Underrated Sports Stars

The lamestream media like to promote athletes based not on skill, but for liberal reasons. Here's a growing list of the most underrated sports stars (two of whom made the Bleacher Report's independent ranking):

Athlete	Achievement	Possible reasons for being underrated
Scottie Scheffler	48 weeks (and counting) at #1 in golf, and attaining at merely age 27 the rank of #10 (and rising) among the top all-time earnings winners, Scheffler's nine tour wins as of April 2024 "include two Masters, two Players (the richest event on the PGA Tour), two Arnold Palmer Invitationals, two WM Phoenix Opens (one of which was a signature event) as well as a Match Play."	Scheffler said in an interview shortly before winning his second Masters: "I believe in Jesus. Ultimately, I think that's what defines me the most...I was called here to glorify God."
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson	Greatest hitter Babe Ruth said he ever saw, Jackson is #3 in career batting average in Major League Baseball but wrongly excluded from its Hall of Fame. Jackson also had a tremendous throwing arm and is ranked among the top-20 outfielders ever. In the 1919 World Series, Jackson hit a spectacular .375 (.394 on-base percentage), with 12 hits, 5 runs, 3 doubles, a home run, and 6 RBIs, and yet a liberal, publicity-seeking former federal judge falsely declared that Jackson was part of a group allowing the other side to win for gamblers (after a jury fully acquitted Jackson).	In liberal denial, Leftists refuse to admit and correct how a tyrannical federal judge-turned-commissioner wrongly made Jackson a scapegoat for the 1919 White Sox gambling scandal, falsely saying that Jackson was in a group that deliberately allowed the opponent to win when in fact Jackson's play was spectacular.
Nikola Jokić	The only player in NBA history to lead the playoffs in points, assists and rebounds. Jokic was snubbed by the liberal media to deny his third consecutive MVP and an ESPN commentator later said it was a mistake to leave Jokic off his ballot entirely. Jokic won NBA MVP for the prior two straight years, and led the 4-0 sweep of LeBron James' Lakers in spring 2023. Jokic then led the Nuggets to near sweep (4-1) in the finals, as he shattered more records.	The liberal media may not have wanted this white player (Jokic) to surpass Michael Jordan and LeBron James by winning 3 MVPs a row. Also, Jokic is a Christian Serb who "celebrates Christmas with the older Julian calendar."
Rogers Hornsby	one of the greatest right-handed baseball hitters ever, and perhaps the finest player-manager (winning the World Series that way against the mighty Yankees in 1926).	Opposed alcohol, refused to read newspapers, played mostly in the Midwest, retired 70 hits short of the 3,000-hit club, and owners disliked his free market salary demands.
Kylian Mbappe	established himself as the greatest soccer player ever by carrying his team (France) to win the World Cup at age 19 and then completely dominating the entire tournament to carry his team to a near-victory at age 23.	The liberal media hates conservative blacks.
Larry Fitzgerald	2nd greatest wide receiver ever, after Jerry Rice.	The corrupt NFL dislikes outspoken Christians, as Fitzgerald states “I believe in God. God controls my fate. Whatever God’s plan is, I will follow.” Also, the liberal media do not like to promote players who are smarter than owners, and Fitzgerald is an intelligent chess enthusiast.
Eliud Kipchoge	Greatest marathon runner ever, who repeatedly wins and sets world records. Called "probably the best athlete alive."	Outspoken Christian who prays before his races, attends church on Sundays, and for whom his wife fasts for days before her husband's races.
Hank Aaron	Home run king, a very fast baserunner with a high batting average, and a repeat winner of the Golden Glove Award for superb fielding until Roberto Clemente began winning that. Appearing healthy, Hank Aaron unexpectedly died in his sleep about 2.5 weeks after receiving a COVID vaccine.	Converted to Christianity early in his career and liked books such as The Life of Christ (1954). Also played for teams which generally were not successful.
Gale Sayers	Nicknamed the "Kansas Comet," Sayers was the finest, most elegant open-field running back and kick-returner ever, and the youngest inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.	Wrote a best-selling book entitled I Am Third (Jesus is first) which became a hit TV movie, and supported Republican Richard Nixon's reelection in 1972.
Art Monk	A wide receiver who broke the record for career catches at the time, carried the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl victories with three different quarterbacks, and reached a fourth Super Bowl where the Redskins came up short when its QB lacked an arm strong enough to throw amid high winds. Monk shattered many records and was one of the most dominant WR's ever, yet was not inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame until after many years of being eligible for it as writers for the liberal media (Sports Illustrated) vocally opposed this honor.	He became a born-again Christian while playing in the NFL, and continues to speak out in support of his faith.
Tim Brown	gained the fifth-most overall yardage of any NFL player, despite playing for weak teams; he gained more yardage than many Hall of Famers, and yet he was not voted into the NFL Hall of Fame for five years until 2015. He is one of only 9 players ever to both win the Heisman Trophy and be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.	Preached his Christian faith and played Gospel music in the Raiders' weight room
Jim Brown	honored as the greatest football player of all time in 2002 by the Sporting News, today Brown is opposed by the media while lesser players are promoted	Brown supported Donald Trump after he was elected, and defended Trump against John Lewis. Brown also has a history of abuse against women.
