The 12 Classiest Sports Stars of All-Time

Amidst the Pacers vs. the city of Auburn Hills brawl in basketball, the BALCO scandal in baseball, and the NHL lockout, sports fans, especially the youngsters, sometimes need a boost of greatness in the form of class and sportsmanship to offset all the murk that has encompassed our sports pages and radio shows.

Let's face it: there is more about sports going on in the Supreme Court than there is on the actual court.

After watching the debacle in Auburn Hills between the city and the Indiana Pacers numerous times, I felt sad for our state of sportsmanship and how sports humbles itself with it's own stupidity and carelessness.

At a minor league hockey game in Bakersfield a couple of years ago, the unmoved crowd of about 5,000 spectators came to see hockey, but subconsciously came to see a brawl. When players from opposing teams started a skirmish, and the entire crowd rose to its feet, the P.A. announcer loudly reverberated: "Let's Get Ready to Rumble!" and kids and their families cheered loudly as two underpaid athletes shook off their gloves and gave the crowd what they wanted: violence. What happened in the Pacer/Pistons game became virtual reality as it seeped into the crowd.

Every time the melee was aired, I had to think of any sports figure that could compensate for the sadness and anger I felt on that Friday night in November.

So who are these sports figures that have saved us through the years of sports becoming too big for its own britches? The ones who humble us with integrity and allow us to see sports for what they really are: games that kids play. And what is the criterion that makes a superstar a legend in class? One must possess a sense of pride in the public eye, elevate the standard of sports, be great and humble, and know when to call it quits and move on.

Here is a list of the 12 classiest sports stars of past and present (not in any particular order):

1. Jim Valvano

The first picture that comes to mind when I think of Jimmy V. comes from the 1983 NCAA Championship game when Lorenzo Charles put in an inadvertent "alley-oop" to sink Akeem Olajuwon and the heavily-favored University of Houston, as the vivacious head coach was seen running frantically around the court trying to hug all 12 of his players at once. Valvano died from cancer in the early '90s, and left an impression on many people inside and out of the sports world. You don't have to love sports to love Jimmy V., whose foundation for cancer research has skyrocketed.

Classic quote: "Every day, you should laugh, think, and cry. If you do all of those, then you've had a heck of a day."

2. Dick Vermeil

Any coach who can be caught on film crying before and after football games consistently in front of testosterone-filled, over-sized gladiators deserves to be known as one of the classiest stars around. Also, the fact that his players love him keeps a coach like Dick Vermeil off of the hot seat. He has had Super Bowl-caliber teams and cellar dwellers, but his players have only great things to say about their highly-spirited old man. Like fellow coach Bill Cowher, Vermeil is never in jeopardy of getting the can. He decides when it's time.

Classic quote: "A coach has a relationship with his players as a person first, athlete second."

3. Bjorn Borg

Grace under Pressure. That could easily be his name, and should read on his epitaph some day. In a time in tennis when popularity soared because of characters such as John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, and Ille Nistase, Borg was simply a court genius who took his baseline game to Wimbledon and won five straight titles in the late '70s, and was the classic rival for John McEnroe in the early '80s.

What made him so classy was how he conducted himself during some of the most exciting, tense, and widely-televised matches of all-time. You never could tell if the Swede was winning or losing because his demeanor was solid and pure. Although he lost all his money on bad investments and a bad marriage, Borg was the ultimate model of sportsmanship in a game that doesn't allow swearing, throwing equipment, and relies on gentlemanly conduct.

Classic quote: Borg doesn't need one. His silence spoke volumes during his career.

4. Pete Sampras

The coolest part of this Greek descendent is that he was the best for so long, yet his marketability never came close to those rivals he kept down such as Andre Agassi. The ability to remain number one for years in the men's tennis world is among the tougher feats in sports. Few survive a week or two once they reach the top such as Jim Courier or Petr Korda, yet Sampras labored many a tough match and found ways to win.

