim Henry against [Bernie] “Boom Boom” Geoffrion and Rocket Richard. For a little kid from Fuller Street in Brookline, listening to those games and then having those two teams come here [to Foxboro] is a great thrill.” Mr. Kraft

http://www.csnne.com/bost...ts-leading-winter-classic

Forever an Expo

I think an argument could be made for Chara being on the Rushmore of d men.

Think about it. Last minute of game 7 of the cup final. You're up by a goal. You can have ANY two d men, from their prime, in NHL history hit the ice for you. I'd have a hard time not saying Orr and Chara.

Plenty of defensemen have been more talented but I can't think of anyone who was more effective locking down their own end.

But, as a fellow "basketball player on skates" (im 6'7") he will forever be my hero so maybe I'm just biased haha
- Shaundre93

Orr yes, Chara no

Orr yes, Chara vs the rest of Nhl d. No. He's damn good even in his prime I'd still take Bourque, Lindstrom, Doug Harvey in their primes.

Orr yes, Chara vs the rest of Nhl d. No. He's damn good even in his prime I'd still take Bourque, Lindstrom, Doug Harvey in their primes.
- Thornton22

Just to name a few.....

"...left him finishing fifth in the voting for the Hart Trophy, awarded to the league’s most valuable player."

The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the "player judged most valuable to his team".

The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association.

It's bad when even professional hockey writers don't know the difference between the two awards.

That out of the way. The Bruin in this era (post '04 lockout) most similar to Martinez has to be Chara. Night in night out you knew he was a monster to play against. He gives no quarter. He doesn't care whether it's the middle of December or game 7 of the Cup final. He always brings it while playing insane minutes on top of it. I can't recall the last time I saw him loafing it, and it's not as if he can hide being as big as he is. Ok he didn't have a great year last year, but it was his 17th NHL season! I think he deserves a bit of a break. And all this coming from a die-hard Sabres fan.

Sure Thomas had one excellent season and one historical one, but he's had some pretty bad ones thrown in there too. Chara just gets the job done game in game out just like Pedro did.

Pedro Martinez is my favorite professional athlete ever and I don't even follow baseball anymore. Haven't watched a baseball game in over 10 years, but even when Pedro went to the red sox I never became a fan of them but every fifth day I would either watch if I was lucky or listen on the radio every Pedro start. He was so impossibly dominant. There is nothing equivalent in hockey, no one player could be that dominant only because no matter who you are you could be stopped, and are too dependent on your teammates.

That being said, Tim Thomas was that good when the bruins won the cup. It's too bad he doesn't get the credit he deserves for how good he was. We choose to remember the other stuff that happened, and forget what a truly unique talent he was. Just like Pedro, but not quite as amazing.

Ty, love your articles man. You have a unique perspective on everything and its always a good read.

So, just to be clear, no one else feels this way about Chris Kelly...?

I think your pretty much on target. Orr revolutionized the way the game was played. He stands alone. Bourque had an enormous feel for the game. Chara might have been more dominant than Bourque (in his best year) but Bourque did it so well for such a long time. Tough to choose between the two.

I'd take bourque, he could level you with that hip check, kill a break away with that diving sweep check, and actually hit the net when he shoots the puck. Unbelievable how accurate his shot was.