canucks4ever
Registered User
- Mar 4, 2008
- 3,997
- 67
On an absolute scale, I think so. But the average player will be so much better than the average player of the 80's that he won't stand out in the same way or dominate by the same percentage relative to his peers. What makes Gretzky special is how far ahead of the curve he was at the time. But there are players today who are closer to him in talent than nostalgic memories would have you believe.
Don't get me wrong, he is undoubtedly the best player there has been. But it rubs me the wrong way when we discredit the current batch of guys playing. In every other sport there's an improvement between generations, yet it's common around here to elevate players of the past above anyone playing today. I don't think any player today is better than Gretzky, but l think we sometimes give too much reverence to certain other players just on the basis of them having played in an older era.
The classic section also tries to suggest most greats from the older eras had thier offensive and defensive peaks at the same time, when they really didnt, another way to make them even more mythical in status.