poll: who is the best athelete that ever lived

kobe8fan · July 16, 2002 2:16AM

hope i didnt miss anybody

kobe8fan · July 16, 2002 2:35AM

i chose ali because the man could defete you with his mind right before he kicked your A55

BigShane · July 16, 2002 2:40AM

ass?

battier · July 16, 2002 2:40AM

1.ALI/BRUCE LEE
2.MJ

kobe8fan · July 16, 2002 2:42AM

bruce lee didnt think of him

ebok · July 16, 2002 2:48AM

I think bruce lee could kick ali's a55 anytime anywhere anyday!

kobe8fan · July 16, 2002 2:55AM

that would be a good fight to see

8kobe · July 16, 2002 2:59AM

umn didn't you forget some famous soccer player from South AMERICA? He was by far the greatest athelete in his sport. Has did things that no one else has and made a sport into life in many countries. Not just his own.
Know who i am talking about?

ebok · July 16, 2002 3:08AM

pele

THiTo · July 16, 2002 3:35AM

u forgot tiger woods

kobe8fan · July 16, 2002 3:49AM

tiger woods?!?!?! why him
why even that sport i could play it you just hit the ball and jump in the cart and try to get in a d@mn hole anyone any age could play that sport

as for soccer that is a sport with good athletic players i just dont know any

vittleboy · July 16, 2002 3:52AM

you didnt put tiger but you put dam lance bike guy on there.

THiTo · July 16, 2002 4:04AM

<< tiger woods?!?!?! why him
why even that sport i could play it you just hit the ball and jump in the cart and try to get in a d@mn hole anyone any age could play that sport

as for soccer that is a sport with good athletic players i just dont know any >>

u could play it? don't make such a stupid comment... if u could play it, why aren't u out there playing it? golf is not as easy as it looks... Tiger Woods is (soon to be) known as the greatest person ever to play the sport of golf... it's not just hitting a ball in the cup, and just like basketball is not just shooting a ball in a hoop, and just not like baseball is not hitting a ball with a bat... they take skill and golf is a very skillful sport...

CARDJUNKIE3 · July 16, 2002 8:51AM

I say the best to ever live was Jim Thorpe, he could do it all.

RepresentCards · July 16, 2002 8:56AM

the damn bike guy, Lance Armstrong is a pretty dman good athlete himself, REMEBER, the guy had Cancer, he had to fight for his life!! w/ that its physically and mentally draining!! Then he comes back to win the Tour de France!, a freakin, almost a month long race, everday, guy was out there giving it his all, i think thats pretty great not only athletically but mentally!

R*C

cpandeaz3 · July 16, 2002 8:57AM

lance armstrong iz a astronaut no an athlete

THiTo · July 16, 2002 9:04AM

<< lance armstrong iz a astronaut no an athlete >>

Lance Armstrong (the athlete)

YanksFan · July 16, 2002 9:12AM

Did you forget somebody? Rickey's gonna get mad, Rickey's gonna get really mad. Rickey's the man, everyoneshould know that by now. Rickey aint' old, Rickey still hasn't hit his prime.

Hope you know what I mean!@!@!

Rickey Henderson, probably the most prolific baseball player of ALL TIME! Look at the stats.

baird34 · July 16, 2002 9:20AM

you sure did forget someone...

Jim Thorpe... he was definetly the best complete athlete that ever lived, hands down.

Derrick · July 16, 2002 9:24AM

Rickey Henderson is definitely a future HOF'er, but he's not the greatest lead-off hitter of all-time like everyone says he is. They forget to mention Mr. Cobb...THE best lead-hitter realistically of all-time.

RepresentCards · July 16, 2002 9:24AM

next someones gonna say Dion Sanders or Bo Jackson, lol

R*C

nowitzki · July 16, 2002 9:27AM

Bo Jackson was greatness until he go hurt.

Belfan · July 16, 2002 9:28AM

I think some of you got it right. Somebody that can excel at more than one sport... NO, not Deion, I said excel, he stunk at baseball.

