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Who do you think is the Greatest Sports person of all time
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himerus
21-12-2016
Impossible to compare the different generations.
jra
21-12-2016
Originally Posted by Sick Bullet:
“Cricket and Rugby I don't know nothing about, although I used to watch a cricket little when I was a kid, Graham Thorpe comes to mind.”

Graham Thorpe was a great player, but IMO not in the same league as Donald Bradman or the other players I listed.

David Gower, Alan Border, Ricky Ponting, Graham Gooch, Clive Lloyd are other ones which spring to mind.
Johnbee
21-12-2016
I look at it another way.

What is the best sporting performance I have seen? It follows that is the best sportsman/woman I think.

Beckham in the match against Greece was the finest ever I think.
SULLA
21-12-2016
Originally Posted by himerus:
“Impossible to compare the different generations.”

Bradman was once asked, " Would you average nearly 100 in test matches today?" He answered, "No, but I am 82"
Originally Posted by Johnbee:
“I look at it another way.

What is the best sporting performance I have seen? It follows that is the best sportsman/woman I think.

Beckham in the match against Greece was the finest ever I think.”

On the basis of the one free kick that resulted in a goal rather than all those which didn't.

Beckham never allowed anyone else to take a free kick in the opponents half
johnF1971
21-12-2016
Originally Posted by Johnbee:
“I look at it another way.

What is the best sporting performance I have seen? It follows that is the best sportsman/woman I think.

Beckham in the match against Greece was the finest ever I think.”

A fine performance but it was a qualifier against Greece. If he'd done that in the WC final against Brazil or Germany then maybe.

Best performance I've ever seen is Usain Bolt in 2008 Beijing 100m final. Breaking the world record in the Olympic final with clear daylight between him and everyone else, despite the fact that one shoe lace was undone and he visibly slowed down to celebrate before crossing the line!
owen10
21-12-2016
Originally Posted by Pitman:
“unless it's Joe Frazier

tbh Ali and Robinson would probably be on a par if Ali didn't lose his best years, though of course Ali stands out because of his politics and the fact he was also the worlds greatest comedian ”

I dont think Ali and Robinson could be on par as one was a Heavyweight and the other was a Middlweight. So it would have been a bit of mismatch even after Ali was banned from Boxing and him losing his best years. And also you would not be able to compare the two boxers when they never fought each other in the ring
Carlos_dfc
21-12-2016
Personal sporting heroes:
Ayrton Senna
Marco Pantani - Cycling hill-climber extraordinaire
Alan Walsh - 100+ goals for Darlington FC

Though, realistically only Senna qualifies as a potential 'greatest ever'.
andy1231
21-12-2016
There is only one Greatest - The Greatest of course.
Keyser_Soze1
21-12-2016
The greatest fighters in the traditional eight weight categories (in my humble opinion).

Heavyweight - Muhammad Ali.

Light Heavyweight - Ezzard Charles.

Middleweight - Harry Greb.

Welterweight - Sugar Ray Robinson.

Lightweight - Roberto Duran.

Featherweight - Willie Pep.

Bantamweight - Eder Jofre.

Flyweight - Jimmy Wilde.
TheDevil666
21-12-2016
Roger Federer was the master of tennis. Jahangir Khan who won 555 consecutive games of Squash is a decent shout. Lennox Lewis came closer to boxing perfection than anyone else. Jacques Kallis was (almost!) the complete cricketer. Diego Maradona was far ahead, ability-wise, of anyone past, present or future. Oh and as Darts is classed as a sport (though I disagree!) I suppose that means Phil Taylor's supreme dominance for so long puts him in contention.

Very tough, but I would plump for Federer.
jra
22-12-2016
Originally Posted by pork.pie:
“Senna would have raced rings around Schumacher in equal cars.”

Quite possibly and of course if he hadn't had an untimely death. In a morbid way he did a lot of good for F1, as safety standards after that event were tightened up and improved greatly.
Beenbag
22-12-2016
Very subjective.
No one at the moment is matching two of my childhood heroes,being:-
Alf Tupper (Tough of the Track)
Roy Race (Roy of the Rovers)



What do you mean, not real, I read about them every week!
The Amazing
22-12-2016
Originally Posted by Turbulence:
“I'm more for Stone Cold Steve Austin.

He might only be joint 5th for number of world title reigns (6, along with Hulk Hogan), but he was in the toughest era for competition. Having to contend with the likes of the Rock, Brett Hart, the Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, Mankind AND Kurt Angle, and still come out on top time and time again.... man, that is some doing!”

Ric Flair would surely be the GOAT of pro-wresting.
Keyser_Soze1
22-12-2016
Originally Posted by owen10:
“I dont think Ali and Robinson could be on par as one was a Heavyweight and the other was a Middlweight. So it would have been a bit of mismatch even after Ali was banned from Boxing and him losing his best years. And also you would not be able to compare the two boxers when they never fought each other in the ring”

A welterweight actually.

It was not until the later years of his career that he moved up - much like Ezzard Charles was actually the greatest light heavyweight who ever lived (although he is more remembered now as a heavyweight).

As far as talent, worldwide impact, influence and personality goes there is absolutely no doubt that Ali was the greatest sportsman of all time.

