[Other Sport] Best sportsman / athlete of all time

[The Camel]

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

And this is how I find out Colin McRae died in 2007 Googled him after reading your post to see what he's up to now. A true great in his chosen sport and acompletely fearless driver. RIP.

 

[um bongo molongo]

So far ahead of anyone else who has played the sport (batting at least), it has to be the Don.

His numbers are ridiculous. I can’t think of anyone that far ahead of everyone else, in a sport where there are stats for 150 years, and over a whole career. The modern greats - Tendulkar, Lara, Sangakarra, Ponting, Kallis, Root etc are nowhere near him on stats.

 

[Pavilionaire]

For me the key ingredients are: physically supremely fit, dedication, multiple world champion, a global icon, the best in your sport in your era, a showman who can take the sport to a new level, longevity and - as a bonus - can play another sport to a high level.

For me Michael Jordan ticks all those boxes. To give up basketball when he was in his prime, step outside his comfort zone and risk it all to pursue a Major League Baseball career then to return to basketball as a better person and equally as effective and pick up from where you left off is incredible.

 

[junior]

Tom Daley.

 

[GoingUp]

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

Yes he was an unbelievable competitor and almost single hardly won games and championships, even injured and ill. Back when the NBA was a lot more physical too, he's the GOAT imo.

Although I would say guys like Ronaldo and LeBron are better athletes in terms of looking after and pushing their bodies to unreal levels and operating them at levels and standards normal guys of their age shouldn't be able to. I guess thats down to modern sports science and nutrition.

 

[raymondo]

Daley Thompson.

I dunno, I just keep agreeing with your posts today

 

[dazzer6666]

Thompson/Ennis and their counterparts miles ahead of single-discipline athletes IMO, the technical ability to be decent at 10/7 events, plus the fitness, concentration and endurance to do all of them in a couple of days is mind-blowing.

 

[GoingUp]

For me the key ingredients are: physically supremely fit, dedication, multiple world champion, a global icon, the best in your sport in your era, a showman who can take the sport to a new level, longevity and - as a bonus - can play another sport to a high level.

For me Michael Jordan ticks all those boxes. To give up basketball when he was in his prime, step outside his comfort zone and risk it all to pursue a Major League Baseball career then to return to basketball as a better person and equally as effective and pick up from where you left off is incredible.

As much as I love Jordan and is the GOAT basketball player imo and hero growing up, he was pretty bad at baseball and never played in the majors.

Bo Jackson on the other hand an All Star in MLB and NFL:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Jackson

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is an American former professional baseball and American football player. He is the only professional athlete in history to be named an All-Star in both baseball and football.[1] Jackson's elite achievements in multiple sports have given him the reputation as one of the greatest athletes of all time.[2]

 

[stewart12]

not necessarily the answer to the original question, but Usain Bolt is my all time favourite

in the super testosterone fueled world of mens 100m/200m running he absolutely dominated over the course of 3 olympic games.

A natural showman and entertainer, he often looked like he was barely even trying and set records that are going to be hard to beat

 

[Durlston]

Steve Redgrave

Especially as he had type one diabetes. To achieve what he has in the face of adversity he has to be right up there.

 

[Pavilionaire]

As much as I love Jordan and is the GOAT basketball player imo and hero growing up, he was pretty bad at baseball and never played in the majors.

Bo Jackson on the other hand an All Star in MLB and NFL:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Jackson

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is an American former professional baseball and American football player. He is the only professional athlete in history to be named an All-Star in both baseball and football.[1] Jackson's elite achievements in multiple sports have given him the reputation as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

I agree that Jackson is right up there too, although Jordan has not one but two comebacks, a couple of Olympic Gold medals while his Game 6 performance in the 1998 NBA Finals is the stuff of legend.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I dunno, I just keep agreeing with your posts today

You know your stuff

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Cassius Clay

Correct.

And here is an absolutely incredible piece of music. So joyful and so sad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofyeISIQHB4

 

[Durlston]

Rafael Nadal for me.

What a career and has never put a foot wrong in behaving badly. A model pro. Roger Federer had the smoothness but I think Nadal will end up with the most Grand Slam titles. Novak Djokovic will be always be remembered for the vaccination-gate row and he'll have to win Wimbledon in the next two or three years to overtake Nadal. Real pressure there.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Ali surely, People might not have agreed with some of his things out of the ring, but in it he was head and shoulders above all others, in my humble opinion.

He wasn’t head and shoulders above all others as both Norton and Frazier beat him in his prime.

 

[Questions]

Michael Foot

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

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!!!

Ali surely, People might not have agreed with some of his things out of the ring, but in it he was head and shoulders above all others, in my humble opinion.

These were the two I was going to post.

I have never been a boxing fan, but I can remember being transfixed by Cassius Clay literally dancing around Sonny Liston

And Ed Moses was untouchable!

 

[GoingUp]

I agree that Jackson is right up there too, although Jordan has not one but two comebacks, a couple of Olympic Gold medals while his Game 6 performance in the 1998 NBA Finals is the stuff of legend.

Absolutely, I love Jordan and had tons of VHS tapes back in the day! haha remember the NBA show on Channel 4 in the 90s?

 

[Half Time Pies]

The best footballers, Maradona, Pele, Messi have to be up there because there has to be some weight added to the popularity of the sport worldwide.
Some of the names mentioned on here like Redgrave and Bubka were dominant in sports that in comparison to football one man and a dog participate in! It got to be much more difficult to get to the top (and stay there) in a sport that 100's of millions of people play worldwide.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Geoff Capes