OT: Name Your All-Time Mt. Rushmore of American Sports Stars
As we approach end of OT season, I'd like to get the Board's take on the All-Time American Sports Mt. Rushmore. You can use any metrics you like to come up with your four. But there can only be four. My criteria would be: 1) Athlete who dominated his/her sport at historical levels and 2) Combined said athletic dominance with an influence that extended well beyond his/her sport.
With that, my Mt. Rushmore is: Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.
August 26th, 2022 at 7:58 PM ^
Doc, even Gretzky says Gordie was the all-time best.
August 26th, 2022 at 10:29 PM ^
gonna have to disagree X,
Gordie is my fave, but Gretzky was the most skilled player ever.
August 26th, 2022 at 11:41 PM ^
You’re not disagreeing with me, per se, you’re disagreeing with gretzky who just might be more knowledgeable than either of us on this topic.
August 27th, 2022 at 12:23 AM ^
Gretzky was being magnanimous. His career stats speak for themselves.
https://thehockeywriters.com/wayne-gretzky-the-great-ones-10-most-unbreakable-records/
August 27th, 2022 at 10:07 AM ^
But could he ever complete a Gordie Howe Hat Trick?
August 27th, 2022 at 12:22 PM ^
no, not even close. gretzky was a generational talent but i'm not sure he would've made the pros in gordie's era because the game was so different, meanwhile a guy like gordie would always be uber-valued.
August 26th, 2022 at 7:09 PM ^
Eddie Gaedel, Joey Chestnut, George Plimpton, Butterbean
August 26th, 2022 at 7:15 PM ^
Don, that list IS America…
August 26th, 2022 at 7:14 PM ^
Muhammad Ali
Willie Mays
Gordie
Bill Russell
August 26th, 2022 at 7:18 PM ^
I believe Gordie Howe was Canadian by birth.
August 26th, 2022 at 7:29 PM ^
Good catch.
How about he's an honorary American by virtue of his long career in Detroit and other US cities.
If not, then my choice has to be Tom Brady.
August 26th, 2022 at 8:03 PM ^
Rob - I certainly have no problem with Gordie Howe. Though Gretzky was a spectacular player - hockey was a different game when Howe played.
And, Howe may have “naturalized” as a US citizen.. I don’t know (and really don’t care - he was amazing).
August 26th, 2022 at 7:59 PM ^
Sure, but it’s American sports, not sportsmen (or women) born in america
August 27th, 2022 at 5:15 AM ^
Wouldn’t we have to discount hockey altogether then?
August 27th, 2022 at 12:22 PM ^
last i checked, detroit is in the united states. LGRW!
August 26th, 2022 at 7:16 PM ^
Ali
Thorpe
Hank Aaron
Babe Didrikson (Zaharias) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias
August 26th, 2022 at 7:17 PM ^
Jackie Robinson, Alan Page (solid athlete - great professional after his playing career ended), Arthur Ashe, and …. Vince Lombardi.
August 26th, 2022 at 7:21 PM ^
Bob Probert
Ricky Williams
Al Bundy
John Daly
August 26th, 2022 at 8:21 PM ^
Four touchdowns in one game. Never forget.
August 26th, 2022 at 7:23 PM ^
Thorpe, Owens, Ali and the Babe... not Ruth, Didrikson-Zaharias
August 26th, 2022 at 7:28 PM ^
John Wockenfuss
Rusty Kuntz
Jim Walewander
Chris Pittaro
August 26th, 2022 at 8:49 PM ^
I'd substitute Chuck Scrivener for Pittaro, otherwise you stole my list.
RIP to Wockenfuss, the man with the most-emulated swing in my neighborhood growing up. Everyone tried it.
August 27th, 2022 at 5:33 AM ^
As an aside, I met Rusty Kuntz at Tiger Fantasy Camp several years ago. The nicest, most positive, and most upbeat guy you'll ever meet. Wish he'd been the coach of our team.
