Sports Mount Rushmores for each Market

[neo_prankster]

Imagine you are tasked with carving a Mt. Rushmore of sports figures who represented a specific market. Who would you pick?

 

For me...

 

San Diego: Randy Jones, Dan Fouts, Tony Gwynn, Junior Seau

Charlotte: Dell Curry, Cam Newton, Kemba Walker, Steve Smith Sr.

Baltimore: Johnny Unitas, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken Jr., Ed Reed (or Ray Lewis)

Cleveland: Larry Doby, Paul Brown, Jim Brown, LeBron James

San Francisco: Willie Mays, Rick Barry, Bill Walsh, Joe Montana

Oakland: Al Davis, Reggie Jackson, Dennis Eckersley, Steph Curry

San Jose: Owen Nolan, Jonathan Cheechoo, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau

Sacramento: Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby, Mitch Richmond, Chris Webber

Los Angeles: Deacon Jones, Fernando Valenzuela, Wayne Gretzky, Kobe Bryant

Minnesota: George Mikan, Bud Grant, Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett

Anaheim: Rod Carew, Tim Salmon, Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne

Cincinnati: Frank Robinson, Pete Rose, Sam Wyche, Ken Anderson

Boston: Bobby Orr, Larry Bird, David Ortiz, Tom Brady

Pittsburgh: Mario Lemieux, Roberto Clemente, Lynn Swann, Sidney Crosby

Washington, DC: Stephen Strasburg, Doug Williams, Wes Unseld, Alex Ovechkin

Miami: Don Shula, Bob Griese, Dan Marino, Dwayne Wade

Tampa Bay: Vincent LeCavalier, Derrick Brooks, Steve Stamkos, Evan Longoria

Philadelphia: Mike Schmidt, Bobby Clarke, Norm Van Brocklin, Julius Erving

San Antonio: George Gervin, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili

New Orleans: Archie Manning, Pete Maravich, Rickey Jackson, Drew Brees'

Salt Lake City: Adrian Dantley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan

Kansas City: Buck Buchanan, Len Dawson, George Brett, Derrick Thomas

St. Louis: Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Brett Hull, Kurt Warner

Seattle: Steve Largent, Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Shawn Kemp

Chicago: Michael Jordan, Bobby Hull, Kris Bryant, Walter Payton

Detroit: Gordie Howe, Ty Cobb, Barry Sanders, Isiah Thomas

Dallas: Tom Landry, Mike Modano, Nolan Ryan, Dirk Nowitzki

Houston: Earl Campbell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell

Atlanta: Tommy Nobis, Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones, Domonique Wilkins

Indianapolis: Reggie Miller, Peyton Manning, George McGinnis, Major Taylor

Calgary: Al McInnis, Mike Vernon, Craig Conroy, Jarome Iginla

Edmonton: Warren Moon, Matt Dunigan, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier

Winnipeg: Bobby Hull, Dale Hawerchuk, Teemu Selanne, Milt Stegall

Buffalo: Bruce Smith, Dominik Hasek, Bob McAdoo, Jim Kelly

Phoenix: Shane Doan, Luis Gonzalez, Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Nash

[GhostOfNormMacdonald]

I admittedly don't know enough about other markets to weigh in on them, but for a player only Minnesota list I'd say:

 

Kirby Puckett, Harmon Killebrew, Kevin Garnett, Alan Page

 

George Mikan is a good pick, but it feels weird to have a Laker on the list even though they were in Minneapolis. I guess they just aren't as fondly remembered as an MN team as the North Stars were

[ManillaToad]

20 minutes ago, neo_prankster said:

St. Louis: Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Jordan Binnington

 

Hornsby, Gibson, Pujols, and Molina  would all make it before Brock and Binner. I'd go for Warner and Hull before them too, just to spread it across multiple sports

[infrared41]

Cleveland: Earnest Byner, Jose Mesa, J.R. Smith, Craig Ehlo.

[flasah]

1 hour ago, neo_prankster said:

Imagine you are tasked with carving a Mt. Rushmore of sports figures who represented a specific market. Who would you pick?

 

San Antonio: George Gervin, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili

I'm from SA, and I'd go with Tony Parker instead of Manu. It's very close, though.

[PrimalCookie]

Orlando: Pat Williams, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwight Howard, Kaka

[Red Comet]

Kansas City: Patrick Mahomes, George Brett, Derrick Thomas, Alex Gordon*

 

*Subject to being replaced by Salvador Perez once Perez retires. 

[See Red]

Kind of torn on whether Brady should get the nod for Tampa. I'd say the same for Peyton in Denver. I feel like the contribution should need to be longer than just a few seasons. I'd do, like, Evan Longoria or someone to rep the Rays. 

