Over the next few weeks at The700Level, we'll be posting pollmatchups as part of our Philly March Madness competition.Examine thecases of the two fine Philadelphia athletes below, andcast your vote atthe bottom as to which you think should advance tothe next round. Andas always, feel free to explain your selectionand/or debate the choicesin the comments section.
Extraordinary. Electrifying. Astonishing. These are just a few words that have been used to describe Randall Cunningham,who was once famously featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated alongwith the title "Ultimate Weapon." Hard to argue. From 1987 to '94,Randall wasn't just the Eagles' starting quarterback; he was theoffense, and occasionally the punter, too. At a time when signal callerswere largely stationary in the backfield, Cunninghamrevolutionized the position with his ability to scramble. All opposingdefenses could do was shake their heads in awe when QB Eaglesimprovised, defying the laws of gravity en route to highlight reeltouchdowns. A torn ACL erased the '91 campaign for Cunningham,probably their best shot at winning a championship, and his naturalgifts began to diminish thereafter. A broken leg derailed his '93 seasonas well, and two years later, he was ultimately benched as the teamtransitioned to a west coast offense. All told, Starship 12 threw for22,877 yards and 150 touchdowns in his Philadelphia career, whiletotaling 4,482 yards and 32 scores on the ground... and changing theposition forever. -Kulp
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Certain cliche sports terms get thrown around a lot,but when you're talking about Shane Victorino, "spark plug" fits. Needsomebody to start a rally? Shane can ignite the offense, either with abig hit or on the base paths. Need somebody to help the grounds crewunroll the tarp during a severe rainstorm? The Flyin' Hawaiian and allhis pals will be right out. It's not hard to see why he's become a fanfavorite since being elevated to an everyday player in 2006. Vic playshard. He runs the bases as if it were Albert Belle packed in that 5'9",190 lbs. frame. He's a rangey centerfielder who isn't afraid to get hisuniform dirty, with three consecutive Gold Gloves to show for it. ButVic also plays with emotion. When he makes those game changing plays,he's chirping or demonstratively clapping his hands. Or both. The otherdugout knows he's there though, and so do his teammates. -Kulp