The Big 12’s most famous alumni pic.twitter.com/hsoVoUmRp3

— Gamblin’ Gauchos 🎙 (@GamblinGauchos) June 27, 2022

No willie?

If this is famous as in "the most people know who the person is," I'd wager an overwhelming majority of Americans have no idea who DKR is. Most sports fans outside the Big 12 underneath the age of 40 have probably never even heard of him.

Ed Harris is an OU alum and is probably 10x more famous nationally than DKR is.

Bear2014 said:

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No willie?

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I'm sure you mean Willie Nelson so here goes:

1. he never finished at BU
2. He is not that famous with people under about 50
3. He is barely known by people under about 30
4. Most people probably have no idea he attended Baylor.
5. Chip and Jo make it known they attended Baylor, give money back and are extremely well known RIGHT now by people across all walks of life.

John Denver attended Texas Tech, back when he was still Henry Duchendorf. He had no connection to the state of West Virginia until one night backstage at a Greenwich Village folk club he was given a new song written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who were sharing the bill with him.

Danoff and Nivert labored on in obscurity a few more years before becoming a one-hit wonder as the nucleus of Starland Vocal Band.


Most famous WVU alum would be Don Knotts.

I had no idea some of those people went to those schools.

I agree with Parch above. It seems like the list is a mix of most famous sport connections and most famous in general. I would not go with DKR for OU. Olivia Munn is probably more well known across the board than DKR.

whitetrash said:

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John Denver attended Texas Tech, back when he was still Henry Duchendorf. He had no connection to the state of West Virginia until one night backstage at a Greenwich Village folk club he was given a new song written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who were sharing the bill with him.

Danoff and Nivert labored on in obscurity a few more years before becoming a one-hit wonder as the nucleus of Starland Vocal Band.


Most famous WVU alum would be Don Knotts.

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I couldn't remember him by name but looked him up and would agree he is close to most famous (depending on age)

A few other notables I saw when looking up a list of WVU alum:

Billy Mays (didn't graduate)
Antoine Fuqua (didn't graduate)
JonBenet Ramsey's mother.
Lady Gaga's mother

Farrah Fawcett for UT for me.

whitetrash said:

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John Denver attended Texas Tech, back when he was still Henry Duchendorf. He had no connection to the state of West Virginia until one night backstage at a Greenwich Village folk club he was given a new song written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who were sharing the bill with him.

Danoff and Nivert labored on in obscurity a few more years before becoming a one-hit wonder as the nucleus of Starland Vocal Band.


Most famous WVU alum would be Don Knotts.

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Jerry West


and there is no way Id know who Chip and Joanna were had I not attended BU. No way they are as wildly known as Willie Nelson. Or probably even RG3.

Swart Dra said:

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whitetrash said:

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John Denver attended Texas Tech, back when he was still Henry Duchendorf. He had no connection to the state of West Virginia until one night backstage at a Greenwich Village folk club he was given a new song written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who were sharing the bill with him.

Danoff and Nivert labored on in obscurity a few more years before becoming a one-hit wonder as the nucleus of Starland Vocal Band.


Most famous WVU alum would be Don Knotts.

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Jerry West


and there is no way Id know who Chip and Joanna were had I not attended BU. No way they are as wildly known as Willie Nelson. Or probably even RG3.

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You're obviously not a fortysomething female.

parch said:

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If this is famous as in "the most people know who the person is," I'd wager an overwhelming majority of Americans have no idea who DKR is. Most sports fans outside the Big 12 underneath the age of 40 have probably never even heard of him.

Ed Harris is an OU alum and is probably 10x more famous nationally than DKR is.

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I think the purpose of this entry is to annoy UT and OU fan bases.

I support that.

Swart Dra said:

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whitetrash said:

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John Denver attended Texas Tech, back when he was still Henry Duchendorf. He had no connection to the state of West Virginia until one night backstage at a Greenwich Village folk club he was given a new song written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who were sharing the bill with him.

