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Ranking the States
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| Having drawn up rosters of the top 50 sports figures from each state, we
couldn't resist ranking the states themselves. Weighing the magnitude of talent
at the top of each list and the depth of talent throughout each list, here's how
the states stack
up. |
|
Rank |
States |
|
1 |
California
You should see the list of athletes who didn't make its
top 50. |
|
2 |
Texas
The state where football is king -- and Babe is queen -- is a
formidable
second.
|
|
3 |
New York
And it didn't even get credit for Brooklyn-born Michael
Jordan.
|
|
4 |
Pennsylvania
Want a quarterback? Six of the greatest keyed the Keystone
State. |
|
5 |
Alabama
This football-crazy state bred plenty of baseball
legends. |
|
6 |
Louisiana
A rich source for the three biggest U.S. sports: baseball,
basketball and
football. |
|
7 |
North Carolina
Tobacco Road is the fertile crescent for basketball players
and stock car
drivers.
|
|
8 |
Ohio
A powerful mix: It's home to greats in most every
sport. |
|
9 |
Illinois
Land of Halas is well represented by Butkus, Grange and
Nitschke.
|
|
10 |
Florida
Speed rules here, from Bullet Bob Hayes to Big Daddy
Garlits.
|
|
11 |
Maryland
Birthplace of baseball royalty: Ruth, Ripken, Grove, Foxx and
Kaline. |
|
12 |
Mississippi
An awesome NFL offense could be assembled with its
stars.
|
|
13 |
Oklahoma
Nothing unlucky about a state that produces both Jim Thorpe and
Mickey
Mantle.
|
|
14 |
South Carolina
An all-around effort: Top 50 athletes hail from more than 30
hometowns. |
|
15 |
Virginia
Need an NBA center? Malone, Robinson, Sampson and Mourning grew
up -- way
up -- here.
|
|
16 |
Indiana
Not surprisingly, it's glory is basketball, from the Wizard of
Westwood to Larry
Legend. |
|
17 |
Arkansas
Won record eight world calf roping titles and three world all-around
championships (1963, '64,
'65). |
|
18 |
Kansas
A winning environment: Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp had 1,755 coaching
victories. |
|
19 |
Missouri
Home to sports sages Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel and Bill
Bradley. |
|
20 |
Michigan
State's best include a President (Gerald Ford) and a General (Pete
Dawkins).
|
|
21 |
Georgia
Talk about diversity: from terrible-tempered Ty Cobb to the
gentlemanly Bobby
Jones.
|
|
22 |
Kentucky
The greatest horses (Man o' War, Citation) run far behind the
Greatest. |
|
23 |
West Virginia
Emerging stars like Randy Moss and Jason Williams could raise
its status in the next
century. |
|
24 |
New Jersey
The Garden State has cultivated a bumper crop of track and field
stars. |
|
25 |
Connecticut
Surprisingly fertile state edges out its more populous neighbor
to the
north.
|
|
26 |
Massachusetts
Bay State goes into battle with boxers, hockey stars and Leo
the
Lip.
|
|
27 |
Nebraska
A few superstars and a whole lot of Cornhuskers lead the
way.
|
|
28 |
Oregon
Numerous notables who performed feats of the feet include Steve
Prefontaine and Dan
O'Brien.
|
|
29 |
Minnesota
Many on this list stayed at home to play for the Golden
Gophers. |
|
30 |
Wisconsin
Fittingly, many gridiron greats populate Curley Lambeau's frozen
tundra.
|
|
31 |
Tennessee
A liberated list: Women are ranked first, second and
fourth.
|
|
32 |
Washington
Set 'em up (John Stockton, No. 1) and knock 'em down (Earl
Anthony, No.
2).
|
|
33 |
New Mexico
The auto racing Unsers (Al Sr., Bobby, Al Jr. and Robby) all
make the top
25. |
|
34 |
Arizona
The desert delivers righthanded pitchers: Jim Palmer, Curt
Schilling, John
Denny.
|
|
35 |
Iowa
The only state list topped by a wrestler, the fabled Dan
Gable. |
|
36 |
Nevada
A duo of unique doubles: two Madduxes and a pair of boxing referees.
|
|
37 |
Idaho
Unpopulous state impressive at the top: Harmon Killebrew, Jerry
Kramer, Picabo
Street.
|
|
38 |
New Hampshire
In a land of snow, the hottest stars are a baseball player
and a
swimmer.
|
|
39 |
Colorado
Mecca for U.S. Olympic training has turned out pioneering
Olympians.
|
|
40 |
Utah
List gets a big boost from a pair of homegrown BYU
quarterbacks. |
|
41 |
Hawaii
More than just surfing and sumo: 12 NFL players are on the list,
too.
|
|
42 |
North Dakota
From the far north came a home run king and a six-time NBA
champion
coach.
|
|
43 |
South Dakota
Billy Mills and Frank Leahy aren't only the best in the state;
they're also among the best in
history.
|
|
44 |
Rhode Island
A prized pair of second sackers head the smallest state's list
of
biggies. |
|
45 |
Montana
Big Sky's best includes a cowboy, a rifleman and a
daredevil.
|
|
46 |
Vermont
A century of snow and ice has produced a blizzard of winter
warriors.
|
|
47 |
Wyoming
The top 10 of this list is heavy with guys who threw their weights
around.
|
|
48 |
Maine
Leading the way Down East is marathoner supreme Joan Benoit
Samuelson.
|
|
49 |
Alaska
Would clearly be No. 1 on list of century's alltime dog-sledding
states. |
|
50 |
Delaware
It's a constitutional thing: The first state has the last
list. |
There's a difference between loyalty to the home team -- athletes
imported to play for our local colleges and pro franchises -- and the deep
emotional bond we share with hometown heroes, the local legends we knew back
when. They are the boys and girls from next door, or the next town. We watched
them grow up, watched them play when it was still play. Unfortunately, these
luminaries are almost inevitably dispersed because of sport's mercenary nature,
lured away by scholarships or contracts. Well, we're bringing 'em all back home
for the millennium -- not necessarily to where they were born, but to where
they first showed flashes of the greatness to come. Thus, Broadway Joe is in
Pennsylvania, not Alabama or New York; and the Mailman is in Louisiana, not
Utah. The result: the top 50 from each state plus our neighbors to the north, Canada. In short, the ultimate home
teams.
