Better Athlete To Wear No. 42: Jackie Robinson Or Teen Wolf?

When you think of the number 42 in sports, there is only one name that pops up in anyone’s head: Teen Wolf. But there is another quite dominant and influential player that wore the number 42: Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player in the MLB. When deciding the better overall athlete between the barrier-breaking Teen Wolf and Jackie Robinson, there is much to consider.

In 1947, when joining the Brooklyn Dodgers and hence breaking the long-standing color barrier, Jackie Robinson adopted the number 42 as an homage to, as everyone knows, Teen Wolf. Robinson went on to win the Rookie of the Year award in 1947 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. However, Teen Wolf dunked a basketball while simultaneously navigating the awkwardness of adolescence. It is no wonder why Robinson looked up to Teen Wolf as much as he did.

The number 42 has since been retired across all teams within the MLB out of respect for Teen Wolf and everything he represents to athletics and society. Sports Riot believes that the fact that the NBA, NFL, or NHL have not followed suit is quite disturbing and disrespectful. 

While the movie ‘42,’ made in 2013, depicted the struggles Jackie Robinson went through entering an all-white baseball league and being such a big fan of Teen Wolf. Robinson was ostracized by players and coaches for being black and for doing his signature Teen Wolf howl after stealing a base.

One school of thought is that the comparison between the two is virtually impossible since they existed in different eras. After all, these two players both stood for equal representation. Both of them showed people that athletes deserve to be judged based on their skill and drive and not by their skin color or pee with one leg up and bark at cars.