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Greatest Athlete from Each State

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  • I referenced it in my love it or shove it post. Here are the people that were chosen for each state:

    Alabama: Hank Aaron

    Alaska: Curt Schilling

    Arizona: Randall McDaniel

    Arkansas: Scottie Pippin

    California: Joe DiMaggio

    Colorado: Jack Dempsey

    Connecticut: Calvin Murphy

    Delaware: Randy White

    Florida: Emmit Smith

    Georgia: Ty Cobb

    Hawaii: Duke Kahanamoku

    Idaho: Harmon Killebrew

    Illinois: Dick Butkus

    Indiana: Larry Bird

    Iowa: Dan Gable

    Kansas: Barry Sanders

    Kentucky: Muhammed Ali

    Louisiana: Peyton Manning

    Maine: Joan Benoit

    Maryland: Babe Ruth

    Massachussetts: Rocky Marciano

    Michigan: Magic Johnson

    Minnesota: Kevin McHale

    Mississippi: Walter Payton

    Missouri: Cal Hubbard

    Montana: Phil Jackson

    Nebraska: Bob Gibson

    Nevada: Andre Agassi

    New Hampshire: Bode Miller

    New Jersey: Derek Jeter

    New Mexico: Ronnie Lott

    New York: Kareem Abdul Jabbar

    North Carolina: Michael Jordan

    North Dakota: Roger Maris

    Ohio: Jack Nicklaus

    Oklahoma: Jim Thorpe

    Oregon: Danny Ainge

    Pennsylvania: Joe Montana

    Rhode Island: Napolean Lajoie

    South Carolina: Kevin Garnnett

    South Dakota: Dallas Clark

    Tennessee: Reggie White

    Texas: Joe Greene

    Utah: Steve Young

    Vermont: Carlton Fisk

    Virginia: Lawrence Taylor

    Washington: John Elway

    West Virginia: Randy Moss

    Wisconsin: Eric Heiden

    Wyoming: Rulon Gardner

    Let us know if you have any issues with any of these choices.

  • I have to give Jesse Owens higher marks than Jack

  • I referenced it in my love it or shove it post. Here are the people that were chosen for each state:

    Alabama: Hank Aaron

    Alaska: Curt Schilling

    Arizona: Randall McDaniel

    Arkansas: Scottie Pippin

    California: Joe DiMaggio

    Colorado: Jack Dempsey

    Connecticut: Calvin Murphy

    Delaware: Randy White

    Florida: Emmit Smith

    Georgia: Ty Cobb

    Hawaii: Duke Kahanamoku

    Idaho: Harmon Killebrew

    Illinois: Dick Butkus

    Indiana: Larry Bird

    Iowa: Dan Gable

    Kansas: Barry Sanders

    Kentucky: Muhammed Ali

    Louisiana: Peyton Manning

    Maine: Joan Benoit

    Maryland: Babe Ruth

    Massachussetts: Rocky Marciano

    Michigan: Magic Johnson

    Minnesota: Kevin McHale

    Mississippi: Walter Payton

    Missouri: Cal Hubbard

    Montana: Phil Jackson

    Nebraska: Bob Gibson

    Nevada: Andre Agassi

    New Hampshire: Bode Miller

    New Jersey: Derek Jeter

    New Mexico: Ronnie Lott

    New York: Kareem Abdul Jabbar

    North Carolina: Michael Jordan

    North Dakota: Roger Maris

    Ohio: Jack Nicklaus

    Oklahoma: Jim Thorpe

    Oregon: Danny Ainge

    Pennsylvania: Joe Montana

    Rhode Island: Napolean Lajoie

    South Carolina: Kevin Garnnett

    South Dakota: Dallas Clark

    Tennessee: Reggie White

    Texas: Joe Greene

    Utah: Steve Young

    Vermont: Carlton Fisk

    Virginia: Lawrence Taylor

    Washington: John Elway

    West Virginia: Randy Moss

    Wisconsin: Eric Heiden

    Wyoming: Rulon Gardner

    Let us know if you have any issues with any of these choices.

    @the-gipper said:

    I referenced it in my love it or shove it post. Here are the people that were chosen for each state:

    A few of my comments on these.

    Alabama: Hank Aaron

    Alaska: Curt Schilling

    Arizona: Randall McDaniel

    Arkansas: Scottie Pippin...Pippin good...but is this really the best the state of Ark. has ever put out?

