ESPN.com - Holding out for a hero

ESPN.com: Page 2

Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Holding out for a hero

Page 2 staff

Who's your sports hero?

The answer likely depends on how old you are, where you live and who you consider the "good guys" to be. There's also probably a little bit in there about your values and beliefs.

Page 2 posed the question to its readers and columnists as we began Heroes and Villains Week on Monday. We were buried with more than 3,500 letters, citing heroes from Arthur Ashe and Cal Ripken Jr. to Hulk Hogan and Tara Lipinski.

As for our columnists ... well, they chose a pretty diverse group, too, including a cartoon character, a group of people that most fans hate and some usual suspects. Here are their choices:

PAGE 2 COLUMNISTS PICK THEIR HEROES
Allen Iverson By Ralph Wiley A barely 6-foot guy? Becoming Herculean in the NBA? Is that possible? Yes it is.		Joe Montana By Brian Murphy I hate to go all Don Cheadle on you here, but to 49ers fans everywhere, he is "Joe." He is the Original Joe.

Charlie Brown By Jim Caple Here's to a guy who loves sports so much he takes the mound during a snowstorm because it's time for spring training.		Reggie Miller By Jason Whitlock Hoosiers love shooters. I'm a Hoosier. Reggie was meant to be a Pacer from his first 22-footer.

Magic Johnson By Eric Neel Five titles, three MVPs, 12 All-Star games, one irrepressible smile and plenty of Magic.		Roberto Clemente By Tim Keown I was 8 when he died in a plane crash. At 38, I realize that I definitely picked the right hero.

The Zebras By Patrick Hruby You might hate 'em, but they're the only thing standing between real sports and professional wrestling.		Gary Barnett By Dan Shanoff You want a miracle-worker? Try turning around the most inept college football program in the country.