Who are the coolest UK athletes of all-time?

Sonny “Cool Cat” Collins

Over at the Herald-Leader, Mark Story put together a list of the “25 Coolest UK Athletes of All-Time.” Now, I realize that the Herald-Leader putting together a list of cool people is like Pete Thamel leading a seminar in journalistic integrity, but it’s a fun read for a sad but sunny Sunday.

Mark puts Valerie Still, John Wall, and Sonny Collins at the top of his list of “Cool Cats” (see, if Mark Story really were cool, he would have used that as the title!). Personally, I would have ranked Kenny “Sky” Walker (#5) much higher and Tim Couch (#4) much lower (he’s cool because “he talked smack during games like he came from the Bronx”? Really, Mark?).

The best part of the article is the beginning, where Mark describes his criteria for the list:

To be cool, you have to have style, swagger, be unique yet catch the zeitgeist.

It would seem self-evident that a sports performer must be good at their game to be “cool.” However, I would argue many great athletes are not necessarily cool.

…Rajon Rondo may be the current pro athlete with a UK tie who has the highest CQ (coolness quotient). However, you won’t find him on this list because the point guard didn’t really grow into his coolness until he hit the NBA.

That’s right people, “coolness quotient.” Who are the coolest Cats in your book?