August 26th, 2022 at 7:30 PM ^
Dexter Bussey
Tom Skladany
Leonard Thompson
Mel Gray
August 26th, 2022 at 7:34 PM ^
Kent Benson
Kelly Tripucka
John Long
Fennis Dembo
August 26th, 2022 at 7:38 PM ^
Michael Jordan
Jack Nicklaus
One of Fed / Joker / Rafa
Michael Phelps
August 26th, 2022 at 9:22 PM ^
Neither fed or joker or Rafa is American
August 26th, 2022 at 7:43 PM ^
Babe Ruth, Jim Thorpe, Hank Aaron, Bo Jackson.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:13 AM ^
Unique and very valid list.
August 26th, 2022 at 7:45 PM ^
Kelly Slater
Jeanette Lee "The Black Widow"
Walter Ray Williams Jr
Michael Jordan
August 27th, 2022 at 11:18 AM ^
Plus one for including pocket billiards!
August 26th, 2022 at 7:59 PM ^
Willie Mays, Jim Thorpe, Jim Brown, Michael Jordan.
August 26th, 2022 at 8:21 PM ^
Michael Phelps - dominated his sport like no other
Tom Brady - Greatest player ever at the hardest position to play period
Michael Jordan - I don't enjoy basketball, but he is a known worldwide and was phenomenal
Alan Trammel - Childhood Hero (selfish choice) no real reason.
August 26th, 2022 at 8:52 PM ^
Hank Aaron, Barry Sanders, Tom Brady, Muhammad Ali
August 26th, 2022 at 8:56 PM ^
Michael Phelps
Serena Williams
Muhammad Ali
Tiger Woods
August 26th, 2022 at 9:18 PM ^
Jim Thorpe
Ali
Phelps
Jordan
Nicklaus
August 26th, 2022 at 9:26 PM ^
In no particular order:
1) Jackie Robinson
2) Michael Jordan
3) Tom Brady
4) Jesse Owens
5 Jim Thorpe
August 26th, 2022 at 9:32 PM ^
Craig James
Dead Hooker
Dead Hooker
Terelle Pryor
E’erbody murders
August 26th, 2022 at 9:33 PM ^
Jesse Owens, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Jim Thorpe
August 26th, 2022 at 9:46 PM ^
Jim Thorpe, Wilt Chamberlain, Rocky Marciano, and Simone Biles. When they change the rules of a sport because one person is so dominant, that person should go down as one of the best ever.
August 26th, 2022 at 11:10 PM ^
Then you should have included Gretzky
August 27th, 2022 at 5:38 AM ^
And George Mikan.
August 27th, 2022 at 11:19 AM ^
And Lew Alcindor
August 26th, 2022 at 10:02 PM ^
Willie Beamon
Billy Hoyle
Ricky Bobby
Kelly Leak
August 26th, 2022 at 10:05 PM ^
Babe Ruth, joe Louis, Michael Jordan and Secretariat
August 27th, 2022 at 10:27 AM ^
If we're including 4-legged athletes, put Dan Patch in there, too.
August 27th, 2022 at 11:20 AM ^
I was at Secretariat's Belmont. Greatest athletic display I ever saw -- until 42-27.
August 26th, 2022 at 10:08 PM ^
It's difficult to compare players across sports, so I'll stick to our pastimes - baseball until about the last 40 years, football afterward. Sports stars over athletes - so generational athletes like Thorpe, Jordan, Bo Jackson... not considered.
Babe Ruth - unique, iconic, representing early sports.
Willie Mays - the quintessential five-tool player.
Walter Payton - did everything well, hard to bring down, the top player when football took over the top spot.
Tom Brady - the modern team player, unparalleled success at the highest level.
August 26th, 2022 at 10:16 PM ^
Nobodies beating the horse!
August 26th, 2022 at 10:39 PM ^
Jim Thorpe, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali