FanHouse Citys Best

A few months ago, FanHouse did a compilation of the top athletes in each of our nation's biggest cities. As part of that, we posted what we thought was a pretty solid list of Minneapolis' top five athletes.

Well, things have changed.

Adrian Peterson has exploded onto the NFL scene. Torii Hunter appears headed out of town as a free agent. Kevin Garnett got traded. Johan Santana may be next up on the trade block.

With all of that in mind, it's time to re-visit that top five, in an effort to make it more in-tune with the current sports climate in Minnesota. It's a rather shaky climate, by the way. It's not unlike Minnesota's weather.

In putting together this updated list, I am operating under the assumption that Johan Santana will be playing in a Twins' uniform in 2008. Frankly, I don't think that's anything remotely close to a safe bet, but at this point, the Twins are saying the right things publicly and talking about re-signing him. Santana may just decide to stay, though his public discontent with the organization during the 2007 season is not going to help them.

My assumption is that Hunter will sign elsewhere. The Twins did their level best to re-sign him over the summer, and it wasn't enough money or a long-enough contract offer.

5. Marian Gaborik (Unranked in summer of 2007) -- Hockey is still king in Minnesota, to a certain extent. The Wild have sold out every game they've ever played at the XCel Energy Center, and there's always a special buzz in the building when Gaborik gets the puck. He can be downright magical, sporting world-class speed, great hands, and an uncanny ability to make big plays. He's not the most marketable soul in the world, but he's the most popular player on the Wild roster. Yes, he's even more popular than enforcer Derek Boogaard, though he almost made this list.

FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a New York sports fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHX | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

5. Eli Manning: Eli's "Manning Face" might not be as nationally known as his brother, but Eli's sheepish look and pre-eminent position as the city's most recognizable pro-football player makes him a lock for this list. Now, if he could only translate that into performance... (Desperate to avoid seeing Manning on this list? Your other choices are Jeremy Shockey and Chad Pennington. Meh.)

4. David Wright: Look around the city and all you see is signs, billboards, posters, ads -- ad nauseum -- for the city's poster-child for clean-cut baseball goodness. For all of his on-field stats, Wright's most significant achievement so far is building momentum to replace our No. 1 guy (after the jump...no spoilers here!) as the city's most talented and beloved pro athlete. Wright still needs a few rings, but he's on his way.
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FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would an Atlanta sports fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

Atlanta is one of the more difficult sports towns in America to get a handle on because of it's role as "the capital of the south". People from all over move to Atlanta and bring with them their previous allegiances, weakening the city's identification with it's major sports teams. Atlanta has something of a reputation for being a "bad sports town" when that could not be farther from the truth - it's just a sports town with widely split favorites. If you were to sit in a helicopter over Atlanta on a football Saturday, you'd see thousands of cars heading out in every direction with flags flying as they spread out over the entire south to see their teams play. Those are good fans, and I find it hard to blame them for not going to a Hawks game later on.

5. Matt Stafford, University of Georgia: It especially pains me (a former Georgia Tech student) to write this, but the biggest team in Atlanta is University of Georgia football. Stafford is the current golden boy, and while he looked terrible early in his freshman season, strong performances against the tough GT and VT defenses to end the season have 'dawg fans excited about this fall. Much like David Greene became the biggest local star during his time at UGa, Stafford should continue to stay on this list for the next 3 years.

4. Jeff Francoeur, Atlanta Braves: He's the local boy who made it big in his hometown, a player who plays the game with passion and excitement and lady killing looks. Francoeur is just fun to watch doing anything, from his laser like throws in the outfield to the way he sprints out even routine ground balls. He looks like he's having fun playing baseball every game out, and the fans appreciate that. The fact that he's doing all that in front of his friends and family each day is just icing on the cake.
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FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a Boston sports fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

In years past, picking only five of the most popular athletes in Boston would have been like trying to pick out the five hottest women treading the red carpet to the Oscars: you just couldn't do it. Sadly, times have changed in Boston and it's really a two-sport town. The winter sports, glorious in long-ago times, are now rendered insignificant. But I digress, on with the winners...

5. Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox: A new guy new to the city but already a huge fan-favorite. The off-season hype surrounding the 103-million-dollar-man set the bar unrealistically high, but Dice-K has delivered. The mystique of coming to America from Japan combined with the mystery of the so-called "gyro-ball" has made Matsuzaka an instant legend. There is no doubt he will be a very successful major league pitcher, but his international success in Japan and in the World Baseball Classic have catapulted him into an Ichiro-like stature. The media frenzy that surrounds him is like the following Rocky Balboa had running through the streets of Philly, it's almost surreal.