    California: Joe DiMaggio....has to be a lot of competition....but I won't argue with this.

    Colorado: Jack Dempsey

    Connecticut: Calvin Murphy...see my note below about Steve Young

    Delaware: Randy White

    Florida: Emmit Smith

    Georgia: Ty Cobb

    Hawaii: Duke Kahanamoku

    Idaho: Harmon Killebrew

    Illinois: Dick Butkus...Otto Graham is from Illinois....as good as Butkus was, OG better imo

    Indiana: Larry Bird

    Iowa: Dan Gable

    Kansas: Barry Sanders...does he beat out fellow Kansan and similar player Gale Sayers?

    Kentucky: Muhammed Ali

    Louisiana: Peyton Manning

    Maine: Joan Benoit

    Maryland: Babe Ruth

    Massachussetts: Rocky Marciano

    Michigan: Magic Johnson

    Minnesota: Kevin McHale

    Mississippi: Walter Payton

    Missouri: Cal Hubbard only person in both PFHOF an Baseball HOF...so I guess fitting.

    Montana: Phil Jackson...he was great as a coach....but as a player/athlete...I am not so sure. Jerry Kramer perhaps better choice

    Nebraska: Bob Gibson

    Nevada: Andre Agassi...is this the best Nevada can do? Greg Maddux was not born but grew up in Nevada.

    New Hampshire: Bode Miller

    New Jersey: Derek Jeter

    New Mexico: Ronnie Lott

    New York: Kareem Abdul Jabbar

    North Carolina: Michael Jordan

    North Dakota: Roger Maris

    Ohio: Jack Nicklaus....as noted elsewhere.....Jesse Owens gives him a run for his money (LeBron? Only if he bring us a few titles)

    Oklahoma: Jim Thorpe...no problem....but Mickey Mantle a good second.

    Oregon: Danny Ainge....Steve Prefontaine is god like in ORE

    Pennsylvania: Joe Montana

    Rhode Island: Napolean Lajoie

    South Carolina: Kevin Garnnett

    South Dakota: Dallas Clark

    Tennessee: Reggie White

    Texas: Joe Greene

    Utah: Steve Young...Steve Young is not from Utah....he grew up in Connecticut....just went to college in Utah at BYU. If you go by where they went to college then Joe Montana should be considered to be from Indiana....or Lawrence Taylor from N. Carolina, Kareem from Calif. etc. etc. Merlin Olsen a better choice

    Vermont: Carlton Fisk

    Virginia: Lawrence Taylor

    Washington: John Elway

    West Virginia: Randy Moss....I would have gone with The Logo....Zeke from Cabin Creek.....Jerry West.

    Wisconsin: Eric Heiden

    Wyoming: Rulon Gardner

    Let us know if you have any issues with any of these choices.

  • Babe Zaharious from Texas. She could do any sport professionally from track to golf. The Jim Thorpe of women.

  • Athlete? Sorry, as much as I love golf... that just wouldn't qualify.

    Jesse Owens or Lebron would be my pick.

  • According to Wikipedia, Steve Young was born in Utah

  • According to Wikipedia, Steve Young was born in Utah

    @browns149 said:

    According to Wikipedia, Steve Young was born in Utah

    OK, but he must have left there at an early age:

    Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Young attended Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut. He earned 1978 All-FCIAC West Division First Team honors in his junior year, his first year starting at quarterback for the Cardinals, under head coach Mike Ornato. In 1979, he once again earned All-FCIAC West Division First Team honors, along with CIAC All-State honors, rushing for 13 touchdowns. In two seasons, he ran the ball 267 times for 1,928 yards. In the option offense run by Greenwich, passing was always the second option; he completed only 41 percent of his throws for 1,220 yards. On Thanksgiving Day in November 1979, Steve was Quarterback for Greenwich High School starting in the F.C.I.A.C (Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference) Championship Game. In that FCIAC game, Greenwich High lost to Darien High School, known for its "Tidal Wave Defense" by the score of 17-0. During his senior year he was co-captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams. In basketball, he averaged 15 points a game. In baseball, he hit .384 and played center field when he wasn't pitching. He was 5-1 and threw a 3-0 no-hitter against New Canaan High School.

  • Athlete? Sorry, as much as I love golf... that just wouldn't qualify.

    Jesse Owens or Lebron would be my pick.

