I would think Staubach would be more popular for Dallas.
Of course, Houston has Earl Campbell and Hakeem the Dream.
For OKC, actually the whole state of Oklahoma: Jim Thorpe.
If we are counting coaches, the whole state of Oklahoma would be Barry Switzer. That guy changes ELECTIONS in OK!
And the reason I say Nolan (even though he isn’t football) is because he is personable.
Being personable is as much a part as being a beloved athlete as winning or greatness.
Hakeem, though clearly the best (and only champion) our city has ever seen, always seemed standoffish.
We love him because he went to college and played almost his whole career here, but Nolan Ryan, despite going into the Hall as a Ranger, still serves as a pitchman for half a dozen local businesses. You can’t go a day without seeing him on TV. He has lived in a suburb of Houston all his career. He even owns, with his son, the AAA Astros affiliate in Austin.
I’d bet Nolan transcends out football bias and passes Earl.
My choice would be Carl Lewis. I went to UH and that guy was the friendliest superstar you could possibly meet.
Andre Ware is pretty popular here as well (though I imagine he isn’t in Detroit!:))
I’d say Boston was either Bird or Orr.
San Fran= Montana?
State of Indiana- Bird?
Salt Lake- Stockton (that is all!)
State of Alabama- Bear Bryant (if no coaches then Bo Jackson)
State of Tennessee- Peyton Manning
Could be Gordie. Could be Steve Yzerman. Probably not Barry Sanders, though. Not in Hockeytown.
All of the Phi Slamma Jamma guys were fun to party with (yes, I actually did, they were just college students), but the actual friendliest sports guys I met when I lived there were Sleepy Floyd and Warren Moon.
I met the other Twin Tower, Ralph Sampson, also, and he was a big baby jerk. Moses Malone was mean to me, too.
I never got to meet Nolan. Sounds like a nice guy.
Now that I’m in the OKC, and have to run into people every now and then, I can tell you that most people who have met Barry Switzer think he’s a blowhard. But, they loved his football teams, no doubt about that.
However, you should see how many schools, hospital buildings, and minor awards are named for Thorpe in this state. And, let’s not forget the national award named for him, the Jim Thorpe Award. 
Add to it our irrational pride of Indian heritage (whether they have Native American blood in them or not, this state is proud of it’s Indian connection) and you’ll see that Thorpe is far and above any other sports figure in this state’s history.
Adding an obvious one that hasn’t yet been mentioned: Tony Gwynn in San Diego. He was neck and neck with Junior Seau for a long time, but then Junior went to Miami. Nobody will ever touch Tony – he’s just so nice.
A not-so-obvious-but-not-so-important-either one: Archie Griffin in Columbus, Ohio. Whoops! I mean Two-Time Heisman Trophy Winner Archie Griffin (he officially changed his name*). Eddie George has the heart of every young Buckeye I’ve EVER MET, even if they don’t follow football AT ALL, but Columbus is Archie’s town.
I’ve been in Seattle for almost a year now, and I’m having a hard time picking somebody. They just don’t really care about sports much around heah. My guesses would be Steve Largent, Gary Payton, Ken Griffey Jr., or Edgar Martinez (or is it Tino? I always get those two mixed up). I’ll let you guys duke out the particulars.
[sub]* = not really, but it seems that way[/sub]
I forgot about the Vikings…most have. Nevertheless I’d say heyday coach Bud Grant is still highly thought of. The Purple People Eaters are still around but they (Jim Marshall, Alan Page, Gary Larsen and Carl Eller) pretty much keep low profiles, though Page is a state supreme court justice.
I also forgot Herb Brooks. His untimely death last summer caused a lot of sadness around here.
Edgar by a wide margin. Largent gets lots of love but he is a Republican in a Democrat city. Gary Payton burned a lot of bridges on his way out. But for the long time Seattle sports fan, there is only one name brings a smile to your face. Bill Muncey. One of the greatest unlimited hydroplane drivers ever and when it’s Seafair time in Seattle, Muncey is still the man even though he died over 20 years ago. And some also think former UW football coach Don James is a god.
Speaking as a Bears fan in the heart of Minneapolis, I can tell you that Vikings fans are the most bandwagon fans I’ve ever seen in my life. The love any and all vikings players when they’re winning, hate every single one when they lose.
For example, most Vikings fans think that Daunte Culpepper should be released, yet he started in the freakin’ Pro Bowl.
The only thing keeping Kevin Garnett from being the undisputed favorite in the Twin Cities is that nobody pays attention to basketball. The T-Wolves have one of the best records in the NBA, but the still can’t sell out the arena for most games. But still, I’d place my vote for Garnett.
RickJay
Yaz was the first guy I thought of, but I was always partial to baseball.
For basketball, definitely Larry Bird, though Kevin McHale and John Havilcek probably don’t have to pay for many beers, either.
Hockey? Bobby Orr.
Austin has it’s own state of mind. Around here, we’re quite fond of a guy named Lance Armstrong.
I thought Staubach or Meredith might be higher on that list.
You think Ripken, overall, is more loved than Johnny U? Huh.
George Allen:D DC’s a tough call, though … Johnson, maybe Dale Hunter … if we take it back to the days of the Baltimore Bullets (back when "[DC basketball team] and “good” belonged in the same sentence), maybe Unseld or someone. That’s far before my time, though.
