Beyond the Arc: Top 100 athletes in Marion County? years ago
Almost three weeks ago, the Wichita Eagle concluded its list of the 100 greatest athletes to grace the playing fields and courts from the Wichita area.
Admittedly, I've been captivated by the allure of such a list and paid close attention to the compilation.
The list that named Barry Sanders as the greatest athlete to emerge from the Wichita area got me thinking, and wondering. Could we, here at the county's newspaper compile a list of the top 25, 50, or 100 athletes of all time?
The list could cover high schools in the Marion, Hillsboro, Peabody, Centre, and Goessel areas, and would cover the entire gamut of sports.
It would be difficult to compile such a list, but it certainly would be doable. Quite frankly, it's a tempting idea, and I'm not ruling out such a process.
It seems to me that people in the vast majority tend to like lists in the general sense. Folks enjoy seeing how one thing stacks up against another. Being a sports guy, I also believe there are a number of people who enjoy sports. And a list of the top athletes in the area would certainly show folks how athletes stack up overall.
Naturally, this list would be subjective, and perhaps, that is where the controversy could occur.
I envision naming a highly knowledgeable sports representative from each area, someone who can weigh athletic accomplishments and who is familiar with success in sports. After naming the five representatives, a tentative list would be compiled of the top 25, 50, or 100 athletes, before being ranked. After the names have been gathered, the reps would begin ranking the athletes from last to first.
It certainly would be a process, but one that would definitely be worth the time and effort.
If after reading this column, you'd like to encourage such a list, drop me an e-mail at sports@marionrecord.com or call me at 620-382-2165. If I receive enough feedback, we might pursue it.
