Who Would You Rather Be?

Posted by James Seaman on August 11, 2008

‘Lebron: One of the Chosen Few’

I took a road trip into the Mississippi Delta this past week. Nothing but world class destinations when I get behind the wheel, for sure. As I drove, my mind began wandering like the country roads and abandoned train tracks that crisscross the region’s fertile farmland. With the Jazz’s opening tip months away, a non-Jazz-related question kept dancing through my brain. It is a question important to all sports fans, one I have been asking myself for several years now. Who would you rather be: Derek Jeter, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, or LeBron James? At this moment, injuries and playoff disappointments have dulled the shine that once accompanied the respective mantels of Jeter, Brady, and Tiger. But if you put each man in his prime, the question regains its poignancy.

The strongest argument for becoming Derek Jeter is being single, good-looking, and the most famous player on the most celebrated team in the world’s greatest city. While the fans crucify the losers, winning in New York is not like winning anywhere else. It’s better. Jeter has earned four championship rings in New York and never missed the playoffs in his career. Even today, five years since his last World Series appearance, Jeter remains the most beloved athlete playing in New York. The Giants won the Super Bowl in February, but I dare you to find a member of that team as popular as Jeter on the streets of Gotham. I actually sat in the stands during an early-season game in 2004 when Yankee fans gave their slumping shortstop a Bronx cheer (that’s what they call booing). Jeter broke out of his slump later in the game, the faithful roared their approval, and all was forgiven. During the three years I lived in New York, that moment marks the only time I witnessed an ounce of public disfavor toward Jeter. He has that smooth, untouchable quality that would seem annoying if attached to anyone but the modern day Yankee Clipper. Jeter just makes it look easy, like the time a replay camera caught him blowing a bubble with his gum while racing around second base. Supposedly when Yankee scouts sat around debating who to draft first in 1992, one scout lobbied for Jeter while another replied, “Isn’t he going to Ann Arbor?” “No,” answered the first, “he’s going to Cooperstown.” More than hard work or luck or skill, it seems Derek Jeter has destiny on his side. Who would Marilyn Monroe choose to have on her arm, Joe DiMaggio or Jeter? The fact that I can even pose that question with a straight face means life in Jeter’s shoes must feel pretty good.

The best case for becoming Tom Brady, aside from women clawing at you, is getting to play quarterback (the best position in sports) better than anyone. Who doesn’t want to rule a universe filled with tough guys, with dudes, with real men? And Brady does it with enough good looks and boyish charm to make the ladies go ga-ga. Drafted in the sixth round—199th overall—Brady became a legend by accident. Drew Bledsoe signed a ten year, $103 million contract with the Patriots prior to the 2001 season, meaning New England’s brain trust had no intention of letting Brady even sniff the field. Amazingly, the Patriots would sever ties with Bledsoe just one year after he signed that contract. Brady stepped in for an injured Bledsoe during the 2001 season, led New England to a division title, and eventually orchestrated one of the great Super Bowl upsets of all time. Remember, New England had a mediocre 5-5 record through ten games in 2001, so nobody saw this coming. After leading his Patriots over the heavily favored, Greatest-Show-On-Turf St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, Brady turned into Joe Montana as he won another pair of Super Bowls in the next three seasons. When he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after that third Super Bowl, Brady boasted a 9-0 career playoff record with a 15-3 regular season mark in games played after December 1. When you think clutch, you think Tom Brady. A little luck never hurts, either—where would the Brady legend stand if he’d never benefited from the infamous Tuck Rule in that snowy playoff game against Oakland? Of course, football also offers the greatest detractor to being Tom Brady. You always stand one precarious step away from becoming Joe Theismann caught in Lawrence Taylor’s wrath.

The best thing about becoming Tiger Woods is calling yourself the greatest golfer of all time. Or you can let others say it for you. Tiger also attracts the ladies as his hot wife demonstrates. Of course, a big part of “Who Would You Rather Be?” depends upon your status as a chick magnet, which Woods loses as a married man. Let’s stick to the greatness of Tiger the golfer. Among the four men in this discussion, only Woods can proclaim himself the greatest ever to play his sport. Tiger also rakes in more money than any professional athlete. Woods’ performance in 2000 could be the greatest year by any athlete, ever. That year Tiger won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am by two strokes after trailing by seven with seven to play; he won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes, shattering a 138 year old record; he set the record for the lowest score ever recorded at a major (-19) at St. Andrews. By winning the Masters in 2001, Woods became the only golfer in history to hold all four major championship titles simultaneously. After losing his number one ranking for the first time in a record 264 weeks, Woods made adjustments to his swing and returned to form with a victory in the 2005 Masters. What other athlete can sit atop his world, then make serious adjustments to his game and return as the best player? Along with dominating your sport like no other, being Tiger has other advantages. For one, we’ll still be talking about Tiger as a great player for years to come. While stress has hurt Woods’ knee, the nature of golf still allows the arc of his career to stretch well beyond that of the average baseball, football, or basketball player. Additionally, Tiger stands in total isolation while the world watches him launch mammoth drives and sink perfect putts. No one can ever say that Woods owes his success to the team for which he plays.

