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07/16/2006: "STAN: The Top 10 Most Stanned Athletes In Professional Sports"
Stan: The 10 Most Stanned Athletes
Written by Robert Littal 
Email Robert Littal
Most of you should be familiar with the Eminem song “Stan” (If you haven't just play the video above). If you are not basically it is about a fan who becomes a stalker (i.e. Stan). In the world of sports a “Stan” is someone who universally supports an athlete and refuses to see any faults in the athlete regardless of how obvious those faults are. Lets use Dwyane Wade as an example of the difference between a fan and a “Stan”.
Fan- Wade is an excellent all around player. He makes the Heat go, he was the main reason why they won the Finals. He has to be considered one of the top 5 players in the game right now.
Stan- Wade is crushing all those kids; he is 10 times better than Kobe and 100 times better than Lebron. He could score 100 points in a game if he wanted to, but see Wade he is a team player, I mean he carried those scrubs Walker and Peyton to a championship. They should kiss his feet really. If I was his teammate I would call him everyday thanking him for getting me a ring. He is the truth.
Without further ado here are the 10 most “Stanned” athletes in the world of sports:
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10- Shaq
You will be surprised how far a good sound bite and fun loving attitude will take you in this world. Shaq will go down as one of the greatest centers of all time. In my book of greatest centers he is only behind Wilt and Russell. But he does have some faults that his “Stans” fail to acknowledge.
He hasn’t always been in the best shape, he has never shoulder some of the blame for his failed relationships with Penny and Kobe (even though to his credit he didn’t repeat the mistakes with Wade), he pouts when things don’t go his way, his free throw shooting is a detriment to his team no matter what he says and he has never been called on the calculated way he was able to get out of LA (turned out to be a smart move on his part).
9- Curt Shilling
I am still trying to figure out the difference between Curt Shilling and Terrell Owens. Both talk too much, both criticize management, both came up big while playing hurt (Curt with his fake bloody sock and T.O. with his ankle in the Super Bowl) and both normally split a locker room.
For some reason though Shilling gets a passed even though some of the comments he makes are more outrageous than Owens. He went in front of Congress (still don’t know why he was even asked) called Jose Conseco a bold face liar, only to find out that everything Conseco said was true.
8- Tiger Woods
Here is the thing about Tiger. The Tiger in the TV commercials is absolutely nothing like the Tiger in person. This not unusual for athletes, but with Tiger it is a complete 180. Speaking with a person who goes to major golf tournaments, Tiger is a foul mouth, beer drinking, life of the party type of guy when he is around his buddies. While playing he can be down right evil. His biggest “Stan” is the PGA Tour who routinely overlooks his transgression because he is their cash cow.
7- Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis went from most hated to most Stanned for two reasons. He won a Super Bowl and he was a good sound bite. ESPN became his most famous “Stan” when the put a microphone on him for what seem like 100 consecutive games when he was playing.
No one seems to want to acknowledge that while he is still a good LB he is no where near the level he was 3-4 years ago. This perception that he is still feared around the league is laughable and is simply a media and “Stan” creation.
6- Michael Vick
Mike Vick’s “Stans” motto is that stats don’t matter. The reason why is because statistically speaking Vick is an average QB. The disconnect comes from the fact that Vick’s “Stans” see him as an elite QB and to be honest that is just not the case. They give varying excuses which have some validity like poor WRs or bad coaching, but you rarely see them lay any blame to Vick even though he is a big part of the problem
Vick is a special athlete, but regardless of what any of the “Stans” say to be a Super Bowl champion QB you have to be able to complete passes from the pocket. I could care less how many times he runs the ball, he could rush for 1500 yards for all I care, but I need to know if it I 3rd and 15th and there is no place to run will he be able to complete the pass and keep the drive moving. Until he does that on a consistent basis he will be the ultimate tease.
5- Roger Clemens
I want you to erase from your mind that I am talking about Roger Clemens and I told you there was a player who:
1- Was in his 40’s throwing the ball as hard as he was in the 20’s
2- Has full access of the team’s private jet.
3- Doesn’t have to be with the team on road trips when he doesn’t pitch.
4- Is making more per month right now than A Rod.
5- Is allowed to leave games early.
If I told you that and you said “Oh I don’t think nothing is unusual about that at all”. Then you are a “Stan”.
4- Peyton Manning
Go read my article (How Peyton Manning Can Blow the Super Bowl for the Colts?) for a deeper explanation. The short version is and this is the opposite version of the Vick’s Stans with Manning’s Stans it is all about statistics. Manning is a hell of a quarterback, but he has a problem winning big games since college.
One of the funniest sports jokes ever:
Q- “When will the Colts when a Super Bowl?”
A- “When they get Tee Martin to be there QB”
I like Manning, but no matter how many time his “stans” talk about how he will go down as the greatest statistical QB ever, until he wins a ring it is a moot point.
3- Derek Jeter
Simply put 4 rings make you untouchable in the eyes of many “Stans”. When you play in New York spectacular plays are remembered forever. When you think of Jeter immediately you think of “The Flip”. The first words you normally hear when you ask someone about Jeter is “clutch”.
While Jets is a very good SS and have made some huge postseason plays. He isn’t a great player and he is not as clutch as you may think. He is the opposite of A Rod if you think about in the fact that his negative aspects are brushed aside with only his positives always bought to light.
You have to respect the 4 rings, but when I think of great shortstops off all time I don’t think Jeter.
2- Kobe Bryant
You want some action, lock in a room 10 Kobe Haters and 10 Kobe Stans and I guarantee you someone will get murdered before the hour was up. There is absolutely no middle ground with Kobe, either the hate is deep or the Stanning is strong.
Ironically I have been called a Stan and a Hater within the same conversation about Bean. Stans normally overlook the dry humpin, occasional ball hoggin and his part in the Shaq fiasco. While haters tend to overlook the 3 rings, the fact he is the best player in the game and Shaq’s part in the Shaq fiasco.
I did an unofficial survey on the most loved and hated players on the planet he was the only player to appear on both list in the Top 3.
1- Brett Favre
I have every single email I have every received since I started this site. I receive anywhere between 10-100 emails a day depending on what I have been writing about that particular week and by far the Brett Favre Stans are the worst.
Their affection for Favre is borderline worship (that is why I call him “God Favre). My favorite email came from Herb in Green Bay. It was short and to the point:
"You son of a (beep), Brett Favre is the greatest thing that ever happen to the great state of Wisconsin. How dare you question him, you porch monkey (n-word). God is a Packer fan and he will make sure you burn in hell you porch money (n-word)."
Herb
Packer and Brett Favre supporter for life
I wonder if Herb is really Sean Salisbury? It doesn’t matter how many INTs Favre throws, how many games he has blown, how many teammates he has thrown under the bus by siding with management and blaming them for the decline of the team or how many times he has held the team hostage with his retirement talk, it doesn’t matter “God Favre” can’t be touched.
.... those are phenominal stats, so i can understand if people are "stanning" 
