ESPN had a poll in which it asked people from each state to pick four sports figures tg grace it's "Mt Rushmore of Sports." The results for Wisconsin were Hank Aaron, Brett Favre, Vince Lombardi and Al McQuire.
Obviously this thing is a totally ridiculous exercise, but it's a slow sports day, so what do you guys think? Who would you pick?
I agree with Aaron and Favre, the two greatest in the two biggest sports. Although I may argue for Yount over Aaron since Aaron did a lot of his awesomeness in Atlanta. I'm less crazy about the other two though. I realize Lombardi is big news, but I'm not crazy about putting a coach up there. Of course, if any coach, it should be Lombardi. I really don't get McGuire though. I'm not up to speed on 70s era Marquette basketball, but didn't he win one NCAA title? Not that that's a small deal, but how do you include him and not Barry Alvarez? Or Curly Lambeau?
I think I would add Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He played 6 seasons with the Bucks and won the title once. He was the best player of his time and one of the best ever.
I'd also add Eric Heiden. He's basically the greatest skater ever. He won every single speed skating race at the 1980 olympics. That's 5 gold medals and 4 world records. He won the sprints and the distance races. You just don't do that in speed skating.
So I'd go Robin Yount, Brett Favre, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Eric Heiden.
It's kind of a stupid game, because there are more than 4, but let's take a crack anyway.
ReplyDeleteI actually mostly agree with yours. I like Favre as the greatest Packer player ever (apologies to Don Hutson), Yount as the best Brewer, Jabar as the best Buck, and Heiden as "other." I think you could make a decent argument for Bonnie Blair as well.
Honorable mention:
Bo Ryan (state legend), Blair (close to Heiden), Aaron (duh), Hutson (the Babe Ruth of pro football), Molitor (duh), Moncrief (great Buck), Matthews, Spahn (the best non-Aaron Braves), Starr, Kramer, Lombardi, McGuire, Wade (best college player in state history), Trickle (I hear he was awesome, though I know nothing of Nascar), Alvarez.
I'm probably missing some, but hey, it's only honorable mention anyway.
Aaron, Lambeau, Hutson, and uhhhhh, I dunno. Lombardi? If I'm not allowed to have three Packers up there, Heiden.
ReplyDeleteNot Favre-hate that causes me to leave him off the list. It's just that Hutson changed the game, sort of like Ruth did. And no Lambeau, no Packers. I'd entertain a Lombardi-Favre argument, but to me it would come down to 5 championships vs. 1.
Alan Kulwicki over Dick Trickle, Bonnie Blair over Eric Heiden, Addie Joss over any random 4th.
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