Jim Thorpe
Kirk Gibson
Dave Winfield
Bo Jackson

Many more I can't think of...

Just my opinion

JMAC · July 16, 2002 9:33AM

In my humble opinion...Jim Thorpe was the best athelete in the first half of the 20th Century. However...the best athelete I ever saw...in person...BY FAR! Bo Jackson!! Unfortunately, we all missed what would have been the first 2 Hall of Fame athelete of our generation. He has the highest "Yards per Rush" average in the history of Pro Football, 5.7 yards per carry. 0.5 yards better than Jim Browm, however, he was 500 attempts short of qualifying for the record. He is the only back EVER to score on three runs from scrimage of 90 yards or more. Jim Brown, Barry Sanders (who had three from 80 yards), Emmitt Smith, Eric Dickerson, Franco, O.J., (not even my all-time favorite running back, beloved Washington Redskin Larry Brown #43), Earl Campbell, Tony Dorrsett (one of 99 .5 yards)...nope...Bo Knows!!! Had he not been injured...he would have topped ESPNs list of all-time atheletes. Instead, a bitter-sweet memory of a man who no one, except fate, could stop!

His baseball skills were just beginning to emerge! Remember him leading off the 1989 All-Star Game (in which he was MVP) with a titanic 450 ft. blast of of Rick Reuchel? WOW!!! He also threw out Harold Reynolds at home plate, ON THE FLY, from the base of the outfield fence, in a game in 1989. He was SPECTACULAR!!!

Unfortunately, a very innocent looking sweep play to outside...a hard tackle in a Playoff Game against the Cinncinati Bengals...and that was it for Bo! He had hip replacement sugury and made a comeback attempt with the White Sox...but he was only a shadow of his former self.

Just my 2 cents...

Most UNDERRATED athelete ever??? SAMMY BAUGH!!!! Slingin' Sam!!! Held, or still holds, parts of six passing records. Many of his records stood for decades until Fran Tarkington and Dan Marino started breaking his passing records. Played the entire game, and was the first man on DEFENSE to ever intercept 4 passes in one game. A record equalled, but never broken. By the way...He is the NFLs All-Time Punter. Single season record of over 51 yards per kick, and lifetime record of over 45 yards per kick. And to top that...He competed PROFESSIONALLY in Rodeo and was a big star on the curcuit. In my humble opinion...he was the Babe Ruth of Pro Football...He just never gets any recognition for his accompishments. Oh, one more thing...The St. Louis Cardinals made him many offeres to play baseball, however, he turned them down because football was his love! He was one-of-a-kind! Hard to believe he retired 50 years ago!!!!

The only uniform number ever retired by the Washington Redskins..#33

Ok, who's next??? Let's hear some more great stories...hey, I like this!!! Take care everyone!!!!

sonicsfan · July 16, 2002 11:43AM

<< u forgot tiger woods >>

----------
yeah...
and u said any1 could play that sport... well not shoot a 65-70 18 round on Pebble Beach and all those nice courses... try playing on one yourself... it will be alot more difficult than your local golf course... heck, my unlce shoots a 75 on our local course and when he went to Anna Maria Golf USA in Florida, on the beach, this course was really hard... he shot like a 95 on it
and it takes lots of practice to be pretty good at golf

and also, heck, if any1 can play golf, than any1 can play baseball, basketball, football, boxing, and especially bike riding

also you forgot Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson

kobe8fan · July 16, 2002 12:06PM

added all answers people asked to see and added one of my own keep giving me ideas and top it for me cuz i wont as many votes as posible

cpandeaz3 · July 16, 2002 12:08PM

u forgot to put clarence weatherspoon on the poll......

kobe8fan · July 16, 2002 12:10PM

who is that???

vin · July 16, 2002 12:26PM

battier · July 16, 2002 12:26PM

dammm what about my favorite athlete besides jason williams for duke.....the real fastest mannn in the world michael johnson.......oh yeah 35 mph allll legs no steroids ...and he didnt just beat you he beat you by at least 5 seconds.....lol....yeah....remember he said this...

