Do you know this man?
Don't feel bad if you don't. I imagine the majority of Americans have no clue who he is, what he does, etc. But what if I told you that he is the captain of one of the most storied and successful NHL franchises, winner of 4 Stanley Cups and 7 Norris trophies (given to the best defenseman in the league), in addition to an Olympic gold medal? His name is Nicklas Lidstrom, who is currently in his 20th NHL season, and is one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
I bring this up for a couple of reasons. The other day my girlfriend and I were watching "NHL 36", a wonderful show that follows an NHL player around for 36 hours from home, to games, to postgame (and no, I didn't force her to watch with me. I lucked out that she's actually a hockey fan in her own right, so no arm twisting is needed when it comes to pucks). This particular episode was about the above mentioned Lidstrom. The first thing that caught my attention was that this man, who is a hockey legend, is able to walk around town unnoticed. How is this possible? Can you imagine other players of his status going out to eat and not being approached at all? Would Kobe Bryant be able to go see a movie without being mobbed? Could A-Rod take a trip to the mall without being heckled? The answer is no, yet Lidstrom is able to lead an otherwise normal life. It's fascinating how certain athletes who have accomplished NOTHING are put on pedestals while others who are enormously more successful aren't really given the time of day by the public. This may be a byproduct of hockey's status in this country, or the superficial, Karadashi-culture we live in these days. Lidstrom's humbleness, even while playing in "Hockeytown", comes off to the viewer, which is a nice change of pace from what is normally read about and seen on Sportscenter.
But as we were watching, my girlfriend was bothered by a nagging question...who does this guy look like? I never realized it, but Lidstrom does have one of those faces that reminds you of someone you know. We spent the next 20-30 minutes analyzing Lidstrom and coming up with people who he resembles. Here's who we narrowed it down to:
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| Sting |
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| Aaron Eckhart |
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| Thomas Jane |
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| Randy Travis |
This clearly is not a new phenomenon. There are numerous athletes who have celebrity doppelgangers. Here are a few more:
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| Mike Tomlin & Omar epps |
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| Kyle Korver & Ashton Kutcher |
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| Aaron Rodgers & B.J. Novak |
If you have any others please feel free to share!
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