We've now moved on from the preliminary round of 64 where the match ups were solely decided by numbers and we gave no reasoning. Round 2 the match ups will actually be discussed and broken down properly.
1. Albert Pujols vs. 9. Ray Lewis
Swagger: 7-10
Skills: 10-10
ESPN Underhype: 3-5
Greatness Factor: 9-10
Reasoning:
Pujols is the greatest batter of our generation hands down. His consistency is un matched, and his swing is magnificent. With that being said, he doesn't have the swagger of Ray Lewis and may not rank as high on the all-time greats in baseball as Ray Ray does in football. I believe Lewis is the greatest linebacker of all-time and still can play. ESPN has slowly been downplaying his skills because of age, but he is still a mammoth on D. Pujols doesn't quite get the attention Lebron does, but he's up there. Lewis gets the nod because of his all-time NFL standing and that one ring the Ravens won completely thanks to his leadership of the greatest defense of all-time.
Winner: Ray Lewis
4. CC Sabathia Vs. 5. Patrick Kane
Swagger: 8-10
Skills: 9-9
ESPN Underhype: 7-3
Greatness Factor: 9-8
Reasoning:
CC Sabathia probably remains one of the most under appreciated players in all of baseball even with his title in 2008 and his standing at the front of the most popular baseball teams' rotation. I think CC, despite his size, still has the swagger of a completely in shape man. Patrick Kane certainly has the most swagger in the NHL, I'm not even sure there is a close second. But Sabathia's career has been way more consistent than Kane and thats why he gets the nod in Greatness department. Both of them are immensely skilled players but I think Sabathia's under appreciation gives him the nod of the highly touted Patty Kan.e
Winner: CC Sabathia
2. Tim Lincecum vs. 10. Frank Gore
Swagger: 7-9
Skills: 10-7
ESPN Underhype: 3-4
Greatness Factor: 9-5
Reasoning:
I actually think Frank Gore has the best swag out of any RB in the league; nothing beats his actions-over-words mean muggin' face. Lincecum is certainly the more skilled of the two with a pitching style straight out of the Koufax era which I think both hurts and helps his swagger case. Gore might not get as much love as Lincecum on ESPN, but it's still up there. "The Freak" gets the nod in the matchup thanks to that ring two years ago.
Winner: Tim Lincecum
3. Justin Verlander vs. 11. Patrick Willis
Swagger: 5-10
Skills: 9-9
ESPN Underhype: 7-7
Greatness Factor: 6-8
Reasoning:
Let's face it, Verlander is a country boy, and if it wasn't for his sizzling 100 MPH fastball, he'd probably get a 1 on the swagger rating. Willis on the other hand brings the pain play-in and play-out; he's got swagger to the roof and back. Both find themselves seldom talked about on ESPN either both are highly regarded as the best at their position. I'll give Willis the greatness nod because he showed us this year that his leadership on defense is not just a regular season fluke. For me this matchup all comes down to country boy hick vs. the meanest LB in the league. It's easy.
Winner: Patrick Willis
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