Juice's Weekly Top Ten: Minnesota Sports Icons

First of all, thanks to everyone who voted in the poll, there will be another one up shortly regarding next weeks top ten, so continue to check in. And feel free to vote as often as you would like. Stuffing the ballot box is not only allowed, but encouraged.

Given the poll results, today’s list will be sports related. With that in mind, I have decided to run down the top Minnesota sports figures of all time. Pretty self explanatory and I’m sure you all know who is number one already, but maybe there will be some surprises along the way.
And away we go.

10. Dave Winfield

This tenth spot was kind of difficult to decide on, but I put Winfield here because he played literally every sport at the U of M. Seriously. Everything. He was actually captain of the water polo team, in case you are wondering. The fact that he is from Minnesota was the final icing on his tenth position cake. Plus he is 900 feet tall.

9. Fran Tarkenton

Fran Tarkenton is obviously before my time so I don’t know a whole lot about him. I just kind of assume old people like him. I dunno. Maybe I’m wrong. His name is Fran, though, so I suppose that is fun.

8. Kevin Garnett

You know, honestly, I never really cared about Kevin Garnett. I guess it was cool to have one of the best players in the NBA in the late nineties and most of the 2000’s but he never really did it for me. He was by far the most popular and well known sports figure in Minnesota during that time period, though, so I’ll put him on the list.

7. Tony Oliva

Tony O. Everyone loves Tony O. At a Twins game last year he was sitting like ten rows behind me and The Kicker. I’m not really sure why Tony Oliva had worse seats than us, but I guess it is kind of fun that he sits amongst the common folk. I moved him down on the list just because his career was cut short due to injury. I do thoroughly enjoy how I can only understand about 30% of what he says though.

6. Herb Brooks

As everyone knows I am not a hockey guy. Herb Brooks, though, is kind of an important figure in sports history. You know, because of the whole Miracle on Ice thing. He is probably the face of team USA actually, since the whole point was there were no super stars; although, technically the Miracle on Ice had almost nothing to do with hockey. But that’s neither here nor there.

5. Bud Grant

Again, Bud Grant was before my time, but he coached the Vikings during those years when they tended to make the Super Bowl. They would lose, but at least they would make it. Plus when the current coach is Brad Childress, it just makes you long even more for someone who is competent to lead the team.

4. Rod Carew

If you need to find a reason to like Rod Carew, which by the way there are plenty, look no further than his batting stance. How anyone can not only hit like that, but be one of the greatest contact hitters in the history of baseball is beyond me.

3. Kent Hrbek

Hrbek isn’t the greatest player in Twins history or anything, and too be quite frank, I would say most fans overrate him, but he is very likeable. I’m not saying Hrbek wasn’t good, he definitely was, and he was very important to both of the Twins’ World Series championships. And, out of everyone on this list, he is probably the guy you would most want to have a beer with. I say have a beer, because if you were sharing a case with Hrbie that is all you would get. He would drink the other 23.

2. Harmon Killebrew

Regarded as one of the nicest athletes in Minnesota history, Killebrew was the man in Minnesota during his reign on the Twins. It is impressive how popular he is with a generation of people that never actually got a chance to see him play, but everyone young and old loves Harmon Killebrew. It is impossible not to.

1. Kirby Puckett

Kirbyyyyyyyyyy Puckett. That introduction from Bob Casey will always send shivers down Twins fans spines. Puckett is, without a doubt, not only the most beloved sports figure in Minnesota history, but the most beloved public figure period. There is no argument. No debate. No question. If you say otherwise you are dead wrong. Between his skills and smile on the field, and the way he interacted with fans off the field, it was impossible to not love Kirby Puckett. It’s just too bad we lost him way too soon.

Personally, I remember getting Puckett’s autograph when I was about nine. I was stuck in a group of people surrounding Kirby, and was being forced out of the group by the people rushing in. After getting the autograph, I forgot to grab my pen, and Kirby turned to me and said “hey kid you want your pen back?” Easily the most star struck I have ever been, and probably will ever be. I don’t think I mustered any words, but I grabbed my pen and sauntered away. I’ll always remember that. Nobody will ever be as beloved as #34, Kirby Puckett.

As a final note, I realize this list is baseball heavy, and there is a reason that beyond the fact that baseball is my sport. Baseball players are more revered than other athletes. They are immortalized, and made legendary more than athletes from any other sport. Yes, there are plenty of transcendent figures in every sport, but the biggest of them all usually come from baseball. That’s just how it how it has always been.

Honorable Mention:
Randy Moss
Paul Moiltor
Brad Radke
Torii Hunter
Ron Coomer (Just kidding)