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Greatest Polish-American Athlete?


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EbonyandBathoryThreads: 7
Posts: 349
Joined: Feb 14, 08 ♂ 		 Feb 16, 08, 20:40    #1
Without a doubt, Polish-Americans have put a stamp on American sports, but whose the greatest of them all? This question crosses all sports and should make for some interesting debate. For example, if Stan Musial is the greatest baseballer than is he better than Mike Krzyzewski, probably the greatest Polish-American figure in basketball? Or Mike Ditka in football? My top 10 list would be as follows;
1. Musial (Baseball)
2. Krzyzewski (Basketball)
3. Al Simmons (Baseball)
4. Carl Yastrzemski (Baseball)
5. Steve Bartkoski (Football)
6. Mike Ditka (Football)
7. Alan Trammel (Baseball)
8. Hank Stram (Football)
9. Phil Niekro (Baseball)
10. Pete Stemkowski (Hockey)

Your thoughts?
bookrattThreads: 8
Posts: 93
Joined: Jul 9, 07 ♀ 		 Feb 25, 08, 10:08    #2
Charley Goldman--he trained boxer Rocky Marciano and several other champs. He was well known in his time and certainly put his mark on the sport.

Can't add more than that as I am not a boxing fan; a friend is, and he was the one who mentioned Goldman and asked me to post.
EbonyandBathoryThreads: 7
Posts: 349
Joined: Feb 14, 08 ♂ 		 Feb 25, 08, 14:15    #3
Wow, I've heard of him, but wasn't aware he was Polish, good find bookratt.
Roman1234  Aug 17, 08, 20:03    #4
Tony Zale...Heavyweight Champion
Wahldo Edited by: Moderator  Aug 17, 08, 21:03    #5
Well Paul Posluszny is young but I think he will be a great linebacker some day.

Of course Old Bronco Nagurski: His parents were Ukrainian but from Galicia, so maybe kind of Polish?
DetroitRockCityThreads: -
Posts: 8
Joined: Aug 17, 08 ♂ 		 Aug 17, 08, 22:52    #6
What about my boy, Polish Power Ivan Putski?
TheroenThreads: 2
Posts: 24
Joined: Nov 7, 07 ♂ 		Edited by: Theroen  Aug 18, 08, 00:11    #7
Michael Phelpski, without a doubt.
DetroitRockCityThreads: -
Posts: 8
Joined: Aug 17, 08 ♂ 		 Aug 18, 08, 14:15    #8
Good call Theroen. He very well maybe the greatest athlete period. What a show he put on, and I really don't get into swimming...things like that, but he got me into it the past week. He got ALOT of people into it. I was on an island in Ohio saturday night partying and everyone knew what was going on with him, when he won everyone was chanting Phelps USA.
Guest  Sep 6, 08, 22:08    #9
i would have wayne gretzky on the top on the list.
Wahldo  Sep 6, 08, 22:39    #10
Guest:

wayne gretzky


I think he's belorussian.
EbonyandBathoryThreads: 7
Posts: 349
Joined: Feb 14, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: EbonyandBathory  Sep 8, 08, 13:08    #11
Yes, Wayne is Belorussian. Not a ton of Poles in the ranks of the NHL, I'm afraid.
thespitz  Sep 8, 08, 14:58    #12
Dan Marino is one great Half Pole / Half Italian.
Heinz57Threads: 1
Posts: 3
Joined: Aug 29, 08 ♂ 		 Sep 9, 08, 17:36    #13
Sebastian Janikowski this year might become the all-time leading scorer in Oakland Raiders history. He is also 2 for 2 in bar fights.
Wahldo Edited by: Wahldo  Sep 9, 08, 20:21    #14
Ron Jaworski
DiceThreads: 20
Posts: 677
Joined: Nov 27, 07 ♂ 		Edited by: Dice  Sep 9, 08, 21:29    #15
EbonyandBathory:

6. Mike Ditka (Football)

Da Coach Mike Ditka.
Da Bears!
Mike Ditka
Mike's childhood name was Mike Dyczko. His father was one of three brothers of a Ukrainian [1] family in the coal mining and steel manufacturing area in Western Pennsylvania
URL Ukrainian, Polish, whatever. I love the guy anyways.
Da Bears!
Easy_TerranThreads: 4
Posts: 473
Joined: Mar 31, 08 ♂ 		 Sep 10, 08, 00:36    #16
EbonyandBathory:

Not a ton of Poles in the ranks of the NHL

How 'bout Mariusz Czerkawski and Krzysztof Oliwa?

