Let’s handle our business first.
Rushmore of SEC basketball coaches in the 2000s? Billy Donovan, Pat Summitt, Dawn Staley and John Calipari. I waffled on Cal — I think Pearl has done way more with far less — but a natty is a natty. And I also think Nate Oats is a far superior in-game coach to Cal, who wicked underachieved for the last decade.
Rushmore of American auto racing families: Earnhardt, Petty, Unser and Foyt. And a special nod to the Frances and their place atop the NASCAR realm.
Rushmore of the best franchises in the big three American professional sports (MLB, NFL, NBA) without a championship: Bills are there. Vikings are too. The Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz narrowly over the Indiana Pacers.
Best college QBs of the last 40 years who did next to nothing in the NFL.: Gave this one some extra through because there are a lot of choices. First, disregard injured players, because RGIII was on the trajectory to be an NFL dude. Second, “best” gives the connotation beyond just stats, which would give us guys like Case Keenum or Tommy Chang who dropped mad-scientist-level numbers with limited team success. Finally, the tie-breaker in most cases was the level of stinky the NFL career became. (Side note: We did not include Charlie Ward here because he chose not to go to the NFL and to play in the NBA instead. I believe he would have been a great NFL QB1, but that was his choice. Side note, part II: Yes, Ryan Leaf was arguably the biggest bust in draft history, but it was not like he set the college game on fire, you know?) Tim Tebow, Johnny Football (even if he only had two years in College Station, it was a magical two years), Kellen Moore and Matt Leinart, and that is with apologies to Brady Quinn, Andre Ware and several others.