Every sports-enthusiast has a personal Mount Rushmore, right?
I sat down to create mine because I have never documented one... Well, I quickly began to realize how difficult it was to justify just four athletes.
Now my Mt. Rushmore is dedicated to the athletes of MY lifetime. There is no Michael Jordan, Jessie Jackson, Bill Russell, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Jerry Rice, or Jim Brown on my mount. I may have been alive while MJ was playing, but I was not old enough to appreciate what he gave to the game.
Now many athletes may come with some sort of baggage, we all know that. Professional athletes are human, too. As I was stating a few of my Mt. Rushmore candidates I was chatting with a good friend of mine and former professor, Dr. Goldsmith. He brought up the scandals that may have went with these candidates and could possibly tarnish them being on the mount.
Sorry... He was my first thought.
Therefore, I must clarify before I justify. The only way that I will let a scandal effect my choosing of the four will be if it deals with anything IN that sport. A scandal that happens on the court, on the field, in the pool, on the course, I have taken into consideration. If I was taking any and all instances into consideration, my Mt. Rushmore may not be able to consist of four people.
With that being said... Let me just break the news to you now... Tom Brady is NOT on my Mt. Rushmore. It is almost like I can see the rolling of the eyes now. Sorry, but Spygate and Deflategate are enough for me to keep asterisks by a man's name and legacy forever.
CLARIFICATION: I do think that Tom Brady is one of the greatest to ever throw a football, but cheaters never prosper on to make it onto a Mt. Rushmore.
Let's get started.
(For the sake of peace, these athletes are placed in no specific order of greatness.)
1. Michael Phelps
One of 28
This 31-year old with a net worth of $55 million was a no-brainer for me. 28 medals makes him the most-decorated Olympian of all-time. To me, that seems to be enough. I want you to think about it like this... The Olympics are the games for the best of the best athletes all over the world. These individuals train day and night to represent their country and to compete. Can you imagine being the best of THAT group? There is no imagining for Michael Phelps.
Phelps was diagnosed with Attention Deficit disorder and at the young age of seven, he discovered his love for water. At the young age of seven, he also began to rewrite the record books. He was chosen for the US Swim at the age of 15 making him the youngest American swimmer selected for the Olympics in over 50 years. His very first Olympic gold medal, he broke the world record in the 400-meter individual medley. Way to start it off.
Watching MP was seriously SO cool
This is not to discredit the other American swimmers on the relay, but whenever we as Americans see Phelps' name on the relay team -- sigh of relief.
You all know that I am sucker for some symbolism and motivation. Hence why Kobe is my favorite basketball ever (we may or may not be getting back to Vino *hint hint*).
Phelps once had a rival by the name of Ian Thorpe. Thorpe declared that breaking the 4x100m medley relay would be impossible so Phelps kept that statement in his locker.
And for the record (no pun intended), the record was broken.
The platform that Phelps became very friendly with
After the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Phelps announced his retirement. This seemed unfortunate because as many medals as he had then, his marijuana use and drunk driving issues were very relevant still and that is what I was thinking of when hearing the name Michael Phelps.
In 2014 he began training again. To me, it felt like redemption.
The 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro are what really ensured his place on my mount. I did not want to remember him as the guy who smoked some weed and was dumb enough to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. So again, 2016 = REDEMPTION to fandom.
For Phelps' final individual race, he finished tying for silver with long-time rivals Chad Le Clos and Laszlo Cseh. Phelps stated that he could not even remember the first time that him and Laszlo raced each other.
SEE, symbolism!!
Baltimore LEGENDS
I can still see the images and hear Phelps on the platform in Rio: "Being able to close the door on this sport how I wanted to - that's why I'm happy now. I was a little kid with a dream, which turned into a couple of medals. Just being able to finish this way is special because now I'm able to start the next chapter in my life."
Yeah, he only won a couple... Now go on and enjoy your son Boomer and fiancée Nicole.
2. Serena Williams
So here is the competitive look of Serena...
To me, Serena Williams shows the perfect amount of grace and elegance mixed with competitive warrior. That is fair enough, right? One could say that she is the greatest tennis player to ever play, hands down. One could also make the argument that she is greatest athlete ever.
Here is the elegance & grace... but still the face of a warrior
The Nike-sponsored athlete has 22 Grand Slams, tied for most all-time. The lucky number 22 consists of 3 French Opens, 6 US Opens, 6 Australian Opens, and 7 Wimbledons. She is undoubtedly the most dominant figure in tennis.
Serena is the ultimate competitor. Her competitive nature cannot be hidden and is one of the main reasons that she made it on the mount. There are times that she shows this side of her through rage and anger (those poor tennis racquets). Shoot, you can even see the competitive side of her during the post-game presser.
Work it, girl!
Serena has been able to achieve two "Serena Slams" throughout her career. A Serena Slam includes winning the Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open, and the US Open in a single year... Can you just let that sink in for a moment? She has done that twice.
The crazier thing is, the first time she ever complete a Serena Slam was over 10 years ago and she finished her second one in 2015. If you think about that in terms of the amount of turmoil that an athlete's body suffers from training and taking on the highest level of competition, it is astonishing. Serena's prime might be eternal (okay, kidding).
