Wednesday (The next superstar in our market is …) edition: Wha’ Happened?
Posted on November 26th, 2008 – 8:59 AMBy Michael Rand
The pecking order right now is fairly well established when it comes to superstar players playing for local sports teams. Adrian Peterson. Joe Mauer. Justin Morneau. Marian Gaborik (kind of, at least when he’s healthy). Then there is the next tier that is already established enough to the point that you could at least consider them stars or close to it. Al Jefferson. Joe Nathan. Kevin Williams. Jared Allen. Mikko Koivu. Eric Decker. Perhaps we missed a couple. Correct us if you think so. (There are certainly very good players that we think are, for whatever reason, missing star power in the eyes of large groups of fans. Guys like Brent Burns, Niklas Backstrom, Antoine Winfield, etc.)
Our question today is this: Of the current (or in the case of college, current or incoming) players in this market who have not yet made the leap into either of those two categories, who are the players you think are the best bet to do so in the next 12 months? Who will jump up and become a “star” player? And more importantly, who do you think will be the next athlete in this market to make the leap into a bona fide top five superstar in the Twin Cities?
We’ll throw out a few names: Francisco Liriano. Kevin Slowey. Denard Span. Carlos Gomez (seriously). Kevin Love. Brent Burns. (College guys are tougher. We’ll leave that to you, though some Gophers men’s basketball players might be in the mix).
In any event: Who ya like?
Fasola-link! What a depression will be like.
18 Responses to "Wednesday (The next superstar in our market is …) edition: Wha’ Happened?"
I’m going to say Cedric Griffin, but not in the NFL. He can’t play, so his super stardome will be in the film industry. (gay porno)
I think it’ll be Roberto El Doucho for his groundbreaking work in the sports blogosphere. You heard it here first: The next P3.
Rand, your post got me thinking. it’s like there are two types of superstars. one, the group the national media knows about and fondles over i.e. mauer, morneau, peterson, gaborik, etc. but then there are the “local” stars that randballers and other like-minded fans go ga-ga over which would be burns, neshek, span, greenway and [insert player name needed ] for t-wolves.
of course, sex bets being played out at the final gopher game in a metrodome bathroom is pretty much superstar power in any league.
Cal Clutterbuck! He fights, he scores goals…
OK, odds are he’ll be in Houston by Valentine’s Day.
I think it’s going to be Decker. He’s the first player since Maroney and Barber that has the national media even kind of discussing the Gophers (until they inevitably collapse to end the season, of course).
of course, sex bets being played out at the final gopher game in a metrodome bathroom is pretty much superstar power in any league.
This would be the correct answer (see also: Carolina Panthers cheerleaders), but sadly, they were from Iowa, so this gets thrown out on a technicality. I vote Span.
RE: Cal Clutterbuck. I swear to God, I thought Marthaler made that name up just to amuse me.
Kevin Slowey or Scott Baker
Stu:
His great, great-grandfather was Lord Calvin of Clutterbuckshire
The next cult hero will be Jose Mijares, aka El Gasolino Reincarnate
Does a real superstar need personality in addition to talent? I mean JD Durbin had personality in droves, but pitched his way off at least four major league rosters.
That being said, these guys may have what it takes, though the personality will be the biggest question mark.
Gophers Basketball: Colton Iverson
Twins: Denard Span
Vikings: Chad Greenway
Wild: Brent Burns (personality is not an issue here, I mean this dude has snakes and stuff!
Ooh, the moderatatron3000 busted me. Must be because I mentioned snakes and linked to YouTube.
Stu: i agree with you about the iowa thing, however since minnE fans are notorious band wagoners with “standards” (minus hockey riots) no minnesota fan would be caught doing such act, ever.(unless of course they are a player for one of our professional teams) that is why we have our love/hate relationship with the iowans & sconies. hate that they invade our towns but love that they do crazy [redacted].
if Mark Madsen had some sort of minor blemish on his personality(like Tommy Kramer with booze) he’d be a cult hero.
if only he was compulsively into strip clubs, or been pulled over at 3am in either the 55411 or 55412 zip codes, or had a small series of completely melting down at restaurant servers…
real vote though, and it’s maybe a year off- Al Nolen.
It will be Rand, and it will be bowling.
/obvious ploy to get another Good Sports someday.
Second guess for the next big-name MN sports star: Michael Vick.
Locally it will be Scott Baker, he’s will easily be the Twins best pitcher next year.
Nationally it will be Sidney Rice. The Vikings will bring in a real QB next year and Rice will continue the 3rd year WR theory.
From the look of the Twins’ 1982 throwback unis, I’d say John Castino.
(Stu - you ever hunt him down?)
ramon: kind of, but it was for Michael’s Q&A with Mose Schrute. Might need to make an official attempt here.
I’m going with Adam Weber. With two more years as a starter if he continues to improve, not to mention the new stadium increasing student awareness, by the time his senior year rolls around he’ll be able to get free handicap parking stickers and academic clerks to write his papers for him.
Either that or he’s the second coming of Corey Sauter.