Danoff and Nivert labored on in obscurity a few more years before becoming a one-hit wonder as the nucleus of Starland Vocal Band.


Most famous WVU alum would be Don Knotts.

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Jerry West


and there is no way Id know who Chip and Joanna were had I not attended BU. No way they are as wildly known as Willie Nelson. Or probably even RG3.

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I think the fact they have their own tv channel, several product lines, NYTimes best selling books, and have made Waco the #1 tourist destination in TX for several years would say you are probably wrong. The average American knows who they are. Non sport fans know who they are. Non sports fans probably don't know who RG3 is.

Swart Dra said:

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whitetrash said:

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John Denver attended Texas Tech, back when he was still Henry Duchendorf. He had no connection to the state of West Virginia until one night backstage at a Greenwich Village folk club he was given a new song written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who were sharing the bill with him.

Danoff and Nivert labored on in obscurity a few more years before becoming a one-hit wonder as the nucleus of Starland Vocal Band.


Most famous WVU alum would be Don Knotts.

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Jerry West


and there is no way Id know who Chip and Joanna were had I not attended BU. No way they are as wildly known as Willie Nelson. Or probably even RG3.

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Way off the mark, pal.

Way, waaaaaay off the mark.

Beating a dead horse here, but I wanted to jump in on this historically bad take. They have their own TV channel and a store within a store at all Targets… I think you could safely bet on this one.

I would still say nationally RGIII is more known. This seems to be a list primarily of current celebrities who are grads of these schools. Thirty years ago it would have been Crystal Bernard on the list for Baylor. Now if in 50 years or so the Chip and Joanna brand and company is as big as Disney, ok. My point all of these schools have more consequential alums who people do not know are or were alums.

BU Born&Raised said:

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Beating a dead horse here, but I wanted to jump in on this historically bad take. They have their own TV channel and a store within a store at all Targets… I think you could safely bet on this one.

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Poll how many people recognize the song, mamas don't let their babies…or whiskey river…luckenbach, compared to the show fixer upper…I think the numbers would work out in willie's favor.

Net worth of each would work out in his favor as well…

Never happen, but Willie Nelson doing GameDay picks would be the biggest person they ever had made those picks.

#1. Willie is not an alum

#2 People don't fly from bum *** Iowa to Waco to see RG3 statue. They come for Magnolia.

No one travels anywhere to see a statue….other than DC, Italy, or Athens.

As you said, you can get the same shiz at magnolia that you can get at target.

You have to do the Mom test. Ask yourself how would your mom answer.

My mom knows Tiger Woods..Tom Brady..Steph Curry..and Dak Prescott and Luka Doncic cause we live in Dallas. That's it..that's all the sports she knows.

She wouldn't know RG3 from the man in the moon..but is obsessed with Chip and Joanna.

I wouldn't think people travel to a pair of grain silos and overpriced shiplap yet here we are.

Stefano DiMera said:

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You have to do the Mom test. Ask yourself how would your mom answer.

My mom knows Tiger Woods..Tom Brady..Steph Curry..and Dak Prescott and Luka Doncic cause we live in Dallas. That's it..that's all the sports she knows.

She wouldn't know RG3 from the man in the moon..but is obsessed with Chip and Joanna.

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Now do dad…

Your mom knows Willie Nelson. Dad doesn't know chip and Jo.

Or if they both do, it's only because of your BU connection.

And my guess, in 20 years it will be an "oh yeah" type memory.

Not the case for a heisman winner. Every teen that plays football looks that up at some point.

I know Billy simms for the same reason. That will never go away.

Dunham is bigger than chip and Jo.

Though more people know the name "chip and jo" than the name "Angela Kinsey", more people know the character "Angela" from the office than know "fixer upper"

You're not getting the concept of broad appeal are you?

Stefano DiMera said:

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You have to do the Mom test. Ask yourself how would your mom answer.

