Weeks ago, I started looking at the most likable athletes in this country following the retirements of Derek Jeter and Champ Bailey. That continues today with the latest look at some awesome American athletes. First, let's look back at what we have gone over so far...
Preview
100-91
90-81
80-71
70-61
60-51
50. Ryan
Kalil
Tucson,
Arizona
Current
Team: Carolina Panthers
Look at this huge guy in this giant bear costume and try to tell me he isn't a likable, funny guy. He also happens to be an elite center and the highest paid at his position in NFL history. This guy is entertaining off the field and fantastic on it. This interview on NFL Network that is pictured was one of the funniest I have seen. Add in that watching him dominate the line is a thing of beauty and you can see why Kalil is so likable. He is probably the most likable offensive lineman in the game today.
49. David
Price
Murfreesboro,
Tennessee
Current
Team: Detroit Tigers
David Price is the Cy Young Award winner for 2012 and currently a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. After a long career in Tampa, he was traded to the Tigers last season. In addition to the Cy Young Award in 2012, David Price finished second in 2010. That same season, Price started the All-Star Game for the American League. He is incredibly effective and has tremendous stuff. Baseball fans everywhere love what Price brings to the table. They love that he is fan friendly and that he remains positive. He is one of the most socially friendly pitchers in the game and is very active on Twitter. Price is best liked for his swing and miss stuff. It is amazing that in just 6 full seasons, Price already has 1,139 strikeouts. That is an average of nearly 200 a season. If Price can stay healthy and pitch through the next ten years those are Hall of Fame strikeout numbers.
48. Blake
Griffin
Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma
Current
Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Blake Griffin is my personal least favorite person on this list. I happen to think Griffin is incredibly overrated. However, I must admit that the guy is good and that people generally tend to like the guy. He is marketable as he has appeared in numerous commercials and he is popular. I mean the guy was elected as an all-star starter and will likely make it again as a starter. Fans absolutely love the guy and his violent dunks. I think thats why people love him. He reminds me a lot of Shawn Kemp. I loved Kemp too and he was exciting, but always a tad overrated. I see Griffin in the same light. Hopefully, he doesn't waste his talent like Kemp did though.
47. Luke
Kuechly
Evandale,
Ohio
Current Team:
Carolina Panthers
Luke Kuechly is the best linebacker in football IMO. Most people would agree with me on that and the fact that he is incredibly likable. He was the Defensive Player of the Year last year and he was elected to his second Pro Bowl this season. Kuechly was the youngest player ever to receive Defensive Player of the Year. This guy is still just 23 years old and making one tremendous impact. It is hard not to like Kuechly and the way this guy plays the game. The future on defense in Carolina is very bright thanks to Luke Kuechly.
46. Stephen
Strasburg
San Diego,
California
Current
Team: Washington Nationals
If Griffin is my least favorite person on this list, Stras is #2. This guy is the most overrated person in sports. He is even overrated in his own organization. Stephen Strasburg is not the Nationals best starter. The guy is not in Zimmerman's league. Look at the facts and look at the results. Stras is not as good as Zimm. He is phenomenal and one of the best power arms there is, but he is not a Top 10 starter. Zimmerman is a top 10 starter but treated as the number 2 guy on the staff. Stras tends to be overrated and loved because he hits 100 on the gun. There is reason for that and he is likable for that. However, that arm motion and ferociousness he throws with also leads to arm problems and this guy can;t seem to stay healthy. I hope I am wrong on this guy and he lights up the world. It seems to me though that this guy will never be anywhere near the hype. His hype has led to his fan support though and people absolutely love Strasburg. This guy has the charisma and the tools, but how long with that last for.
45. Allyson
Felix
Los Angeles,
California
Track &
Field
Allyson Felix is probably the most famous female track athlete in the United States. Felix won 3 gold medals in track during the 2012 Games. Those 3 golds were the most by any female track athlete since 1988. In all, Felix has 16 gold medals internationally for the United States. 4 of those golds have come from the Olympics and 8 from World Championships. The other gold medals have come from the World Indoor Championships (1) and the World Athletics Final (3). Additionally, she has a few world records. She also happens to be a 4-time winner of the Jesse Owens Award. That award is given out by the USATF at it signifies Athlete of the Year. Interestingly, Felix is trained by the husband of Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
44. McKayla
Maroney
Alisa Viejo,
California
Gymnastics
McKayla Maroney is known the world over for that face after winning a silver medal in the 2012 Olympics. This not impressed face was after she was screwed out of a gold medal for a near perfect vault. The vaults that she had in this Olympics were fantastic and the entire country was amazed at what she could do in that even. Following her perfomance, there are many expecting McKayla to help lead the American team to more gold in 2016.
43. Dwayne Wade
Chicago, Illinois
Current Team: Miami Heat
Dwayne Wade was arguably the most likable player in basketball before LeBron came to Miami. Unfortunately, most people thought he was done towards the tail end of LeBron's run in Miami though. It seems that Wade still has a good amount left in the tank and a lot of charm left as well. This season Wade is proving the doubters wrong as he averages 22.1 points per game. Howeverm Wade of course made his mark early on with the Heat by becoming the NBA Finals MVP in 2006. He then led the Gold Medal winning Redeem Team in scoring during the 2008 Olympics. He has been injury plagued at times during his career, but always pushes through and never complains about his ailments. Perhaps Wade is most liked for what he does off the court though. He created the
Wade's World Foundation which helps at-risk youth. In private, it has been said that Wade often visits sick children and he gave one sick child, that lost his hands and feet, his jersey from the night he broke the single-season scoring record for the Heat. With Alonzo Mourning he co-founded
The Athletes Relief Fund for Haiti. Wade is also an avid-supporter of
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (my personal favorite charity. Another interesting note about Wade is that he wears #3 because it represents the Holy Trinity. This guy is as classy as they come. Although he has a few haters it is hard not to love D-Wade. If this was just my favorite athletes, I would have him in the Top 10, but he will do here at #43.
42. Hunter
Mahan
Orange,
California
PGA Tour
Hunter Mahan has 6 wins on the PGA Tour and a decent amount of success other than that. This past August is when he recorded that 6th win in the first event of the FedEx cup playoff. That win put him in 1st place in the standings, but Mahan finished 6th overall. Still, it was a great finish and great season from Mahan. He has appeared in 3 Ryder Cups for America including the Cup last year, and the victorious 2008 USA squad. Mahan has appeared in and won 4 Presidents Cups. Finally, Mahan is a part of the "Golf Boys", a PGA Tour band featuring Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, and Ben Crane. Farmers Insurance donates $1,000 for every 100,000 view of this
video. Currently, it has over 7 million views. There is another followup video 2.Oh by the group which is also for charity. As you can see, Mahan is hilarious and awesome.
41. Craig
Kimbrel
Huntsville,
Alabama
Current
Team: Atlanta Braves
Craig Kimbrel is simply the best closer in all of baseball. He is a tremendous weapon for the Atlanta Braves organization. Kimbrel set a rookie record for saves in 2011 with 46. In just 4 full seasons, Kimbrel already has 186 saves. John Smoltz was just elected into the Hall of Fame and Kimbrel just smashed his club's saves record. Sure, Smoltz only closed for a few seasons, but still. Kimbrel has been as good as you can possibly be as a closer with the Braves. Every fan of baseball respects the talent and stuff that Kimbrel has. There is absolutely nobody better at what he does. His 1st four seasons have been the stuff of legend. If this continues, Atlanta will have another pitcher heading up to Cooperstown.
-Noland
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