FanHouse CitysBest

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.

The casual football fan may not be familiar with Steve Gleason, one of the NFL's most vivid personalities. He's one of the Saints' longest-tenured players, a cult hero, and, as seen above, responsible for maybe the most memorable moment in team history (not to mention the ultimate achievement, honorable mention status in our City's Best series).

But Gleason will miss the first two-three weeks of training camp, putting the future of his career with the Saints in jeopardy. Since Sean Payton's arrival in New Orleans, "specialists" have been systematically weeded out in favor of special teams players who can double on offense or defense. Gleason, a liability at safety (his listen position), was on the bubble last year but survived the numbers crunch. He was entering this year's training camp on the brink, as well, and this injury doesn't bode well for him.

This offseason has already seen three longtime fan favorites (Joe Horn, Michael Lewis, Willie Whitehead) depart, Gleason could make four. If his tenure in New Orleans is winding down, however, he gave Saints fans something to remember him forever by.

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 a Miami 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. Zach Thomas: When people have a conversation about the most dominating middle linebackers in the NFL, Zach Thomas' name is sure to come up. The seven-time Pro Bowler has spent his entire 11-year career with Miami and figures to eventually enter the Hall of Fame wearing their jersey. He barely beat out fellow teammate Jason Taylor for the number five honor.

4. Dontrelle Willis: Although he's having a down year, Dontrelle "D-Train" Willis is easily one of the most popular athletes in Miami and it's not because of his highly exaggerated delivery. He won the N.L. rookie of the year award in 2003 after posting a 14-6 record with a 3.30 ERA, at only 21 years of age. Willis and the Marlins also went on to defeat the dreaded New York Yankees in the World Series that year.
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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 Pittsburgh 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

When talking about Pittsburgh sports, the conversation begins and ends with the Steelers. Unfair? Maybe. But it makes it a hell of a lot easier for Jack Wilson to kick it at the Eat 'n Park than, say, Ben Roethlisberger. So in that sense, being the red-headed stepchild of the city's professional sports landscape has it's benefits. As much as eating at Eat 'n Park is a benefit, I guess. Anyway, to the list...

(Thanks to Mr. Mondesi for his input, as well as the dorks on this Steelers blog.)

5. Jason Bay: Adam Gretz of the Black and Gold Blog makes a convincing argument: "Might be too high for some, but the most under-the-radar player in the National League. Rookie of the Year in '04 despite missing over a month of the season. Two consecutive 30 home reason seasons and could make it three in a row this year. Never finished a full season with an OPS below .900. Two straight All-star games."

4. Jim Furyk: I know, a lot of you don't think golf's a sport -- I mean, you can smoke and still win tournaments -- but Furyk's from Western Pennsylvania, he's one of the world's best players, and he's a U.S. Open winner.
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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 New Orleans 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

Two years ago, this list would've been impossible. With all due respect to the NOOCH, New Orleans is and always will belong to the Saints, despite the bad times. So though Saints fans have always been fiercely loyal, we'd be making a list including Aaron Brooks and John Carney. Not very sexy.

But after the hurricane, New Orleans athletes have knocked down the barrier between them and fans, forging more personal connections with the locals. The Hornets are still ... well, let's just say "blah," but the Saints are the apple of the city's eye, and finally earn it. A few months ago, LSU could have placed JaMarcus Russell or LaRon Landry, but both have started their NFL careers in other cities. As such, this list reflects the black-and-gold love buzzing around the city this year.

5. Marques Colston: At this time last year, the few who expected Colston to make the Saints final roster were wondering whether that'd be as a receiver or tight end. After an incredible rookie year (with a snub for Rookie of the Year, if you ask me) and on the brink of his first season as The Man, the city is expecting big things from Hofstra's finest.

4. Chris Paul: There hasn't been a lot of excitement from the Hornets lately (though nothing says "thrills" like the term "New Orleans/Oklahoma City"), but Paul, the 2006 Rookie of the Year, is dy-no-mite. His rookie year also garnered him the prestigious (read: worthless) ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete. In his second season, Paul upped his scoring and assist averages while cutting down on turnovers. If the Hornets ever decide they wanna sniff .500 again, they've got a great player to build around.
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