[neo_prankster]

7 minutes ago, See Red said:

Kind of torn on whether Brady should get the nod for Tampa. I'd say the same for Peyton in Denver. I feel like the contribution should need to be longer than just a few seasons. I'd do, like, Evan Longoria or someone to rep the Rays. 

For Denver, I was thinking of:

John Elway

Alex English

Joe Sakic

Todd Helton

[See Red]

1 minute ago, neo_prankster said:

For Denver, I was thinking of:

John Elway

Alex English

Joe Sakic

Todd Helton

 

That's probably what I'd go with too.  I'd go back and forth on some Nuggets players but English seems like the best choice.

[sky1324]

I'd 100% replace Sam Mills with Cam. Similarly, I'd probably replace Muggsy with Kemba.

[neo_prankster]

2 minutes ago, QCS said:

I'd 100% replace Sam Mills with Cam. Similarly, I'd probably replace Muggsy with Kemba.

Thanks.

[neo_prankster]

More Canadian Cities

Ottawa: Cyclone Taylor, Russ Jackson, Tony Gabriel, Daniel Alfredsson

Toronto: Tim Horton, Joe Carter, Vince Carter, Pinball Clemons

Montreal: Rocket Richard, Anthony Calvillo, Andre Dawson, Jean Beliveau

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Seattle is hard and you'd probably need an old timer to weigh in, but you'd have to have Lynch or Russ over Largent, and I don't think that's recency bias talking.

 

My stab at just 4 people from Seattle: Russell Wilson, Sue Bird, Ken Griffey Jr., Gary Payton.

 

Honorable mentions: Kasey Keller, Felix Hernandez, Breanna Stewart, Megan Rapinoe, Shawn Kemp, Sonny Sixkiller, Don James, Edgar Martinez, Marshawn Lynch, Steve Largent, Matt Hasselback, Richard Sherman.

[BBTV]

4 hours ago, neo_prankster said:

 

Philadelphia: Mike Schmidt, Bobby Clarke, Norm Van Brocklin, Julius Erving

 

Nobody under 60 or 70 knows Norm Van Brocklin.  I'd put Reggie White or Brian Dawkins in that slot.  I'd also consider Wilt Chamberlain over Dr. J.

[DEAD!]

19 minutes ago, BBTV said:

 

Nobody under 60 or 70 knows Norm Van Brocklin.  I'd put Reggie White or Brian Dawkins in that slot.  I'd also consider Wilt Chamberlain over Dr. J.

I would like to consider Allen Iverson... if only for his cornrows... 

[dont care]

I’d put Ted Williams over Ortiz for Boston, he's the Red Sox best player ever.

[BBTV]

37 minutes ago, dont care said:

I’d put Ted Williams over Ortiz for Boston, he's the Red Sox best player ever.

 

And they could literally have his head right there as the model while blasting it into the mountain.

[infrared41]

17 hours ago, Red Comet said:

Kansas City: Patrick Mahomes, George Brett, Derrick Thomas, Alex Gordon*

 

*Subject to being replaced by Salvador Perez once Perez retires. 

 

Alex Gordon? Interesting choice. Especially when you have HOFers Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, and Buck Buchanan to choose from.  If we're talking Royals, I'd argue that Willie Wilson, Frank White, Amos Otis, Dan Quisenberry, and Brett Saberhagen are better choices than Gordon. Maybe even Mike Sweeney and Dennis Leonard.  Hank Stram probably deserves consideration as well.

[Red Comet]

21 minutes ago, infrared41 said:

 

Alex Gordon? Interesting choice. Especially when you have HOFers Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, and Buck Buchanan to choose from.  If we're talking Royals, I'd argue that Willie Wilson, Frank White, Amos Otis, Dan Quisenberry, and Brett Saberhagen are better choices than Gordon. Maybe even Mike Sweeney and Dennis Leonard.  Hank Stram probably deserves consideration as well.

 

To be fair, I was 3 years old when George Brett retired. So, I didn't really know all of those other players except that Frank White did broadcasts a decade ago and is now in politics. Mike Sweeney? Guy was good but he was the best player on some godawful teams. Willie Wilson I remember more for being a cokehead. Saberhagen I remember more as a Red Sox pitcher so yeah. Only time I remember Dan Quisenberry was hearing a bunch of teachers cry when brain cancer* took him. Never even heard of Dennis Leonard or Amis Otis. As for why I picked Alex Gordon? Didn't want too many Chiefs on my mountain, honestly. You're right about the other players for the Chiefs you mentioned and Hank Stram being more worthy than Alex Gordon. Still, I'd say this moment is pretty Rushmore-worthy, all things considered:

 

 

 

*Am I the only one who notices that a disproportionate amount of those guys who played in that Multipurpose Donut Astroturf Field era wound up having brain cancer? Has to be the turf.