all gold...no silver no bronze

vin · July 16, 2002 12:28PM

Babe Ruth is the best athlete that ever lived in my opinion. But other athletes can compare, like Michael Jordan.
Vin

kobe8fan · July 16, 2002 12:29PM

you got a point battier how could i forget the fastest man in the world

cpandeaz3 · July 16, 2002 12:30PM

in bkb...u forgot: dion glover, chris mihm, juan howard, anthony cartr, and cherokee parkz.

battier · July 16, 2002 12:31PM

its aight man.......i forgot 2 ...until i ran in a practice track meet and ...thought about your poll....

kobe8fan · July 16, 2002 12:35PM

cpandeaz you still got some more of that crack from the other day????

JErik20 · July 16, 2002 1:15PM

I had to vote Bo Jackson. To me an "athlete" is someone who can excel at more than one sport. If Jackson would have concentrated on football, he would have been a HOFer, and the same goes if he would have concentrated on baseball.

Thorpe could be, but he was a little before my time.

To say Woods is a candidate for the "greatest athlete ever" is ridiculous. Dude is a phenomonal golfer, but golf takes VERY LITTLE physical talent, especially since they don't even carry their own clubs.

Armstrong is probably the greatest endurance athlete ever, but like golf, biking takes very little physical talent. It takes almost no coordination,fine muscle contractions, or skill to ride a bike.

Babe Ruth, while an amazing natural baseball talent, was an overweight, out-of-shape alcoholic.

MJ is a close second, just because basketball is a special sport which requires endurance, coordination, speed, size, strength, and brains

Erik

bjork73 · July 16, 2002 1:41PM

How about Babe Didrickson? She (yes... SHE) excelled in many many sports like Thorpe did and had to deal with being routinely persecuted and stereotyped throughout...

speaking of other very qualified women... how about Flo-Jo? Or Wilma Rudolph? Or Jackie Joyner-Kersee? Pretty soon we'll have to talk about Marion Jones too...

and this is a 20-year-old guy saying this... not all athletes have d**ks...

hakeem · July 16, 2002 2:08PM

I believe u are all forgetting a few AUSTRALIAN ATHLETES. Sir Donald Bradman is the greatest cricketer that ever lived. He averaged 99 runs a match. The highest average ever.
But since u guys are american someone else u may be familiar with is IAN THORPE, "THORPEDO". He has broken over 32 records for swimming Including the same record 8 times. Also the Commonwealth Games are coming up and Thorpe has added BACKSTROKE AND DISTANCE to his list of events.

SkiVermont3 · July 16, 2002 2:20PM

<< lance armstrong iz a astronaut no an athlete >>

thats NEAL ARMSTRONG, Cpandeaz, you FU(KING MORON.

bjork73 · July 16, 2002 3:58PM

Hmmmm... this poll is interesting... but would somebody add some women on here? Seriously

I already mentioned several...

NickM · July 16, 2002 7:49PM

If she had been a choice, I too would have voted for Babe Didrikson Zaharias. As it stands, I voted for Jim Thorpe.

Nick

THiTo · July 16, 2002 9:30PM

<< Most UNDERRATED athelete ever??? SAMMY BAUGH!!!! Slingin' Sam!!! Held, or still holds, parts of six passing records. Many of his records stood for decades until Fran Tarkington and Dan Marino started breaking his passing records. Played the entire game, and was the first man on DEFENSE to ever intercept 4 passes in one game. A record equalled, but never broken. By the way...He is the NFLs All-Time Punter. Single season record of over 51 yards per kick, and lifetime record of over 45 yards per kick. And to top that...He competed PROFESSIONALLY in Rodeo and was a big star on the curcuit. In my humble opinion...he was the Babe Ruth of Pro Football...He just never gets any recognition for his accompishments. Oh, one more thing...The St. Louis Cardinals made him many offeres to play baseball, however, he turned them down because football was his love! He was one-of-a-kind! Hard to believe he retired 50 years ago!!!!

