I know we don't talk much boxing on WIP -- and given the sorry state of the sport that's hardly surprising -- but I was surprised Bernard Hopkins was not mentioned more often in last week's lively debate about the best of the 2000s.
B-Hop is my pick for the top Philadelphia athlete of the past 20 years. I gave due consideration to Jimmy Rollins, Allen Iverson, Nick Foles, Claude Giroux, even Smarty Jones but when you consider what Hopkins accomplished, it is truly remarkable.
He held the undisputed world middleweight championship from 2001 through 2005. He won the light heavyweight title in 2011. At 46, he was the oldest man to hold a world title breaking the record previously set by George Foreman. He knocked out the unbeaten Felix Trinidad in 2001 and was named Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine.
The ageless Hopkins also defeated Oscar de la Hoya and Roy Jones, Jr., and when he finally retired he was ranked the third best middleweight of the last 50 years. Philadelphia has produced a lot of great boxers but none of them stayed on top as long as B-Hop.
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A few other choices:
Best Coach -- Jay Wright of Villanova is a slam dunk. He won two national championships, one on a buzzer beater against North Carolina and another with a scorching run through the NCAA tournament where the Wildcats won their six games by an average of 17 points. They crushed Michigan 79-62 in the title game. Villanova has also dominated the Big Five, sweeping the City Series six of the last seven years.
Best Trade -- Roy Halladay. The Phillies acquired the great right hander from Toronto for a package that included catcher Travis d'Arnaud, pitcher Kyle Drabek and outfielder Michael Taylor. Halladay went 21-10 in 2010 to earn National League Cy Young honors. He threw a perfect game in the regular season and a no-hitter in the playoffs. Every time Doc took the ball, it was must see TV.
Best Eagles Player -- For me, this came down to a choice between tackle Jason Peters and safety Brian Dawkins. Tough call but I'll take Dawkins. He played 183 regular season games (second most in team history) and tied the club record with 34 interceptions. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson built his defense around Dawkins' unique skill set, his ability to blitz, to cover, to tackle and to make plays from sideline to sideline. Dawkins made safety an impact position in the NFL.
Best Draft Steal -- Brian Westbrook. You might say a third round pick doesn't qualify as a steal but in this case I disagree. Westbrook was the 91st overall selection in 2002 and some draftniks were surprised he went that high. A 5-9 running back from Villanova? Seemed like a reach for a kid that figured to be little more than a role player in the NFL. However, Westbrook became one of the most versatile weapons in Andy Reid's offense. He finished his career as the Eagles all-time leader in total yards from scrimmage (9,785).
Best Blunder -- Gabe Kapler in his first game as Phillies manager (a) lifted his ace Aaron Nola after just 60 pitches and (b) brought in a relief pitcher who had not warmed up. Atlanta's Freddie Freeman hit a home run and the Phillies lost the game. It was a preview of what was to come under the quirky skipper.
Best Moment -- It seems like a lifetime ago but it has to be the Philly Special. An audacious call, a crazy draw-it-up-in-the-dirt play, the third string tight end throwing a touchdown pass to the quarterback to help win a Super Bowl. Did that really happen or did we just dream it? Sometimes I wonder.