Most beloved living legend?

[packs]

I guess that depends on your definition of beloved. Beloved to me means they transcend sports and everyone generally likes them and has a feel for who they are as a person. I'm not really sure what kind of opinions the average person has on Gretzky given that he's never been all that public of a person. Same goes for a lot of the suggestions. That's why I think Shaq is a good choice. He has a public persona that people relate to.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by packs

I guess that depends on your definition of beloved. Beloved to me means they transcend sports and everyone generally likes them. I'm not really sure what kind of opinions the average person has on Gretzky given that he's never been all that public a person. Same goes for a lot of the suggestions.

Maybe we just don't do the national icon thing anymore. Days of Bob Hope and Mark Spitz are long gone.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Maybe we just don't do the national icon thing anymore. Days of Bob Hope and Mark Spitz are long gone.

I think it's just gotten more cyclical like someone said about the Olympians. On your average day to day level I think this most beloved living legend is either going to come from a sports booth where you hear their voice every weekend or from your television set when you see their face during the big games.

As beloved as someone like Roger Staubach might be in Texas, I know nothing about who he is as a person.