Roberto Clemente	The best defensive outfielder ever with the finest throwing arm, Clemente was also the top hitter of the 1960s who led his Pittsburgh Pirates to a phenomenal World Series triumph against the heavily favored Yankees in 1960 (and he again led the Pirates to the title in 1971). Clemente successfully hit in all 14 World Series games in which he played, including clutch hits in the 7th games of both title victories. His humanitarianism is widely praised, but his playing skills have not been recognized as much as they should.	Clemente was outspoken about his faith in God in his interviews with the liberal media.
Stephen Curry	One of only four NBA players to win multiple NBA championships, NBA MVPs, and scoring titles, and Curry is probably the finest NBA shooter of all-time. Yet he received 0 out of 10 votes for MVP in the finals in 2015, which was given to a teammate who was not even initially a starter in the series. Curry led his team in scoring, assists, and steals during the 2014-2015 season.	He's an outspoken Christian who even engraves a Bible verse on his shoes, departing Nike to do that. In addition, the Golden State Warriors have adopted the "superteam" mentality of NBA franchises (signing several elite players onto one team), a strategy disliked by sports purists.
Novak Djokovic	"He put together the greatest season since Australian champion Rod Laver won the Grand Slam in 1969. Despite that, mainstream reports after his US Open win virtually failed to mention the Serb’s remarkable season ...."	He's one of the Greatest Conservative Sports Stars; also American media usually does not follow sports where there are no American superstars, and tennis has not had a men's superstar since John McEnroe (it is dominated by Europeans). Further he is outspoken against the COVID vaccine, and (despite having an exemption from provincial authorities) was detained by Australian immigration in 2022 for not being vaccinated.
Wilt Chamberlain	The most statistically dominant basketball player of all time, although Chamberlain is rightly regarded by the media as a legend, they generally do not regard him as perhaps the greatest player ever as they do with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar even though he deserves to be regarded at such a level	As a lifelong Republican, he was one of the Greatest Conservative Sports Stars. Also criticized for his statement that he "slept with 10,000 women" (even he admitted that was hyperbole, and later admitted his actions were wrong).
Tim Duncan	Led an average team to five NBA Championships — more than double the number won by Lebron James. Duncan also won these championships without supercoach Phil Jackson, who coached the Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant teams to victory. Yet the media give Duncan relatively little attention.	Played in a small market (San Antonio, though one of the ten largest cities in the US, is barely a top 50 media market due to the lack of large suburbs surrounding the city itself)
Frank Lampard	One of England's best soccer players ever, he has won eight major trophies with his former club Chelsea, was named runner-up for the Ballon d'Or in 2005, meaning that he was officially the second-best player in the world for that year, and has scored over 200 goals in his career; all these achievements far outshine those of his countrymen Steven Gerrard and David Beckham, but the latter two often receive more adulation from the media	He is a conservative; also though soccer is popular worldwide it has a limited United States following
Stan Musial	Seven batting titles, three championships, an amazing home run-to-strikeout ratio and overall statistics superior to nearly everyone; Ty Cobb said Musial "is the closest to being perfect in the game today" in 1952, Willie Mays said that "Musial is the best all around hitter," and yet he has always been underpublicized by the media. An acclaimed sportswriter even wrote a book trying to understand why "Stan Musial is Largely Forgotten," as the title of a book review put it. ESPN once called him one of the five best players of all-time [2] and Bill James ranked him as #7 all-time. Stan Musial even hit .342 lifetime against lefty ace Sandy Koufax.	A devout Catholic who played in the conservative Midwest, in a small market (however, the St. Louis Cardinals have a national following due to being the westernmost franchise outside of the California teams for two decades)
Reggie White	The best defensive football player ever, he twice won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award, set an NFL career record at the time of 198 sacks, appeared 13 consecutive times in the Pro Bowl, and won a Super Bowl championship	Spoke out against the homosexual agenda and was hated by homosexual activists for it; however, during his career he led his team to only one Super Bowl victory (and that team, the Green Bay Packers, plays in the smallest media market of any North American professional sports franchise), but he was inducted into both the College and NFL Halls of Fame
Eddie Murray	One of very few baseball superstars to exceed 500 home runs and 3,000 base hits	Well-known for his disdain of the sports media (often refusing to speak to them), and a sneaker company dared to run him for president in a humorous campaign against liberal Bill Clinton in 1996
Jim Plunkett	Omitted from the Hall of Fame despite winning the Heisman Trophy and then leading the mediocre Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders to two spectacular Super Bowl victories; Joe Namath won only one Super Bowl and yet he's in the Hall of Fame, and so is Troy Aikman, despite mediocre statistics with phenomenal teams	A Mexican American who exemplified the American Dream and never asked for sympathy despite being raised by two blind parents, whom he praised profusely; also the Raiders have a long history of undisciplined on-field play, and their clothing is associated with gang culture.