But what makes him so classy? Like his fellow stars mentioned on this list of greats, Sampras had a way of being his greatest when he was about to lose it all. Two instances: the first was a match versus Alex Corretja at the U.S. Open, when Sampras nearly suffered a heat stroke amidst vomiting in between points that was clearly captured by TV cameras. Moments later, he would step up and wail a 100 mph-plus serve that could only make you sigh in amazement. Even Corretja shook his head from point to point. This four- hour match ended in five sets with Sampras pulling it out.

Second, a match versus Jim Courier, one day after his coach, Tim Robertson, died from sudden disease, at a warm-up tournament for the U.S. Open. Around the second set, Sampras looked as if he was in physical pain, as one would appear with stomach cramps or nausea. Courier took time in between points to see if he was all right. What happened was that Sampras was looking into the sky after each point and crying for the loss of his coach.

Very few athletes would feel "manly" enough to cry in front of thousands during an athletic event, but Pete showed the viewers that courage comes at the most critical times. Sampras won the match.

Classic quote: "Thank you." Sampras said this after every compliment from commentator Bud Collins during an interview in 1998. Nothing more, nothing less.

5. Julius Erving

Dr. J elevated the NBA game, and not just by sprouting an afro in the early part of his playing days. Erving was simply an ambassador for the game by being modest and successful, becoming the first of soon-to-be many human highlight reels. Anyone who followed the NBA in the early '80s felt the growing desire for Dr. J to win an NBA title, as fellow stars such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird racked up rings slowly, usually hurdling Erving and the Sixers to win those titles.

Along with the studs mentioned, Erving had a super mix of substance and style, and didn't just fly over defenders to the hoop, but glided.

Classic quote: After losing to the Lakers in six games of the 1982 NBA championship: "We'll be back next year." The next year, Dr. J and the Sixers swept the Lakers for his first and only title.

6. Bill Russell

Not to mention that he only won a billion titles in a row in the '50s and '60s with the Boston Celtics, but Russell was among the most humble superstars of all-time. Perhaps being rival with Wilt Chamberlain, who, on the contrary, was a mega-star to himself and reveled in the attention brought by success, made Russell seem like the benevolent, well-coached star who never needed ladies at his side and media glitz.

Sports Illustrated voted Bill Russell as the Greatest Team Player in Sports History, which is the ultimate award for an individual player. Russell even appeared on Sesame Street on various occasions.

Classic quote: "It's better to understand than to be understood."

7. Mike Singletary

Also known as "The Samurai." Singletary was the captain of perhaps the greatest defense in pro football history. The 46-zone that defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan implemented in Chicago was manned by intensity, and although the Bears in 1985 had their Super Bowl Shuffle on with flashy superstars such as Jim McMahon, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, Walter Payton, and coach Mike Ditka, it was Singletary who was the glue at middle linebacker who kept the run stopped and the quarterback in extreme fear of impact. The pre-snap intensity that NFL Films has captured is the impression left for most of us who came to know the storied 1985 Chicago Bears.

What made this demolisher such a classy superstar? His intensity matched with sportsmanship, especially on the field. Although it may have seemed that Singletary would liked to have turned opposing halfbacks into doormats, his respect for the game, his coaches, and opponents give the Samurai a nod for one of the classiest to play pro football.

Classic quote: "I see my opponent with the football, I hit him as hard as I can to the ground, and help him back up when it's over."

8. Martina Navratilova

In the '80s, the Czechoslovakian native carved her way into tennis history by rivaling Chris Evert for the tops in women's tennis, mostly being the better of the two. A lot like Pete Sampras to Andre Agassi in the men's circuit, Martina was by far the less marketable of the two, as Evert was known as the queen of tennis at the time, and any innocent sports fan would automatically take a liking to Evert because of her beauty, class, and Americana.

On the contrary, Navratilova was criticized for her homosexuality, especially when it became public that she and Billie Jean King were more than just hitting partners. Her courage and persistency to be the best (which she was for a decade before the arrival of Steffi Graf) showed through time that Martina was a class competitor.

What made her special was that she innovated a subtle act during a tennis match that transcended her from tennis great to one of the classiest sports figures. Navratilova made it a novelty to applaud an opposing player's winner visually by hitting her open hand on her racket face.

