It’s
offered up so often that the unique has become cliché.
Someone
decides to begin rattling off the very best this or that: best
athletes from our state, best movies of this style, best drinks
using this alcohol, whatever. And the idea is driven home by asking
which answers provide the Mount Rushmore for the category.
In
general, it works. Anyone that has even a passing familiarity
with Mount Rushmore quickly assumes you are looking for the four
to immortalize for all-time answers. A greatest hits built on
the four best.
That’s
in general.
In
reality, dear lord. It’s a mess.
Once,
in the same segment of a sports radio program, I heard the hosts
discussing the Mount Rushmore of NBA players and then pivot to
a discussion of the Mount Rushmore of NBA players from their city’s
team. And if you’re thinking that seems like a natural pivot,
then I would like to add that the hosts used the next segment
to qualify the different levels and construction of the city’s
Mount Rushmore created by players drafted by the organization
as opposed to those brought in via trades and free agency, and
then adding value for those that only played for this organization
in their careers. Yes, indeed, they created a Mount Rushmore of
one NBA organization’s free agency signings.
The
craziest thing is, I don’t know if Mount Rushmore actually means
what we think it means. For instance—don’t think of the real monument,
use your own opinion—what four U.S. Presidents would you place
on Mount Rushmore?
See
what I mean? Did you list match? Did you consider someone that
isn’t there? Doesn’t Mount Rushmore mean the most important or
best? After all, that’s what we assume. Like the assumption it’s
supposed to be Presidents. But is Thomas Jefferson on there as
a Founding Father or as a President? (And don’t lie. Without looking
it up, you don’t know. You’re just guessing because they’re all
Presidents. What happens if I tell you Susan B. Anthony was once
discussed as a possible addition? Things that you know are suddenly
shifting, aren’t they?)
When
it comes to professional sports, I would argue that the Stanley
Cup is the best trophy. Unchallenged. The best. The NHL is not
the best sport, nor the best league. Does the trophy go on the
Mount Rushmore of sports trophies?
And
who are the voters?
The
World Cup is the trophy awarded every four years to winner of
the FIFA World Cup football tournament. There are many around
the world that would insist this is the most important sporting
event, and therefore the best trophy.
Think
about that NFL die-hards. As a tangent to this, we arrive at a
place where with Olympic medals just one possible option that
hasn’t been brought up in a Mount Rushmore for the best awards
to sports champions, and I believe the Stanley Cup and World Cup
locked in, there may not be room on Mount Rushmore for the Lombardi
Trophy.
Although
I’ve been focusing primarily on sports, this isn’t really limited
to such considerations. I’ve heard conversations about the Mount
Rushmore of television, of bands, of cities to visit and of desserts
to enjoy. And I keep coming back to that thought about the best
Presidents.
When
we discuss the Mount Rushmore of something, we do so with an almost
blind faith acknowledgement that the discussion is about the four
best of something. Again, are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln the four best?
Consider
Mount Rushmore itself. Why this monument? Actually, a lot of information
points to its development as a way to boost tourism more than
what is being depicted. Why four? Most historical records suggest
the idea was not specifically to show the best presidents, but
more a way to capture certain national accomplishments, historical
moments, and development. In fact, there have been recommendations
for additional faces to be included going back to before the sculpture
was initially finished. Although most inspections conclude that
the area is not suitable for expansion, suggestions really have
been made for Susan B, Anthony to be honored on this monument,
along with John F. Kennedy and others.
Some
of these details combine with many additional notes to create
a long list of facts and considerations about Mount Rushmore.
And yet, the legendary understandings (and misunderstandings)
remain.
Once,
a friend and I began a thought that really went off the tracks
and down the philosophical rabbit hole: Would Mount Rushmore be
on the Mount Rushmore of Mount Rushmores? Yeah, that one is a
true brain teaser.
Often
we feel secure in knowing that when we line up our badges, we
know what those badges represent. And yet, far more often than
we realize, there is a lot more to the story.
Welcome
to Mount Rushmore. Incredible history. Breathtaking monument.
Worth the visit. All this brilliance and more. Let the debate
begin about what the brilliance means.