By light years.
RedPants
22-12-2016
Carl Lewis has 7 individual Olympic golds in 3 different events across 4 games, in running AND jumping events to boot. Usain has 6 golds in 3 games in running only. Carl Lewis is a nob, but his achievements are better than Bolt's.
Keyser_Soze1
22-12-2016
Originally Posted by RedPants:
“Carl Lewis has 7 individual Olympic golds in 3 different events across 4 games, in running AND jumping events to boot. Usain has 6 golds in 3 games in running only. Carl Lewis is a nob, but his achievements are better than Bolt's.”

He has openly admitted using drugs - Johnson was just the scapegoat in the 'Dirtiest Race in History'.

There was a systematic and monumental cover up of positive tests in the American team at the time.

Just look at Flo Steroid - does anybody really believe that she went from just another runner to intergalactic super-sprinter running impossible times in a year (that no one has got anywhere near since)?

Because I don't.
jra
23-12-2016
One of the great cricketing bowlers that used to annoy me somewhat (apart from all the West Indian greats of the past; Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh et al) was Shane Warne because of being so damn good and getting English batsmen out all the time. Only a betting man (there's a joke in there) would fancy his chances against Shane a lot of the time.

And anybody that is into cricket will know what I'm talking about when I mention the Gatting ball. Shane was a lot about mind play such as the 'mystery ball', which by all accounts was just another ball of the same, but given a different name.
LakieLady
23-12-2016
Originally Posted by jra:
“Graham Thorpe was a great player, but IMO not in the same league as Donald Bradman or the other players I listed.

David Gower, Alan Border, Ricky Ponting, Graham Gooch, Clive Lloyd are other ones which spring to mind.”

I was a huge David Gower fan, partly for the apparently effortless skill of his batting - so elegant, and made it look easy. I wouldn't put him up there with Lara et al though.
jra
25-12-2016
Originally Posted by LakieLady:
“I was a huge David Gower fan, partly for the apparently effortless skill of his batting - so elegant, and made it look easy. I wouldn't put him up there with Lara et al though.”

He is in there IMO for precisely the reason you state.

http://www.radiotimes.com/tv-program...ide/series-1/7
rfonzo
25-12-2016
Originally Posted by jra:
“Graham Thorpe was a great player, but IMO not in the same league as Donald Bradman or the other players I listed.

David Gower, Alan Border, Ricky Ponting, Graham Gooch, Clive Lloyd are other ones which spring to mind.”

Shane Warne is the greatest spin bowler of all time, he could get into the Australian team now.

Michael Johnson is a credible mention as he is the only man to have won 400m and 200m double at the Olympics having smashes both records.

Roger Federer is a noteworthy mention, although he was most successful during the years 2003-2007. Once Nadal won Wimbledon in 2008, Federer dominance soon diminished. Since, Djokovic has now come to prominence and Murray is threat at the slams leaving Federer as an outsider to adding to 17 slams.

Messi and Ronaldo will both be placed in the top 10 footballers of all time.

Mo Farah will go down as one of the great track athletes of all time.

There are so many to mention. Look at the cycling candidates such as Wiggins and Hoy.
Tribec
25-12-2016
Originally Posted by Nova21:
“Don Bradman, bigger distance between his record and the next best than any other sportsman /woman”

It could be argued that Wayne Gretzky's point total and the distance between the nearest challenger is greater. The second place is now 968 points between him and the second place player in the NHL all time charts.

The Great One always deserves to be mentioned in these type of discussions, but rarely is over in this country.
Pitman
25-12-2016
Originally Posted by LakieLady:
“I was a huge David Gower fan, partly for the apparently effortless skill of his batting - so elegant, and made it look easy. I wouldn't put him up there with Lara et al though.”

seeing as he played in the era of Viv Richards, he obviously wouldn't be anywhere near the top of just his era, now there was a batsman, swotting sixes while chewing gum
Keyser_Soze1
25-12-2016
Surely Fraudley Harrison is the greatest heavyweight of all time?

Top three all time welterweights.

1. Sugar Ray Robinson (speed, boxing ability, power, iron jaw).
2. Sugar Ray Leonard (see above).
3. Thomas 'The Hitman' Hearns (speed, boxing ability, devastating power and the most lethal right hand in boxing history - just ask Roberto Duran all about that).

Cricket - Bradman.
Athletics - As a sprinter - Bolt and it's absolutely no contest.
Snooker - Hendry although O' Scummivan has a good argument as well.
Swimming - Phelps.
gemma-the-husky
25-12-2016
Originally Posted by owen10:
“This is so hard to choose as there are so many. So im going to do it in categories

Athletics, Usain Bolt

Basketball, Michael Jordan

Boxing, Sugar Ray Robinson

Cricket, Don Bradman

Football, Diego Maradona

Golf, Tiger Woods

Rugby Union, Richie McCaw

Swimming, Michael Phelps

Tennis, Rod Laver”

You got cricket and tennis right.

Athletics, I generally think Herb Elliott. Never beaten over a mile/1500
jra
26-12-2016
Originally Posted by Pitman:
“seeing as he played in the era of Viv Richards, he obviously wouldn't be anywhere near the top of just his era, now there was a batsman, swotting sixes while chewing gum ”

Viv (one of my sporting heroes) was the type of guy that didn't give a shit where the fielders were. He'd just hit the ball where there weren't any fielders. He was ahead of his time in terms of entertainment value, as this was long before 20/20 was 'invented'.
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