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TV/MEDIA INSIDER
Ohio overlooked as ESPN's Rushmore
Friday, February 27, 2009
I have to admit I didn't follow this "Mount Rushmore of Sports" idea ESPN hatched recently, figuring if the general public is voting, there's going to be some craziness out there.
Besides, Mount Rushmore means choosing only four top figures, and that's a lot easier to do with presidents than sports stars. I mean, the recent run of presidents hasn't been that great.
You could say the same for athletes, what with the increased use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Still, ESPN asked fans to vote for the four most famous sports figures that would constitute their state's Mount Rushmore.
And, really, with the criteria being an athlete or coach only having to pass through the state — maybe on vacation — there was going to be a lot of overlapping. Jackie Robinson, for instance, made the list in both California (where he grew up) and New York (where he played Major League Baseball). He was actually born in Georgia.
But the other day when a somewhat dazed Rick Reilly announced the winning Mount Rushmore, I thought he was kidding. (From the look on his face, he thought he was kidding.)
Not that the four Illinois greats didn't deserve to be honored as the ultimate Mount Rushmore, but how do Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Ernie Banks and Mike Ditka compare with what we've had in Ohio? I mean, I could piece together two Buckeye Mount Rushmore's better than that.
The list fans came up with for Ohio included coaches Paul Brown and Woody Hayes (Ditka doesn't compare with either of them), as well as golfer Jack Nicklaus and Olympic star Jesse Owens.
Nicklaus and Owens themselves would be candidates for a national Mount Rushmore.
That's right, Jimmy Brown, Archie Griffin, Otto Graham, Cy Young, Bob Feller, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose and Oscar Robertson didn't even make Ohio's list. LeBron James didn't make it, either, but he's a little young.
The other state finalists were Pennsylvania (Joe Paterno, Mario Lemieux, Roberto Clemente, Wilt Chamberlain); California (Tiger Woods, John Wooden, Magic Johnson, Jackie Robinson); New York (Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, Joe Namath); and Alabama (Hank Aaron, Bear Bryant, Bo Jackson, Willie Mays).
Try again, ESPN, and give Ohio a little love.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Comments
By RJ
March 12, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this
Edwin C Moses Bill Walsh
My four would be (in no particular order)
Paul Brown Jack Niclaus Jesse Owens Pete Rose
All hoome grown greats of their sports.
By BellevueDawg
February 27, 2009 3:41 PM | Link to this
Typical ESPN bias. They never seem to have anything good to say about Ohio teams or athletes.
By smokingguns
February 27, 2009 11:44 AM | Link to this
Jack Nicklaus, Jesse Owens are givens. Oscar Robertson would be a given also had he been raised here. But he grew up in Indianapolis but played his college ball (UC) and most of his professional ball (The Royals) in Cincinnati. If you include coaches, Woody and Paul Brown are easy choices. Pete Rose, despite the gambling, has to be considered, too.
By tom
February 27, 2009 10:36 AM | Link to this
Art Schlister