The Boston Sports Mt. Rushmore

[Dave Gray]

Since this popped up in the other thread, I figured we might as well make it its own thing.

Bird, Brady, Ted Williams are the 3 locks in my opinion.  I think the 4th could be Bill Russel.

[MikeO]

Bill Russell

[Sunstroke]

One for each sport...

Larry Bird
Tom Brady
Bobby Orr
Ted Williams

Considered Bill Russell instead of Orr, but already had Bird in there for hoops...and Boston is a hockey-crazy place. Bobby Orr is one of the 3-4 greatest players in the history of the NHL. He gave Beantown two Stanley Cups and won enough Hart (NHL Overall MVP), Norris (Defensive MVP) and Conn Smythe (Playoff MVP) trophies to fill a small warehouse (13 total). Besides, with as rich a sports history as Boston has, I think you almost have to go one mug per sport just to carve a fair mountain.

[MikeO]

If its only one for each sport then its Russell over Bird.

[masterfins]

^^^ Agreed

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Pretty clear that it is 4 out the following 5:

Larry Bird
Tom Brady
Bobby Orr
Ted Williams
Bill Russell

And Williams is a lock. 

I left Russell off my list.  But a case could be made for being Orr or Brady instead. 

[SportsChick]

As much as I love Larry, Russell has to get the nod over him. The man changed the game of basketball and the way rebounding gained importance to the game.

One from each sport - Brady, Russell, Orr and Williams

[EDGECRUSHER]

Why not Ray Bourque?

[Pappy13]

As much as I love Larry, Russell has to get the nod over him. The man changed the game of basketball and the way rebounding gained importance to the game.

One from each sport - Brady, Russell, Orr and Williams

Yeah, but Bird is a white guy.  I always root for the white guy when I have the chance.  It doesn't happen all that often.

Bird did pretty good for not being able to run or jump. LOL

[Sunstroke]

Why not Ray Bourque?

I actually posed the question to the only two "Boston hockey fans" that I have regular contact with in the ESPN TOP 50 group..."Choose one to represent Boston hockey on a memorial, Bobby Orr or Ray Bourque." Both came back with Bobby Orr, though one did say that it was a coin-flip situation in his mind.

I chose Bird over Russell for two reasons: First, he played more recently than Russell, and second...he and Magic really helped resurrect the league from about the lowest point the league ever reached.

[SportsChick]

11 in 13 years, two as a player coach including eight in a row. That weights heavily in Russell's favor IMHO. I love Larry, I grew up watching Larry, however, I think the nod goes to Russell

For goodness sakes, the man won the MVP 5 times, was a 12-time All-Star who had the legend of Red Auerbach step down as coach so he wouldn't get bored as a player.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Having thought it over I would go:

Larry Bird
Bobby Orr
Ted Williams
Bill Russell

Yeah, that means two basketball but no football. 

Here is why:

* I can't in good faith leave either Russell or Bird off. 

* As much as football has been my favorite sport my entire life, Boston as a whole has only noticed it recently.  Now the Patriots are more relevant than the Celtics. Over the history of Boston sports, the Patriots have been pretty minor.  Granted Tom is a huge reason why they are relevant. 

* Football is more of a team sport.  And has less individual standouts than baseball or basketball.  As Pappy has hinted to, maybe Belichick belongs on it more than Brady.  I don't agree, but I understand the logic.

* But the biggie is: I don't like immortalizing or building monuments to active players. Ted Williams didn't get a tunnel named after him, until he was long retired.  Brady will belong on such a monument some day.  But if I built one today I would stick with those whose careers are over and can be fully appreciated. 

[Brian Fein]

* But the biggie is: I don't like immortalizing or building monuments to active players. Ted Williams didn't get a tunnel named after him, until he was long retired.  Brady will belong on such a monument some day.  But if I built one today I would stick with those whose careers are over and can be fully appreciated. 

this is pretty much my feeling about this as well...

[MaineDolFan]

I find myself in general agreement on hockey and basketball (Orr and Bird).  Football is really a no-brainer (Brady).

Baseball, in this town, is a whole different animal.  I covered / worked with the Red Sox franchise for a long time and never really got a pulse on who would go down as "the face" of that team. 

For every person you find that says "Ted Williams" I could produce 50 people who would literally laugh at that and produce pretty darn good subjective reasons why he would NOT be.  A lot of people viewed Williams as part of the problem, not solution, as to why Boston's 86 year title drought continued during his time in the game.

Time has a way of making a lot of figures romantic when they really shouldn't be.  For all Teddy Ball Game did for Boston there was a lot of questions that surrounded him as well.  Pedro, Schilling, Ortiz...there are a lot of iconic figures that actually changed the landscape of baseball in Boston that might be more worthy.  What is more iconic?  A man who played 21 years in a city, was generally despised by a lot in the own while he WAS playing, and didn't win anything in that time...or a guy that played five seasons and was part of ending the most talked about title drought in the nation?


I almost would list mine as:

Bird
Orr
Brady
'04 (in place of a face)

[JVides]

Having thought it over I would go:

Larry Bird
Bobby Orr
Ted Williams
Bill Russell

* But the biggie is: I don't like immortalizing or building monuments to active players. Ted Williams didn't get a tunnel named after him, until he was long retired.  Brady will belong on such a monument some day.  But if I built one today I would stick with those whose careers are over and can be fully appreciated.  Also, this is JVides' final list and I think he's so cool that I must agree with him

Wow...thanks Hoodie!

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