Here’s a great interview with Rick
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VwSXFbf936ulSnT3RH4jd?si=jkZ7lFhVRgOxUIh907VuiA
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VwSXFbf936ulSnT3RH4jd?si=jkZ7lFhVRgOxUIh907VuiA
Rick Cleveland interview
- Thread starter StateJCP
- Start date
wait--so Harris and not Bailey Howell? and come on man--Favre a no brainer. Payton and Rice I'm ok with. does this list mean played high school in Mississippi or does college ball count? Cause Raffy was from Florida but He has a great claim to be in the top 4.
He was named to the MLB All-Star Team four times, and won the Gold Glove three times. He is one of only six players in MLB history to be a member of both the 500 home run club and the 3,000 hit club.
- Set Mississippi State and SEC career record for home runs (67), RBIs (239) and total bases (530).
- First triple-crown winner in SEC history with a .415 average, 29 HR and 94 RBIs (1984).
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What’s the criteria? Born in Mississippi? Lived in MS for X years? Played ball at a college in MS? Changed planes in Jackson?
Since it’s my list, I’ll explain my reasoning: Luisa Harris was on Delta State’s three-time national champion team, was on USA’s first Olympic women’s basketball team (winning a silver medal), and like Bailey Howell in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
She’s an absolute no brainer.
Payton and Rice make my Mt Rushmore because they were the best at their positions when they retired.
You can’t say the same about Favre. I’d have ranked Montana above him then. And now Brady has passed him.
When it comes to Palmeiro, I’d put in Will Clark ahead of him & if Will was in the Baseball Hall of Fame, it’d be a tough pick between him & Ralph Boston.
She’s an absolute no brainer.
Payton and Rice make my Mt Rushmore because they were the best at their positions when they retired.
You can’t say the same about Favre. I’d have ranked Montana above him then. And now Brady has passed him.
When it comes to Palmeiro, I’d put in Will Clark ahead of him & if Will was in the Baseball Hall of Fame, it’d be a tough pick between him & Ralph Boston.
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Rice is obviously a no brainer. All time leader in how many categories? Recieving yds? receptions? all purpose yards?
Payton is more or less a no brainer. 2ndn all time leading rusher? Only argument against is to maybe make the argument that you can't be the second best football player from the state and be on its Mt Rushmore. I think that's what knocks Favre out also.
Third spot is Howell. Howell is a no brainer unless you want to require birth in Mississippi. I think college ball and staying tied to Mississippi counts. Best NBA player from the state and top 50 all time player. Only argument against him other than not being born here is that his name isn't still on the tip of people's tongue, which I think is just because he is an older player. So if you take him off for that, you're basically doing a post 1975 rushmore.
Fourth spot is tough. That's an all time great from the NBA and 2 from NFL. Tempting to put WIll Clark in as the fourth, but he's not on quite the same level. Probably have an all time great in a less popular sport. So maybe Harris gets that fourth spot. Don't know enough to know whether she is on the same level as Rice, Payton, and Howell. Maybe one of our track and field athletes? Maybe Jim Gallagher? He was #1 ranked on the PGA at one point but didn't play very long.
I agree with you on regarding Raffy having the better pro career and steroid scandal aftereffects.
Will won the Golden Spikes Award so I give him the college career nod.
Will won the Golden Spikes Award so I give him the college career nod.
Agreed. That fourth spot is tough & it's hard to top Ralph Boston who won multiple Olympic medals in multiple Olympics.
A part of me kind of wanted to put in Howell but I felt like someone from a different sport other than football or basketball had to be honored.
A part of me kind of wanted to put in Howell but I felt like someone from a different sport other than football or basketball had to be honored.
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who won the triple crown--not Will. there only a handful of pro players with better stats than Raffy. Harris has good college career but that is it. She isn't a no brainer. Farve--you named just 2 players better--so you have made my argument for me.
With that in mind, I would have to select these Mississippi natives and included coaches in alpahbeical order:
Archie Manning
Babe McCarthy
Walter Payton
Margaret Wade
Great listen. Have to agree with Dawgg -- depends on the criteria for selection. You could argue for - or against - a lot of talented Mississippi athletes, amateur or professional.
Perhaps one way to draw a parallel is to pick the equivalent of why those presidents were selected -- which were critical periods of time in American history.
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She was a pioneer so there wasn't much of anything as far as pro careers for women basketball players back then and I'm not going to eliminate Harris because she didn't have the opportunities that people like Bailey Howell did.