My mom knows Tiger Woods..Tom Brady..Steph Curry..and Dak Prescott and Luka Doncic cause we live in Dallas. That's it..that's all the sports she knows.

She wouldn't know RG3 from the man in the moon..but is obsessed with Chip and Joanna.

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Even if more people know who Chip and Joanna are than the number who knows who RGIII is, and it doesnt matter to me who has the higher name recognition in June of 22, every single other thing in my post still stands.

Ok..I didn't disagree or say anything on your other points.

Its all good.

Stefano DiMera said:

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#1. Willie is not an alum

#2 People don't fly from bum *** Iowa to Waco to see RG3 statue. They come for Magnolia.

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Gates, dell, and zuck aren't alumns anywhere either.

Nelson is as big in his craft as those are in theirs..

Nelson is a top 10 (worst case, 50) solo music artist of all time.

If you disagree, name 49 more….

Or even 10…

Stefano DiMera said:

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You're not getting the concept of broad appeal are you?

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Anything to say they aren't popular...even when they have massive popularity and it shows. The list is correct for Baylor.

Chip and Jo are easily more recognizable nationwide than RG3. It's not close and those that say differently must not travel much in the US.

Swart Dra said:

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Stefano DiMera said:

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#1. Willie is not an alum

#2 People don't fly from bum *** Iowa to Waco to see RG3 statue. They come for Magnolia.

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Gates, dell, and zuck aren't alumns anywhere either.

Nelson is as big in his craft as those are in theirs..

Nelson is a top 10 (worst case, 50) solo music artist of all time.

If you disagree, name 49 more….

Or even 10…

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I'll try. Long term history and future projection. Leaving out bands….Beatles. Stone's, U2, etc.

Elvis
Sinatra
Jackson
Madonna
Joel
Elton
Snoop
Parton
Beyonce
Brooks
Drake
Eminem

Who am I missing? Nelson is in the next tier.

Swart Dra said:

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Swart Dra said:

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Stefano DiMera said:

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#1. Willie is not an alum

#2 People don't fly from bum *** Iowa to Waco to see RG3 statue. They come for Magnolia.

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Gates, dell, and zuck aren't alumns anywhere either.

Nelson is as big in his craft as those are in theirs..

Nelson is a top 10 (worst case, 50) solo music artist of all time.

If you disagree, name 49 more….

Or even 10…

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I'll try. Long term history and future projection. Leaving out bands….Beatles. Stone's, U2, etc.

Elvis
Sinatra
Jackson
Madonna
Joel
Elton
Snoop
Parton
Beyonce
Brooks
Drake
Eminem

Who am I missing? Nelson is in the next tier.

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Interesting that you include Garth Brooks in the tier above Willie but aren't making a similar argument for him over Boone Pickens at OkieSt.

Mike Singletary, Gary Baxter or Matt Bryant...

But hey - it's on the Football Board.....if not, let's move this someplace else

It's funny how people will beat the dead horse & argue repeatedly about something do subjective. As we've seen over & over again with these kinds of lists, it's the opinions of someone who picked some names out of thin air from a narrow list. The term "famous" is not defined & it's not something that is always easy to measure. Also, at least one of those people is no longer living.

Swart Dra said:

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Stefano DiMera said:

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#1. Willie is not an alum

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Gates, dell, and zuck aren't alumns anywhere either.

Nelson is as big in his craft as those are in theirs..

Nelson is a top 10 (worst case, 50) solo music artist of all time.

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I know it's not the only measure of success, but I doubt Willie Nelson is a billionaire. And I'm pretty sure that he didn't create products that tens or hundreds of millions of people across the planet literally use every day. Not the best comparisons.

Besides Willie didn't just not graduate, he only was there a couple years then dropped out.

I would be more interested in a list of the most infamous alums from each school.

ABC BEAR said:

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I would be more interested in a list of the most infamous alums from each school.

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Allan Stanford would be near the top of BU's list.

And if the criteria is "attending" and not "graduating", then Tech gets John Hinckley and UT gets Charles Whitman.