I like all them people also (especially Cy Twombly and Franz Kline), I just think Pollock, like Bukowski (for better or worse) was a game-changer. stuff that came after them was affected by their work. not copies necessarily, but informed by it.
Pollock isn't my favourite painter, there are probably 20 (ok, 15) ahead of him for me. but he did things in the art world that created such a division of opinion that I can't help liking him. he was balls out.