My college baseball honors priority take:
Natty! >>> Golden Spikes Award > SEC Triple Crown >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ole Miss Social Media Self-Given Kudos
(IOW, ask me about baseball players in Mt Rushmore in ten years and the answer could very well be someone from last year's championship team instead of Will or Raffy.
Edit to add: You know what? Forget Will & Raffy.
Boo Ferriss deserves the pole position spot for baseball-- not only for playing but coaching as well and the state award is named for him.)
My college baseball honors priority take:
Natty! >>> Golden Spikes Award > SEC Triple Crown >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ole Miss Social Media Self-Given Kudos
(IOW, ask me about baseball players in Mt Rushmore in ten years and the answer could very well be someone from last year's championship team instead of Will or Raffy.
Edit to add: You know what? Forget Will & Raffy.
Boo Ferriss deserves the pole position spot for baseball-- not only for playing but coaching as well and the state award is named for him.)
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Did not know who he was, but Boston is a good possibility. Only argument against him is that seems extremely specialized. Not sure that's a good argument. Would feel a lot better. Would feel a lot more convinced if he had won medals in different events. Even if it was just long jump and triple jump. But winning a medal over three different olympics is pretty good longevity.
Why why why would you put Archie Manning???
Have you EVER looked at his college stats?
Seriously, why is there such love?
Have you EVER looked at his college stats?
Seriously, why is there such love?
I used to think, well his stats look bad now, but that's because you can't compare eras. Then I went and looked at his stats compared to his own era. They were pretty average. Even in his best season, he was only the 11th best passer in the P5 equivalent of the day (SEC, SWC, Big 10, Big 8, PAC 8).
Archie Manning was Dak to them basically. If you look back statistically, Dak was very good, but he wasn't the best of his era, but I'm pretty sure in another few decades, people in Mississippi will think he was the best ever if they just listen to us talk about him. Actually, I think the college game is going to change so much that he probably won't be talked about as frequently as Archi, but if it did stay the same, I think people might get the impression that he was the best QB of his era. Granted, I think Dak was closer to the best than Archie, but I think the principal is the saem.
Archie Manning wasn't that great even by the standards of his day. He never won any kind of title and his stats were not that good. He in no shape, form, or fashion should even be considered for this.
Archie helped raise the awareness of football in Mississippi to a national level which was very hard to do at that time. Add also that he was a Heisman candidate and carried Ole Miss, and his son (Eli) would restore some of the previous successess that his father brought.
If statistics are your barometer for this category, then I think your analysis is short-sighted.
If statistics are your barometer for this category, then I think your analysis is short-sighted.
no **** Sherlock. Pointed out several times. Did you listen to the interview? He is in the Miss. sports hall of fame. He was mentioned by Cleveland.
I guess being in top 3 in Heisman voting--might mean you are an ok player by standards of the day.His total yardage against Bama in the first prime time game was a record until Johnny Football broke it. it got Archie drafted as a 1st round player by the Saints--where he started his 1st game as a Pro. He was also a very good SS for the Rebs baseball team.
I did not nor do I care to. To ME, Mississippi athlete means born here. Now if you want to talk MSU athletes Howell is the first one on the mountain.
He still is not even CLOSE to the top four. He didn't do a whole lot in his career other than come in third in the heisman. McNair did that, and had a much better pro career.
My list is the same as Maroon Eagle's. See above. I don't think I would change it even if you DID open it up to non-native Mississippians that are in the MHOF. Harris or Howell would be the only debate for me then.
Steve McNair was a good one but damn the competition is stiff in football. I think after Rice and Payton, you've got mcnair based on a good pro career (including one superbowl appearance and one co-mvp award) and record breaking career at Alcorn, but Favre had a good USM career and then had the NFL superbowl and 3 straight MVPs. I don't think you can put McNair better than fourth just among football players. Eric Moulds was a pretty damn good receiver and doesn't really even get a mention.
ETA: And that's just skill positions. Kent Hull was pretty damn good. How many defensive players have there been with multiple pro bowl selections. Fletcher Cox, Chris Jones, Patrick Willis are just recent good players. Smoot was good. I'm sure there are several more worth mentioning.
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I'd put Steve McNair and Reggie Collier above Favre, and even Archie Manning. Favre was fun as hell to watch, and he was fortunate enough to win one SuperBowl. But that 17er was way too reckless and threw drive killing, game killing interceptions in almost a half dozen playoff games where his team was favored.
I guess if you had a mount rushmore for guys who like to text photos of their junk, Favre would be in the top four.
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