Big Ten Icons on BTN

[ORD_Buckeye]

BTN is having a feature counting down the top 50 Big Ten athletes of all time. Now, we all know who should (will!) be at the top of that list......

What other Ohio State, or for that matter other Big Ten athletes, should make it? Another interesting thought, should any PSU athletes from their history prior to Big Ten membership be included? I say most certainly not.

 

[Bucklion]

BTN is having a feature counting down the top 50 Big Ten athletes of all time. Now, we all know who should (will!) be at the top of that list......

What other Ohio State, or for that matter other Big Ten athletes, should make it? Another interesting thought, should any PSU athletes from their history prior to Big Ten membership be included? I say most certainly not.

They weren't in the Big Ten then, so no.

I would thing Hop and Janny should be there for sure for their multi-sport exploits as well as their success on the football field.

 

[Bucklion]

Oh, and Butch Reynolds...check.

 

[BUCKYLE]

Best athletes? One of the Hamm brothers. I hope I spelled that right. I'm not a gymnastics fan...but you can't deny them their props. Dudes are some freakish athletes.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Best athletes? One of the Hamm brothers. I hope I spelled that right. I'm not a gymnastics fan...but you can't deny them their props. Dudes are some freakish athletes.

Hamm brothers are Ohio State alumni, but they never competed in the Big Ten. They came to Ohio State post-Olympics. If you include them, you have to include Phelps for Michigan. Thing is, are they going to try and be fair and balanced (i.e. manipulate the results so that no one or two schools dominate) or are they going to let the chips fall where they may. Personally, I think we have several Olympians that would probably make the cut ahead of Butch Reynolds. Ohio State Olympic Medalists Glenn Davis and Malden Whitfield come to mind.

Off the top of my head for Ohio State, I've got Jack, Archie, Lucas and Havlicek. Maybe Katie Smith, and I'm sure that there's some swimmers and divers from when Ohio State's program dominated the NCAA that might make the cut.

Minnesota: Dave Winfield, Bronko Nagurski and undoubtedly a couple of hockey players.

Indiana: Isiah and a couple of swimmers

Iowa: some wrestlers

Sparty: Magic, Bubba and Miller

Wiscy: ????

Purdue: Do astronauts count?

Illinois: Red Grange

Northwestern:?????

What about Chicago? Jay Berwanger anyone.

UM: Cazzie Russel, Tom Harmon Asswipe Woodson. Sure they have some worthy Olympians also.

 

[Oh8ch]

Jack would be there - if golf were a sport and golfers were athletes.

 

[BB73]

Otto Graham for Northwestern. 10 years as a Pro QB, 10 title games, 7 titles. He also was an All-American in hoops and had a season as a pro basketball player.

John Wooden for Purdue. He was in the Bball HOF as a player there, voted in before UCLA won its first title.

Mark Spitz for Indiana. He won the 7 golds in swimming at a single Olympics, and he also won 8 individual national titles swimming for Indiana.

Dick Butkus for Illinois, along with Grange.

Maybe Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch, who played for both Wiscy and TSUN in football. He's more likely to be picked than others with similar accomplishments because he played for two schools.

I'll add Wes Fesler for tOSU. He was a 3-time All-American in football (Big Ten MVP in 1930), and was also an All-American for the basketball Buckeyes in 1931.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Otto Graham for Northwestern. 10 years as a Pro QB, 10 title games, 7 titles. He also was an All-American in hoops and had a season as a pro basketball player.

John Wooden for Purdue. He was in the Bball HOF as a player there, voted in before UCLA won its first title.

Mark Spitz for Indiana. He won the 7 golds in swimming at a single Olympics, and he also won 8 individual national titles swimming for Indiana.

Dick Butkus for Illinois, along with Grange.

Maybe Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch, who played for both Wiscy and TSUN in football. He's more likely to be picked than others with similar accomplishments because he played for two schools.

I'll add Wes Fesler for tOSU. He was a 3-time All-American in football (Big Ten MVP in 1930), and was also an All-American for the basketball Buckeyes in 1931.

Good call on Spitz. For some reason, I always associated him with Cal...my error. I'm pretty sure that IU will have another swimmer in the mix.

Gotta wonder how many women-folk will get a nod just to balance things out.

 

[Jaxbuck]

I tried to ignore this. I really did. I knew they'd eventually make some outlandish ranking and I'd be a sucker for getting pissed about it.

Oh well, here it goes;

They just put Steve Alford above Jack Nicklaus.

Steve fucking Alford.

Unless you get points for having wind tunnel proof hair, I just am at a complete loss.

Wow.

 

[Apache]

I tried to ignore this. I really did. I knew they'd eventually make some outlandish ranking and I'd be a sucker for getting [censored]ed about it.

Oh well, here it goes;

They just put Steve Alford above Jack Nicklaus.

Steve [censored]ing Alford.

Unless you get points for having wind tunnel proof hair, I just am at a complete loss.

Wow.

Yes Steve Alford above Jack. What were they thinking?

I guess the rest of the Big Ten has short memories.

I do like that program in spite of the rankings. Great history of sports in the Big 10 or is it 11 or is it 12?

 

[southcampus]

I found that strange too. Next thing you know, they'll have Magic Johnson ahead of Jesse Owens.

 

[Jaxbuck]

I found that strange too. Next thing you know, they'll have Magic Johnson ahead of Jesse Owens.

At least then you are talking about two legitimate icons. I wouldn't agree with it but at least Magic was famous outside of hardcore Indiana high school basketball fans.

If Alford was an icon where is Mateen Cleaves?

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

I had to Google Steve Alford.

38 year old who grew up in the midwest having to Google 'Steve Alford' =/= 'Icon'.

:p

As retribution, the Bucks should put a beat down on the Hoosiers on Saturday.

 

[southcampus]

Dude, didn't you know Steve Alford was the coach of Iowa before moving on to the powerhouse that is the New Mexico Lobos!1?

Golden who?

 

[Buckeye Nut]

I have no idea on what all Alford accomplished in his career other than the national title and Pacer fans being [censored]ed they took Reggie Miller over him in 1988. The rankings are based completely on what they accomplished in their college careers, so Jack's 18 majors are not taken into account. Maybe Jack should be in front of Alford, but they're just rankings, it's meant for entertainment so I'm not going to get upset over something that doesn't mean anything. Of coures I'd love to see Buckeyes ranked high, but seeing Jack below Alford didn't affect my blood pressure. They're good shows and I enjoy them, don't really care where everyone is ranked.