Detroit has had so many amazing athletes through the years
and now it’s your chance to tell me who you think should be on the Mount
Rushmore of Detroit Sports. There are no
restrictions on this poll. I want to
know who you think belongs and why. Your
explanation doesn’t have to be long and reasons don’t have to be
justified. Just tell me what you
think.
I’ll start it off and give you my picks.
Steve Yzerman: Is there a guy that better exemplifies
Detroit Sports? Yzerman spent all 23
years of his illustrious career with the Red Wings. He won three Stanley Cups,
was a ten time NHL All-Star and had his number 19 retired by the Red Wings in
2007. Stevie Y came to Detroit as a
young 18 year old kid and turned into one of the most beloved Detroit sports
figures of all time.
Alan Trammell: Tram was another guy that played his entire
career with one team. He spent 19 years
with the Tigers highlighted by the 1984 World Series Championship and was a
part of one of the best middle infield in all of baseball. He and Lou Whitaker were the Thunder and
Lightning of the Tigers during their time together. He earned three Silver Slugger Awards (1987,
1988, 1990) and four time Gold Glove (1980-81, 1983-84). Tram will forever be synonymous
with Detroit Tiger Baseball. 
Barry Sanders: I could not make list without Barry being
included. Probably the best Lion of all
time, Barry left the game way too early and had so much more to give. He won the hearts of this city with unbelievable
touchdown runs and his speed and agility made defenders look stupid. His number 20 was retired by the Lions in
2004, he owns 10 team records and I consider him to be the greatest Lion of all
time and one of the best running backs the NFL has ever seen.
Dennis Rodman: Yes I know, it would have been easy to pick
Isiah or Dumars but c’mon, the Worm was AWESOME! Rodman was a badass throughout
his entire career, won two championships with the Pistons and earned NBA
Defensive Player of the Year twice in 1990-91.
Rodman will go down as one of my favorite Bad Boys of all-time.
Now I want to know what you think. Leave a comment or find me on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/INlTqF)
and let me know who you think belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Detroit Sports.
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @sportsinthe313 and like
me on Facebook. Until next time, Cooper
OUT
Peter Klima, Christian Laettner, Devi Cruz and Johnnie Morton.
ReplyDeleteno Jose Lima?? lol
DeleteBobby Higginson, Jon Kitna, Zeljko Rebraca and Swin Cash.
ReplyDeleteErnie Harwell, Stevie Y, Cecil Fielder, and Laimbeer. When I think of these guys I think of the respective sports team immediately. When I think of Barry, I think of how wasted his career was first, then the Lions second.
ReplyDeleteCandidates: Yzerman, Howe, Kaline, Ernie, Isiah, Barry, Lidstrom.
ReplyDeleteChoices: Yzerman - epitome of a leader. Face of Red Wings resurgence and preeminent player for many within a generation.
Isiah - widely considered one of the best, if not best, pure point guard ever. Leader of the Bad Boys who symbolized Detroit so well for so many.
Barry - Agree he left so much on the table, but like Isiah, considered one of the best at his position ever. Single-handedly made Leos relevant during his time. And if you don't think Detroiters loved Barry, you never heard the Silverdome chant his name at a deafening level.
Howe - #4 was toughest for me, especially since it entailed leaving the Tigers completely off. However, what symbolizes the Tigers most to me aren't people, but symbols such as the Olde English D, or even the building that was Tiger Stadium. Kaline was before my time, and while Ernie certainly deserves consideration, maybe my generation's lack of radio listening lessened his overall impact to me relatively speaking. Perhaps this Rushmore can have an Olde English D on its base or be bordered by a Tiger Stadium design.
As time passes, I believe we will begin to cherish Lidstrom's accomplishments more than we do now, and perhaps his place in Detroit sports lore will grow. But at this point, I don't think Gordie can be left off Rushmore. Yes, I'm somewhat contradicting my Kaline stance with this pick, since I only was alive for when Gordie skated for the Vipers. But consider Gordie's achievements: having the goals and points records at retirement; the nickname "Mr. Hockey"; again, widely considered one of the best to ever play his sport by many, heck, even the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" term; obviously, there are countless others. Those can't be ignored even if I didn't see it personally. Before Stevie Y, Gordie was the Red Wings for generations of fans, and for many, still is. At this point, I don't think a Detroit sports Rushmore can be without Gordie.
Also, depending on the criteria of teams allowed, Bo Schembechler would have to be a serious consideration. Let's not kid ourselves: UM football is more popular/cared about by the masses in Metro Detroit sports than the Red Wings and Pistons, and Bo is a big reason why.
ReplyDeleteYea, Barry is probably the most obvious. The only others that could even be argued are maybe Bobby Lane, and Dick 'Night Train' Lane. In 10 years maybe Megatron could be in that list too. So its Barry for the Lions.
ReplyDeletePistons... Can't say anyone but Isiah.
Wings... its between Gordie, Stevie, and Lidstrom. This is a tough one. You can argue that all 3 of them deserve it, but ill have to go with... hmmm... Gordie Howe.
Tigers... now this is really tough because of the history of the team, and so many great players. The short list could be Trammell (who is my favorite player of all time), Cobb, Gehringer, Greenberg, and Kaline. I jut can't go against Ty Cobb.
So my Mount Rushmore would be Gordie Howe, Barry Sanders, Isiah Thomas and Ty Cobb.
My Detroit Sports Mt. Rushmore, would contain athletes that I've seen play in my lifetime. Steve Yzerman would be hands down for the Red Wings. The Captain brought that team from NHL laughing stock to one of the most valuable franchises in all of professional sports. The Lions is another easy one, it would be Barry. I have often wondered how good Barry would be with Stafford at quarterback and Calvin Johnson at wide receiver. The Pistons is a tie between Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. I remember the 1990 finals when Isiah just dominated the Portland Trailblazers. Finally the Tigers, is another tie between Alan Trammell and Justin Verlander. I know Verlander is still playing, but after his amazing last season, the guy should be recognized as one of the all time great Tigers.
ReplyDeleteSteve Yzerman - He restored the Dead Wings back to the Red Wings. Whenever a detroit hears the word "captain," they think of Yzerman.
ReplyDeleteBarry Sanders - He was the greatest running back of all time. He is a role model for so many young people. He was, and still is, a class act.
Joe Louis - He dominated the boxing world for so many years. He also had to deal with great hardships, much like Detroit over the years.
Ernie Harwell or Sparky Anderson - Whether it's the announcer who was worth trading a player to get, or the manager of the Tigers during their "hey day," you can't go wrong with either choice.
Sorry it's late, but I gotta post:
ReplyDeleteWings: Gordie Howe....he's Mr. Hockey for christ sake! Followed by Stevie Y, Lidstrom, Ted Lindsay, and I gotta shout out Sergei!
Leos: Easy, Barry...even though he left the game too early, he was so dominant, and its fun thinking about how good he COULD'VE been...but who knows what Stafford, Calvin, and Suh might do in years to come...would they surplant Barry if they win the superbowl???
Tigs: Ty Cobb overall... but followed by Al Kaline, Verlander, and my own personal favorite, Chet Lemon!
Pistons: Oh Isiah! Just think if he didn't have that pass stolen by Johnson and Bird! There could've been a Bad Boy Dynasty! But I love Joe D still (I will argue the Darko pick for life), Grant Hill, Rodman, Bob Lanier, and Chauncey...