Also, she would exclaim, "Yep!" when she knew her adversary had outsmarted her with tactics. Intensity often claims one's sportsmanship in the heat of battle, but these humble acts were modeled by youngsters, and made it okay to acknowledge the play of your opponent which is sorely lacking in other sports. Thanks to Martina, it is common to give you counterpart props, and that is classy.

Classic quote: Actions speak louder than words in this case.

9. Jim Tracy

The current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers is a good baseball manager for an enigmatic franchise. After the legendary Tommy Lasorda ended his career as the Dodgers skipper, L.A. has gone through a short list of "two year and out" leaders until Jim Tracy arrived, and has now become a fixture in the city of Angels. Alongside the criticism he's received in the past few years for not getting the Dodgers into the postseason, Tracy finally got them there, only to be derailed by the talent-soaked Cardinals.

What got Tracy on this list of classy greats was simply one move that will leave an important impression on all sports fans, young and old. After the last out of the divisional series in which the Dodgers lost 3-1, Tracy had his entire ball club go out onto the field and shake hands in sportsmanlike fashion. In an era where bean brawls and bad calls have blanketed the highlight reels, Jim Tracy took the average ball fan back to the Little League diamond, where teams always slap fives after each game, and put it out there for all to see.

Classic quote: Once again, actions speak louder than words.

10. Branch Rickey/Jackie Robinson/Pee Wee Reese

This three-headed monster of class had been gelled into one person, simply because they could head a class list of their own with what they pioneered back in the days of baggie ball pants and segregation. Jackie Robinson was the subject of being the first black baseball player to cross the racial lines and compete with the white man.

Branch Rickey was the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers who had the bravery to pull of such a class act amidst a time of insecurity, anger, and hatred between blacks and whites in America.

Pee Wee Reese, the Dodger shortstop, befriended Robinson publicly, and put himself out for much criticism by his own race. The three of these fellows started a trend that not only made an impact in baseball, but in all sports.

No classic quote. Their actions were monumental.

11. Mike Krzyzewski

Also known as Coach K, this amazingly successful college basketball coach took a once-proud program at Duke University and created a Final Four habit for his youngsters. Anyone who has watched Krzyzewski coach his squad, you can tell that he preaches intensity, work ethic, and most of all, sportsmanship. There is a better chance of sighting the Loch Ness monster than witnessing a Duke hoopster or coach cry foul or taunt opposing players.

Coach K teaches young men more than basketball. He teaches them respect on a higher level, and it carries over into life. Have you ever seen him berate an official, place blame on others, or become sarcastic with the media? No. Also, he holds the trophy for mentoring ex-players into his own assistant coaches, only to see them take over their own programs across the nation such as Tommy Amaker at Michigan and Quinn Snyder at Missouri.

Any college program knows better than to snag a protégé of one of the all-time greats when it comes to fundamentals and sportsmanship. Coach Krzyzewski wins the cake for the tremendous balance of success and modesty in an impressionistic time for youngsters to take hold.

Classic quote: Actions once again speak louder than words. Krzyzewski automatically was jettisoned onto this elite list when he turned down the Lakers' head coaching job offer to stick with his job at Duke. Does it get any better?

12. Lou Gehrig

Like all the honorees of this class list, the Yankee Hall of Famer combined a show of immortality on the field, stoicism off the field, and unfortunately, mortality at a young age. Along side his stellar play for the Bronx Bombers, Gehrig lived a roller coaster ride of a life, and before his playing days were up, was diagnosed with a disease that was eventually renamed Lou Gehrig's disease. Most athletes would publicly wish for and accept pity and props for becoming terminally ill at such a young age, Gehrig stood in front of thousands at Yankee Stadum and gave us this classic quote: "Today, I am the luckiest man on the earth."

Note to readers: Did I miss anyone that you felt should've made the list? I know I could have made mention to greats such as Joe DiMaggio or Michael Jordan, yet the list above is only a reflection of my subjective experience to sports. Please feel free to comment on sports figures who you feel should have made this elite list of classy sportsmanship and why.