Biggest Iowan Sports Accomplishments

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
Any sport, but related to sport...not just Hawkeye...curious what might be the biggest. I'll start out

Liang Chow: Gymnastics coach, Iowa alum, coached Iowan Shawn Johnson to gold on the beam, all around silver and team silver in 2008 Olympics. Coached Gabby Douglas to all around gold, team gold (and who know what else just yet) in 2012 Olympics

Shawn Johnson: gold on the beam, all around silver and team silver in 2008 Olympics

Zach Johnson: Masters champion, multiple winner on PGA tour, Ryder Cup team member

Dallas Clark: Super Bowl Champion, All Pro

Robert Gallery: Outland Trophy winner, 2nd overall pick of NFL Draft

Dan Gable: Not enough space to list it all

Bob Feller: Pro at 17, first pitcher to win 20 games before age of 21, pitched three no hitters and 12 one-hitters, both records at his retirement, 279 complete games pitched..no hitter on opening day one year...deemed greatest pitcher of his era by Stan Musial, Ted Williams said he was the fastest and best pitcher he ever faced.

OK, there is a start...something to think about. Do you put Cael Sanderson here? I don't think so, and not because he wrestled for Iowa State. He was not an Iowan; he came to ISU from Utah. Now, Liang Chow came to Iowa from China, so you could argue that..but he is now an American citizen, has lived in Iowa since arriving in the USA, started his business here and trains Olympic gymnasts here and considers himself an Iowan.
 
That's a tough choice, but I have to go with Dan Gable, and I'm not even a wrestling fan. He may be the only one on the list who is considered the greatest of all time at what they did. I would go with Bob Feller next.
 
Not to steal Shane's thunder, but Cap Anson from Marshalltown....Baseball Hall of Fame. Career .334 hitter, over 3,000 hits.
 
twinlaker said:
Not to steal Shane's thunder, but Cap Anson from Marshalltown....Baseball Hall of Fame. Career .334 hitter, over 3,000 hits.
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And he actually went to U of I for a semester until the school asked him not to return! Not a very nice person it seems.:eek:
 
twinlaker said:
Not to steal Shane's thunder, but Cap Anson from Marshalltown....Baseball Hall of Fame. Career .334 hitter, over 3,000 hits.
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First player ever to 3k hits. But also was a big player in keeping segregation in baseball, as he refused to play in games with black players.
 
cords are to be broken. However, Gable set a record in the Olympics that can not be broken.

Total points scored against Dan Gable when he won the Gold Medal: ZERO
 
JonDMiller said:
Any sport, but related to sport...not just Hawkeye...curious what might be the biggest. I'll start out

Liang Chow: Gymnastics coach, Iowa alum, coached Iowan Shawn Johnson to gold on the beam, all around silver and team silver in 2008 Olympics. Coached Gabby Douglas to all around gold, team gold (and who know what else just yet) in 2012 Olympics

Shawn Johnson: gold on the beam, all around silver and team silver in 2008 Olympics

Zach Johnson: Masters champion, multiple winner on PGA tour, Ryder Cup team member

Dallas Clark: Super Bowl Champion, All Pro

Robert Gallery: Outland Trophy winner, 2nd overall pick of NFL Draft

Dan Gable: Not enough space to list it all

Bob Feller: Pro at 17, first pitcher to win 20 games before age of 21, pitched three no hitters and 12 one-hitters, both records at his retirement, 279 complete games pitched..no hitter on opening day one year...deemed greatest pitcher of his era by Stan Musial, Ted Williams said he was the fastest and best pitcher he ever faced.

OK, there is a start...something to think about. Do you put Cael Sanderson here? I don't think so, and not because he wrestled for Iowa State. He was not an Iowan; he came to ISU from Utah. Now, Liang Chow came to Iowa from China, so you could argue that..but he is now an American citizen, has lived in Iowa since arriving in the USA, started his business here and trains Olympic gymnasts here and considers himself an Iowan.
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Couple omissions....