    @tiamat63 said:

    Athlete? Sorry, as much as I love golf... that just wouldn't qualify.

    Jesse Owens or Lebron would be my pick.

    Agreed. No golfer should be on the list. Jack probably had a 3 inch vertical in his prime
  • Great topic.

    I think you gotta go Jim Brown over Ty Cobb from Georgia.

    Joe Montana is debatable. Athletes such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Johnny Unitas, Arnold Palmer came out of Pa.

    There really is no right or wrong IMO.

    Although golf isn't really an athletic event.

  • Minnesota = Dave Winfield

    Alabama = Bo Jackson

  • Athlete? Sorry, as much as I love golf... that just wouldn't qualify.

    Jesse Owens or Lebron would be my pick.

    @tiamat63 said:

    Athlete? Sorry, as much as I love golf... that just wouldn't qualify.

    Jesse Owens or Lebron would be my pick.

    Here. Educate yourself. She was great at basketball, baseball, softball, pocket billiards, javelin, high jump, hurdles, diving, roller skating and bowling. She just made her living in golf because back then it was the only one that paid worth a damn for a woman. She was a phenomenal athlete.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias

  • Wisconsin- Eric Heiden, might be 100 speed skaters in the World(99 in Wisconsin). Joe Thomas over JJ Watt.. NC honorary mention to Rick Flair WHHooo!

  • Wisconsin- Eric Heiden, might be 100 speed skaters in the World(99 in Wisconsin). Joe Thomas over JJ Watt.. NC honorary mention to Rick Flair WHHooo!

    @gumby73 said:

    Wisconsin- Eric Heiden, might be 100 speed skaters in the World(99 in Wisconsin). Joe Thomas over JJ Watt.. NC honorary mention to Rick Flair WHHooo!

    No way Thomas over Watt.

  • @gumby73 said:

    Wisconsin- Eric Heiden, might be 100 speed skaters in the World(99 in Wisconsin). Joe Thomas over JJ Watt.. NC honorary mention to Rick Flair WHHooo!

    No way Thomas over Watt.

    @stinkhole said:

    No way Thomas over Watt.

    All day JT. count the pro bowls. Watt still in puberty 😉.

  • @tiamat63 said:

    Athlete? Sorry, as much as I love golf... that just wouldn't qualify.

    Jesse Owens or Lebron would be my pick.

    Here. Educate yourself. She was great at basketball, baseball, softball, pocket billiards, javelin, high jump, hurdles, diving, roller skating and bowling. She just made her living in golf because back then it was the only one that paid worth a damn for a woman. She was a phenomenal athlete.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias

    @texasag1969 said:

    Here. Educate yourself. She was great at basketball, baseball, softball, pocket billiards, javelin, high jump, hurdles, diving, roller skating and bowling. She just made her living in golf because back then it was the only one that paid worth a damn for a woman. She was a phenomenal athlete.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias

    Again, I'm well aware its possible to be an athlete yet play golf. However if you're listed as being the best 'athlete' in your state based on dominating a single game - and that game being golf... then I just can't acknowledge that.

  • Allen Iverson gives Lawrence Taylor a run for his money, Iverson was the pound for pound (barely 6 foot, 160 lbs) the greatest of all time.

  • It's gotta be lebron if you base this off pure athleticism.

  • It's gotta be lebron if you base this off pure athleticism.

    @blowe said:

    It's gotta be lebron if you base this off pure athleticism.

    Greatest athlete from Ohio? I think it's LBJ too.

    Mike

  • Earl Campbell here, probably.

  • @texasag1969 said:

    Here. Educate yourself. She was great at basketball, baseball, softball, pocket billiards, javelin, high jump, hurdles, diving, roller skating and bowling. She just made her living in golf because back then it was the only one that paid worth a damn for a woman. She was a phenomenal athlete.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias

    Again, I'm well aware its possible to be an athlete yet play golf. However if you're listed as being the best 'athlete' in your state based on dominating a single game - and that game being golf... then I just can't acknowledge that.

    @tiamat63 said:

    Again, I'm well aware its possible to be an athlete yet play golf. However if you're listed as being the best 'athlete' in your state based on dominating a single game - and that game being golf... then I just can't acknowledge that.

    She dominated every damn sport she ever played at the highest level available at that time. I'd say that is a far greater athlete than one who only has one sport. We have two very different definitions of "athlete". Yours is far more restrictive and IMHO far less accurate.