Will Caitlin Clark be the most famous Iowan ever?

S

SwirlinLingerie

Well-Known Member
At first I thought the debate was whether she was the greatest sports star ever at the University of Iowa.

And then I thought maybe instead the debate was whether she was the greatest sports star ever from the state of Iowa.

Now I wonder if we'll look back one day and realize she is the biggest star (sports or otherwise) to ever come from the state.
 
It would tough to beat Marion "John Wayne" Morrison or even Ashton Kutcher in his heyday for being famous. But she'll be up there for sure. How would you even go about measuring this?
 
Yeah, no real way to measure, and the internet and then social media also adds a dynamic. It's more of a fun conversation than anything.

I don't really consider John Wayne part of the conversation. He was born in Iowa but I don't think he even grew up there.

I guess the part that's interesting about Clark is that her profile seems to be transcending sports, and also appears to be entering a global arena.

It's hard to even completely wrap one's mind around it.
 
Right now she seems to be the most famous/popular Iowan EVER

She is everywhere you look on TV or the net

Folk wait in bitter cold for hours to see her play from the nosebleed seats

She might be elected President of the USA if she ran
 
I personally doubt she will be able to draw the same level of attention in the WNBA. Not because she won't be dominant there, but because there is almost no interest in the WNBA, and I doubt even she can change that.
 
sioux34 said:
I personally doubt she will be able to draw the same level of attention in the WNBA. Not because she won't be dominant there, but because there is almost no interest in the WNBA, and I doubt even she can change that.
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If she dominates and plays the way she has in college she will definitely elevate the WNBA. How much? I don’t know but I won’t be the only Iowa fan trying to figure out how to watch her play.
 
sioux34 said:
I personally doubt she will be able to draw the same level of attention in the WNBA. Not because she won't be dominant there, but because there is almost no interest in the WNBA, and I doubt even she can change that.
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I was listening to an ESPN guy who thought it was a mistake for Clark to leave Iowa. He said, she should have held out for another year.....and had her agent(s) work behind the scenes to get a Pro WNBA team in Des Moines that she could have played for. He said if you think that if far-fetched......in ABA team was made in San Diego to try to get Walton to play for them after graduating UCLA. He ended up declining and went to the NBA.

He said that Clark would have drawn big time in a hypothetical Des Moines market. She is like a God in Iowa and people would go watch her.

Other things I have read in the media is that Clark might draw some eyes for a few games, but the WNBA just is not interesting enough....and it is being played during summer.....a terrible time when people are outside doing things.
 
Even bigger than Herbert Hoover.

At least Clark did not have to leave Iowa to become famous. Everybody else mentioned had to leave the state to become famous.
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
I was listening to an ESPN guy who thought it was a mistake for Clark to leave Iowa. He said, she should have held out for another year.....and had her agent(s) work behind the scenes to get a Pro WNBA team in Des Moines that she could have played for. He said if you think that if far-fetched......in ABA team was made in San Diego to try to get Walton to play for them after graduating UCLA. He ended up declining and went to the NBA.

He said that Clark would have drawn big time in a hypothetical Des Moines market. She is like a God in Iowa and people would go watch her.

Other things I have read in the media is that Clark might draw some eyes for a few games, but the WNBA just is not interesting enough....and it is being played during summer.....a terrible time when people are outside doing things.
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I think more than likely interest will fade slowly over the next few years.
 
There are many famous Iowans and each generation of Iowans probably can identify someone from their generation that became nationally famous. The closest parallel to CC in my estimation would be Nile Kinnick. Both were or are sports figures that became nationally known for their performance and how articulate they were or are off the field or court. Sorry for the awkward sentence.

The maturity CC has shown and her command of language are unparalleled under the circumstances of today. With all the social media, national media interest, and the pressure to excel each and every game in order to meet public expectations has made her a heroine here in Iowa and nationally. I've never seen the four letter word "I O W A" used so much in my lifetime with any Iowan.

I am too old to ever find out where her NIL we be in 20 years. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 20 years.
 
eyekwah said:
There are many famous Iowans and each generation of Iowans probably can identify someone from their generation that became nationally famous. The closest parallel to CC in my estimation would be Nile Kinnick. Both were or are sports figures that became nationally known for their performance and how articulate they were or are off the field or court. Sorry for the awkward sentence.

The maturity CC has shown and her command of language are unparalleled under the circumstances of today. With all the social media, national media interest, and the pressure to excel each and every game in order to meet public expectations has made her a heroine here in Iowa and nationally. I've never seen the four letter word "I O W A" used so much in my lifetime with any Iowan.

I am too old to ever find out where her NIL we be in 20 years. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 20 years.
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Great perspective - thanks for sharing.
 
This was put up this morning by Nike.
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