The only uniform number ever retired by the Washington Redskins..#33

Ok, who's next??? Let's hear some more great stories...hey, I like this!!! Take care everyone!!!! >>

this is a man who knows what he's talking about... Sammy Baugh - what position DIDN'T HE PLAY?! the man was a legend in his day... i wasn't alive, but i have read MANY stories and caught up on my history... the fans of Washington must have been thrilled in 1937 to have such a wonderful player to watch... i only wish i could have seen him play...

<< To say Woods is a candidate for the "greatest athlete ever" is ridiculous. Dude is a phenomonal golfer, but golf takes VERY LITTLE physical talent, especially since they don't even carry their own clubs. >>

athlete - n : a person trained to compete in sports [syn: jock]

that's one definiton of "athlete"... and since golf is a sport, i would say Tiger fits that description to me...

Derrick · July 16, 2002 9:46PM

First of all, Tiger Woods is NOT an athlete. Golf is not a sport. Golf is a game. A sport can be a game, but a game is not necessarily a sport. Professional sports require sweat, baby. And movement. And skill. And some sort of intelligence (or at least, an understanding that makes people wonder how you do it). And you've got to mix all of it together in one package. And you've got to be breathing hard at the end of the game. And when you kiss that trophy, you had better be panting hard enough to fog up the silver, and wet enough to leave face prints. Not that a game doesn't require intelligence, or movement, or skill, or even sweat. But a game rarely requires all of these qualities, and never demands them all at the same time. Poker requires intelligence and skill, but not movement nor sweat. Freeze Tag requires movement and sweat, but not skill nor intelligence. And golf? Golf requires skill and movement, but not intelligence, and certainly not sweat. Golf is just outdoor pool, and pool's a game, no matter what you say. Golfers never breathe hard at the end of a game. Golfers only breathe hard when they walk to the next hole. Pro golfers don't even carry their own clubs. Jesus. And when a golfer wins a trophy or whatever, that trophy stays clean. Very indicative. I hear the tiddley-winks championship trophy stays clean, too.

Oh hell, now some representative for the Professional Golf Association (some dude named "Mitch") is on the radio, saying, "I call it the god-given sport. You don't have to be tall, short, strong, whatever. Anyone can play it!" Yeah, right. Never mind that it's one the most expensive games to play, and not a lot of poor or middle-class people are roaming public courses or private clubs. Real democratic, that golf.

Get real...golf is not a sport.

battier · July 16, 2002 9:57PM

thorpedo is nice as hell...but dont for get to add the williams sisters

THiTo · July 16, 2002 10:06PM

<< First of all, Tiger Woods is NOT an athlete. Golf is not a sport. Golf is a game. A sport can be a game, but a game is not necessarily a sport. Professional sports require sweat, baby. And movement. And skill. And some sort of intelligence (or at least, an understanding that makes people wonder how you do it). And you've got to mix all of it together in one package. And you've got to be breathing hard at the end of the game. And when you kiss that trophy, you had better be panting hard enough to fog up the silver, and wet enough to leave face prints. Not that a game doesn't require intelligence, or movement, or skill, or even sweat. But a game rarely requires all of these qualities, and never demands them all at the same time. Poker requires intelligence and skill, but not movement nor sweat. Freeze Tag requires movement and sweat, but not skill nor intelligence. And golf? Golf requires skill and movement, but not intelligence, and certainly not sweat. Golf is just outdoor pool, and pool's a game, no matter what you say. Golfers never breathe hard at the end of a game. Golfers only breathe hard when they walk to the next hole. Pro golfers don't even carry their own clubs. Jesus. And when a golfer wins a trophy or whatever, that trophy stays clean. Very indicative. I hear the tiddley-winks championship trophy stays clean, too.