4. Curt Schilling, Boston Red Sox: Nothing will ever take away the magic Schill brought to Boston in 2004 with "the bloody sock" and the post-season dramatics that ensued. At times, however, Schilling seems to do everything he can with his mouth to make people forget his ankle and his arm. If not for his weekly interviews on WEEI in Boston where he is constantly spewing unwanted political views, homophobic ideas and other stupidity, he could have been a number-one candidate for this list. But his love of blogging, online gaming, and in particular talking to the media, seemed to distract him from the game of baseball. He has done it all on the field for the Red Sox, risking not only his career but his long term health to bring the city a World Series. For that, he will always be remembered.
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FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a Seattle sports fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

Seattle sports fans understand feeling snubbed. A combination of mediocre teams, a fan base with a relatively short history, and geographical remoteness makes it difficult to build winning teams and retain marquee players (lest we forget, Ken Griffey Jr, Alex Rodriguez, and Randy Johnson all played together on the M's, only to force trades or leave in free agency). Nonetheless, the Emerald City has no shortage of premier athletes.

5. Matt Hasselbeck: A former Pro Bowler who is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFC, Hass nonetheless has more fame and unreached potential than he does professional accomplishments. Though comparatively less talented than fellow Seahawks stars like Walter Jones and Julian Peterson, Hasselbeck is the face of the organization, starring in Chunky Soup commercials and lending his wry wit to memorable interviews. A true leader, as his fortunes go, so do the Seahawks'.

4. Ray Allen: With the possibility of Rashard Lewis leaving town for more money (and the Sonics organization thinking about the same thing), Allen is the undisputed marquee player for the Sonics... at least until next week's NBA draft nets them Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Allen memorably played Jesus Shuttlesworth in Spike Lee's He Got Game, and he played a savior in his first full healthy season in Seattle ('04-'05), when the sweetest jumper in the NBA led an undersized Sonics team to a surprising 52 wins.
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FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a Dallas sports fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

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FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a San Diego fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

It's high times for San Diego sports as both the Chargers and Padres have enjoyed tremendous success recently -- each team winning division titles in two of the past three seasons. The Chargers had the best record in the NFL last year, and they sent more players to Hawaii than a group of La Jolla high schoolers on winter break. The Padres have held up their end of the bargain, posting the best record in the NL thus far. Here's a list of some of the most notable stars and favorite athletes that are making it happen in the town:

5. Adrian Gonzalez: The Eastlake High product is a San Diego native and thriving in his current status as a hometown superstar. Stuck on the bench in Florida and Texas, Gonzalez capitalized on his full-time role with the Padres, posting back-to-back stellar offensive seasons. Gonzalez is by far the best hitter on a pitching-dominant team.

4. Jake Peavy: An absolute bad boy from down South, it's hard not to be everyone's favorite when you're also the best pitcher in the game. Peavy is realizing his full potential this year, forcing the nation to take notice, and fans in San Diego to like him even more. What also makes Peavy so popular, aside from his wicked fastball and splendid slider, is the fact that he's a homegrown player from the Padres organization. Drafted straight out of high school, Jake's enjoying his ninth season in the San Diego system, and sixth season of excellence in the big leagues.
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FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a Milwaukee fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

In a town with only two "major" pro sports teams, this seems like a pretty easy list to make. Especially when one of the two teams is on a huge surge in popularity, while the other struggles to retain relevance in the market.

There were times that the Bucks could have rivaled the Brewers to get a lot of names on this list. Those times have, however, come and gone. These days, fans aren't attached to the Bucks like they are to the Brewers.

Since this is a "Milwaukee's Best" list and not a "Wisconsin's Best" list, we won't be listing any Badgers or Packers. Don't get me wrong, Brett Favre is always number one in the hearts of Wisconsin fans. He just doesn't play his home games in Milwaukee.

5. Francisco Cordero -- Cordero has been nails ever since his arrival last summer in the Carlos Lee trade. He became the Brewers' closer, rescuing fans from the suddenly constant meltdowns from Derrick Turnbow. Since he got the job, he's converted 43 of 47 save chances, and he's making the most of a contract year in 2007. He might walk when the season ends, but Cordero certainly merits a spot on this list as long as he's around.

4. Bill Hall -- Even before he got the "super sub who practically plays every day" role last year, Hall was a fan favorite. He has had a penchant for big hits ever since he arrived, and his Mother's Day walkoff home run against the Mets last year is a prime example of that. Hall is now the Brewers' starting center fielder, and while he struggled early in the year, both his offense and defense have picked up over the last month.
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FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a Cincy sports fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

5. Josh Hamilton: One of the reasons to cheer in a rather bland year for the Reds. Hamilton overcame a life ravaged by drugs and wasted talent to become an everyday player for the Reds. One of baseball's feel-good stories.

4. Rudi Johnson: Corey who? Rudi Johnson isn't as flashy as his teammates, but he's one of the most important cogs. He's a workhorse who pounds away for tough yards ... and can break off a nice run. When he carries the ball, chants of "Rudi! Rudi!" are heard around the city.

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FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a Charlotte sports fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

Charlotte is a professional sports city in a college sports state. Ask the locals who their favorite teams are and "UNC" and "Duke" will fall out of more mouths than anything. Local sports are about the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Bobcats and NASCAR ... which the Queen City is the capital.

5. Emeka Okafor: Okafor was/is the face of the young Bobcats franchise. He was their first pick ever and the best player on a team that is extremely wet behind the ears.

4. Steve Smith: One of the most exciting players in the NFL. He's fast, tough, personable and filled with character. He also held his own in those endzone celebration battles of a few years ago.
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