Best sportsman to ever walk the Earth?

[shiznit]

Er... the fact that the entire Russian Olympic program was caught for systematic widespread doping??

And I'm not just picking on Russia.

I mean seriously... there's a reason why Flo-Jo isn't included in lists like this... despite holding insane world records that to this day can't even be touched...

 

[alien]

Rubbish! He was full natty brah! Just like Lance Armstrong!

 

[alien]

 

[Lemon Squash]

I'd like to hear Anthony Mundines highly respected opinion on this topic

 

[alien]

I'd like to hear Anthony Mundines highly respected opinion on this topic

anyone that doesn't recognize "the man" mundine as the best sportsman ever is just racist brah!

 

[roostersrule2]

Jarrod Croker.

 

[Amin Yashed]

Albert Rosenfeld only 2nd to the famous Rimmy Casti

 

[Parra]

Valentino Rossi

 

[Desert Qlder]

I never saw Bradman so...

Tiger Woods.

The most beautifully gifted golfer the planet has ever seen. Every part of his game was exquisite, and he stood a mile above every other player for a significant period. Cruelled by injuries and a healthy libido.

Regardless, he was near flawless for ten years in one of the most highly skilled and competitive of world sports. I know it is fashionable to ridicule Tiger these days but to me he was the best.

 

[DC80]

Yet you put Jordan and claim Phelps is in a niche sport....

Bradman remains about twice as good as any other player, over a hundred odd years of records. Phelps is the only one who comes close.

Best basketball player from (outside the USA) in 1940???? No basketballer should be mentioned. Talk about a niche sport.

Usain Bolt I can kind of go with, fastest man ever over short distance, but a, single discipline, could have done long jump, hurdles, but stuck to one event. I rated Daley Thompson higher. Phelps mastered many and was unbeatable when combining all..

No issue with the Fed, prefer Jack Nicklaus, but just because I think golf is harder, you essentially play yourself.

Bradman
Phelps
Nicklaus

You are dead right to say basketball is niche. How many places outside North America does it have a high profile? Very very few. Yes there are basketball courts everywhere, but it’s not played to a competitive level like it is in the US. It’s more a recreational game outside the US. The basketball league is over 75% African American, so it’s not only predominantly an American pastime, its even more concentrated than that.

I wouldn’t have swimming either as it too is very concentrated on nations where water based activities are common (predominantly nations with warmer climates). Plus there’s also the drugs angle, any power/speed based sports will always be suspicious. Also participants of such sports could never be labelled a “genius” for what they do is straightforward...so no Bolt either.

The US has by far the single biggest media market, most online sites etc, yet in the top 200 most popular sites the only North American sportsman on the list is Lebron James, a basketballer, who comes in at #196.

http://fanpagelist.com/category/top_users/view/list/sort/fans/page1

A sportsman that is great at a (predominantly) regional sport could never qualify for the greatest on Earth.

My three, two of which are currently active;

Messi
Federer
Ali

Messi, as he’s the greatest dribbler that’s ever played the world’s biggest sport, Federer, as he’s the greatest shot maker ever, Ali, possibly not the greatest boxer ever (many say Sugar Ray Robinson), but he’s close to it, was involved in two of the greatest fights, and outside the ring he’s the greatest sports personality ever.

 

[gUt]

I think it's worth separating sports like athletics, swimming, boxing etc and games like cricket, football and tennis.

 

[DC80]

Should have given a mention to Tiger Woods. Although not as successful as Nicklaus I believe he’d have past him but for the injuries that curtailed his career. Plus he’s an icon who made many people take up golf.

While not in the conversation of the greatest sportsman, I’d give Ronaldinho the title of the sportsman that brought the most pleasure to people. If there’s a sportsperson who looked to have enjoyed themselves more I’ve yet to see them. For a period of five years he made people smile at the ridiculous things he pulled off on a weekly basis, both with Barcelona and Brazil.

 

[Lemon Squash]

Should have given a mention to Tiger Woods. Although not as successful as Nicklaus I believe he’d have past him but for the injuries that curtailed his career. Plus he’s an icon who made many people take up golf.

While not in the conversation of the greatest sportsman, I’d give Ronaldinho the title of the sportsman that brought the most pleasure to people. If there’s a sportsperson who looked to have enjoyed themselves more I’ve yet to see them. For a period of five years he made people smile at the ridiculous things he pulled off on a weekly basis, both with Barcelona and Brazil.

He also enjoyed the donuts a bit too much the last couple of years

 

[footy75]

Michael Jordan
Tom Brady
Donald Bradman

 

[blue bags]

for boxing, manny pacman, his record, his longevity is unrivaled
i think he has won a world championship belt, in 8 divisions , like wow

 

[blue bags]

I think it's worth separating sports like athletics, swimming, boxing etc and games like cricket, football and tennis.

i think it comes down hard work,which ones worked harder, longer, all these greatest sportspeople have made lifetime life changing commitments, with a shit load of hard work, training, some were gifted, some was not, for some of them, it came easy, some others not

 

[blue bags]

Valentino Rossi

Wayne Gretzky

Kelly Slater

Brian Lara

some great sportspeople

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Great question..

Mines a process of elimination through the major sports, and random others that stick out. All I consider world sports, or at least regarded world-wide..

Cricket - Bradman without question
Soccer - Diego Maradona
Tennis - Roger Federer
Boxing - Rocky Marciano (no doubt debatable - but undefeated)
Motor Racing - Ayrton Senna
Darts - Phil the Power Taylor
Horse Racing - do horses count? If so.... hmmmm ... Winx.
Golf - Tiger Woods
Cycling - Bernard Hinault

Olympic Sports
Athletics - Carl Lewis
Swimming - Michael Phelps

"American Sports"
NFL + MLB - Bo Jackson.
NBA - Wilt Chamberlain
Baseball - Babe Ruth

There's probably a bunch of other sports and folk in there..

Down to 3.....

#1 - Carl Lewis.
#2 - Donald Bradman
#3 - Roger Federer

Carl Lewis won 9 olympic gold medals over 4 x Olympic games in both track and field (long jump).
Roger Federer - to be at the top of the Tennis world for so long, and still to this day in his late 30's, almost 40.. is unbelievable. And a sport that flies all around the world.
Don Bradman - to have stats that so far exceed the 2nd best and the rest is just phenomenal

 

[mozza91]

1 - Don Bradman
2 - Alexander Karelin
3 - Michael Phelps

 

[reanimate]

I tend to agree. For a sport I love so much, I consider Slater's 11 World Title Surfing Championships on the major feats in modern sporting history.

The waves aren't controlled by humans - it is nature. There's no fast bowler trying to take your head off, nor is there a 125kg forward trying the same thing.

Go for a paddle out to Teahupo'o (Tahiti) or Pipeline (Hawaii) and see what I mean. Not for the faint hearted.

100%, plus the arena in which he competes is always changing. No two waves are exactly the same, conditions change from hour to hour and day to day and different breaks are radically different to each other. Some surfers might excel at surfing rampy, punchy beach breaks, some might rip at point breaks, some are best at surfing the death ledges reef breaks provide- Slater could surf them all equally well.

He also excelled through a number of different surfing eras; he had the ‘90s power surfing routine perfected and once competitive surfing became an aerial freak show, he added an aerial game that was every bit as good as the younger surfers who came through after him (even better in a lot of regards). A lot of surfers from his original era were left behind in that change, he just kept getting better and innovating.