Sports have provided me with great enjoyment over many years and it’s very difficult to narrow the athletes I’ve enjoyed the most to just 10. I could name 10 from the Yankees alone, but I shouldn’t exclude other sports. So I’ll identify the following as “10 of my favorites”:

From the greatest franchise in the history of team sports – Mariano Rivera, Don Mattingly, and Bernie Williams. Whoa, that’s 3 already. These players were excellent on the diamond and always displayed leadership and class. Mo Rivera, the best relief pitcher ever, was rightfully inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, and it is a travesty that Mattingly (known as “Donnie Ballgame”) and Bernie have not been so honored.

From the tennis world – Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi. Oh God, I’m halfway to 10 already. But as someone who loved to play tennis, I always looked forward to watching these two passionate players compete against bigger and stronger opponents, all the while swearing when frustrated by their unforced errors or the line calls of the chair umpire.

From the hoops court – “Pistol” Pete Maravich, Larry Bird, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Maravich was the best college player I ever saw and was very good in the NBA as well. With his moppy hair and droopy socks he was a true showman with electifying passing and play making skills in addition to shooting ability. Bird, known as the Hick from French Lick, could do it all on the basketball court, much to my enjoyment as a Boston Celtic fan. As for Kareem, I always loved watching him play, shooting that unstoppable sky hook. He’s a very intelligent and articulate man who has been an advocate for social and racial justice in his post-basketball years. I also met him once in a magazine shop at an airport, and he was quite cordial.

Uh-oh, I only have 2 nominations left.

From the gridiron – Art Monk. I’ve surprised myself that he is the only Redskin to make my top 10 list. I was going to include the great Sonny Jurgensen, but chose to include Monk because I was always impressed by his clutch receiving, quiet demeanor, and humility.

And the final nomination goes to:

From the boxing ring – Muhammad Ali. The undisputed and self-proclaimed Greatest of All Time. You had to admire his personality and his interviews, poems, and self-described “pretty face”. No one else can match his ability to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.

I considered two other legends to include on my list of athletics from whom I’ve derived the most enjoyment, namely, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. On reflection, however, I remembered that golfers are not athletes.

Also, the omission of female athletics from my list is deliberate. I haven’t enjoyed even one of them.