Who is the second most popular/who is the best athlete in D.C? (2013 edition)

[Sticksboi05]

Well, this has become a yearly thing.  One year, I think it was 2008 since I believe it was during the time Call of Duty 4 was at the height of its popularity, our poll was even referenced on the DC Sports Bog.

 

Now, despite his mediocre play this season, we know RGIII is the most popular athlete in D.C. and will be for the foreseeable future.

 

As has been tradition, which athlete is the second most popular athlete in Washington.  The next question is, who is the best athlete in D.C?

 

And as always, discussion is a bonus.

[CrypticVillain]

How should I answer this? As far as locally or nationally?

Locally, I think who is second popular is a three-way battle between Ovi, Harper, and Wall.

 

And now, I think Alfred Morris is getting more popular in the area too.

 

But if we are talking nationally than Ovi get's the vote as far as popularity. And Ovi is HANDS DOWN!!! the best athlete in the area.

[mcsluggo]

do you mean after Sonny J.?

[Warhead36]

I'm not even sure RG3 is the most popular athlete in D.C. anymore. I know many fans(including myself)have started to sour on him. Nobody else really stands out either. I want to say Ovie but hockey is still such a niche sport, and I think Harper's popularity went down a bit with his injuries and the Nats disappointing season.

 

The best is easily Ovie and nobody else is really close although I think Harper and/or Strasburg could make it a debate this summer.

[Sticksboi05]

do you mean after Sonny J.?

 

Sonny has to be up there, but he has a rough season last year.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

Ovechkin (because he wins awards and has a distinctive look) and then probably Harper/Stras.

 

A lot of people here would not know John Wall or Brad Beal if they came in their house and pissed on their floor. 

[Larry]

Kirk Cousins.

[Sticksboi05]

Ovechkin proving why he is bar none D.C.'s best athlete.  We got some haters in here because it's not even close.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I don't really care for hockey, but the answer is Ovechkin.  If RG3 was as good at football as Ovechkin is at hockey, we'd be onto something.

[Warhead36]

Well the question was popular, not best.

 

Ovie is easily the best and it's not even remotely close. He's on a whole 'nother universe.

[codeorama]

I know this is a football forum, but Harper is WAY more popular than Griffin nation wide. I don't live in DC so my take is different, but Harper has brought more fans to the table. He's brought fans to the game of baseball. I see teen girls with his jersey all over the place.

[GoSkins561]

I know this is a football forum, but Harper is WAY more popular than Griffin nation wide. I don't live in DC so my take is different, but Harper has brought more fans to the table. He's brought fans to the game of baseball. I see teen girls with his jersey all over the place.

 

There is absolutely no way Harper is more popular than Griffen, i'm not sure where you came up with this idea, but you're WAAAY off.

 

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III not only ended the year with the best selling jersey in the league, more of his No. 10 jerseys were sold in the NFL this fiscal year than any jersey in league history.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9150921/robert-griffin-iii-jersey-top-seller-sets-nfl-record

Harper ranked 15th in MLB Jersey Sales last year, Manny Machado from Baltimore was ranked 4th.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1788454-mariano-rivera-tops-list-of-mlbs-top-selling-jerseys-in-second-half-of-2013

 

[Butters]

Last year it was RG3 easily. Now it's Ovechkin. That son of a **** is solid.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

I know this is a football forum, but Harper is WAY more popular than Griffin nation wide. I don't live in DC so my take is different, but Harper has brought more fans to the table. He's brought fans to the game of baseball. I see teen girls with his jersey all over the place.

RG3 has brought the Skins thousands of fans from Texas just because he plays here.

Your Harper comment is light years off. Not even close. Ovechkin is more popular than him and had probably brought more ppl to his sport

[PokerPacker]

RG3 has brought the Skins thousands of fans from Texas just because he plays here.

Your Harper comment is light years off. Not even close. Ovechkin is more popular than him and had probably brought more ppl to his sport

Yeah, hockey was pretty much dead to DC before Ovechkin. I remember counting the number of sections in the stadium that did not have a single person sitting in it. Growing up, I only knew one other kid into hockey. With Ovechkin, suddenly there's an actual hockey fanbase and every game is sold out.

[Sticksboi05]

I know this is a football forum, but Harper is WAY more popular than Griffin nation wide. I don't live in DC so my take is different, but Harper has brought more fans to the table. He's brought fans to the game of baseball. I see teen girls with his jersey all over the place.

 

Griffin had the HIGHEST sellingj ersey in the NFL last year.  No chance Harper is bigger than RGIII.  I have heard Harper's name a handful of times up here in Boston, RGIII gets talked about all the time even if just for fantasy reasons.

Last year it was RG3 easily. Now it's Ovechkin. That son of a **** is solid.

 

I don't think RGIII was better than Ovechkin last year either. 

 

2013 NHL MVP >>> 2013 Offensive Rookie of the Year

[Going Commando]

Ovechkin is the best at his sport. Harper is the second biggest star though. Everyone seems to have an opinion about him.

Unless you're LeBron or Kobe, basketball seems to be third in the minds of Americans. And hockey is a distant fourth. I'm willing to bet the vast majority of the country has never seen Wall or Ovechkin play a game.

Athlete is a nebulous term.

If it's, who is the best at their sport?

