Completed in 1941, Mount Rushmore over the years has firmly held its place in pop culture. From parody comic books to memorable scenes in movies to the back of a minted 25-cent piece you might have in your pocket right now, the four faces are as recognizable in Americana as Rockwell paintings and apple pie.
Minnesota's most iconic athletes? Here's our list of the 20 best
Ten Star Tribune sports writers and editors gathered for a virtual happy hour to select the 20 faces who belong on the highest pedestal of Minnesota sports.
May 14, 2020 at 4:51PM
The most common practice is the friendly banter that comes along with it, and has for nearly 80 years:
Who is on your Mount Rushmore of …?
Take your pick: Comedy. Hollywood. Music. Crime. And of course – sports.
Selecting just four can be a cumbersome chore. So why not 20? This week's Star Tribune Sports Virtual Happy Hour focused on the most iconic athletes in Minnesota history. Ten writers and editors gathered Wednesday night from afar for a draft to carve the granite and make a list.
Did we get it right? Who are the locks? Who got more credit than they deserved? And who got snubbed? Let us know in the comments below.
Here's the full list:
1. Kirby Puckett (Chris Miller, pro sports editor)
2. George Mikan (Ken Chia, copy editor)
3. Kevin Garnett (Casey Common, homepage editor)
4. Randy Moss (Randy Johnson, Puck Drop editor)
5. Patty Berg (Jerry Zgoda, soccer and golf writer)
6. Herb Brooks (Rachel Blount, Olympics writer)
7. Harmon Killebrew (Brian Stensaas, night sports web editor and golf writer)
8. Lindsay Whalen (Michael Rand, senior digital writer)
9. Dave Winfield (Marcus Fuller, Gophers writer)
10. Bronko Nagurski (Pete Steinert, Sunday sports editor)
11. Jim Marshall (Steinert)
12. Kevin McHale (Fuller)
13. Joe Mauer (Rand)
14. Adrian Peterson (Stensaas)
15. Alan Page (Blount)
16. Bud Grant (Zgoda)
17. Neal Broten (Johnson)
18. Rod Carew (Common)
19. Fran Tarkenton (Chia)
20. Ralph Samuelson (Miller)
Notable undrafted free agents selected by our panel: Paul Molitor, Kent Hrbek, Brock Lesnar, Tom Lehman, John Mayasich, Bruce Smith, Verne Gagne, Sandy Stephens, Natalie Darwitz, Krissy Wendell, Tony Oliva, Paul Giel, Lindsey Vonn, Carl Eller, Dan Patch and Herschel Walker.
Who else did we miss?
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