1. Bob Sanders - If you've got Chow on there as an Iowa alum, then Bob should be on there too. Super Bowl champ, All Pro and NFL DPOY.

2. Nile Kinnick - Not sure how you forgot him, but the Heisman is arguably the single greatest trophy in all of sports.

3. Kurt Warner - 2 time league MVP and Super Champion and MVP. Went to 3 total Super Bowls.

With that being said, my vote goes to Feller. I wonder what more he would have done had he pitched during his prime rather than serve in WWII.
 
SpiderRico said:
Couple omissions....

1. Bob Sanders - If you've got Chow on there as an Iowa alum, then Bob should be on there too. Super Bowl champ, All Pro and NFL DPOY.

2. Nile Kinnick - Not sure how you forgot him, but the Heisman is arguably the single greatest trophy in all of sports.

3. Kurt Warner - 2 time league MVP and Super Champion and MVP. Went to 3 total Super Bowls.

With that being said, my vote goes to Feller. I wonder what more he would have done had he pitched during his prime rather than serve in WWII.
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I'm pretty sure that Bob Sanders isn't from Iowa and to claim that the Heisman is the single greatest trophy in all of sports is absurd.
 
This kind of depends (to a degree) on whether this is a lifetime accomplishment award, or if we're talking about individual accomplishments.

Lifetime, there's no question it's Gable. Individually, though, there's some competition.

Gable's Olympic run certainly is up there, and IMO is the best. But Gabby Douglas is the first American to ever win gold in her events AND the all-around. That deserves serious consideration.
 
Bob was at Iowa for four years. Chow's an Iowa alum who's been here for more than 20 and has made his name for himself living here. I see it differently
 
I didn't forget Kinnick. My list was a starter list...everyone else will have names to add and discuss
 
Dan Gable hands down. the B1G icons made a satement that u can call Michael Jordan the Dan Gable of NBA
 
JonDMiller said:
Any sport, but related to sport...not just Hawkeye...curious what might be the biggest. I'll start out

Liang Chow: Gymnastics coach, Iowa alum, coached Iowan Shawn Johnson to gold on the beam, all around silver and team silver in 2008 Olympics. Coached Gabby Douglas to all around gold, team gold (and who know what else just yet) in 2012 Olympics

Shawn Johnson: gold on the beam, all around silver and team silver in 2008 Olympics

Zach Johnson: Masters champion, multiple winner on PGA tour, Ryder Cup team member

Dallas Clark: Super Bowl Champion, All Pro

Robert Gallery: Outland Trophy winner, 2nd overall pick of NFL Draft

Dan Gable: Not enough space to list it all

Bob Feller: Pro at 17, first pitcher to win 20 games before age of 21, pitched three no hitters and 12 one-hitters, both records at his retirement, 279 complete games pitched..no hitter on opening day one year...deemed greatest pitcher of his era by Stan Musial, Ted Williams said he was the fastest and best pitcher he ever faced.

OK, there is a start...something to think about. Do you put Cael Sanderson here? I don't think so, and not because he wrestled for Iowa State. He was not an Iowan; he came to ISU from Utah. Now, Liang Chow came to Iowa from China, so you could argue that..but he is now an American citizen, has lived in Iowa since arriving in the USA, started his business here and trains Olympic gymnasts here and considers himself an Iowan.
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Shawn Johnson also won a silver medal on the floor routine as well.
 
Nile Kinnick graduated from HS in Nebraska.

He is disqualified.
 
Fred C Clarke. HOF baseball player from Winterset Iowa. Played for Pittsburgh (1900 - 1915....except for 1912/3) and won a World Series Championship in 1909.


I'm taking this thread to not be a "who's the best", but rather "what Iowans have done great things in the world of sport.
 
JonDMiller said:
Bob was at Iowa for four years. Chow's an Iowa alum who's been here for more than 20 and has made his name for himself living here. I see it differently
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Are you saying that you see a difference between Bob and Chow because of the relative amount of time here (I agree with this) or are you saying that you see it differently than me in that I would exclude Bob from the all time list based on the fact that he is from Pennsylvania and only attended school here.
 
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