Who was the last "coolest man in America"?

Fee Republic ^ | 1/29/2011 | Krankor

[Krankor]

There was a time, maybe thirty or forty years ago, before cable TV and cell phones, where one man could be so impressive in his accomplishments and force of personality, he would almost universally be recognized as the coolest man in America. His field could range from medicine, science, sports, politics or entertainment. Since the advent of the internet, though, this is no longer possible. Who, in your opinion, was the last "coolest man in America"?

[Joe 6-pack]

Pat Tillman

[Revolting cat!]

Kewl!

[Revolting cat!]

[bobby.223]

Ah, ya gotta think of his number one gal, before the panty hose, circa ‘69 anyway...Suzy Storm. Oh my!

[jocon307]

Yeah, it’s Steve McQueen, absolutely. The epitome of cool.

James Garner is pretty cool too, but nobody’s cooler than Steve.

And nobody was ever hotter than James Caan in The Godfather.

[ckilmer]

Val Kilmer

[Paladin2]

Laconic is cool.

Paladin was laconic, just a century before Bullitt.

[jocon307]

Oh lordy how I loved that man, he was my first big super-crush. But I can’t count him as an American.

[jocon307]

“....it was more of a New York thing.”

Definitely, “Broadway” Joe Namath. I was born in ‘58, btw and didn’t know much about football (beyond that my dad loved it and my mother hated it) but I sure as heck knew who Namath was. Joe will ALWAYS be a star in NYC.

[Yardstick]

Wow, those are the best of the best!

[freedumb2003]

Google-fu: sometimes it really gets winners :)

[Mr. Mojo]

I figured my post would attract at least one FR Illuminoid.

[Liberty Valance]

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[Bodleian_Girl]

Name one actor today who has put their career on hold to join the military in order to pro- tect our freedoms?

If they did, they wouldn't get any extra credit from me.

[TotusTuus]

IMO, Ted Williams is still the coolest man in America.

Near absolute zero. Can't get much cooler than that.

[Liberty Valance]

[mastexas]

I thought Eaker had the watch?

[Dr. Sivana]

But I can’t count him as an American.

Why not? He was born in Queens, NY.

[Dr. Sivana]

He truly was the last “coolest man in America”.

Heck NO! I was a kid in Conncecticut. Not in the shadow of Shea Stadium, but close enough to go to games. Namath wasn't even big enough to make many kids into Jets fans! Kids were Dolphin and Raider and Cowboy and Viking fans. The old man would stay true to the Giants, standing outside burning tickets and whining to Mara. My big brother was a Johnny Unitas fan and remained so. The lowlifes were Jets fans, dropping security guards off the second deck. Namath? He was doing panty-hose commercials, WEARING the hose!

Eventually my own favorite team, the LA Rams, signed him. He was gone after TWO games in the regular season. He tried TV, I think the Waverly Wonders lasted maybe two seasons, barely hanging on, ranking Namath with the likes of CLifton Davis (That's My Mama) and Dwayne, Roger and Rerun (What's Happening!).

I'm glad you think he was cool. I grew up less than 100 miles from him, and the consensus in Connecticut was that he was a one-hit wonder, along with Zager and Evans. I'll stick with another New Yorker, Patrick McGoohan ... MUCH cooler. Longshanks would toss hose wearing Namath out the window.