Instead of the usual argumentative column, I’m writing a bit more for fun today. You probably won’t have a strong opinion about it, other than maybe wanting to tell me that I forgot something–but I still think it should be fun.

The other day, I was thinking about famous athletes. Not your Derek Jeters and Kobe Bryants, but instead those athletes that are famous for something other than their own performance on the field or on the court. For many, their stardom is a result of something dubious, while others are noted for being a part of a memorable moment. Here is a list of some of the most notable and some information about the players themselves.

Craig Ehlo

I suppose this spot could also be given to Bryon Russell, in the “I’m famous because of Michael Jordan” category. Ehlo was actually a pretty valuable NBA guard for the Rockets, Cavaliers, Hawks and Supersonics. He played 14 seasons and averaged more than eight points a game and for about four years, he was a pretty darn good player for the Cavs. That said, most people have heard of Craig Ehlo because of Jim Durham’s call on the Bulls’ Radio Network in a 1989 playoff game between the Cavs and the Bulls.

The line, “Here’s Michael at the foul line, the shot on Ehlo…Good! The Bulls win! They win!” may be what is most associated with what might be Michael Jordan’s most iconic shot. It’s appeared in countless commercials and tribute films–and in every single one there’s little Craig Ehlo.

Tommy John

How many people can say they have a surgery named after them? It’s too bad that many people don’t know that Tommy John is more than an elbow ligament replacement surgery that keeps baseball players sidelined for about 18 months–because the real Tommy John was a pretty darn good baseball player.

John arguably should be in the MLB Hall of Fame. He pitched 26 seasons and won 288 games. He was a four-time All Star and he pitched 15 seasons after having the surgery that now bears his name. Not bad. Still, if you Google Tommy John, you first get stories about players getting the surgery and not articles about the player himself.

Vic Wertz

Like John, Vic Wertz had a pretty successful Major League career and was a four-time All Star. He hit 266 home runs in 17 seasons. Yet Wertz, like Ehlo, will always be remembered for being the wrong end of a career-defining play by a legend.

While playing for the Cleveland Indians in Game One of the 1954 World Series, Wertz drove a ball to deep, deep centerfield. The trouble was that at the Polo Grounds, the home of the New York Giants, the center-field fence was 483 feet away–and Willie Mays was playing centerfield. Mays, of course, ran down Wertz’s ball about 450 feet from home plate and made an over-the-shoulder basket catch. Today it is simply known as, “The Catch.”

Adam “Pacman” Jones

Yes, he was a high draft pick (No. 6 overall pick in the 2005 draft), but had it not been for his legal troubles, Jones likely would have just been known as another NFL draft bust (ala Mike Rumph or Phillip Buchanon).

Instead Jones is a consistent headliner, even though he has done little to nothing with his immense talent. He was suspended for more than a full season for his multiple arrests and for essentially spending more time in strip clubs than weight rooms. Yet people are fascinated by Jones and he continues to be a fan favorite.

Todd Bertuzzi

In the early 2000s, Bertuzzi was one of the top power forwards in the NHL. He had 46 goals and 97 points for the Vancouver Canucks in 2002-03. He has more than 700 points and almost 300 goals in his career. Yet Bertuzzi will always be known for making one of the most vicious cheap shots in the history of the NHL.

Near the end of an 8-2 blowout in March 2004, Bertuzzi went looking for revenge against Colorado Avalanche’s Steve Moore, who injured one of Bertuzzi’s teammates earlier in the season. Bertuzzi followed Moore down the ice, and when Moore declined to fight, Bertuzzi sucker-punched him in the back of the head and fell on top of him. Moore suffered a concussion and fractured three vertebrae in his neck. His NHL career was over.

Despite lots of tears and public and private apologies, Bertuzzi will, rightfully or wrongfully, always be known for that hit, and it will haunt his career until he hangs up his skates.

Obviously, this list could go on and on. Don’t hesitate to tell me who else I should have included.

 

Comfort Dan Bohm for only being known as yet another Stanford Daily columnist at bohmd “@” stanford.edu.