Sean Melia on why you should check out these wow-worthy athletes.
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Attending sporting events is increasingly less enticing to many people throughout the United States. Tickets are expensive; getting to a stadium can be difficult, and you could potentially be at the weather’s mercy.
Staying at home, sitting on a couch, drinking more affordable beer and eating more affordable food sounds pretty darn good to a whole bunch of people. However, there are athletes out there who are still worth the price of admission to witness live, in action.
Here are my top 11 players you should go see in person:
11. Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky is a 17-year-old Olympic Champion, and even Michael Phelps has called her a stud. She’ll be around for a long time, considering her age. In fact, she is currently not even swimming because she’s in, you know, high school right now.
Here’s how Brian Phillips finished his Grantland piece about her:
You might be wondering why I’m writing about her now, in a non-Olympic year, when she’s back at school and not even swimming in a major event. I have an answer for anyone who’s wondering that, and my answer is this: Pipe down, Horatio; amazing doesn’t keep to your clock.
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad freeI am writing about her now because lately it’s been too easy to forget that sport is supposed to be a window onto marvels. Katie Ledecky is 17 years old, and she’s one of the best athletes — it’s not an exaggeration — in the history of the world. She is a marvel. Tell me, do you need another reason?
10. Calvin Johnson
The Detroit Lions wide receiver is a freak of nature. His ability to out-muscle multiple defensive backs for Matthew Stafford’s jump balls is incredible. His size and strength make him the most talented pass-catcher in the league right now.
As far as exciting NFL players go, he is the best in my book. Don’t bother looking for any other (American) football players on this list.
9. Juan Martin Hernandez and Carlin Isles
The odds of you knowing either of these guys are very slim. They both play rugby. Hernandez is Argentinian and flashy as hell. He throws behind-the-back passes like a point guard running a fast break; he has the ability to bomb a ball to himself, and a combination of speed and strength that would have NFL scouts drooling.
Isles might be someone whom people in the United States could conceivably see play in person. The American star is a lightning bolt. He’s like Darren Sproles on fast-forward (or like Darren Sproles without pads).
8. Serena Williams
Williams, unlike many other tennis players, would be fun to watch in person, no matter who her opponent is. While I am not a huge fan of Williams, due to her boring press conferences, she does play the game in a way that is different from her peers. For that, she belongs on this list.
7. Mike Trout
Mike Trout has been sitting in Miguel Cabrera’s rather large shadow for the past few years in the AL. He’s the best field player in baseball, as he hits for power, average, runs the bases unbelievably quickly and tracks down fly balls like they’re balloons drifting slowly from the sky.
6. Bubba Watson
Sure, all his Bible talk bothers some people, but just go and stand behind him while he’s teeing off on a par five. It’s like nothing else in the game of golf right now.
Watson doesn’t swing the club like he came off an assembly line (ahem, Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy). He isn’t afraid of swinging as hard as he can and trying all sorts of crazy shots from various spots on the course.
He even enjoys teeing off while the crowd is cheering.
5. Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Datsyuk takes care of the puck like it’s a newborn. He is fascinating to watch play hockey and is often forgotten among the other stars in the NHL, including Sydney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Stevan Stamkos.
Datsyuk has been described as a “stickhandling magician” who scores “highlight reel goals.” Hockey is a riveting sport to watch in person and Datsyuk is the most exciting player on the ice whenever the puck finds his stick.
4. Clayton Kershaw
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace is having another unreal season. He is 19-3, and if you think wins is not a good barometer of how good of a pitcher he is, then we’ll take a look at his ERA: 1.70. His strikeout/walk ratio is 7.82. The next closest guy in the NL is Jordan Zimmer, with a 6.
Kershaw’s ability even overwhelmed Vin Scully. Scully called Kershaw’s curveball public enemy #1. Just perfect.
3. Usain Bolt
The man is the fastest person on Earth. He is 28 years old and will turn 30 during the Summer Olympics in 2016. He is one of three men to win back-to-back Olympic gold in the 100-meter dash, and no one has ever won three straight gold medals in the 100-meter dash.
Bolt not only has the talent, but also the personality. He’s a fun guy for whom to root. His twilight is coming, but hopefully ,it’s accompanied with one final lightning strike.
2. Lionel Messi
Messi’s World Cup performance reaffirmed his greatness to many, while for some, it just left more questions. Messi was superb in spells during the World Cup; however, his performance in the final against Germany left a lot to be desired. Even with that performance, he was the reason why Argentina made it as far at they did.
He was involved in nearly every goal the team scored, and he drew so much attention that it allowed some other Argentinians to shine.
1. LeBron James
This seems like a no-brainer. LeBron is the smartest and most athletic player in the NBA, and he will be at the height of his powers for the next two to three years. He has a new hairline and a new cast in Cleveland, which makes going to watch him play even more exciting.
Besides Dwyane Wade, Kevin Love might be LeBron’s best teammate, and Kyrie Irving might not be close behind in that discussion.
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About the author
Sean Melia attended The College of the Holy Cross, where he wrote for the sports section, played golf, and did color commentary for the basketball team. Sean has been a Boston sports fan his entire life, even while spending his formative years in San Francisco. The lure of Steve Young, Barry Bonds, and Tim Hardaway were not enough to test his loyalty. He looks forward to brining interesting and thought provoking stories to Generation-Y.
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This article originally appeared on Elite Daily.