Community Corner

Ultimate Bracket: Round 2 Kicks Off

Your vote can help determine the most famous St. Louis Park resident.

Update: Round 2 voting has wrapped up. To vote in the current round, click .

Our field of 32 famous Parkites has been whittled down to 16 by your vote, and now it's time to thin the ranks even more.

Today through Sunday at 9 p.m., you can vote on second-round matchups in the "Ultimate St. Louis Park Bracket." You can see the complete, updated bracket here (NOTE: Voting is NOT done via this link...please scroll down to vote). For more on how the bracket works, click .

Find out what's happening in St. Louis Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Also, remember that anyone who posts a comment on this article will be entered into a drawing for a $20 gift card (if you've commented on a past Ultimate Bracket post, you're already entered).

For more of the Ultimate Bracket, be sure to head to our Facebook and Twitter pages for a little smack talk. And sign-up for our daily newsletter to stay up on all the results.

Find out what's happening in St. Louis Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Round 2 Bios: Orange Region

  • Al Franken (1 seed): A current Minnesota senator, Franken was born in New York but attended St. Louis Park schools from kindergarten through 10th grade. He is also know for his comedic career, which included two stints on "Saturday Night Live." 
  • Bobby Z (9): Bobby Rivkin, or as he's known on stage, Bobby Z, played drums for Prince and the Revolution from 1978 to 1987. He is also a successful producer and songwriter. Bobby Z grew up in St. Louis Park and attended Brookside School.
  • Peter Himmelman (5): Himmelman was the frontman for the band Sussman Lawrence. He has been nominated for both an Emmy and a Grammy. Himmelman was born in St. Louis Park and he met his bandmates while in .
  • Erik Rasmussen (4): Rasmussen played hockey for SLP, and in 1995, he earned the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award. He went on to play for the University of Minnesota and was drafted seventh overall in the 1996 NHL Draft. MNHockeyHub.com recently named Rasmussen the 62nd best player in the history of Minnesota high school hockey.
  • Steve Simon (11): Simon represents part of St. Louis Park in the Minnesota House of Representatives and lives in the Park. His impassioned opposition to a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage drew .
  • Mark Rosen (3): Rosen is WCCO-TV’s sports director, anchor and reporter. He graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1970—a year after he started working at the station.
  • Dan Wilson (7): Wilson was the frontman of the band Semisonic (known for the song "Closing Time"). He also contributed three songs to Adele's recent smash album, "21." Wilson graduated from St. Louis Park High School.
  • Joel Coen (2): Along with brother Ethan, Joel Coen has won multiple Academy Awards as director of films such as "Fargo," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "No Country For Old Men." Joel is the older of the two Coen brothers, and he graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1973.

Round 2 Bios: Black Region

  • Thomas Friedman (1 seed): Friedman is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who works for The New York Times. He got his start at The Echo while attending . He graduated in 1971.
  • Jeff Diamond (9): Diamond is a former NFL executive, having worked for both the Minnesota Vikings and the Tennessee Titans. He retired in 2004 as president of the Titans. He graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1971.
  • Jeff Passolt (5): Passolt is a TV news anchor with the local FOX affiliate. He was a hockey star at St. Louis Park High School and graduated in 1975.
  • Jim Petersen (4): Petersen is a former University of Minnesota and NBA basketball player who currently calls Timberwolves games on TV. He is also an assistant coach with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. Petersen starred at St. Louis Park High School, where he was Mr. Basketball in 1982, as well as the state's first McDonald's All-American.
  • Sharon Isbin (6): Isbin is a a widely-recorded classical guitarist. She also founded the Guitar Department at the Juilliard School. Isbin grew up in St. Louis Park.
  • Amy Klobuchar (3): Klobuchar is currently the senior U.S. senator from Minnesota. She previously served as the county attorney in Hennepin County. Klobuchar lived in St. Louis Park for a while in the 1980s.
  • Bob Stein (7): Stein played college football at the University of Minnesota, then played for the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL. At age 21, he became the youngest player to ever play in a Super Bowl when the Chiefs made it to the championship in 1969. Stein was also the first president of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1965.
  • Ethan Coen (2): Along with brother Joel, Ethan Coen has won multiple Academy Awards as director of films such as "Fargo," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "No Country For Old Men." Ethan is the younger of the two Coen brothers, and he graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1976.


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