Oh hell, now some representative for the Professional Golf Association (some dude named "Mitch") is on the radio, saying, "I call it the god-given sport. You don't have to be tall, short, strong, whatever. Anyone can play it!" Yeah, right. Never mind that it's one the most expensive games to play, and not a lot of poor or middle-class people are roaming public courses or private clubs. Real democratic, that golf.

Get real...golf is not a sport. >>

u amuse me with your intellectual posts...

sport Pronunciation Key (spôrt, sprt)
n.

Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
A particular form of this activity.
An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

----------------

Derrick, it's definitely NOT the most physical sport in the world, but it is a sport... when someone hits a ball with a club, that's physical... like i said, it's not the most physical, but IT IS physical... there are rules and it's competitive... i didn't create this definition so don't blame me... and another thing, golf is talked about all the time on ESPN... and yes, i would think that qualifies it as a SPORT... i really, once again, could care less what u think because i believe golf is a sport... and to me, that's what matters...

UofAWildcatFan · July 17, 2002 12:05AM

I'd say Bo Jackson was the best athelete that ever lived. Regardless of his short career he was simply amazing with his ability to a excel at 2 sports, not to mention the fact he was a fabled track athelete in college.

ILuvSportsCards · July 17, 2002 12:51AM

I voted for MJ, but here's my greatest by "sport":

Basketball- MJ
Baseball-Babe Ruth
Hockey-Gretzky
Football- tough decision but Sammy Baugh then John "TheComeback Kid" Elway
Boxing- Ali no doubt there
Soccer-Pele
Figure Skating- what the hell how'd thise get here this isn't a sport

ILuvSportsCards · July 17, 2002 12:52AM

Forgot these:

Track&Field-Michael Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersey
Biking-Lance Armstrong Not only is he a great biker, but he survived fu(king cancer man.

coachh · July 17, 2002 1:27AM

Two more thoughts.

1. Wilt Chamberlain - They changed the rules to deal with him. World class long jumper who dunked free throws before the rules were changed and you had to land behind line.
2. Bob Gibson - Another player who forced a rule change. He was also a very good basketball player who was good enough for the globetrotters.

Undertaker · July 17, 2002 1:29AM

biking: Eddy Merckx.. the greatest of all time..

Derrick · July 17, 2002 8:01AM

ThiTo, first off...if you could "care less" then why do you even respond to what I say? If you didn't care, then you wouldn't respond.

Next, I don't see where you can't understand the fact that golf is NOT a sport. Let's reveal golf for what it truly is. It is a game that is played by millions of people around the world. It can be played by young and old, fat and slim, and those in shape and out. Golf is clearly a game that is accessible to all people (provided you can pay the green fees). But is it a sport? No. Dictionary.com defines sport as "An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively." It is the first part of the definition that precludes golf from being a sport: "An activity involving physical exertion..." Unfortunately, I don't think there's a whole lot of physical exertion going on at the local golf club. Every time I drive by a club I see plenty of less than fit human specimens making the rounds. Golf carts, caddies, and the golf bag carriers that people roll behind them remove the majority of the physical (i.e. lugging a heavy bag for several kilometers) side of golf. In my books, if you can get off the couch after several years of inactivity and complete a round without breaking a sweat, it's a game. Golf is a mind game more than anything else. How can I maximize my drive? How can I use the wind to get the ball where I want it? Which club will do the best job for this situation? This places golf in the category of chess. I don't think that too many people would argue that chess is a sport. Give two people a chess set and tell them to walk through a meadow with it while playing and you've got golf. Ask the question sometime: "Do you do any sports?" "Sure, I golf." Armchair athletes, has-been athletes and never-were athletes can all proudly proclaim that they are "sportsmen" if they play golf. The older you get, the more seductive this becomes. You can't run, play basketball, bike or do anything else like you used to but, by gosh, you can play golf! You're still an athlete. Aging boomers are prime candidates for this argument.

Golf = NOT a friggin sport

poll: who is the best athelete that ever lived

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