What position has the greatest tradition associated with it? For example, it's one thing to say playing for the Yankees has great tradition, but there's no one position on that team that defines itself as being consistently great. There have been as many great Yankees outfielders as first basemen or pitchers. Center for the Lakers: Mikan, Kareem, Wilt, and Shaquille Goaltender for the Canadiens: Plante, Durnan, Dryden, Roy Linebacker for the Bears: Bill George, Butkus, Singletary, Urlacher Receiver for the Raiders: Branch, Biletnikoff, Brown, Rice Pitcher for the Red Sox: Cy Young, Luis Tiant, Clemens, Martinez Am I missing any?
I had a tough time not listing Running Back for the Bears as well (Nagurski, Sayers, Payton) but I thought it would show my Chicago bias...
You're probably right, but even with just Ruth / Mantle / Maris / DiMaggio / Jackson, it's a storied history in the Bronx.
I think College Football has more Prestige and Tradition than the NFL does. Things like RB for USC and Syracuse, Head Coach at Notre Dame, a Linebacker at Penn State. Quarterback at Miami.
This one's huge. Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar and Vinnie Testerverde all had (more or less) productive NFL careers and Ken Dorsey might eventually be a decent pro.
Got to be quarterback for Michigan! Brady, Grbac, Henson, Harbaugh. OK its a stretch. I guess I'm shocked you (of all people) didn't put Michigan guys in there, Whirlwind!
My hunch is that Gutierrez will prove to be better than any of them. Can't wait until Navarre moves on so a real QB can play. Probably would have had more luck with WR (Carter, Howard, Streets, Terrell, Walker, Edwards) or DB (Woodson, Law, Jackson).
Don't forget Gump Worsley That's a mighty big gap you've got between Cy Young and Luis Tiant. Something like six decades! I guess Mel Parnell could fit in there.
I don't know about know, but during the Chris Simms/Major Applewhite years the most prestigious position was probably backup QB at Texas.
As much as I hate to admit it, Running Back at USC has got to be up there as well. Heisman winners in Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White, and Marcus Allen. Plus the likes of Anthony Davis and Ricky Bell.
I can tell you what's NOT the most prestigious position in American sports: 3rd baseman for the New York Mets
I know some of you are apt to get carried away by it, but the most prestigious position in American sports is not on some college football team. Perhaps way back in the past when, argueably, college football was second in popularity only to baseball, but certainly not today. Not even at a place like Notre Dame, a college team which truly does have a national following.
I don't know. I think your view is skewed since you live in New York. NY has never really followed college football and when I moved here, I was shocked at first how little coverage or interest there was here. The rest of the country - be it the South, Midwest, the Southwest - football is stil a huge, huge part of the sporting culture. As big as March Madness is, football is still the big money mover in college sports. In terms of nationwide interest, college football is up there with NFL.