World of Sports: The Top 8 Sports Statues & Monuments to Visit

World of Sports: The Top 8 Sports Statues & Monuments to VisitStatues are monuments of human achievement. Craftsmen practice their entire lives to earn a statue at the entrance to a stadium, or in a public park. This is an achievement for the sculptor just as it is for the subject of the statue.Here are eight of the most eye-catching statues the world of sports has to offer:

Pat Tillman's Statue

Housed at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, this statue captures pure emotion. He played for the Cardinals as a safety and was played the majority of games in his first season. Compared to other NFL player statues, this statue holds the pose a photographer caught him in for the cover of Sports Illustrated, rather than a more typical, still position. The solid material that makes up his hair is worth special attention. One thing is for sure about this Pat Tillman statue: cardinals are lucky birds.

The Ty Cobb Statue

Any list of sports statues would be incomplete without mentioning Ty Cobb's statue in Downtown Detroit. It's color is stunning against the bright blue sky. This is one of the most famous Detroit statues in existence today.

Statues at Fenway Park

Each of the statues at Fenway Park have their own flair, and they are awfully inspiring. This 2010 sculpture by Antonio Mendez brightens up the stadium and inspires sports players and sculptors alike. Particularly worth of praise are the glasses one of the players wear. They have a nice shape and texture, as do all the bats each of them carry.

Hall of Fame Statues - Jim Brown

Football statues figures are worth their own study - the intricate placing of each limb is a difficult task. Many of the most famous statues in the USA are at the Football Hall of Fame. There are numerous rooms dedicated to showing off these works of art and keeping them looking their best.The Hall of Fame holds many bronze sports statues and busts. Few compare to the statue of Jim Brown. It is worth a trip to Canton, Ohio just to see how it shines in the studio lights. Jim Brown won more awards than even he could probably count, and played in the Pro Bowl every season he played. The famous bronze statues at the Hall of Fame are there for a reason - they're the best of the best.

A Staples Center Statues List

Many magnificent player statues stand outside the Staples Center, and there are a couple that stand above the others. One of the newest additions is an action pose of Elgin Baylor. The skill that this statue was made with is astonishing and inspiring. The color is bright, and the contours are stunning. The artist has made an effort to sculpt motion blur - showing the movement of Elgin's arm as he thrusts the ball upwards. Whether or not it works well, it's a stunning sight.Magic Johnson also has a spot outside the Staples Center. His statue is just as colorful and vibrant as the previous mentioned. He's won too many awards to count, and he's had two numbers retired from two separate teams in his honor.Chick Hearn's statue is its own brand of stunning. It looks like it's about to start talking - and that's how realism should be. He was the announcer for the LA Lakers and has been remembered for his iconic broadcasting style. Many don't realize that he coined many phrases we use every day: "air ball," and "slam dunk" didn't exist before him. If that doesn't deserve a statue, nothing does.

Don Shula

A list that includes football statues would not be complete without a mention of Don Shula's statue. He's shown held up by two players. The curves flow as if they're made of fabric. Don was the coach of the only undefeated season in NFL history. This statue grants fans the ability to reminisce over that iconic moment of the 1970s.

Warren Spahn

Famous US statues are a talking point among sports fans and sightseers alike. None more worthy of this talk than Warren Spahn's statue. After serving in the military during World War II, he won countless baseball awards, including more than 15 All-Stars as well as the Cy Young Award. He also was the inspiration for a very iconic poem by the Boston Post editor Gerald Hern - worth checking out.The only regret this statue could have is that it doesn't capture the subtleties of Spahn's kind, gentle face. Would probably get washed away eventually anyway, though.

Pat Summitt

Pat Summitt is a celebrated icon of women's sports. She played for four years before coaching for almost forty years. She stepped down due to early-onset Alzheimer's disease. A true loss for the sport, shown by the tournaments she lead her team (Tennessee) to and the awards she won for it. These include the John R Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in 2008 - given only to the best of the men's and women's coaches. She had a tough coaching style and was known to give players a cold stare when they played poorly. As her career went on, she calmed. She'll be remembered for years to come.Football statues and sports statues for sale can be hard to come by, but be sure to check out Big Statues to see what they've been cooking up lately!