The Mount Rushmore of Sports

[Jason Postel]

I was having this discussion with someone at work the other day and sense there does seem to be a decent response to sports threads here (which is rare for me considering all the other boards I go to) I'm going to ask it. Who are the four people that have impacted sports the most and if you could put four athletes faces on a mountain who would it be?

We could only narrow it down to two for sure those being Jackie Robinson and Muhammed Ali and even Ali is shaky. Just wondering who your four would be.

[howyadoin]

I'd definitely vote for Ali. And somebody from hockey - Rocket Richard, maybe? Bobby Orr? Ken Dryden?

And I'm sure this'll stir the racing-isn't-a-sport crowd up, but I wouldn't mind seeing Mario Andretti up there.

[Gordon Smith]

Muhammad Ali, Nadia Comaneci, Wayne Gretzky and Babe Ruth.

[Dom]

Jim Thorpe, Gilles Villeneuve, Muhammad Ali, Lou Gehrig.

[macul]

I'd say Ali and Ruth are must haves. Not sure after that.

[Lone Ranger]

Pele, Jesse Owens, Jim Brown, Ali

[jessecuster]

Ali, Chamberlain(although I would prefer Jordan), Ruth(DiMaggio, or maybe even Ripken), Payton(or Jim Brown).

[Dennis K]

Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrikson, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky

[Slam_Bradley]

Ali, Jackie Robinson, Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrickson Zaharias.

[Dennis K]

Ali, Jackie Robinson, Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrickson Zaharias.

HA! beat you to Didrikson. ;)

[Slam_Bradley]

HA! beat you to Didrikson. ;)


I'm just happy that I have more staying power than you do...if only by a minute.

She's a great choice, I think.

[K'Nort]

Ali, Jackie Robinson, Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrickson Zaharias.

Probably this line-up.

Assuming we're talking US sports.

[Dennis K]

I'm just happy that I have more staying power than you do...if only by a minute.

She's a great choice, I think.


She's absolutely a great choice, and one most guys won't give credit to because she's: A) a woman from the past or B) they've never heard of her, which is sad.

[hulahulk]

The swimmer/swim coach in me offers Mark Spitz, for his '72 Olympic performances where he won 7 gold, all in world record performances. He was almost as dominant in '68, and between '68 and '76, was one of amateur sport's most decorated athletes. He was Micheal Phelps and Ian Thorpe combined.


But I agree on Jim Thorpe, Didrickson, Ali, and Owens. And Robinson. And Ruth. Tough decisions, darned it!

[Punchy]

I'm totally taking this to be about American sports heroes since Mount Rushmore portrays American presidents.

Muhammed Ali, Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Lance Armstrong

[Dreadstar]

Muhammed Ali, Jesse Owens, Babe Didrickson Zaharius, Jack Nicklaus.

[HomerJay]

Ali, Jordan, Gretzky, DiMaggio, Jim Brown

[Beatnikman]

I'm assuming (1) this would be America sports, and (2) we only get four heads.

So, I'm thinking one from each of the three major sports, plus one other.

The "other" is the easiest, as Ali may be the most influential and well known athlete in the history of the world. And one of the best.

Ruth is the obvious choice for baseball.
Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.
And, I think it's much more open in football, as there are probably close to a dozen guys you could make a legitimate argument for, but I don't really think you can do better than the oft-suggested Thorpe. But if it was brown, I definitely wouldn't object.

[PeteGunn]

Muhammed Ali, Jesse Owens, Babe Didrickson Zaharius, Jack Nicklaus.

Jack Nicklaus is very interesting, because I was thinking about Arnold Palmer.

[Dennis K]

Jack Nicklaus is very interesting, because I was thinking about Arnold Palmer.


But is Nicklaus really an athlete and is golf really a sport? Yes indeed folks, it's time to have this debate again.

[K'Nort]

And there's a difference between being a great athlete and having a huge influence on sports.

[Beatnikman]

But is Nicklaus really an athlete and is golf really a sport? Yes indeed folks, it's time to have this debate again.
Yes, and yes. Gymnastics (for instance) requires more athleticism, but not necessarily more skill. And winners are determined by subjective judges. In my mind, golf is a sport (and gymnastics are not) because the winner is determined objectively by performance.


And there's a difference between being a great athlete and having a huge influence on sports.
And for a sports Mt. Rushmore, it would be nice to have people who were both. But if there isn't a "both" available, I'd rather have great athletes than influencers.

[Dreadstar]

But is Nicklaus really an athlete and is golf really a sport? Yes indeed folks, it's time to have this debate again.


No indeed folks, it is not.

Those four are my *opinion*.

