Locke has done a solid job of replacing the legendary Hot Rod

What, you might ask, could Ellsworth "Babe" Dahlgren, Ryan Minor and David Locke possibly have in common?

The answer — as you wonder who in the world "Babe" Dahlgren and Ryan Minor are — is that each of them were called upon to try and replace a living sports legend.

Dahlgren was the guy who took over for the beloved "Iron Horse," Lou Gehrig, at first base for the New York Yankees back in 1938. Some 60 years later, Minor was the rookie third baseman who replaced another "Iron Man," Cal Ripken Jr., in the Baltimore Orioles' lineup on the final day of the 1998 season after Ripken had played in a record 2,632 consecutive games.

And Locke? Well, he's that Energizer Bunny of sports talk radio who became the new radio voice of the Utah Jazz almost a year ago.

Locke faced the unenviable job — and inevitable comparisons — that came with replacing "Hot" Rod Hundley, who had handled the Jazz play-by-play announcer's responsibilities for 35 years, ever since the franchise's inception in 1974. Hundley, who performed both the radio and television duties before turning the TV job over to Craig Bolerjack in 2005, hung up his microphone following the 2008-09 season.

"When you're following a guy whose name, in December, went up in the rafters (at EnergySolutions Arena) and you eat dinner in his media center before every home game, there's a pretty constant reminder of the path that was written before you," Locke said.

"He's so big, so great and so important in franchise history, there's no chance to ever surpass that or even equal that. I mean, I'm not going to the Hall of Fame. In some ways, Hot Rod was more important to this franchise than John Stockton and Karl Malone. He taught Utah fans about the NBA, he's the guy that introduced Utah to the NBA, and with his career as a player and as an announcer, he was able to help validate the Jazz to players, coaches and fans across America.

"That's been done and that chapter is closed," the 39-year-old Locke said.

Locke readily admits that Hundley was his idol, the guy who Locke — a lifelong Jazz fan — told his dad he wanted to be when he grew up.

And although Locke claims he wasn't really overly nervous to sit in the seat formerly occupied by the legendary Hundley, he admits it took him a long time to get comfortable.