The ‘Greatest Boston Athletes of All-Time’ Round One

Who is the greatest Boston athlete of all-time? We set out to settle that debate in our bracket-style competition that begins NOW.

From Tom Brady to Bobby Orr and Ted Williams, Boston sports have had their share of stars. But who exactly is the greatest of them all? We’ve created a 32-man bracket, with 8 representatives each from the Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics and New England Patriots.

Some of the matchups in Round One are no-brainers, but a few of the 4 vs. 5 matchups will be tough to call. Bucyk or Neely? Havlicek or McHale? Too close to call.

The full bracket can be viewed here (click to enlarge):

So how can you vote and take part in this? Simply follow us on twitter @CandCFanSided to vote in each matchup. Each matchup in this post will also have a link to the corresponding twitter vote as well.

Voting for Round One will run for24 hours, ending tomorrow May 13th. Voting periods will become longer as we go along.

Red Sox Region

The Boston Red Sox history is loaded with superstars. Some of these will likely be runways, but a couple could be close. Babe Ruth was a tremendous player in Boston, but will you hold his Yankees career against him? Can David Ortiz or Pedro Martinez surpass Ted Williams in the region? Let’s vote!

1. Ted Williams vs. 8. Carlton Fisk

4. Babe Ruth vs. 5. Cy Young

3. Pedro Martinez vs. 6. Carl Yastrzemski

2. David Ortiz vs. 7. Tris Speaker

Bruins Region

The Bruins history of stars comes mostly from the past, but there is one current player listed here with Patrice Bergeron. He has a mountain to climb though to make it out of the Bruins region. Bobby Orr may be the greatest hockey player ever, is he the greatest athlete in all of Boston sports history?

1. Bobby Orr vs. 8. Eddie Shore

4. Johnny Bucyk vs. 5. Cam Neely

3. Phil Esposito vs. 6. Milt Schmidt

2. Ray Bourque vs. 7. Patrice Bergeron

Patriots Region

This seems like a runaway region for Tom Brady. No one has meant more to a Boston franchise than Tom Brady. In fact, he’s my pick to win this entire bracket. I am curious though to see who he comes up against in the regional final.

1. Tom Brady vs. 8. Steve Nelson

4. Mike Haynes vs. 5. Troy Brown

3. Andre Tippett vs. 6. Bruce Armstrong

2. John Hannah vs. 7. Steve Grogan

Celtics Region

Will current generation Celtics fans outvote the past and propel Paul Pierce to win this region? I believe Bill Russell is one of the greatest basketball players of all-time and that he should win here. but Pierce or Larry Bird could take him down.

1. Bill Russell vs. 8. Robert Parish

4. John Havlicek vs. 5. Kevin McHale

3. Paul Pierce vs. 6. Dave Cowens

2. Larry Bird vs. 7. Bob Cousy

Next: Brady on Madden NFL 18 Cover

Remember to retweet so we can get a ton of votes here for an accurate depiction. We’re relying on you, the fans, to help us decide who is the greatest Boston athlete of all-time! Check back tomorrow for Round One results and Round Two matchups!