The Dynamic Duo. Sister Sister.
Sure she has dealt with illness and injury, what athlete hasn't? She has never given up and has always let her love for tennis prevail. My favorite thing about the Compton-raised tennis queen is that when I watch her, I can see her focus. When she lets one set get passed her, you better be on the lookout. I watch her and I feel as though she knows I am cheering for her. I catch myself screaming, yet smiling as I watch her matches. The joy, enthusiasm, and passion that is shown can truly make you feel like you are apart of the victory. Now that is something not every athlete is capable of doing. That is special.
She is a warrior. She has a home on the mount.
When all that hard work & triumph pays off
3. Peyton Manning (For the record, I heavily debated him & Tom.)
I cannot lie... I was so upset when this happened.
Wouldn't you say that the NFL has been a tad different this year? It is just not the same without the "Omahas."
The Sheriff has 14 Pro Bowls, five league MVPs, 71,940 career yards, 539 touchdowns, and just a couple of SuperBowl rings. Manning certainly made his imprint in sports and for that, on the mount he goes!
You know someone is great when you can admit to hating him for so long. That was me, I was a hater when Peyton played in Indianapolis. He used to put the beat down on my boys from Pittsburgh. Think about it, it is why we love to hate Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (voiding the gates). How much did I hate Peyton Manning because of his greatness, although I would not admit it at the time? For the 2006 SuperBowl, Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears, I actually made a shirt to express my fandom for the Bears. He is THAT good.
... and the sheriff rode off...
Not only does Manning hold records for many things, he also has the most wins as a starting QB. Do you all remember when his 200th victory was? It came in February of 2016. SuperBowl 50. You cannot write a better ending than that. It only seemed right that Peyton went out on top of the biggest stage possible.
He transcended the game and it says something about a man's legacy when sports fanatics miss him on the field, fan of his team or not. #18 had an incredible 18 seasons with us.
The presser of his retirement... EMOTIONAL
My favorite memory of Peyton Manning might have given him the slight edge over any other candidate for this spot on the mount (although I strongly considered Jerome 'The Bus' Bettis as well). His return to Indy in 2013. I actually still watch that video on YouTube and I do shed a tear. That night was so special. The love and adoration that he received from the fans of Indy was symbolic. It is not easy to leave a team, make a return as the opponent and have thousands of people cheer for you... Just ask LeBron. He knows all about the opposite side of that spectrum.
You are irreplaceable on the field, Peyton, and irreplaceable on the mount.
Last but not least? Guess who...
4. Kobe Bryant
Shoot... Where are the tissues?
I receive so much hate for my love and admiration of Kobe Bryant. I love it... and so does he. Kobe has thrived off of his long lived reputation of being 'the villain.'
If you read my previous tribute to the Black Mamba (my favorite piece, by the way), you know exactly how I feel about the man. I will try not to be redundant.
Kobe was just a kid from Philly who began playing the game of basketball at age three and never stopped being a student of the game.
I mean, really? I still don't get it
Spending your entire career with one franchise is unheard of these days. This is one of the reasons why Kobe's legacy... untouchable. I am sure that with the Lakers being that franchise it was not too much of a sacrifice, but still untouchable.
Kobe was the youngest to reach three NBA titles, has a total of five rings, he scored 81 points in just 48 minutes, 18 All-Star selections, he is third on the all-time scoring list of the NBA, and the leader in scoring for the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. He is my GOAT. When you have stars such as Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, Dwyane Wade, and Allen Iverson giving you the highest of praise, it means something.
If I did not talk about symbolism when talking about Kobe Bryant, I would be a fool. Kobe is the king of symbolism so inevitably he makes the four-person roster. Anything ranging from his jersey numbers, to his nicknames, to the stitching on the back of his Kobe XI signature shoes. There is symbolism all over the man.
Announcing his retirement through a poem called 'Dear Basketball' on The
Players' Tribune was something only Kobe would do. He poured his heart and soul into the game of basketball, the game that he loved so much. From the accomplishments during those four quarters to being the first in the gym and the last one out, he makes it on my Mount Rushmore without a doubt.
A torn achilles, man...
DONE. There you have it. Those are the four athletes that I would place on highest of pedestals.
I do have an honorary member though. Choosing four and leaving this guy out just did not sit right with me.
In Memoriam: Derek Jeter
The Captain.
The era of Derek Jeter was a good one. He built up quite the portfolio and although he did not make the cut to be in the top four, it was a close tie. I will only say a few things about Jeter.
I once heard that when Jeter was a kid he said that all he wanted to do was play shortstop for the New York Yankees. Thank God he did.
I will be telling my grandkids about Derek Jeter's career, and that final game of his? Watching the final game of his career showed that God really is a baseball fan. One of my best friend's and I were watching this game via FaceTime and we will both admit, unashamed, that we shed some tears.
There will never be another Yankee like Derek Jeter, thank the good Lord.
Iconic.
*I'm going to get back to the World Series now!
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