I just don't understand this

V

VintageHawkeye

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How was/is Dick Butkus a 'bigger' Big10 Icon than Nile Kinnick??
Yes, I'm biased. So I'm asking someone to make the case for Butkus over Kinnick, even if it's by only one spot.
Butkus won a Heisman?
Butkus died while in the armed services, training to defend the USA?
What'd Butkus do, exactly, that makes him more of an Icon than Nile Clarke Kinnick??
 
Because he was Mongo in Blazing Saddles. Wait, that was Karras. Because he was on that sitcom with that Webster kid. No, that was Karras again.

Dunno. If you get your image on the coin used at the coin flip that's a pretty big icon if ya ask me.
 
I agree with you, but the Big 10 Network's home base is Chicago. That might be a factor.
 
troy said:
I agree with you, but the Big 10 Network's home base is Chicago. That might be a factor.
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No question this plays a role.
I'd also like to know who selected and ranked the icons, and their methodology. I'm sure its on the BTN site.
 
How about this - BTN did a rigorous analysis as to which fan base would whine more and flood their email inboxes if one of their legends was "snubbed" by being put in 7th place instead of 6th and Illinois won by a hair, thus Butkus got 6th.
 
"He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983, and is one of only two players to have a uniform number (#50) retired by the University of Illinois football program (the other the #77 of Harold "Red" Grange). Butkus was named to the Walter Camp All-Century team in 1990, and was named the sixth-best ever college football player by College Football News in 2000. In 2007, Butkus ranked #19 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list."

"Butkus was also selected the 70th Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century by ESPN, the ninth-best player in NFL history by The Sporting News, and the fifth-best by the Associated Press. The National Football League named him to their All-Time team in 2000. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979."

That all might have something to do with it.
 
silvanthalas said:
"He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983, and is one of only two players to have a uniform number (#50) retired by the University of Illinois football program (the other the #77 of Harold "Red" Grange). Butkus was named to the Walter Camp All-Century team in 1990, and was named the sixth-best ever college football player by College Football News in 2000. In 2007, Butkus ranked #19 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list."

"Butkus was also selected the 70th Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century by ESPN, the ninth-best player in NFL history by The Sporting News, and the fifth-best by the Associated Press. The National Football League named him to their All-Time team in 2000. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979."

That all might have something to do with it.
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Big fockin deal. If Kinnick had lived, he'd have likely been President or a difference-making statesman.
Butkus is a run of the mill goon. Kinnick was once in a generation.
 
if you really want to look for someone to make a case to list butkus higher than kinnick then i think you are looking in the wrong place. also for arguements sake, i thought this list was supposed to be about what they did while playing in the big ten, not accomplishments after they played. so arguing the kinnick was a war hero or that he could have been president had he lived longer doesnt make much sense

that being said kinnick would be atop my list, but i am biased
 
Butkus is a great actor too ...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GVCgTFw2Qk]YouTube - Moroneys best bits (Johnny Dangerously)[/ame]
 
edr247 said:
Nothing Butkus did in the pros should matter for the Big Ten Icons show.
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Butkus has a major individual award named for him. Far more people would recognize the name Dick Butkus than Nile Kinnick, even if that isn't fair to the man (not even the player) that Kinnick was.
 
edr247 said:
Nothing Butkus did in the pros should matter for the Big Ten Icons show.
Click to expand...

This is my point, too. The selection panel should have done a better job.
But like everything else, I'm sure politics played a role in the choices, particulary the top 10.
 
Seems strange to start a thread asking for someone to make a case for something and as soon as someone takes the bait immediately dismiss their argument.

Also, you don't get to have it both ways. Either Kinnick's military service counts and Butkus's NFL accomplishments count or neither count. In reality, neither can be ignored no matter how hard a person tries.

I would tend to think Kinnick would be higher than Butkus but what the hell do I know?
 
edr247 said:
Nothing Butkus did in the pros should matter for the Big Ten Icons show.
Click to expand...


They make a statement at the beginning of each show, that only the persons collegiate accomplishments were taken into consideration. Those with a vote must have thought Butkus accomplished more in college than Kinnick.

Were Butkus' teams better than Kinnick's?? I know Kinnick was on a few losing teams. Not sure that should make a difference, but could have. Similar to Heisman voting.
 
tm3308 said:
Butkus has a major individual award named for him. Far more people would recognize the name Dick Butkus than Nile Kinnick, even if that isn't fair to the man (not even the player) that Kinnick was.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying he's not worthy of being a top 10 icon. However, just saying that any accolades he receives thanks to his pro career shouldn't matter for this series. Plus, how can we say that his popularity isn't largely due to his accomplishments at the professional level.

Anyway, I personally don't care. Kinnick will always be the #1 Big Ten student-athlete in my heart.
 
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