I doubt Schmidt has to pay for his Grand Slams when he’s in a Philly-area Denny’s. But his relationship with the Phillie fan was aloof for most of his career, which is his nature. He was criticized more than a player of his greatness should be. And until recently he’s kept a low profile in retirement. No doubt, Schmidt was a magnificent player - the best Phillie ever, the best third baseman ever, the best player in the game when he was at his prime. Schmidt was a player who inspired respect and awe, but he wasn’t loved, perhaps, the way Dr. J. was.
iampunha: Yes, I’d go for Ripken over Johnny U. Unitas is certainly a saint in Baltimore, but Ripken has an air of nobility about him, a man who stood above his sport to some extent. Ripken of course gets points from sheer recency effect; has Ripken played when Unitas played and vice versa I might sing a different tune.
Oh, I should throw in an easy one:
Edmonton - Gretzky. Duh.
Oooh… you’d better apologize before the Defenders of the Cowboys Faith get hold of you!
Based on observation, Roger Staubach is probably the highest in the Dallas pantheon, followed by Emmitt Smith, Tom Landry (Cowboys coach), Troy Aikman, Randy White, Mike Modano, Nolan Ryan (yes, even though he’s really much more of an Astro than a Ranger!) and after that, probably Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzski .
I’m originally from Houston though , and I’d say that Houston’s sports pantheon probably goes:
[ul]
[li]Nolan Ryan (grew up locally, and played for Houston 8 years)[/li][li]Hakeem Olajuwon (went to UH, and played almost entire career for Rockets, including 2 NBA titles)[/li][li]Earl Campbell (played for UT, played for Oilers)[/li][li]Clyde Drexler (played w/Hakeem at UH, played for Houston & 1 NBA title)[/li][li]Calvin Murphy (played for Rockets, NBA hall of famer)[/li][li] Rudy Tomjanovich (played for Rockets, coached Rockets to 2 NBA titles)[/li][li] Elvin Hayes (Rockets, NBA hall of fame- more of a 60’s/70’s favorite)[/li][/ul]
Beyond that, Charles Barkley, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Larry Dierker and Jose Cruz are pretty recognizable names.
Milwaukee - Robin Yount.
New York - I’d say Lou Gehrig or Mickey Mantle over Ruth or DiMaggio. Lou was born and raised in New York, and his famous farewell to baseball was more of a connection to the fans than either Ruth or DiMaggio, legendary though they were, had. The Mick was an amazing player who often seemed like a “regular Joe” more than Ruth or DiMaggio.
San Antonio: David Robinson.
Awards? Schools? Hospitals? Big whoop. Pennsylvania has a whole freakin’ TOWN named after the guy!
I’m pondering who NY’s most beloved would be. I’m not sure that I’d use the word “beloved” for Ruth. I guess I have to go with Gehrig, for the reasons that cmkeller said.
I wonder who would be New York’s most beloved current athlete. Derek Jeter would be my guess, but I’m not sure. Any thoughts?
You might want to leave some room in there for Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez. Even though he’s no longer a Ranger, he’s still pretty popular around here.
I wouldn’t say Willie Mays is the most beloved sports figure in San Francisco. The fans were rather cold to him when the Giants came to the west coast in 1958. The real fan favorite is Willie McCovey. The channel outside Pac Bell Park (now SBC Park) is called McCovey Cove.
Among 49ers I would say that Ronnie Lott and Steve Young may be more popular than Joe Montana. Joe is probably the greatest player 49er history, but he doesn’t come across as warm or articulate in public. Lott and Young are both highly respected both as athletes and as citizens. Young has a kind of self-effacing, aw-shucks quality that many people like.
The most beloved athlete in Oakland is probably Dave Stewart. Not only did he mean a lot to the A’s, but he spent a lot of time at community events. He was someone you could count on, both on and off the field. He was a favorite among community and youth groups because people knew that all you had to do was ask and he would show up. He never informed the press about this - he showed up because he thought it was his responsibility. The day after the 1989 earthquake he showed up at the collapsed Cypress freeway structure and handed out coffee and doughnuts to rescue workers. No one asked him to be there - he came to find a way to make himself useful. Stew is always greeted warmly by the fans when he returns to the Coliseum.
[QUOTE=Sublight]
For basketball, definitely Larry Bird, though Kevin McHale and John Havilcek probably don’t have to pay for many beers, either.
QUOTE]
I’m not a big basketball fan, but most of the older sports fans I know seemed to think very highly of Bill Russell.
Texas:
Waco = Michael Johnson
Austin = Lance Armstrong
El Paso = Lee Trevino?
Kentucky:
Lexington = Man O’ War? Seabiscuit?
Polycarp, I’m not sure we’ll be able to debate this one, but I think the DC fans cherish Darrell Green as much as they cherished Walter Johnson. He was a classy guy, a dedicated human and athlete (have to be to put up with all those horrible seasons in the 90s; he could probably have gone elsewhere for more money) and from what I am told active in the community. It was not a dry-eye Darrell Green Day for me; as a Knicks fan I had only a slightly more intense reaction to happening upon (literally) Patrick Ewing night on television last year.
If Peyton Manning can keep things going for the next 10 years and maybe win a Super Bowl, he might give Bird (who was only a college star there) a run for his money.