Top 25 New York sports stars list takes a hit in 2017
Credit: Jim McIsaac
Remember last Dec. 21, when we all were 49 weeks younger and Eli Manning was the Giants’ starting quarterback?
Seems like not that long ago, and yet . . . it was. For proof look no further than a list Newsday posted that day of our top 25 New York-area sports stars.
There is a life lesson there, like the one reinforced by the news on Tuesday that Eli Manning is bench-bound. Eli! Manning!
That lesson is as follows: Stuff happens.
Before the downer portion of our program, some of our stars did make it through 2017 – so far – relatively unscathed:
Kristaps Porzingis (7), Henrik Lundqvist (8), Gary Sanchez (10), John Tavares (11), Jacob deGrom (12), David Villa (18), Jason Pierre-Paul (19), Masahiro Tanaka (20), Tina Charles (21) and CC Sabathia (24).
Also, Jack Coan (25), the Sayville quarterback we selected to represent amateur athletes, is the backup as a freshman at Wisconsin, which has yet to lose a game.
That’s 11. And the other 14? Let’s check in with our top six, shall we?
At No. 5, Aroldis Chapman fared best, merely suffering a shoulder injury and later briefly losing his job as the Yankees’ closer before returning to form down the stretch.
The rest:
No. 1: Odell Beckham Jr. — Broke ankle after playing in four games.
No. 2: Yoenis Cespedes — Shut down after 81 games because of assorted lower body injuries.
No. 3: Eli Manning — Currently a backup to Geno Smith.
No. 4: Noah Syndergaard — Started five games before a torn lat muscle shelved him for five months.
No. 6: Carmelo Anthony — Currently plays for Oklahoma City Thunder.
But wait, there’s more!
No. 9: Matt Harvey — Injuries, a suspension, 18 starts, a 5-7 record and a 6.70 ERA.
No. 13: Jeremy Lin — Played in one game, blew out knee.
No. 14: Brandon Marshall — Cut by Jets, signed by Giants, caught 18 passes, injured ankle.
No. 15: Darrelle Revis — Currently plays for Kansas City Chiefs.
No. 16: David Wright — DNP.
No. 17: Derrick Rose — Currently plays for Cleveland Cavaliers. Sort of. Maybe.
No. 22: Curtis Granderson — A free agent after being left off Dodgers’ World Series roster.
No. 23: Victor Cruz — Not currently employed as a football player.
That’s all, folks. Remember: Life comes at you fast. Tune in this December for our new top 25, as there could be a few changes since last year.
For example: Aaron Judge might make it this time.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
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