Biggest sports star in the Bay

In our Golden Nuggets yesterday, we saw Bay Area Sports Guy propose an interesting argument: "If Colin Kaepernick isn't the biggest star in the Bay Area already, he's getting close."

The article is a fun one -- and thought provoking to boot. Really, though, we shouldn't expect anything less from the nearly iconic BASG. And while I agree that Colin will someday be the biggest star in the Bay, with the obvious caveats of injuries or a major drop-off in production in effect, I don't know how fair this is to Buster Posey. The clean-cut hitting-guru and catcher extraordinaire would have a lot to say about Bay Area fan favorites if he weren't so darn humble. And Colin will likely surpass Buster simply on the grounds that he plays the most important position on the team (all of sports?) and because he plays a much more popular sport.

But, I don't actually want this post to be about which player will be more popular. As mothers around the world say to squabbling kids, "This isn't a race." We don't have to choose one awesome sports icon to the detriment of the rest. No, I think both Colin and Buster belong on the pedestal. They have earned it.

But, I actually want to draw comparisons between the two, rather than pit them against each other. On the surface, both men seem strikingly different. I mean this literally in addition to figuratively; I cannot imagine Posey with the tattoos that wrap around Colin's upper-body. Nor could he ever pull off a sideways, flat-brimmed hat.

But, this is such a genuine look for Colin. He sort of embodies it perfectly, even in his awkward interactions with the press. Both men are incredibly genuine. You get the sense that they are completely comfortable with who they are, be it flat-brimmed quarterback or Boy Scout catcher. One look at both men gives the sense that, well, you are actually seeing both men -- not some sort of weird image that they want to cultivate. Buster is Buster and Colin is Colin. This is why they will be so very popular for so long in the Bay Area. I mean, they are also crazy good at their sports, but that defies the main narrative I want to cultivate in this post: we like our athletes genuine.