The appeal of being LeBron James rests in his potential to rule the universe. James became a star in high school, gracing his first Sports Illustrated cover at the age of 17. Fans in Ohio began calling the man-child “King James” when he was barely old enough to drive. LeBron received national headlines when he petitioned the NBA to enter the draft…as a junior in high school. Forget being LeBron now, I want to be LeBron in high school. His mother took out an $80,000 loan to buy him a Hummer for his 18th birthday. ESPN used to televise the kid’s high school games in primetime. What do you think it was like for LeBron James to sit in high school classes? Did he go to class? Imagine rolling into the high school parking lot in your Hummer, dropping 42 points on some hapless zit-faced scrubs, doing an interview with ESPN, then having to show up for American Civ. in the morning with the teacher who collects thimbles from presidential museums. As he made the leap from high school to the NBA, LeBron didn’t miss a beat. King James put up 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and six steals while hitting 60% from the field in his professional debut against Sacramento. James became only the third man to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists as a rookie. Aside from LeBron, only Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan can claim membership in this exclusive triumvirate. Remember when LeBron scored Cleveland’s last 25 points to beat Detroit in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals? I used to play games against myself on our backyard hoop as a kid, and I wouldn’t dare fantasize about that kind of performance because it would have seemed to outrageous, too unbelievable—and I routinely went up against the Predator, Terminator, and Mola Ram in these games. What can I say? I was a special kid. Being LeBron means a limitless horizon of possibility. Who knows how high he can climb?

Jeter, Brady, Tiger, LeBron—clearly, you’d enjoy life as any one of these superstars. But if you had to choose one of the four, and you could live in the prime of that man’s career, who would you rather be?

10 Comments

John M and Kathy M on August 11, 2008 said:

We’re going with LeBron! He wowed over a billion people in the USA team’s debut at the olympics. Jeter and Tom Brady are regional players by the world’s standard. It’s close between Tiger and LeBron but do a billion people watch Tiger in a single event?

Matt from Philly on August 11, 2008 said:

I gotta go Tiger. He is more than an athlete. He is an icon. He is a brand. And the only other athlete that has ever been able to do that is Michael Jordan.

That makes him a legend.

People will remember Jeter and Brady and LeBron. No one will ever forget Tiger. EVER.

It also doesn’t hurt that I love golf. And think about it this way. If you are one of these four great athletes, you probably love the game you play. Only golf lets you play at a competitive level well into your sixties and maybe even later.

Edward on August 11, 2008 said:

I’d rather be James Seaman but there isn’t enough room in this comment box to justify my answer. But of the four you’ve chosen I’d like to be Tiger Woods. First and foremost because he achieved his success by himself. All the other candidates are part of team, and while individually they are extremely gifted, all of them required assistance from teammates to succeed. LeBron has suceeded in large part due to his own athleticism but he still plays a team sport. Athletes are ultimately judged by championships won and thus far BronBron has 0. Even LeBron, as good as he is, can not win a title without a strong supporting cast. See Jeter and Brady. Tiger, on the other hand, is on his way to becoming the greatest golfer of all time and has done so by himself. (Earl Woods and Steve Williams get a little credit). There is just something to be said about winning titles all by yourself that makes Tiger the best choice here. Second, he is the most recognizable athlete in the entire world. I’m not sure there is anyone (other than Jordan) that is even close. Third, he will be the first billionare athelete, despite LeBron’s proclimations otherwise. Finally, Tiger can continue to excel at his sport long after the other three candidates are forced to hang it up. That kind of staying power is appealing.

Jared Conger on August 11, 2008 said:

Tom Brady if i was still single.
but as I’m not, Tiger woods - mostly because I cannot play golf to save my life.

Shawn Hess on August 12, 2008 said:

Tiger Woods all the way. I wouldn’t have to worry about getting hurt in practice or games unless I stepped in a hole or did something dumb on the treadmill. Of course if I was Tiger Woods I wouldn’t have to worry about all the holes on the edge of the golf course cuz I wouldn’t be near them!
I guess my own brand in Nike and Gatorade seems to help my decision also.

Helen on August 13, 2008 said:

I’d choose to be Tom Brady too (if I was still single).

Linda McFarland on August 13, 2008 said:

I can’t believe you don’t have a million women Jazz fans writing to tear you to little bits! Why do you want to be one of these men?? Well, wild, hot women seem to be of the big reasons. Being the big stud with everyone worshiping you for the stud reason. I was already to say Tiger because of him being a star on his own merits and then you added that he was a women magnet as seen by his “hot” wife.Who lives the better life ( I guess a better life is viewed different by everyone)? Who does the best for mankind with all the money they make? Who lives well with the wife or girlfriend? I know from what aspect you wrote the article and the question but you had this fan burning by the time I finished. Big stud, big money. hot women, and being at the top doesn’t give a lot of men (or women) a real reason to want to be any one of these guys!!!!!!

James on August 14, 2008 said:

Linda,
No harm, no foul. Just a little theoretical debate I like to have with myself (and anyone else who will join in) for fun. Your point is well taken, my criteria does not consider overall societal value or any such noble idea. Thank you for your thoughts, I always enjoy reading your comments.

JayD on August 14, 2008 said:

Wow , this is a tough one . I am not what anyone would call a ladies man . I would love to have the attention that these men have with the ladies . I am not an athelete or even talented in any sport , but yet I love to watch and play . I dare say that anyone of these men play their sport for the love of the game anymore . They are all so rich with the publicity , fame , women , and money that they do not enjoy the game anymore .
Who do I want to be most ? I am just a simple man looking for a simple life , wishing that I could play any of these sports even half as good as these men do , or have even a third of the money these men make , with a women that loves me for me not my public status .
No I wouldn’t want to be any of these overpayed sports men .