KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Five years ago, former Kansas City Star reporter Blair Kerkhoff recalls being inspired by another city’s paper.
“One of the New York papers tried to do one for New York,” Kerkhoff said.
The idea? Determine your own Mr. Rushmore for Kansas City sports.
Four sports figures, neither more nor less, who constitute the best representation of the city’s sports history.
“It’s such an exciting topic to identify the best athletes or sports figures in your region, in your city,” Kirkoff said.
What are the rules? No rules.
Some consider only the players, others may put the most influential in their Mt. Rushmore. The quartet of older fans may differ from the younger fans.
“Everyone has their own set of criteria for this,” Kerkhoff said.
Blair had her own opinion and got down to business.
“Tom Watson, George Brett, Len Dawson and then you have to decide,” Kerkhoff said.
Watson might be Kerkhoff’s safest member of his Mt. Rushmore. Watson is not only considered one of the top 10 golfers of all time, but he was born, raised and still lives in the Kansas City area.
“No matter what happens in the future of Kansas City sports, you’re not going to get Tom Watson off Mount Rushmore,” Kirkhoff said.
George Brett is another infallible member. He is the only royal in the Hall of Fame and got there with 98.2% of the vote on his first ballot.
Len Dawson would be the oldest member of Blair’s Mt. Rushmore. Lenny the Cool was going to the Super Bowls while Brett and Watson were in high school.
“He is the George Washington of Kansas City Mt. Rushmore sports,” Kerkhoff said. “He is the first.”
After that, it gets harder, says Kerkhoff.
He had another Baseball Hall of Famer on his roster four years ago in Buck O’Neil.
But he has since changed his mind and put Patrick Mahomes as his room.
“And I don’t know how he’s going to play his way out of Mount Rushmore.”
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