All-Time Great Wisconsin Sports Contributors

I think we all can agree that with the Badger game coming up in Lambeau Field in a few days, that Packers' fans and Badgers' fans have always been relatively the same group.  Heck, you can probably throw the Bucks and Brewers in that group too.  But who are the guys from those teams that have contributed the most to Wisconsin sports, mostly by bringing success but also by being a part of the community?  In other words, if it all stopped today, who would be the biggest legends?

There are a few rules for this, 1) only the "big five" Packers, Brewers (and Braves), Bucks, and Badgers' football and men's basketball are included and 2) it starts when the Lombardi era started, so that all franchises are capable of having approximately the same amount of time, since the Packers and Badgers go way back.

I only did the top 10, so here are the guys who did not make the cut, and this is quite a list including Aaron Rodgers and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

Packers: GM Ted Thompson, Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Head Coach Mike Holmgren, DE Reggie White, QB Aaron Rodgers, every non-Bart Starr player on the 1960's Packers

Badgers' Football: DE JJ Watt, OT Joe Thomas

Badgers' Basketball: C Frank Kaminsky, Head Coach Dick Bennett

Brewers: OF Ryan Braun, OF Paul Molitor, OF Cecil Cooper, CL Rollie Fingers, Manager Harvey Kuenn

Bucks: C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, G Sidney Moncrief, G Ray Allen

10) Guard/Broadcaster Jon McGlocklin: Jon McGlocklin was not the greatest player, and his stats definitely would have been improved had the 3-point arc existed throughout his career, but he still was an All-Star and has had his number 14 retired by the Bucks.  Plus, he was on the only championship in Bucks' history.  Why does he get the cut over Abdul-Jabbar, however?  For one, this article encompasses success with other aspects of their careers and influence on the state of Wisconsin, and although I don't think he is the greatest color commentator in the sporting world (I find it weird when he says "pop-up zone", referring to the restricted area), he has been doing it for so long.  He also founded the MACC fund in 1976, which helps with childhood cancer.  He makes the cut mainly due to his community impact.

9) Running Back Ron Dayne: The former Heisman trophy winner and Rose Bowl champion, Ron had set some sort of rushing record in essentially every category, including the one that still stands today of total yards.  He won pretty much every award he could win in 1999, and had his number 33 retired in 2007 by the Badgers.  He also is a big reason why Barry Alvarez was capable of bringing up this program to being even more relevant, and he was the start of the long line of great running backs at Wisconsin, including Melvin Gordon, John Clay, and Montee Ball.  Although he did not have a great pro career, he still lives on in Wisconsin legend, attends many Badger events, and resides in Dane County (no it was not named after him).

8) Broadcaster Bob Uecker: "Ueck" has a voice that everybody in this generation will remember, and his fifty plus years in baseball are an unbelievable amount.  Everybody will remember his home-run catch phrase "Get up, Get up, Get Outta Here, Gone", as well as his sense of humor.  He's been such a great broadcaster of the past few decades, he makes it worthwhile to mute TV announcers Brian Anderson and Bill Schroeder while watching the games.  He also has a statue outside of Miller Park, next to the guy I will bring up next.

7) SS/CF Robin Yount: Robin Yount is a 3 time All-Star, 2 time MVP and has his number 19 retired in Miller Park.  Yount will be remembered for his role on the Brewers' only team to make the World Series, and is likely to go down as the greatest Brewer of all time.  He is one of the few Brewers in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and his playing ability was an integral part of keeping Wisconsin sports' fans entertained when the Packers and Badgers were in their dark ages.

6) QB Brett Favre: Recently being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, Favre has arguably had the best professional playing career of all of them.  He is a 3 time MVP, bajillion time Pro Bowler, and played a key role in the resurrection of the Green Bay Packers in the early 90's.  He brought a Super Bowl home in 1996, led them the Packers to another in 1997, and managed to participate in almost every postseason since.  At some point, Aaron Rodgers may overtake Favre on this list and will likely have the better career, but for now Favre is in and Aaron is out.  Plus, Rodgers hopefully won't run off to an NFC North opponent in the latter stages of his career.

5) QB Bart Starr: I'm guessing once you read "every non-Bart Starr player on the 60's Packers" you probably figured Bart Starr would be on this list.  Bart may not have been as successful as Brett in individual statistics, but Bart led the Packers to five championships including two Super Bowl titles.  He led the team that Lombardi coached, and although there were many, many great players on that team, Bart gets the nod partly due to fame, but also because of the impact he has had on Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.  I never saw Bart play a snap, yet I have a sense of the impact he had in Green Bay, and Wisconsin.

4) Head Coach Bo Ryan: Boy, I'm going to miss looking out on the court and seeing the "Bo Face" when a call that favors the other team occurs.  Bo Ryan should be in the Naismith Hall of Fame by now, as he not only led the Badgers to 13 NCAA tournaments and many top four finishes in the Big Ten in 13 seasons as head coach, but he also got started by leading UW-Platteville to multiple national championships at the division three level.  Mock division three all you want, but winning multiple championships anywhere, at any level, is difficult since the competition level is the same.  He also kept the program going after Dick Bennett retired, and instilled the "Wisconsin Way" into the basketball program, consisting of no mistakes, great defense, and a rhythmic offense.  Oh, and did I mention he reached the Final Four his final two seasons, and could have easily been a two time champion if a few calls went his way?  

3) General Manager Ron Wolf: Everything the Packers have done since the early 90's starts with Ron Wolf.  He made the Brett Favre trade, he brought in Reggie White and Mike Holmgren, he brought along Ted Thompson, and he even became a father to the (hopefully) future GM of the Packers, Eliot Wolf.  Why the Moneyball movie was made about the Oakland A's and not the Packers is beyond me, as Ron Wolf accomplished what Billy Beane could only hope to do, bring a championship to the smallest market in sports, Green Bay, Wisconsin.  And his disciples followed his footsteps after he left, and they brought a second title to Green Bay.  Ron Wolf is arguably the best GM in NFL history, although I'll accept the Bill Polian argument, and deserved as much as anybody to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

2) Head Coach, Athletic Director Barry Alvarez: Like Ron Wolf, Barry Alvarez brought the Badgers back from the dead.  Not just football though, as soon after basketball came along, and now Wisconsin is a Big Ten powerhouse.  He is also the most synonymous person when associating with Badger athletics, and during his coaching tenure led the Badgers to three Rose Bowl Championships, and many other bowl victories.  He also brought in Bret Bielema, and I know people despise him now, but he led the team to three straight Big Ten Titles.  He has instilled the "tough brand of football" into Wisconsin, with a power running game, great defense, and a great offensive line.  Let's face it, Barry Alvarez is one of the best things to happen to Madison.

1) Head Coach Vince Lombardi: Duh.  He coached those Bart Starr teams, he provided sheer dominance over a seven year stretch in the NFL, and has the Super Bowl Trophy named after him.  Oh, did I mention there is a big street in Green Bay named after him as well?  His five championships, numerous Hall of Famers that he coached, and many quotes such as "it's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up" are why the people of Wisconsin will always remember him.  He is why Green Bay is called Title Town, he is why Lambeau Field is now as big as it is, heck, he is why the Packers still exist.  He is the legend of legends in Wisconsin sports, and unless the Packers manage to win a Super Bowl five years in a row, it will be hard to remove him from this spot.