NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Pekka Rinne's retirement Tuesday morning exhibited all the class and respect you would expect from arguably, and maybe not so arguably, the most important Nashville Predator in franchise history.
Rinne's impact on the not only the team, but the Nashville community as a whole will reverberate as one the best notes Music City has known.
The Finnish goaltender's legacy never was never in doubt and it got me thinking.
What would a Mount Rushmore of Nashville sports athletes look like in 2021?
Ground rules. There can only be four figures on Mount Rushmore, just like the real deal that sits in South Dakota.
The gift and the curse with only four spots is that tough decisions had to be made to make the list.
With all that said, here's what I came up with (in no particular order).
Enjoy.
Pekka Rinne
When it comes to the past 10 years in Nashville sports, the list starts with Number 35.
All the great moments and memories made by Rinne are too numerous to count.
The Stanley Cup run in 2017, winning the Vezina in 2018, scoring a goal against the rival Blackhawks in Chicago and his shutout performance in the final start of his career inside Bridgestone Arena against Carolina scratch the surface of his time in Nashville.
He spent his entire career here and his jersey should be the first to be lifted to the rafters of Smashville.
Eddie George
The list just wouldn't quite feel right without Eddie George.
The powerful running back spent nearly his entire career in Nashville, racking up multiple Pro Bowl appearances in the process.
George is one of only two running backs to run for 10,000 yards without missing a start.
His dependability in the backfield has become matched by his dependability in the community.
George was one of the major voices in helping bring an MLS team to Music City.
He'll be back in Nashville roaming the sidelines this coming college football season after being named the head football coach at Tennessee State.
Steve McNair
When you think about Titans' quarterbacks, the conversation has to start with the first one.
McNair played eight seasons in Nashville taking the team to heights it hasn't seen since.
He was the engineer of the teams Superbowl run in 2000 and carried that success to an league MVP award in 2003.
McNair's #9 jersey was retired by the team in September 2019, along with the aforementioned Eddie George's #27.
Tracy Caulkins
The captain of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Women's swim team won three goal medals in Los Angeles (200 IM, 400 IM and 400 Medley Relay) and probably would've won more in the U.S participated in the 1980 Olympic Games.
Caulkins attended Harpeth Hall School in Nashville.
She won six medals, including 5 golds at the 1978 World Championships in Germany as a 15-year-old.
