Most of the answers given have been great choices. Some of the first names that popped into my head were Jim Thorpe, Jack Johnson and George Mikan.
In 1950, Thorpe beat Babe Ruth in an AP poll for who was the greatest athlete of the half century. IMO, Ruth is now miles and miles ahead of Thorpe when it comes to familiarity among the general public.
A couple other names that came to mind are Christy Mathewson and Grover Cleveland Alexander. Sure, both of them are iconic names on this board and in the hobby. But I think you would be hard pressed to find many in the general public today who are familiar with either of them.
Last edited by Bored5000; 02-05-2017 at 01:09 AM.
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