But they are Polish-Polish, though...
EbonyandBathoryThreads: 7
Posts: 349
Joined: Feb 14, 08 ♂ 		 Sep 10, 08, 16:11    #17
Easy_Terran:

EbonyandBathory:
Not a ton of Poles in the ranks of the NHL

How 'bout Mariusz Czerkawski and Krzysztof Oliwa?


I'm not saying the NHL is devoid of all Poles but compared to other countries around Poland (Russia, Czech Republic, Sweden) there aren't as many Poles.
Kelob pieThreads: 5
Posts: 7
Joined: Mar 13, 08 ♂ 		 Sep 13, 08, 14:11    #18
The Crusher.
Guest  Dec 19, 08, 11:18    #19
Gretzky is a Canadian/American and his mother was Polish/Ukrainian. His father, Walter, seemed to think Belarussian ment "upper class Russian". So this is still a grey area. The majority of the NHL players are of Slavic descent so I would have to say that there are more Polish/Ukrainian/Galacian/Ruthenian (heritage) players than one realizes.
PeterPanThreads: -
Posts: 2
Joined: Aug 16, 09 ♂ 		 Aug 16, 09, 03:35    #20
Yep,
for sure Gretzky got Polish connection, and his last name does not sound anything like Belarussian or Russian.
I say, origins are more like Grêcki
BabinichThreads: 1
Posts: 1,054
Joined: May 26, 08  Pictures: 1 ♂ 		 Aug 16, 09, 03:37    #21
Stan Musial
King SobieskiThreads: 7
Posts: 1,106
Joined: Jan 22, 07 ♂ 		 Aug 16, 09, 10:57    #22
the polish rifle - eric piatkowski
Nanusia  Feb 14, 10, 05:44    #23
Wayne is Polish and Belarussian. His grandparents were ethnic Poles but lived in what is now Belarus.
Polonius3Threads: 1,005
Posts: 4,835
Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂ 		 Feb 15, 10, 18:41    #24
Going way back, anyone ever heard of all-time sports greats Olympic sprinter Stella Walsh (Walasiewicz) or wrestler Zbyszko Cyganiewicz?
optsThreads: 12
Posts: 333
Joined: Jul 29, 06 ♂ 		 Feb 15, 10, 18:56    #25
I do not see what is so "Greatest" about the above mentioned athletes. They are just athletes with Polish roots.
rdw  Feb 15, 10, 19:11    #26
Didn't you guys know "Adam" of Adam and Eve fame was actually named Adam Polanski and was the world's first athlete? This started a long line of Poland being "first" and "best" at everything. Or at least that's what I heard over and over in Poland.
optsThreads: 12
Posts: 333
Joined: Jul 29, 06 ♂ 		 Feb 15, 10, 20:34    #27
rdw:
Didn't you guys know "Adam" of Adam and Eve fame was actually named Adam Polanski and was the world's first athlete? This started a long line of Poland being "first" and "best" at everything. Or at least that's what I heard over and over in Poland.

I did not know that. Thanks. That makes proud. :P
joepilsudskiThreads: 44
Posts: 2,529
Joined: Apr 27, 07  Pictures: 1 ♂ 		Edited by: joepilsudski  Feb 15, 10, 22:00    #28
Roman1234:
Tony Zale...Heavyweight Champion

I have no idea where you guys get your American sports information from...You quote 'WikiPedia' all the time, but in these cases you haven't even bothered to check there.

Tony Zale?...Indeed great, but he was MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD, and had a series of classic bouts with Rocky Graziano,

Mike Krzyzewski?...Great college coach at Duke, but not much as a player.

Al Simmons?...CURT Simmons, Philadelphia Phillies, Pitcher, southpaw, Polish-American.

Steve Bartkowski?...How about Ron Jaworski, Philadelphia Eagles QB who took them to Super Bowl?

Stan Musial?...OK.

Gretzky?...Debatable.

Hank Stram?....He was a coach, but OK.
joepilsudskiThreads: 44
Posts: 2,529
Joined: Apr 27, 07  Pictures: 1 ♂ 		Edited by: joepilsudski  Feb 15, 10, 22:20    #29
Also, Carol Blazejowski, basketball player, coach and administrator.

cb
BabinichThreads: 1
Posts: 1,054
Joined: May 26, 08  Pictures: 1 ♂ 		 Feb 16, 10, 04:04    #30
joepilsudski:
Al Simmons?

Aloisius Szymanski changed his name to Al Simmons

aka Bucketfoot Al... Philadelphia Athletics Left Fielder

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