1.) Ovechkin

2.) Strasburg

3.) Wall

4.) Harper

5.) RG3

6.) Beal

Morris isn't really a star or franchise caliber player, I don't think he belongs on the same list. But he is beloved by the local fans.

But if you're talking about best athlete as in pure athleticism--size, strength, speed, coordination, leaping ability, it's:

1.) John Wall

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2.) Bradley Beal

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3.) RG3

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Everyone else.

NBA players are on a different level as pure athletes.

[Going Commando]

The cool thing about this debate is each of these guys are freaks with unbelievable amounts of natural talent and really high ceilings.

Here's an interesting question: who has the highest ceiling within his sport?

My list:

1.) Harper

2.) Ovechkin

3.) Griffin

4.) Strasburg

5.) Wall

6.) Beal

Ovechkin has already reached his ceiling so he's probably the easiest one to place. He's HoF bound.

I think Griffin and Harper can be HoF bound too, and Harper has an unbelievable amount of talent. He can go down as the Mickey Mantle of his era. That's special, and if that happens, I think he has an argument for best athlete in DC history.

RGIII can be the best player in the NFL one day depending on who the next coach is. He's the most gifted QB in the league.

And Strasburg is going to win a Cy Young some day. He's got the talent to win multiple Cy Youngs really.

Wall has top five player ability when he hits his mid to late 20s, but I have a hard time seeing him win an NBA MVP. It's arguably the most exclusive award in the major sports. When there are guys like LeBron and Durant in the league, they're going to win almost all of them. And Durant is only three years older than Wall. When LeBron is done winning MVPs, Durant will be getting them.

And Beal is going to be one of the two or three best SGs in the NBA one day, but he's not as good as Wall is.

[Sticksboi05]

The cool thing about this debate is each of these guys are freaks with unbelievable amounts of natural talent and really high ceilings.

Here's an interesting question: who has the highest ceiling within his sport?

My list:

1.) Harper

2.) Ovechkin

3.) Griffin

4.) Strasburg

5.) Wall

6.) Beal

 

 

That looks right but I'd put

 

1. Harper/Ovechkin

[CrypticVillain]

If it wasn't for his injury issues, I would say RG3 has the highest ceiling. Even with no off-season, and coming off a crucial knee injury, his stats look just as good as Kaepernick, Luck, and Wilson. So imagine what he can do if he was healthy, with a full off-season, and maybe a coach that actually plays to his strengths.

 

However, his injury history bumps him down.

All three can, and have, single handily take over games for their teams. I saw all three of them do it within the last 12 months or so.

 

Steve, Alfred Morris is a star in this country. He's constantly talked about in football terms when it comes to fantasy values, hard runs, etc. And the non-football fan knows him because of his "Bentley" beat Mazda. Of course he is not a superstar, but I think a lot of people have heard of him before.

[JamesMadisonSkins]

Nationally, I think it's gotta be, at least now:

1. RGIII

2. OVI

3. Harper

4. Strasburg

5. Wall

 

Locally, I have absolutely zero read on the Wizards popularity and thus Wall

[Sticksboi05]

If it wasn't for his injury issues, I would say RG3 has the highest ceiling. Even with no off-season, and coming off a crucial knee injury, his stats look just as good as Kaepernick, Luck, and Wilson. So imagine what he can do if he was healthy, with a full off-season, and maybe a coach that actually plays to his strengths.

 

Wilson's passer rating is 106.  RGIII's is 82.  The stats are certainly not as good.

[CrypticVillain]

Wilson's passer rating is 106.  RGIII's is 82.  The stats are certainly not as good.

Wilson also hasn't thrown for 3,000 yards and has the best defense and special teams in his arsenal. But I noticed you picked the best out of the bunch, but didn't mention Kaep's 87 rating or Luck's 85. You went straight to the top lol

 

When I say as good, I mean it's not like RG3 is out there looking like Tebow, Geno, or Blaine Gabbert. You can see that he has the talent, and his stats can back up that he ain't a "bad" QB. He just needs to improve in some areas. And it wouldn't hurt if his defense and special teams can help him out just a little like th3 Niners, Colts, and Seahawks.

[Sticksboi05]

Wilson also hasn't thrown for 3,000 yards and has the best defense and special teams in his arsenal. But I noticed you picked the best out of the bunch, but didn't mention Kaep's 87 rating or Luck's 85. You went straight to the top lol

 

When I say as good, I mean it's not like RG3 is out there looking like Tebow, Geno, or Blaine Gabbert. You can see that he has the talent, and his stats can back up that he ain't a "bad" QB. He just needs to improve in some areas. And it wouldn't hurt if his defense and special teams can help him out just a little like th3 Niners, Colts, and Seahawks.

 

RGIII racking up yards in garbage time does not reflect how far back of the rest he has played.  You know that too.  I don't think he's bad.  As for Luck, well, Reggie Wayne went out and he tailspinned.

[CrypticVillain]

RGIII racking up yards in garbage time does not reflect how far back of the rest he has played.  You know that too.  I don't think he's bad.  As for Luck, well, Reggie Wayne went out and he tailspinned.

Luck has racked up on some garbage yards too. He plays so-so in the first half, and then he chucks around in the second half.

 

Look. all I am saying is that RG3 ain't bad. Especially when you consider he doesn't have the luxuries that the other QB's have and he's still injured. That's all I am saying.