Jump to content

Greatest Sportsman of All Time


Yank Mike

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 43
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Inspired by a statement about Muhammad Ali in the boxing thread.

His competition from the US would be Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Michael Jordan, and Hulk Hogan. Not sure about the rest of the world.

He was the greatest sports star, but Joe Louis was arguably a better boxer. 

Paavo Nurmi won 9 track golds,

Haile Gebrselassie broke something like 26 world records. 

Eddy Merckx was the most dominant cyclist in history. 

Michael Phelps won 8 golds in a single games. 

Don Bradman has arguably the greatest distance between himself and his rivals in any major sport. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's really hard to quantify this and so much of it is based on opinion. As dorlomin states above there are so many choices.

The phelps one for me is a good one. As a former swimmer who still watches all of the worlds/Europeans phelps' achievement is unbelievable and his dominance over swimming makes him the best of all time - the best sportsman ever, however, it's hard to put him up there. (I'm so excited for his return this summer - money on 3 or more golds.)

I just think it's so hard to quantify what makes someone the 'best ever' and it will never be definitive. Let's just enjoy the fact that as sports fans we can discuss and enjoy all of these incredible talents.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inspired by a statement about Muhammad Ali in the boxing thread.

His competition from the US would be Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Michael Jordan, and Hulk Hogan. Not sure about the rest of the world.

If you're putting Jesse Owens in there why not Carl Lewis. I'd also throw in another great from that era in Daley Thomson. A far better all round athlete.

ETA and you can't leave out Pele. The greatest star in the most widely played/watched sport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ali has a better record than Joe Louis simply because he fought at probably the greatest heavyweight era ever. Wins against 2 or 3 top 10 all time greats and over 30 high level wins is just incredible. The only ones who can be compared are Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson imo however for everything that he became outside of the ring he has to be no1 for me

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's always hard to say you've got your great sportsmen in every sport like Pele and Maradona in football Dan Carter in rugby and Dennis Coleridge Boles in Polo so it's tough to say who's the greatest sportsman ever but it could possibly one of the ones I've listed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ali has a better record than Joe Louis simply because he fought at probably the greatest heavyweight era ever. Wins against 2 or 3 top 10 all time greats and over 30 high level wins is just incredible. The only ones who can be compared are Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson imo however for everything that he became outside of the ring he has to be no1 for me

Robinson is the greatest boxer that ever lived, incredible career especially his heavy weight attempt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...