[Other Sport] Best sportsman / athlete of all time

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Cheeky Monkey

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2003
23,871
Michael Jordan unbelievable numbers and led and dragged the team with him to win title after title. Alongside that is a global icon recognised all over the world

Also a complete ******** to those he deemed lesser than him, entitled, rude to people in the service sector, measly tipper, sexist dinosaur etc. That said, I’m a big fan of his sporting achievements, and 90% of people of his status are not without character flaws.
 










Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,114
Cowfold
Usain Bolt

A good shout actually. I'm not saying l agree with you, in fact l thin k it's an unanswerable question.

Safe to say though, that for me at least, it would need to be someone who is a top performer in a sport for individuals, not part of a team, someone who is/was totally responsible for their own actions, and not reliant on the help of teammates.
 


drew

Drew
NSC Patron
Oct 3, 2006
23,614
Burgess Hill
Ed Moses must be up there, unbeaten over 9 years, 9 months and 9 days.



Edit: that said, I've never lost a hurdles race in 60 years so maybe he's not all that!!!
 


Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,114
Cowfold
Also a complete ******** to those he deemed lesser than him, entitled, rude to people in the service sector, measly tipper, sexist dinosaur etc. That said, I’m a big fan of his sporting achievements, and 90% of people of his status are not without character flaws.

Think we are trying to find the best sportsperson, not the nicest.
 








Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,288
Withdean area
Wayne Gretzky, The Great One - for the best part of 20 years, a genius on ice, breaking countless records most of which still stand. All despite a slight frame and weight, in a brutal sport. Naturally creating time and space in the moment, unparalleled by anyone.

Ali - a man mountain with the agility and reflexes of a world class welterweight, a deceptively brilliant defence, master tactician, like Gretzky naturally operating in a different time and space universe to his peers. Cruelly robbed of 4 years at his very best by the US Vietnam war machine. On his return, facing great younger fighters who hadn’t had the handicap of lost career momentum.
 




A1X

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 1, 2017
20,544
Deepest, darkest Sussex
Eliud Kipchoge

Only human to run a marathon in under 2 hours
 


Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
Who also pissed off Hitler to gain bonus points.

In my time it has to be Pele...

Unfortunately most things, not least Owens own words, points to Hitler getting pissed off being a myth.

Owens himself said:
"Hitler had a certain time to come to the stadium and a certain time to leave. It happened he had to leave before the victory ceremony after the 100 meters. But before he left I was on my way to a broadcast and passed near his box. He waved at me and I waved back. I think it was bad taste to criticize the "man of the hour" in another country."
There's even been witnesses claiming they shook hands though you'd imagine none of them would admit it.

Roosevelt, on the other hand, didn't like him. "Hitler didn't snub me – it was our president who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram."
 


The Camel

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2010
1,525
Darlington, UK
Don Bradman.

I'm not a cricket fan (to say the least!), but when you compare his test average with every top player before and since, it's impossible to argue he wasn't the best ever.

A test average of 50 implies you are absolutely world class, one of the best of your genereration.

Bradman had a test average of 99.9. Nearly 40 runs clear of the second best. It remains the most eye watering stat ever in sport for me
 






Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,114
Cowfold
How about Dick Fosbury? an Olympic Gold Medallist who completely revolutionised the high jump with his unique backwards first method, forever called the Fosbury Flop.
 


Doonhamer7

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2016
1,454
Alan Wells, Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, Andy Irvine, Eric Liddel, Jackie Stewart, Jackie Wilson, David Coultard, Rhonda Martin, Eve Muirhead, Liz McColghan, Chris Hoy, Colin McRae, Jim Watt, Ken Buchanan, Rowan Alexander, Ted McMinn, Jim Baxter (just for doing keepy up in a game in 1967) And the best the man with the hardest shot in the world Hamish “hotshot” Balfour……………might detect a wee bit of bias in my nominations
 






PeterT

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2017
2,308
Hove
Alan Wells, Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, Andy Irvine, Eric Liddel, Jackie Stewart, Jackie Wilson, David Coultard, Rhonda Martin, Eve Muirhead, Liz McColghan, Chris Hoy, Colin McRae, Jim Watt, Ken Buchanan, Rowan Alexander, Ted McMinn, Jim Baxter (just for doing keepy up in a game in 1967) And the best the man with the hardest shot in the world Hamish “hotshot” Balfour……………might detect a wee bit of bias in my nominations

Hotshot Hamish is a good shout! As for the rest ……
 


BN9 BHA

DOCKERS
NSC Patron
Jul 14, 2013
22,684
Newhaven
Alan Wells, Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, Andy Irvine, Eric Liddel, Jackie Stewart, Jackie Wilson, David Coultard, Rhonda Martin, Eve Muirhead, Liz McColghan, Chris Hoy, Colin McRae, Jim Watt, Ken Buchanan, Rowan Alexander, Ted McMinn, Jim Baxter (just for doing keepy up in a game in 1967) And the best the man with the hardest shot in the world Hamish “hotshot” Balfour……………might detect a wee bit of bias in my nominations

The Scotland match can’t be exciting if you are posting on here. :wink:

Good shout for Newhaven’s own cricket legend Alan Wells :thumbsup:
 


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