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Honoring thy father

These are our favorite father-child combinations.

By tom jones
Published June 17, 2007

Happy Father's Day! Last year at this time, we looked back at some of sports' crummy dads. You know, the Shawn Kemps and Marv Marinovichs of the world. That didn't go over so well. So this year, we're mixing it up and giving you something a little more uplifting: Our ranking of the top 16 father-son (and in one case, father-daughter) sports combinations of all time. Yes, we know there are more than 16. But we only have a little bit of space here and can't list everyone. These are our favorites.

Bobby and Brett Hull

Dad: The Golden Jet was a pioneer of the slap shot and curved hockey stick.

Son: The Golden Brett owned perhaps the greatest wrist shot in hockey history.

Power ranking: Dad ranks No. 8 on the Hockey News' greatest players of all time and is a Hall of Famer. Son ranks third on all-time goal-scoring list and is a future Hall of Famer. 99

Dick and Pete Weber

Dad: Called the Arnold Palmer of bowling for his success and class.

Son: Sort of like the John McEnroe of bowling for his success and emotions.

Power ranking: Together, they won more than 50 PBA titles and are both in the Hall of Fame. 93

Bobby and Barry Bonds

Dad: Baseball's classic 30-30 guy with power and speed.

Son: About to become baseball's home run king.

Power ranking: We'd feel better if we knew Barry was clean. Bobby, we feel, was never quite as good as advertised. Still, two fierce baseball players. 85

Muhammad and Laila Ali

Dad: Perhaps the greatest boxer and most famous athlete of all time.

Daughter: Perhaps the greatest female boxer of all time.

Power ranking: Forget the "perhaps." He is the most famous athlete of all time. She is incredibly good, but it's hard to figure out how good because of the competition. 81

Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dad: Perhaps NASCAR's most beloved driver - before and after his death in 2001.

Son: One of NASCAR's most famous names.

Power ranking: Dad was loved and famous because of his awesome driving. Junior is loved and famous because of his last name. He needs to win more to move this duo up on the list. 75

Gilles and Jacques Villeneuve

Dad: Formula One legend who was killed at age 32.

Son: One of F1's top drivers, and certainly among its most famous.

Power ranking: Son is only one of three drivers to win Formula One and CART world championships and an Indy 500. Dad won six Grand Prix races in a short, 68-race career. 70

Gordie and Mark Howe

Dad: On most lists, he ranks among three greatest hockey players ever.

Son: Better than people realize - he played 16 seasons and in three Cup finals.

Power ranking: Only those who actually saw Howe in his prime remember how good he actually was. At the time, he was the best. By the way, Gordie had another hockey-playing son, Marty. 68

Al Unser and Al Unser Jr.

Dad: Won four Indianapolis 500s.

Son: Won two Indianapolis 500s.

Power ranking: Six Indy 500s (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987, 1992, 1994). And Big Al's brother, Bobby, won in 1968, 1975 and 1981. 63

Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr.

Dad: A better-than-average player for 19 major-league seasons.

Son: Some thought he might go down as the greatest player ever until injuries hampered his career.

Power ranking: Only father-son combo to each hit homers in the same game: Sept. 14, 1990, back to back. 60

Felipe and Moises Alou

Dad: A three-time All-Star in 17 seasons.

Son: This will surprise you - a six-time All-Star.

Power ranking: This Dominican duo spent time together as manager-player in both Montreal and San Francisco. 59

Calvin and Grant Hill

Dad: Played 12 NFL seasons and appeared in two Super Bowls with Dallas.

Son: One of college basketball's best players ever; NBA career hurt by injuries.

Power ranking: Dad was a good player who got the most of his abilities. Son was a great player who often could not get the most out of his abilities. 58

Ken Norton Sr. and Ken Norton Jr.

Dad: Former heavyweight champion whose worst luck was fighting in the Ali Era.

Son: A key member of a Cowboys defense that won back-to-back Super Bowls.

Power ranking. Most famous moments - Dad broke Ali's jaw and son ran a fumble back for a TD in the Super Bowl. 55

Bob and Brian Griese

Dad: Quarterback for two Dolphins Super Bowl winners, including part time for the perfect 1972 season.

Son: Has bounced around the league, including a stint with the Bucs.

Power ranking: Both never have been given enough credit, particularly Dad. 50

Henry and Mike Bibby

Dad: Guard on some of the great UCLA dynasty teams under John Wooden.

Son: Flashy point guard for Sacramento Kings.

Power ranking: Sadly, these two have an estranged relationship. 45

Cecil and Prince Fielder

Dad: Big man was three-time All-Star and led AL in homers twice.

Son: Chip off the old big tummy. Looks like his dad, and hits them about as far, too.

Power ranking: Dad exploded after his return from Japan and had a 50-homer season when those were rare. Son is a left-handed version of his old man and is only 23 years old. 44

Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning

Dad: Still considered greatest quarterback in Saints history.

Sons: Peyton, right, might go down as the NFL's greatest QB ever, while Eli, left, seems destined for greatness, too.

Power ranking: The royal family of NFL quarterbacks. Among the three, just one Super Bowl victory. That number will grow. 77

[Last modified June 16, 2007, 22:56:07]