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Gretzky
The ultimate poet: Gretzky
By Jamie MacDonald, CNN/SI
No. 99 began tearing up the NHL record book in a western Canadian vacuum
while playing a regional sport before highlight shows became religion.
Meanwhile, Michael Jordan
was the smiling cow-catcher on the engine of a global marketing locomotive.
The NBA delivered the Michael Jordan performance to us on the grandest
stages. The Great One's early performances were held north of the border,
where he was the most dominant performer of all time. Previous records, by
the time he arrived in Los Angeles as hockey's classiest and most willing
ambassador to the U.S., weren't just falling, they were being forgotten.
Jordan never made us forget Dr. J or Magic or Wilt. Rather, he gave us
highlights and championships, while Gretzky delivered true brilliance. A
brilliance that went beyond the highlight.
In this case, Gretzky, the performer, will be best remembered, and best
understood, by teammates, coaches, opponents -- all indebted to Gretzky for
making them better than they otherwise were -- and real hockey fans. Years
from now, Jordan's athletic poetry will be remembered with our minds;
Gretzky's will be remembered in our hearts. | Jordan
An everlasting legacy: Jordan
By Dan Shanoff, CNN/SI Wayne Gretzky was the
greatest hockey player to ever lace up skates. Michael Jordan was not only
the greatest basketball player ever, but His Airness was the greatest
performer in sports history. Gretzky was setting records and winning
Cups in the go-go '80s, but it was in the sports backwater of Edmonton. At
the same time, Jordan was performing equally stunning moves in one of the
most vibrant sports towns in the world. When Gretzky sensed the
necessity of the limelight that MJ had in Chicago, he engineered a trade
from Edmonton to Los Angeles -- and ultimately finished his career in New
York. But as Gretzky lost his athletic prominence and his skills, Jordan
ascended to the pinnacle of his sport. During the '90s, when Jordan was
around for a full season, his team won all but one title. The lingering
image of Jordan as he went off into retirement remains that jumper with a
perfect follow-through to win the 1998 NBA title for his Chicago Bulls. But
while Jordan finished on top, Gretzky's final game did not even come in
the playoffs. Gretzky's No. 99 has become as defining as the No. 23 in the
NBA. But as he skates off to a deserving ovation, his legacy does not stack
up against Jordan's. |
