Bob Dylan - this would be interesting for sure. Probably imaginative. Possibly lyrical. But it would mostly appeal to the over-50 crowd.
Ric Flair - limited Minnesota connection, very old. Exciting to a certain limited segment of the population.
Pete Najarian - Sort of famous in Minnesota, pretty obscure elsewhere. Najarian does have a certain charisma, though. Should be about our fifth or sixth option.
Tony Dungy - His star might not burn as brightly as it used to, but Dungy is an awesome individual and a would be a great get. He might be busy elsewhere.
Eric Decker - Should be high on our list. Young, good looking, pop-culture relevant, and a successful former Gopher and NFL-er.
Bud Grant - Legendary Gopher and multi-sport athlete, pro football HOFer. Not a TV personality, but Grant could surprise.
Ron Perlman - I had to Google this guy. A not-quite-famous celebrity with a tenuous connection to Minnesota. Does he have a sports background?
Kevin McHale - A Minnesota sports legend, but not football related. Probably a second-tier candidate.
Dave Winfield - Winfield is old, but he doesn't seem old. And he's a legendary Gopher with great credibility. Winfield would be a great candidate.
Paul Molitor - ditto Winfield in terms of his resume, but Molitor isn't as physically impressive or as personally charismatic. But still a credible candidate.
Tom Friedman - I had only a vague idea of who Friedman was. Wikipedia suggests that he has left Minnesota behind.
Lindsey Whalen - A thoughtful suggestion, but being a current employee of the U of M probably works against her. Not a big personality, but undoubtedly a great athletic persona. Second-tier candidate.
Craig T Nelson - A fun choice, but a minor celebrity who starred in a long-ago sitcom set in Minnesota. Not enough connection.
Lizzo - This is actually somebody. I had no idea. But her connection to Minnesota isn't strong. Is she a football fan? Where does she live today? Weak case.
George Clooney - Get out of here with your George Clooney.
Adam Young - The Fireflies performer is an interesting pick, but I find little aside from his Owatonna nativity to recommend him for this prestigious duty.
Alan Page - As someone else noted, Page is a virtuous and noble man, but very, very boring.
Joe Mauer - I love Joe Mauer. He was a great baseball player and would have been a great football player. But he spurned and scorned the U of M in favor of Florida State. He's also a bit of a cold fish. I cannot endorse this pick.
Yanni - Ugh, barf.
Carl Eller - Not a Minnesotan, but a Minnesota sports legend and a U alum. HOWEVER, Eller belongs to an earlier generation and has had some trouble with the law. A mid-second tier pick.
Bobby Bell - Ditto Carl Eller without the legal trouble. A high-second tier pick.
Sid Hartman - Sid would make Lee Corso look young and vital. Naw, this is a bad idea.
Marc Trestman - I wanted the U to hire Trestman back when we got Tim Brewster instead. But an obscure figure on the US football landscape. Not a figurehead for Minnesota.
Tom Lehman - Very exciting pick for the over-60, golf playing crowd. Everybody else would say, "Who?"
John Legend - Unless he's going to perform, no. A nice thought, though.
Miracle on Ice - Unfortunately there isn't a single individual on this team who would excite the audience, though I was a big Neal Broten fan during his North Stars days.
Lou Holtz - I don't hate Lou, but I would hate having him on the Gameday set in Minnesota. He hurt the U when he skipped town.
Brock Lesnar - A WWE and MMA star who was a national champion at Minnesota. An impressive figure and a big personality. This is our winner.
Bottom line: I would favor Brock Lesnar, Eric Decker, and Dave Winfield, in that order.
