Mt. Rushmore

I mentioned this in an earlier Flicker but I really like this Mt. Rushmore thing that Pro Football Talk is doing. I'm not sure what triggered the idea, but Mike Florio and his PFT guys are going through each team and having people vote on the four most influential people for that team. I guess that they intend to put those people in a virtual stone mountain for all to see. The voting has been going on for a few weeks now. Today was the Chicago Bears turn. The longer the team has been around the tougher the voting. Voting for only four for the Bears and the Green Bay Packers is near impossible. Of course a team that has been around forever also has to be good. The Cardinals, in all their locations, have been around longer than any team but their pickings, while great, are slim, at best. They have Hall of Famers like Ernie Nevers, Charlie Trippi, Ollie Matson, and Larry Wilson but not much more. The Bears and Packers have enough to fill about ten Mt. Rushmores. The Minnesota Vikings had their voting several days ago. For the recod, I voted for Bud Grant, Alan Page, Cris Carter, and Adrian Peterson. Leaving Fran Tarkenton off of that mountain felt like a sin. Grant was an automatic. The Vikings wouldn't be the Vikings without him. Then I went with one play from different eras. It came down to Tarkenton or Page. Page won. Carter over Randall McDaniel and John Randle was nearly as tough. This idea of PFT is awesome, but brutal. Four people just doesn't seem enough.

My dilemma in this fun project is whether I should be voting for the Mt. Rushmore's of other teams. Being a fan is personal. Voting for the four most influential people for your team is personal. I'm not sure that it's right for fans of another team to decide who is important on your team. It hasn't stopped me from voting but it has kind of bothered me. I suppose that I'm inclined to vote because of  my tremendous respect for the beautiful history of the entire National Football League. Many fans only know and see the history of the NFL, and especially their team, from the time that they became a fan. I see it all the time with Vikings fans. Some see Vikings life starting with Randy Moss. Others see John Randle as the beginning. There's nothing wrong with that but there is so much more. A Mt. Rushmore for any team should honor their entire history. I hope that I balance that. For example, the comments on the Bears voting show that many start with Dick Butkus and go from there. I don't see how any Bears Mt. Rushmore doesn't include George Halas. Hell, an NFL Mt. Rushmore should include Halas. But, that's just my opinion. As with any project like this it's all subjective. It's also fun. I guess that's why I vote. That, and I just love football. Even Chicago Bears football.