And as such, they're influenced by my *opinion* of what *I* consider a sport, and not what anyone else considers a sport or not.

Simple.

[PeteGunn]

And it's too bad that we're restricting this to athletes, because not only would I have picked Arnold Palmer(if I'm picking a golfer), I've would've picked Pete Rozelle, also.

[Dennis K]

K'Nort makes a good point, if we're going to consider people who have had a great influence on sport, then somebody needs to nominate Curt Flood.

[Dennis K]

No indeed folks, it is not.

Those four are my *opinion*.

And as such, they're influenced by my *opinion* of what *I* consider a sport, and not what anyone else considers a sport or not.

Simple.


What's the matter, don't recognize sarcasm when you see it? We all know that message boards are made up of *opinion*. Just having a little fun.

[Dom]

There is not enough Jim Thorpe love going on.

I demand an immediate Jim Thorpe-ian orgy to commence!

NOW!

[Slam_Bradley]

No indeed folks, it is not.

Those four are my *opinion*.

And as such, they're influenced by my *opinion* of what *I* consider a sport, and not what anyone else considers a sport or not.

Simple.


And I liked your choices. I agreed with two of them. And I can make a good argument for both Owens and Nicklaus.

We're with ya, big guy. Calm down.

[Dreadstar]

What's the matter, don't recognize sarcasm when you see it?

Not in this instance, no.

[Dreadstar]

And I liked your choices. I agreed with two of them. And I can make a good argument for both Owens and Nicklaus.

We're with ya, big guy. Calm down.

Same shit, different day.

[Jason Postel]

Isn't it reasonable to believe that not just athletes but say a Coach like Vince Lombardi should be up there? I mean he is highly regarded as the greatest Coach of all time in any sport (whether that's true or not I'm not here to say, just throwing it out there). I also think the faces should be of people who weren't exactly the best of their respective sport but of men/women who did the most for the sports scene in general, as well as for the world in general.

[howyadoin]

golf is a sport (and gymnastics are not) because the winner is determined objectively by performance.Best yardstick I've ever seen in this type of debate.

[Ryan K]

I'll go with Ruth, Ali, Jordan, and Gretzky.

[Slam_Bradley]

Best yardstick I've ever seen in this type of debate.


It's the one I've always used. It can get a little dicey in the case of boxing. But there is the chance of a knock-out. Knockout's are unfortunately rare in gymnastics.

[Ray R.]

Babe Ruth - Best quote associated that I can remember - a reporter asked the Babe why he was making so much more money than the President (I think it was a $100,000 in the thirties....). His response: "I had a better year."

Anyway, he revolutionized the sport. The sport was coming off the Black Sox scandal, teams were going under left and right, noone had hit anywhere close to 40 homers, let alone 60. And he liked hookers, hot dogs and booze - the quintessential American athlete.

Jackie Robinson - No question he belongs in this group. His courage is an example for every American living today. I've had two copies of his comic book and they're books I'll never sell in my lifetime. And Branch Rickey gets an honorable mention for helping make it happen.


Muhammad Ali. I think he belongs there as much for his off-the-canvas activities as on. To give up probably the prime of his career because he was forced out of boxing for taking conscientious objector status for an unjust war; for forcing the world to pay attention to developing Africa; for showing America that Black Muslims could not be pushed into the background. And he was one of the greatest boxers (not punchers) that ever lived. His rope-a-dope win over George Foreman was probably the most tactically brilliant fight I've ever seen.

Tiger Woods. I can understand the call for Jack Nicklaus, but Tiger will break every record Jack had, and I would argue against much more dangerous competition from around the world like Els from South Africa, Singh from Fiji, Garcia from Spain, the New Zealanders, Australians, Japanese, other Europeans as well as the top Americans. He's also the Rolls-Royce of product endorsements. Jordan might have opened the door, but Tiger kicked it in. He's not as socially conscious as some might like, but he's faced his share of racism (I think of Fuzzy Zoeller's "fried chicken" comment), and he's encouraged minorities and other public course wanna-bes that they've got a chance. He's taken golf from a sport with a bunch of robo-athletes (think men's tennis) to a major television attraction.

[howyadoin]

He's also the Rolls-Royce of product endorsements.That's like saying whoever does the most Pepsi ads is the best musician.

[Punchy]

That's like saying whoever does the most Pepsi ads is the best musician.
Yeah ... so?

[howyadoin]

Yeah ... so?So... it really isn't relevant to how great an athlete is.

[Punchy]

So... it really isn't relevant to how great an athlete is.

I agree with you. I was trying to be funny.

[howyadoin]

I agree with you. I was trying to be funny.You're still the funniest bass player I know.