Top 10 Pittsburgh Sports Figures of All Time

[TempleBAPittMPA]

I think Lemieux gets a little to much credit for saving the Penguins franchise. If I remember correctly, the team owed him a lot of money and the main reason he bought the team was to ensure that he collected what he was owed. I'm not saying there was anything wrong with that or that he hasn't been a good owner, just that his motive wasn't completely altruistic.

If I recall correctly, he didn't actually buy the team, but the outcome of one of the bankruptcy proceedings the team went through was to convert the deferred payments he was owed into an ownership share.

 

[President Stache]

-Jagr played for Pittsburgh for 11 seasons, longer than any other team. He broke 120+ points in 3 of those.

-Bonds was in Pittsburgh for 7 years, so you could say he is more a Giant than a Pirate. Bonds did however win 3 Major League MVP's in Pittsburgh.

Bonds won 2 awards... my top 10. And I assume we are only talking about when they played in Pittsburgh, or else Montana, Marino, Stan Musial, Griffey, and a slew of others would be on the top 10... anyone disagree?? I am including Ditka though, as he did actually play here.
Also, talking about the most famous and or influential

1. Roberto Clemente
2. Arnold Palmer (not into golf, but certainly an icon)
3. Mario Lemieux (saved hockey in Pittsburgh... twice)
4. Art Rooney Sr.
5. Mike Ditka / Tony Dorsett (one for fame, one for pioneer in CTE and record setting back)
7.Terry Bradshaw
8. Honus Wagner (T206, most all pirate records)
9.Pop Warner
10. Willie Stargell / Lynn Swann

 

[giveitarest]

1. They wouldn't.
2. The talent and approach to using pitching staffs was far inferior to today.

Bonds had a career .936 postseason OPS to Clemente's .803. In 2002 Barry Bonds may have had the greatest postseason by a hitter, ever. Bonds was also issued 21 IBBs in just the postseason.

You mean after he starting "Juicing"

 

[dshumbero]

Franco, Marie Torre and Bill Burns.

 

[steel_curtain]

I wanted to see how long this would go until somebody mentioned Harry Greb. Not at all famous because he fought 100 years in lower weight classes, but one of the greatest boxers of all time. Billy Conn was famous because of the Joe Louis bout, but he had nowhere near the career that Greb had. If you are talking about actual greatness in their sport while performing in Pittsburgh, he's in my top 5 with Greene, Lemieux, Wagner and maybe Blount.

I would like to say Clemente, but he just doesn't have the numbers to make a convincing argument with anyone who disagrees. Particular in a numbers dominated sport. I'd also like to say Palmer just because of the guy he was, but numbers wise I'm not sure that he would be in the top 10 golfers of all time. Probably, but I'd have to do a little research to be sure.

-Palmer is 5th All Time in PGA Tour Wins, 7th All time in Major wins, and has 95 Professional Wins. He's also the most popular golfer of All Time and single handily put golf on the map as a major sport with popularity. He was named the king of golf for a reason and really sports in his own time, with Jordan type status.

 

[bayardstreet]

To me as a 61 year old who saw these guys I would go with a Top 3 of

Greene
Clemente
Mario

My next 3

Dorsett
Bonds
Palmer

The next 4 could really be the next 8 or 9. It's hard to separate out a group that would include Bonds, Wagner, Bradshaw, but Jose three and a few others don't crack the top 6 that I mentioned above

 

[Las Panteras]

He may be the most popular golfer of all time but the majority of his body of work was done elsewhere and not here. The same can be said for Dick Groat and Stan Musial.

If the discussion centers around what these athletes did here in Pittsburgh then Palmer should not be on this list. Conversely, if we're talking about the greatest from this area than he's right at the top.

 

[steel_curtain]

He may be the most popular golfer of all time but the majority of his body of work was done elsewhere and not here. The same can be said for Dick Groat and Stan Musial.

If the discussion centers around what these athletes did here in Pittsburgh then Palmer should not be on this list. Conversely, if we're talking about the greatest from this area than he's right at the top.

-There is no such thing as a professional golf team in a city, its an individual sport. He's also the only athlete I could think of that was worth mention from an individual sport, as I could not think of a boxer, swimmer, etc that was in the all time great status.. The only other major athlete from an individual sport that has shown some greatness off the top of my head is Kurt Angle in wrestling.

 

[jtownknowitall]

Palmer is not from Pittsburgh. Latrobe is an hour away.

 

[JS School]

-Palmer is 5th All Time in PGA Tour Wins, 7th All time in Major wins, and has 95 Professional Wins. He's also the most popular golfer of All Time and single handily put golf on the map as a major sport with popularity. He was named the king of golf for a reason and really sports in his own time, with Jordan type status.

I only own one autograph - Arnold Palmer. He and Chuck Noll are the only two people in sports that I would possibly consider my heroes. But if you are looking at the history of golf, you have to consider more than professional wins and even majors. There was a time when being a professional was not respected, the great golfers were amateurs. The British and US Amateur championships used to be considered majors. The Masters only started in 1932 I believe. If you are talking about the greatest golfers of all time, you have to consider people like Bobby Jones, Harry Vardon, the Morris's etc. Byron Nelson may have been the best ever, but he retired at 30.

 

[Pantherman43]

Any top 10 list without Lamont Wade in it is incomplete and should be disregarded. Carlton Wade says so.

 

[jtbuba]

This is truly one hard assignment.

Baseball;
Roberto.
Maz.
Willie.

Football
Mean Joe
Chuck Noll
Franco

College
Tony Dorset
Jock Southerland

Honorable mention
Mario L.
WPIAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 1932-1980

 

[CrazyPaco]

-There is no such thing as a professional golf team in a city, its an individual sport. He's also the only athlete I could think of that was worth mention from an individual sport, as I could not think of a boxer, swimmer, etc that was in the all time great status.. The only other major athlete from an individual sport that has shown some greatness off the top of my head is Kurt Angle in wrestling.

Roger Kingdom
John Woodruff
Trecia-Kaye Smith
Peery family

And google Harry Greb.

 

[Piranha]

I am not even a hockey fan, but the obvious answer is Mario. The man has won championships as a player, front office guy, and saved the sport in Pittsburgh.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

but it is still hockey...number 4 on the list...

But hockey is more popular than baseball and basketball in Pittsburgh. So that makes him #1 on the list. Not many cities is this possible.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Dan rooney was for the most part, the architect of the steelers dynasty. art had handed over control to his son and I believe (But could be wrong) that it was dan's call in starting to scout a lot of the southern all black schools as well as being the first nfl team to really have a S&C program. of course he found Noll.. Dan Rooney IS the biggest reason that the Steelers are what they are..

Actually, you are probably right. He hired Noll. He brought in the scouts. He moved training camp from the ridiculous location, got TRS built, etc...

The Steelers under Art (the Chief) as loveable as he was, was part Nutting, part Mike Brown and part Cleveland Browns, in his decisions and running the team.