Over the next few weeks at The700Level, we'll be posting poll matchups as part of our Philly March Madness competition. Examine the cases of the two fine Philadelphia athletes below, and cast your vote at the bottom as to which you think should advance to the next round. And as always, feel free to explain your selection and/or debate the choices in the comments section.
Some players let their game do all the talking. That's never been Charles Barkley's style. One of the most outspoken professional athletes we've ever seen, Chuck is as demonstrative a figure as there is in sports. Today, fans know him for his often hilarious color commentating and other media appearances, but before he became must-see TV, he was The Round Mound of Rebound. The 76ers selected Barkley fifth overall out of Auburn in 1984, playing in 82 games and making the NBA's All-Rookie team his first season. As uncommon a personality as he is, he was an even more uncommon power forward. At 6'6", he was shorter than normal for the position, and at 252 lbs., he didn't seem to be making up for it with any sheer athletic ability. However, those limitations didn't stop him from becoming one of the premiere rebounders in the league. In his third season, Barkley led all players averaging 14.6 boards per game, and made the first of 11 All Star games. He was a scorer as well, averaging over 20 points per game in seven of eight seasons with the Sixers. As great as he was, Chuck would not spend the entirety of his prime in Philadelphia. The core that won an NBA Championship in 1983 was gone, and Barkley's antics made him a ticking time bomb in some eyes. A fight with Bill Laimbeer drew record fines in 1990, and in 1991, he mistakenly spit on a young girl during a game, the loogie intended for a heckler in the crowd. At season's end, Barkley was shipped to Phoenix in a lopsided deal that brought Philly Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, and Andrew Lang. Sir Charles went on to win an MVP award and appear in the Finals, then win gold medals in the '92 and '96 Olympics, while the Sixers slipped into a period known to some as the Dark Ages. -Kulp
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Few professional athletes have experienced the Philadelphia fan roller coaster quite like Pat Burrell. The first overall pick in the 1998 draft out of Miami, expectations couldn't have been much higher for this first baseman turned left fielder. Along with Scott Rolen, Burrell would restore the Phillies to prominence... except that isn't exactly how it turned out. Pat the Bat reached the Majors in 2000 to great expectations, and by 2002 it appeared he would meet them, batting .282 with 37 home runs and a 116 RBIs during a career year. Everything looked up for the young Burrell, but it would come crashing down the following season. Struggling under the weight of being "the man," he hit an abysmal .209 and drove in only 64 runs. Even though it was the only such terrible season for The Machine, his image never quite recovered. From '04 through '08, he would go on batting north of .250, usually belting around 30 homers and close to 100 RBIs, but it wasn't until his final season as a Phillie where appreciation truly began to set in. As a lame duck in 2008, Burrell made it known he wanted to stay in Philadelphia, but the front office didn't see him as part of the formula. Still, he was an integral part of that World Championship team. After struggling through much of the World Series, it was his long double that eventually resulted in the clinching run coming across the plate. When it was all said and done, he had finally reached the top after he led the Phillies parade down Broad Street. -Kulp
Who should advance to the next round?customer surveys
Results So Far:
East Bracket:
(1) Julius Erving (91.8%) over (16) Von Hayes (8.2%)
(8) Simon Gagne (77.9%) over (9) Seth Joyner (22.1%)
(5) Eric Lindros (70.3%) over (12) Eric Allen (29.7%)
(4) Randall Cunningham (77.6%) over (13) Shane Victorino (23.4%)
(11) Cole Hamels (82.1%) over (6) Mark Recchi (17.9%)
(14) Tug McGraw (51.1%) over (3) Moses Malone (48.9%)
(7) Darren Daulton (74.0%) over (10) Andrew Toney (26.0%)
(2) Chase Utley (93.5%) over (15) Andre Waters (6.5%)
Midwest Bracket:
(1) Mark Howe (60.2%) over (16) David Akers (39.8%)
(9) Rod Brind'Amour (73.6%) over (8) Rick Tocchet (26.4%)
(5) Brian Westbrook (93.3%) over (12) Jayson Werth (6.7%)
(4) Mike Richards (85.1%) over (13) Trent Cole (14.9%)
(6) John LeClair (89.2%) over (11) Clyde Simmons (10.8%)
(3) Jimmy Rollins (75.8%) over (14) John Kruk (24.2%)
(7) Lenny Dykstra (51.9%) over (10) Dave Poulin (48.1%)
(2) Allen Iverson (83.1%) over (15) Jeremiah Trotter (16.9%)
West Bracket:
(1) Mike Schmidt (96.9%) over (16) Keith Byars (3.1%)
(9) Wilbert Montgomery (59.4%) over (8) Jeff Carter (40.6%)
(5) Ron Jaworski (83.5%) over (12) Bobby Abreu (16.5%)
(4) Ron Hextall (94.1%) over (13) Andre Iguodala (5.9%)
(6) Mike Quick (59.8%) over (11) Hugh Douglas (40.2%)
(3) Brian Dawkins (98.3%) over (14) Scott Rolen (1.7%)
(7) Maurice Cheeks (51.9%) over (10) Eric Desjardins (48.1%)
(15) Carlos Ruiz (58.9%) over (2) Tim Kerr (41.1%)
South Bracket:
(1) Reggie White (97.1%) over (16) Hersey Hawkins (2.9%)
(9) Troy Vincent (51.8%) over (8) Curt Schilling (48.2%)
(5) Pete Rose (85.2%) over (12) Peter Zezel (14.8%)
(4) Ryan Howard (86.3%) over (13) Jon Runyan (13.7%)
(6) Pelle Lindbergh (51.0%) over (11) Keith Primeau (49%)
(3) Donovan McNabb (84.5%) over (14) Bobby Jones (15.5%)