Tuesday (MN sports figures) edition: Wha’ Happened
Posted on May 6th, 2008 – 8:00 AMBy Michael Rand
On Christmas Day 1999, the Newspaper of the Twin Cities ran a comprehensive list of the top 100 Minnesota sports figures of the 20th century. It was a massive undertaking that involved several staff members and folks outside the newsroom. In looking back at it recently, we couldn’t help but wonder two things: 1) If it was to be updated to reflect the past 8.5 years or so, how would it change? 2) If we were to project another 5-7 years into the future, how might it change even more. As an exercise, we thought we’d throw out those questions to you this morning — for both a fun sports debate and to see how all of you view the term “sports figure.” So: Here’s the original list (points were accumulated based on voting).
Rank Name Points
1 Kirby Puckett 893
2 Bronko Nagurski 877
3 George Mikan 873
4 Bud Grant 865
5 Patty Berg 852
6 Harmon Killebrew 822
7 Calvin Griffith 785
8 John Mariucci 762
9 Rod Carew 750
10 Fran Tarkenton 728
11 Herb Brooks 727
12 Bernie Bierman 724
13 Alan Page 699
14 Janet Karvonen 671
15 John Mayasich 665
16 Max Winter 655
17 Bruce Smith 641
18 Kevin McHale 628
19 John Gagliardi 621
20 Dave Winfield 598
21 Neal Broten 580
22 Chris Voelz 568
23 Paul Molitor 564
24 Kent Hrbek 558
25 Tom Kelly 537
26 Verne Gagne 528
27 Paul Giel 521
28 Tony Oliva 520
29 Carl Eller 508
30 Sandy Stephens 493
31 Sid Hartman 489
32 Walter Bush 484
32 Tom Lehman 484
34 Jeanne Arth 479
35 Vern Mikkelsen 468
36 Lou Hudson 461
37 Murray Warmath 459
38 Dan Patch 456
39 Lou Nanne 455
40 Carl Pohlad 449
41 Dick Siebert 430
42 Joe Hutton 427
43 Charles Johnson 425
44 Kevin Garnett 414
45 Willard Ikola 413
46 Clem Haskins 388
47 Henry Boucha 382
48 Bill Goldsworthy 381
49 Bev Vanstrum 377
50 Halsey Hall 368
51 Bobby Marshall 364
52 Linda Roberts 361
53 Cindy Nelson 355
54 Ray Dandridge 346
55 Joe Hauser 336
56 John Kundla 334
57 Briana Scurry 333
58 Francis (Pug) Lund 328
59 Moose Goheen 313
60 Bill Musselman 310
61 Phil Housley 306
62 Kelly and Coco Miller 303
63 Bobby Bell 299
64 Chief Bender 293
65 Jack Morris 290
66 Larry Ross 273
67 Ken Bartholomew 268
68 Dick Beardsley 263
69 Carrie Tollefson 262
70 Ernie Nevers 257
71 Buzz Lagos 253
72 Oscar Almquist 248
73 Toni Stone 247
74 Johnny McNally 246
75 Ed Widseth 244
76 Mychal Thompson 243
77 John Roethlisberger 230
78 Jean Havlish 229
78 Cris Carter 229
80 Chuch Foreman 228
81 Annie Adamczak 218
82 Les Bolstad 217
83 Dorothy McIntyre 215
84 Ralph Samuelson 210
85 Winny Brodt 207
86 Jim Finks 203
87 Norm Green 202
87 Ron Johnson 202
89 Mike Lynn 190
90 Mark Olberding 186
91 Dennis Koslowski 185
92 Janis Klecker 183
93 Eddie Lacy 182
94 Khalid El-Amin 180
95 Tommy Williams 178
96 Harry Davis 165
97 Fortune Gordien 164
98 Paul Krause 161
99 Anne Govednik 158
100 Bob Johnson 157
Who would you add? (Does Adrian Peterson already make the cut? Randy Moss didn’t by December 1999). How would you reshuffle the deck? (Kevin Garnett, for instance, was already No. 44 by then, about eight years before he left the Twin Cities). Does anybody shoot into the top 10? Top 5? Have at it.
Fasola-link! Preventative medical testing? Boo-ya!
32 Responses to "Tuesday (MN sports figures) edition: Wha’ Happened"
I’m a transplant so maybe I am missing something, is that really the best Minnesota could do in 1999? There are a lot of people on that list that I couldn’t even pick out of a one man lineup.
A couple to add to the list. Some of these guys will be added in the future
Joe Mauer- He’s “one of you” I hate this saying.
Justin Morneau- He was an MVP
Marion Gaborik- Best Wild player ever
Al Jefferson- Already the 2nd best Wolves player ever.
Kevin Williams- Multiple All Pro
Adrian Peterson- He’ll be good not great.
Derrick Rose- I’m going out on a big limb.
Glen Taylor
Randy Moss
Daunte Culpepper
Lindsay Whalen
Jon Marthaler
Guys that I don’t think should be on that list. Or should at least be moved WAY down
Clem Haskins
Khalid-El Amin
SID HARTMAN- Seriously Top 35?
