Philly March Madness: (7) Lenny Dykstra vs. (10) Dave Poulin

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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,andcastyourvote atthe bottom as to which you think shouldadvance tothe nextround. Andas always, feel free to explainyour selectionand/ordebate the choicesin the comments section.


(7) Lenny Dykstra

Dirt. Nails. TheDude. Leonard Kyle Dysktra was one of the most feared hitters in baseball during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Despite being a key part of the Mets’World Series run in 1986 and success over the next few seasons, Dykstra wastraded to the Phillies along with Roger McDowell for Juan Samuel in 1989. Hiscareer in Philadelphia was a wild ride, sadly in more ways than one. He made the1990 All-Star team, his first of three Summer Classics as a Phillie, batting.325 with 192 hits and 33 steals from the leadoff spot. The Dude could work acount with the best of them, earning a lot of free passes and wearing down opposing pitchers. He’ll best be remembered (on the field anyway) as a key memberof the 1993 Macho Row team that went to the World Series, leading the league that year in runs, hits, and walks. He continued his tear in the playoffs. hitting at a .348/.500/.913 clip in the World Series, with four homers and eight RBI in six games.

Of course,Dykstra was also the drunk driver in a 1991 accident that would considerably injure bothhe and Darren Daulton, and we later found out that he, along with some of hisMacho Row teammates, were using performance-enhancing drugs, with Dykstraultimately being named in the Mitchell Report. Then there’s his whole post-careerlife, which includes being considered everything from a financial genius to acommon criminal. Dykstra’s downfallis well-documented and will unfortunately be his most enduring legacy. Butthe Dude was a Phillies great, and those who watched the team in the early‘90s will always remember his fearsome fearlessness in the box, his cheeksfull of tobacco (and the stained centerfield carpet at the Vet), and the crazypassion with which he played the game. -Matt P.


(10) Dave Poulin

After adistinguished career at Notre Dame, Dave Poulin skated as a Flyer from 1982-1990, making hismark early and often in Orange and Black. Poulin scored on the first shift ofhis NHL career, and would tally 160 more as a Flyer, along with 233 assists.He served as the team’s captain for six seasons and lived up to the C on his chestas a great leader on the ice and in the locker room, despite being just 25 years of age at the start of his captaincy and having toimmediately succeed Bobby Clarke in #16’s second stint as captain. As if that shadow weren’t large enough, he was also the captain of a Mike Keenan-coachedteam, a mantle that comes with fiercely voiced expectations, and later helpedguide the team through the sudden and tragic death of goaltender Pelle Lindbergh.The Flyers won the Patrick Division and made it all the way to the Finals in Poulin's first season as captain. He battled through a series of significantinjuries, but kept getting himself back into the lineup, earning hisreputation as a team player with an intense drive to win. His breakaway goal againstQuebec Nordiques goalie Mario Gosselin while the Flyers had two men in the boxwas one of the great moments in the franchise’s history, helping to win thedecisive game six of the conference finals. The playhighlighted Poulin’s abilities as a leader, a goal scorer, and an outstandingtwo-way player—something we’ve come to love and expect from our forwards in thistown.

Not surprisingly, following the 1986-1987 season, Poulin was awarded theSelke Trophy, given annually to the best defensive forward in the game.Unfortunately, his Flyers career ended unceremoniously during a down time for the team,with Poulin being stripped of the captaincy midway through the 1989-1990season, then traded to the Bruins. But his career in Philadelphia will beremembered for leadership and clutch playoff performance—everything we expect of a captain. -Matt P.

Who should advance to the next round?Market Research

Results So Far:

East Bracket:

(1) Julius Erving (91.8%) over (16) Von Hayes (8.2%)
(8) SimonGagne (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) MarkRecchi (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) ChaseUtley (93.5%) over (15) Andre Waters (6.5%)

Midwest Bracket:

(1) Mark Howe (60.2%) over (16) David Akers (39.8%)
(9) RodBrind'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%)

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