With the All-Star Break here and the news pertaining to Detroit Sports being relatively light, we now have a chance to name the Top 10 CURRENT Detroit Athletes.
1. Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers) -Verlander has two no-hitters, a Cy Young Award, MVP Award, national commercials and quite possibly Kate Upton. He’s the best pitcher in baseball and at the top of our list for the best current Detroit athletes.
2. Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions) – Not only is Megatron the best player on his own team but he may be the best player in the entire NFL. Mark my words too, he will be better than Jerry Rice when it’s all said and done.
3. Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) -Stafford makes his way into the top three after the remarkable season he had last year. Continued success paired with his positive public persona, Stafford could own Detroit in a few years.
4. Ndamukong Suh (Detroit Lions) – SSSSSUUUUUUHHHHHH!!!!!! Sure he’s had his on field and off field problems but Suh may be the most dominant player at his position. And Detroit loves him for that.
5. Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers) – Maybe the best pure hitter in Baseball you have to wonder where the Tigers would be if Dombrowski didn’t pull the trigger on that trade back in December of 2007.
6. Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings) – With Lidstrom now retired, Pavel Datsyuk takes over as the most popular player on the Wings. And with Lidstrom gone Datsyuk is probably the best player on the Wings and maybe the most underrated player in the NHL.
7. Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings) – When you think of Pavel Datsyuk you automatically have to think of Henrik Zetterberg. He’s flashy on the ice and humble of it, exactly the type of player the personifies the Wings.
8. Prince Fielder (Detroit Tigers) -An outstanding ball player and a huge catch in the offseason, Prince still needs more time with the Tigers to continue making a name for himself and move up on the list.
9. Niklas Kronwall (Detroit Red Wings) – Who doesn’t jump out of their seats when the opposition get’s Kronwalled? Not only that he’s a really good player too, defensively and offensively.
10. Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons) – We’ve had Mr. Big Shot but how about Mr. Double-Double? Monroe is good for double-digit rebounds and points on any given night. He’s also going to be known as being a huge part in the Pistons’ rebirth.
Other Considerations: Denard Robinson (U-M Football), Brandon Knight (Detroit Pistons), Cliff Avril (Detroit Lions), Todd Bertuzzi (Detroit Red Wings), Quintin Berry (Detroit Tigers), Austin Jackson (Detroit Tigers), Jimmy Howard (Detroit Red Wings)