sports-first-round.jpg

Here's the True Jersey Sports Figures bracket. Vote in the polls below to decide who advances.

Studded with beloved players from the Giants and Devils, it's going to be tough for one of the other talented athletes and coaches with New Jersey ties to pull an upset in the Sports Figures bracket. Who is your favorite to win?

Cast your vote in the eight polls below, and then move on to the other brackets. First-round voting ends Tuesday night.

True Jersey Schedule

• Wednesday: 2nd-round voting begins

• Thursday at 11 p.m.: 2nd-round voting ends

• March 24: Sweet 16 voting begins

• March 25 at 11 p.m.: Sweet 16 voting ends

• March 26: Elite Eight voting begins

• March 27 at 11 p.m.: Elite Eight voting ends

• March 31: Final Four voting begins

• April 1 at 11 p.m.: Final Four voting ends

• April 2: True Jersey Final voting begins

• April 3 at 11 p.m.: True Jersey Final voting ends

• April 4: True Jersey crowned

1. Bill Parcells vs.Dick Vitale:

Parcells grew up in Bergen County and won two Super Bowls with the Giants as part of his Hall of Fame coaching career. Vitale, a Passaic native and Seton Hall graduate, is best known as an ESPN college basketball analyst. He defeated Mike Emrick in the play-in round.

8. Lawrence Taylor vs. 9. Paul Robeson:

Taylor had a Hall of Fame career with the Giants, winning two Super Bowls. Robeson was an All-American football player at Rutgers before gaining fame as an actor and activist.

5. Althea Gibson vs. 12. Carol Blazejowski:

Years after becoming the first African-American tennis player to win a Grand Slam event, Gibson came to East Orange to oversee the city's recreation department. Blazejowski was a star women's basketball player who led Montclair State to the Final Four in 1978. She later coached the New York Liberty in the WNBA.

4. Lou Lamoriello vs. 13. Vince Lombardi:

Lamoriello has run the New Jersey Devils since 1987 and built them into a consistent winner. Lombardi's first football coaching job was coaching high school football in Englewood. He's best known as the Green Bay Packers' Hall of Fame coach.

6. Greg Schiano vs. 11. Scott Stevens:

Schiano, a Wyckoff native, coached Rutgers to six bowl games in 11 seasons. Stevens was a Hall of Fame defenseman for the Devils and part of three Stanley Cup champions.

3. Phil Simms vs. 14. Ken Daneyko:

Simms was part of two Giants Super Bowl champions, including a near-perfect MVP performance in Super Bowl XXI. Daneyko was a hard-nosed defenseman for the Devils and played 1,283 career games for New Jersey.

7. Eric LeGrand vs. 10. Bob Hurley, Sr.:

After being paralyzed in a Rutgers football game in 2010, LeGrand's fight to walk is an inspiration. Hurley may be New Jersey's greatest high school coach. The Jersey City native has led St. Anthony for 27 seasons, making the Friars into a nationally recognized powerhouse.

2. Martin Brodeur vs. 15. C. Vivian Stringer:

Brodeur has the most wins by a goalie in NHL history. He's backstopped three Stanley Cup wins since he was drafted in the first round by the Devils in 1990. Stringer has coached the Rutgers women's basketball team to two Final Fours and 14 NCAA Tournament appearances..

Thanks for voting in the True Jersey Sports Figures bracket. Come back Wednesday to see who won the first-round matchups, and vote to decide who advances in the second round.