Who would be on your Detroit sports Mt Rushmore?

Submitted by UM85 on January 23rd, 2021 at 10:24 AM

You can only pick four, of course.  Mix and match any of the sports, so you can have more than one deserving hero from a single sport (good luck finding four from the Lions, however).  The criteria are whatever you feel elevates that individual to the top of the heap. Mine are as follows, purposely provided without explanation because I think they explain themselves:

 

Gordie Howe

Ty Cobb 

Barry Sanders

Isiah Thomas

 

I will get the popcorn and sit back.

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NateVolk

January 23rd, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^

OP listed mine. On the two which might bring the most debate:

Kaline said a few years ago that when ESPN did their hometown heroes best player from every mlb team, they got it right naming Cobb.

There probably is no Detroit Pistons without the drafting of Isiah Thomas. Zero basketball success tradition and there were constant rumors about the team moving in those days. One player matters more to basketball outcomes then in the other sports.

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1VaBlue1

January 23rd, 2021 at 11:04 AM ^

Howe and Yzerman are interchangeable for me, so there would have to be some serious discussion between those two.  The others are Isiah Thomas, Joe Louis, and Fielding Yost.

I left off a baseball player to get Thomas on the list, because without Zeke there is zero Pistons history/legacy.  Joe Louis is boxing in Michigan, despite the legacy of the Hit Man.  Fielding Yost made Michigan what it is - a national sporting powerhouse in college athletics.  The Michigan 'brand' (if you will) is the direct legacy of Yost - Canham merely added to it.

Howe and Yzerman both presided over decades long glory years for Red Wings hockey.  They were each the heart, sole, and blood of the teams they led.  They both led by example - offensively and defensively.  I don't know how to separate Mr Hockey from The Captain.

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nerv

January 23rd, 2021 at 1:13 PM ^

See I dont understand people like the guy in this photo. Theyve been bad your entire life. Theyre an embarrassment and the worst franchise in sports. So why are you in the stands at the game? Why did you just dump out hundreds of dollars in tickets and concessions to go? People love to bag on the Ford family then promptly hand over their hard earned money to them.

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DCGrad

January 23rd, 2021 at 12:00 PM ^

Gordie

Barry

Kaline

Joe Louis

I’m on the fence as to whether it should be Barry or Stevie Y. Both were great players, but Stevie won 3 cups.  I think Barry was a top 3 of all time RB in the NFL so he gets the nod. 

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Blue Vet

January 23rd, 2021 at 12:17 PM ^

I'm with you, Howe, Cobb, Sanders, Thomas.

BUT lemme look at the other responses. Maybe someone can suggest someone who'lll bump one of those 4 immortals.

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Perkis-Size Me

January 23rd, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^

Barry Sanders

Isiah Thomas

Steve Yzerman

Ty Cobb

I really wanted to put Al Kaline on this list, but Cobb is one of two players in MLB history who has 4000 hits on his resume. It’s going to be a long, long time before we see anyone achieve that feat again. I don’t think any active player is even close to reaching that mark, or if they are somewhat close, has enough years left in the tank to achieve it.

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Blue Vet

January 23rd, 2021 at 12:28 PM ^

My first response (above) agreed with yours. Looking at other responses persuades me to switch:

Gordie Howe / Ty Cobb / Barry Sanders / Joe Louis

- sorry, Zeke. You're in the top 5 but gotta give props to maybe the greatest boxer of all time.

- Maybe Bobby Layne instead of Barry

- Thanks, MGrowOld and others, for the reminder that Cobb was much better than his reputation.

 

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BB_nomercy

January 23rd, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^

Gordie Howe(G.O.A.T.)

Ty Cobb(was not the racist he was made out to be,  plus, too bad the Babe was a Yankee)

Barry Sanders(Gale Sayers was better)

Al Kaline or Stevie Yzerman(both great, great Detroit players, just can't make up my mind)

 

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Teeba

January 23rd, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^

Ty Cobb, Gordie Howe, Joe Louis and Ernie Harwell.  
Growing up, the two greatest baseball players were Ruth and Cobb. If you dig the long ball, you chose Ruth. If you went for batting average and stolen bases, Cobb was your guy.

Howe was the greatest before Gretzky. Don’t let those Boston homers (Bobby Orr) convince you otherwise.

Joe Louis is already immortalized with the fist. That decision has been made. He belongs.

Ernie and Vin Scully are the two greatest announcers of all time (apologies to Keith Jackson.)

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