How long before Michael Rand makes this list? I’d say he’s sitting at #237 right now. If he did something crazy like streak at a Swarm game I think he would jump at least 3 spots.
Does Roughkat qualify for winning the Beer Mile in back to back years?
Didn’t Chris Weinke win the Heisman trophy? I’d add him to the list. Also Jacque Lemaire and Terry Ryan. I’d guess the Wilf’s will eventually make the list too. If Tubby doesn’t bolt for a better job he will be added also.
How about Jim Christopherson the fomrer coach from Concordia Moorhead? How can you leave out one of the best coaches in Minnesota college football history. Come on, he was recently inducted into the college football hall of fame.
Definitely Lindsay Whalen, maybe Janelle McCarville.
Okay, there are some definite “time-sensitive” people on this 1999 list.
Scratch these:
- Kelly and Coco Miller
- Briana Scurry
- Khalid El Amin (he’s no more important than any other good H.S. basketball player that’s come out of Minnesota)
- Ron Johnson (did nothing after the U)
- Winny Brodt
Should move down the list:
- Chris Voelz (her influence has largely disappeared now that there aren’t separate, but equal ADs at the U)
- Mike Lynn (his influence on the Vikings is no longer visible)
- Overall, I think it’s hard to keep former administrative members of teams/schools on the list, because they are no longer affecting their programs/teams
It’s about [Redacted] time.
jama: That makes P3 the active days leader at 1,011
+1 Dave.
P3 is MIA he must have pissed off his PO again.
Matt Birk? Where is he?
Probably eating a hamburger at Matty B’s.
Don Lucia should probably be on that list somewhere. I’m suprised by the lack of more recent NHL hockey players.
Do we still like Kevin McHale at #18?
scagmajor: I thought the same thing, until I saw that it was “top figures”. That doesn’t necessarily have to be in a positive way. It’s not “favorites”. So I think McHale should still be up there both for his good (playing days) and his bad (GM’ing days)…
Dennis Green probably deserves consideration, doesn’t he?
Johan?
Torii Hunter?
Rocket?
Should Herschel Walker be on the list four times?
That’s another +1 for Dave.
The current list would definitely feature Mauer, Johan, Torii, and Morneau, probably in that order. I’ll second jama on Lemaire and Ryan being included as well.
Future list will have Adrian Peterson, Al Jefferson, and (being optimistic) Carlos Gomez.
I think they should have a top 100 list and a top 100 infamous list. Lot’s of these people could be on both.
Moss
Green
McHale
Pohlad
Taylor
Culpepper
Stephon Marbury
Latrell Sprewell
Jeff Reardon
Given the Newspaper of the Twin Cities’ reaction when Brett Favre retired (two and a half pages of coverage, fawning article after fawning article), I have to imagine that if they made this list today, he’d be top-40.
Don’t farber the Hof.
If you go by news coverage Dominic Jones would make the list.
That being said, I don’t think a whole lot of people want to be on a list with Dominic Jones though.
Do you guys still think that Puckett would be #1 if this was done today?
I think Puckett had a little falling out after this came out.
Tim Herron has more tour wins than Tom Lehman. And is less self-righteous.
Also, did I not look closely or is Jim Marshall not on that list? Does the Proprietor need to rerun my first COW post? What was the office smoking that day?
Pull el-Amin, the Miller twins, Calvin the racist, Lehman… add Jim Marshall, Pat Neshek and Wally the Beerman.
Also, Morgan Mundane.
Jama: I still think Puckett is the conquering hero in this city, despite his falling out. He is, and will likely remain for a very long time, the example to which all other Twin Cities pro athletes are held in terms of loyalty, performance, work ethic, community presence, personality, etc. I mean, all you have to do is look at how he was remembered after he passed. The bad things that happened with him were seen with sadness, not bitterness or disappointment. That’s how much Kirby was loved.
KG could have been that if he’d stayed and if he’d won a championship here. However, KG will not be another Kirby, and neither will Torii or Johan. Marian Gaborik isn’t followed as closely nor is he as publicly visible. Joe Mauer doesn’t have the personality for it. Twin Cities sports fans long for players like Kirby because we had one. It’s a hard pedigree to live up to.
Adrian Peterson should not be on the list… yet. We’re talking about a list encompassing 100 years. He’s played one.
Puckett is still the sports figure who had the biggest impact on all Minnesotans, falling out and tragic death included. In fact, there’s probably more separation for him at the top of the list.
Herb Carneal, Ray Christensen, and (yes, it pains me to say this) Dave Lee belong on the list (or throw Halsey Hall off).
I miss Steve Cannon.
What about Steve Walsh? Marc Trestman?
One of them did something good after going pro, right?
If we’re going to include the Miller twins, Scurry and Khalid (meaning high school players) we have to include:
Shjon Podein (Stanley Cup with the Avs).
We have to. It’s only fair