Bill Laimbeer	Omitted from the Hall of Fame despite being only the 19th player to surpass both 10,000 points and rebounds. Laimbeer was the finest long-range shooting center in history, and led an average team to two championships in a highly competitive era.	A conservative who defeated both Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson and won two NBA championships (including sweeping Magic's Lakers in four games), Laimbeer was demonized by the liberal media; also, the Pistons (and Laimbeer specifically) were known and criticized for their aggressive (and sometimes dirty) style of play
Pat McCormick	Won double gold medals in women's diving at back-to-back Olympics, she won her second pair of gold medals five months after she gave birth	Childbirth is not something liberals want to promote; also outside the Olympics diving is not generally followed by sports fans
Tora Berger	"Almost complete dominance of the 2013 World Championships, winning four gold medals from six available" in the biathlon	The biathlon includes the use of guns, which liberals do not like; also another sport not generally followed outside the Olympics
Dwight Howard	Three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, five-time All-NBA First Team, led the league in rebounds five times and blocks twice, won the NBA slam dunk contest in 2008, and led the underdog Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009. Will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but has often been unjustly blamed for his team's failures by the media, particularly between 2012 and 2015, even though he had been dealing with many injuries at the time	He is a deeply religious Christian (though he has five children by five different women, never marrying any of them); furthermore his injuries have limited his ability and he has never won an NBA title. Also has had conflicts with team ownership (demanding to be traded on several occasions), coaches (had several run ins with Jeff Van Gundy during their tenure in Orlando) and teammates (including James Harden, who generally gets along with most teammates)
Zach Johnson	Two stunning championships in the golf majors, including defeating Tiger Woods in his prime and winning the British Open in 2014, plus 12 overall PGA victories with a 4-1 record in playoffs	Reads Bible verses during tournaments
Herschel Walker	He is the only football player to gain more than 4,000 yards in rushing, pass receiving, and returning kickoffs, and yet is not in the Hall of Fame. His overall yardage gained is better than numerous players who are in the Hall of Fame.	Outspoken Christian who also dared to compete with the NFL, and who also praised Donald Trump. Also the NFL does not recognize statistics from rival leagues (except for the AFL with which it formally merged) such as the USFL (for which Walker played). Furthermore has had mental health issues, which liberals use against him.
Bubba Watson	Ten PGA titles including 2 Masters victories—more than any other golfer except Rory McIlroy in the same time span—and yet the media downplay his achievements and ostracize him	He has criticized homosexuality. Also his two Masters wins are his only "major" titles.
Serena Williams	The finest women's athlete of all-time and likely to break the record for the most grand slam victories in women's tennis despite playing in a highly competitive era, but the media are stingy in giving her full credit.	A devout Christian (though she had a child out of wedlock, but she did marry the father); also, other than Serena (and sister Venus) there are few American players in the elite levels of tennis.
Robert Lewandowski	Has scored over 200 career goals, has won nine major trophies, was the Bundesliga's top goalscorer twice, placed fourth in the 2015 Ballon d'Or rankings, and holds the record for the shortest amount of time taken to score five goals in a game, but often doesn't receive the credit he deserves	A staunch Catholic; also soccer has a minimal following in the US
Calvin Johnson	Has the record for most receiving yards, which was formerly by Jerry Rice (who later admitted he cheated), & also set the NFL records for consecutive 100-yard games (8) and consecutive games with 10 or more receptions (4)	Is a Christian (probably why he retired early too); also during his career Detroit usually failed to make the playoffs
Ben Zobrist	2016 World Series MVP, first player on the Chicago Cubs ever to win the title. Mainstream media ignored the fact that he has a very strong Christian faith, and that he used his fame as MVP to boldly proclaim the gospel.	As mentioned, he is a very strong Christian; furthermore he played most of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, one of the MLB's poorest-performing franchises
Holly Holm	Was undefeated in boxing and was even inducted into the New Mexico Boxing Hall of Fame in June 2013. She won the WBAN Fighter of the Year for 2007 and 2010. She holds a world title in Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts. She also gave bully (see Overrated Sports Stars) Ronda Rousey her first loss. That match was often considered one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.	A devout Christian who was even given the nickname "The Preacher's Daughter." She also supported Republican Donald Trump for U.S. president. Also though MMA is growing in popularity, the women's side has few well-known names, and the two best known ones have their own issues (Rousey left MMA for WWE, while Christine "Cyborg" Santos has had several suspensions for doping)
Aubrey Huff	World Series champion in 2010 and 2012 and was in the top 25 of his league's MVP vote three times.	A devout Christian and a strong Trump supporter who criticized those who protested and caused chaos because of President Trump's refugee ban order.
Kyrie Irving	Seven-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection who has perhaps the best ball-handling skills in basketball history. Clinched the Cleveland Cavaliers' first championship in franchise history in 2016 with a legendary title-winning three-pointer to seal a remarkable upset against the Golden State Warriors. Should be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee upon retirement, but often unfairly receives more criticism than plaudits	Though not a conservative in any way, he has always been highly critical and distrustful of the liberal mainstream media. Also holds to many conspiracy theories such as a flat earth.

See also

• Overrated Sports Stars
• Sports performance: Religious faith vs. atheism
• Conservapedia proven right