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Users: The slipper fits
ESPN.com
After watching Kurt Warner's remarkable rise from grocery-store clerk to NFL MVP, we asked ESPN.com users to identify the best individual Cinderella story in sports history.
|  | | | Buster Douglas pulled off one of the biggest surprises in sports history when he knocked out Mike Tyson. |
While Warner's name showed up in the majority of the e-mails we received, our users let us know there are a number of other athletes who can lay claim to the best rags-to-riches tale.
Here are some of the best e-mails we received this week.
I have to go with Buster Douglas. At the time he beat Mike Tyson, Tyson was viewed as a super-human, unbeatable machine. The fight was supposed to be a joke, and nobody even knew who James Douglas was. Though Warner's season has been remarkable, you have to remember that he is surrounded by a talented bunch of linemen, backs, and receivers. What Douglas did he did on his own, against all odds, on one spectacular night. Now that's a Cinderella story.
Patrick Powers
Plymouth, Mass.
Fernando Valenzuela, who went from no-name to legend by midseason.
Andrew Massimino
Dallas
My pick for greatest rags-to-riches story in sports history would be John Daly. Warner was an outstanding high school quarterback and his conference's offensive player of the year his senior year in college. He has achieved success at every level of the game. His climb could be likened to a baseball player climbing through the minor leagues. John Daly burst on the scene in a tournament he wasn't even initially allowed to enter, despite having very limited success at lower levels of play. His was an explosion so great it turned non-golf fans into followers of the sport. Granted, his later escapades might have cost him some fans, but that does not erase the fact that for one day he was the greatest rag-to-riches story in sports history.
Chad Nims
Iowa City, Iowa
Call me a homer, but Kurt Warner has to rank up at the top. Virtually nobody (even us in St. Louis) knew who this guy was in July, and now he has an MVP award under his belt and his name written all over the record books. Considering that the guy was stocking shelves at a grocery store a few years ago, I don't think any other sports "rags-to-riches" story can compare to Warner's.
Tim Golden
Chesterfield, Mo.
My choice is Boris Becker. In 1985, a 17-year old boy from a (then) mediocre tennis country played in his first Wimbledon tournament. He made it all the way to the final to become the youngest (and first unranked) player to win the prestigious tournament. He came back the next year to win it again and become one of tennis' finest players ever.
Dirk Albach
Bonn, Germany
Perhaps the only story in recent sports history that compares to Kurt Warner's 1999 season would be Boris Becker's first victory at Wimbledon. Think about it: Becker was a teenager, unseeded and a complete unknown, and he won the most prestigious tournament in tennis. And he didn't have Orlando Pace blocking for him or Marshall Faulk to hand the ball off to if he was having an off day. Becker did it alone, and he did it with flare and power and energy.
Blair Symes
Cincinnati
John Starks. Starks went from bagging groceries at a Safeway to dunking in Jordan's mug, being an All-Star selection and the Knicks' career leader in 3-point field goals made. He personified the Knicks under Pat Riley. He was all heart and did whatever it took to get a win.
Carmine N. Tiso
Long Island, N.Y.
While I can't think of any example that can equal that of Kurt Warner, my second-best would be the meteoric rise of Mike Piazza. Based on the fact that he was only drafted by Tommy Lasorda as a favor to Piazza's father, in the sixty-something round, obviously nobody anticipated him becoming one of the best offensive catchers in history.
Martin Butterick
Seal Beach, Calif.
My choice is Billy Mills, the Olympic 10,000-meter champion who came from out of nowhere to win gold at the 1964 Olympics.
Joe Todisco
Holmdel, N.J.
I believe Timmy Smith should be at the top of the list since he came out of nowhere to lead the 'Skins to the title in Super Bowl XXII and set a rushing record to boot. Francis Ouimet would be a second choice since he defeated Vardon and Ray in an incredible upset in the U.S. Open.
Matt Howell
Granite City, Ill.
Over the Fencer "Shane Spencer." For a brief moment in 1998, Shane Spencer, a minor-leaguer with the look of the Mick, hit more home runs per at-bat than Mark McGwire. He was an instant celebrity for the months of September and October, and a major part of the Yankees' 1998 playoff wins over Texas. Unfortunately, his fame and excellence were short-lived, as his level of play returned to mediocrity in the 1999 season. No Yankee fan will ever forget his name. He is a true definition of someone who had 15 minutes of fame.
Joe Todisco
Holmdel, N.J.
I haven't heard a better rags-to-riches story than Devil Rays relief pitcher Jim Morris' rise from high-school teacher in June to major-league reliever in September.
Keith Law
Arlington Mass.
My choice is Ervin Johnson. He was a high school dropout who was bagging groceries when he decided to walk in to then University of New Orleans basketball coach Tim Floyd's office and request a tryout. He went on to have a great college career and was a first-round pick in the NBA by the Sonics. Not to bad for a high school dropout. The Bucks center has since returned to New Orleans and completed his studies.
Chris Trenticosta
Metairie, La.
Mark Fidrych, who came out of relative obscurity to win the 1976 American League Rookie of the Year award. That year, the Bird went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA and entertained fans with his antics on the field.
Jeff Fletcher
Hammond, La.
Francis Ouimet: He was 20 years old and an amateur when he won the 1913 U.S. Open at Brookline. He also beat the best
players in the world one on one for a coveted title. Kurt Warner was a second-string quarterback at the beginning of
the year, making him a professional, and one of the top 60 QBs in the world, and he is playing with the support of a great
team, and is 2-3 against teams with a winning record. What Ouimet did was the equivalent of a person literally stepping
out of the stands, into the Super Bowl and winning the game single-handedly. It will never be repeated in any sport.
Perry Bartol
New York
Jack Fleck, 1955 U.S. Open winner. A club pro from Des Moines, Iowa, Fleck defeated Ben Hogan in a playoff at
the Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Hallie Beagle
St. Paul, Minn.
I think by far Kurt Warner has to be the best Cinderella story in sports history. The article on him in ESPN The Magazine a few months back pretty much said it all. The guy was bagging groceries a few years ago for crying out loud; and now, he has not only made a major impact with the team he shouldn't have even been a starter for, but he's led them to the Super Bowl and won the MVP on top of it. That's pretty impressive.
George Karpontinis
Chino, Calif.
Thus far, I must wholeheartedly agree with Greg Garber. However, by this baseball season's All-Star break, everyone will be wondering how a five-tool outfielder named Melvin Mora slipped through so many minor-league systems and was only discovered by the New York Mets in winter league ball in South America. You heard it here first.
John Roche
Hoboken, N.J.
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