having a large enough participation for you guys.
But at least in cricket you'll be able to remember what you
did wrong... 
)
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Best Sportsperson In History?
Forums → Sports Talk | 105 posts
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Ok I saw the thread of "best Australian sportsperson" and it made me think, I wonder who the public consider as the greatest sportsperson of all time is. I know most people in the public would at first say Muhummed Ali but im sure that there are many others to consider(forgive me if i miss anyone) Pele, Bradman, Nickulus, Jordan, Tiger, Sorrenstam and Shumacher. A few thoughts of my own are that I beleive that Muhummed Alis acheivments are slightly overated, he was a great boxer and at least pound4pound top 5 in history but Ali wasnt the greatest fighter ever so he cant be considered as the greatest sportsperson ever, Ali is more of a legend, 30 years ago he was the most hated person in sport now he seems to be the most loved IMO thats what makes the legend of Ali. Annika Sorenstam is at a totally new level in here sport, she does things like no other has done before(even Tiger IMO), her strength phyically and mentally is something that has not been seen is golf before and I beleive that she has taken golf to the next level. Sorrenstam deserves to be considered.
However in my humble opinion I beleive that the greatest ever
sportsperson is someone that many Australians have never heard of
before, Roy Jones Jr. Jones Jr
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Roy, Agree with you on Ali - good fighter, but he played the race card too often for my liking. I rate Mike Tyson ahead of him for the record. You cant have golfers as sportsmen, bacause golf is a game not a sport. I'd nominate John McEnroe. He was the only reason I would ever watch tennis. A true craftsman rather than the sloggers who now dominate the game. McEnroe vs Borg was when tennis peaked. is so bad now its not worth watching.
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Roy Jones Jr, was and is a great boxer and could well be the best
pound4pound boxer in history.
IMO, Jordan, the guys ability to dominate a sport for 10 years
and still have every player in the game today always compared
back to him sums up how good he was.
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In no real order but some to consider (apologies for the omissions) -
Ali MM
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no one mentioned sampras yet??????
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butchy, by most accounts, Rod Laver was a better player than Sampras.
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butchy,
too plain, he was to boring
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Boxers can't be considered as the participation rate is too low. To be considered a champion sportsperson a decent percentage of the population has to have played the sport to allow for statistical likelihoods of players being the best.
Jordan likewise is discounted as such a minute proportion of the
population play that silly sport which excludes all but
physically handicapped freaks. Soccer players, athletes, swimmers, cricketers can be all considered because they command such a large international participation rate. I'll go with tennis and golf but on a conditional basis. Not that it matters though. Could also put in cycling. On that basis I think the top of all time come from this group
- Edwin Moses But the winner, not only statistically on his performance vis-a-vis all others in his sport (he's off the scale), but because he was also a state squash champion, good enough to beat David Cup tennis players at their game, and a scratch handicapper at golf. Bradman. No one comes close.
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Sheesh! I dont consider golf a sport, and for me cricket just barely makes it, and I would allow Bradman in here, but no one else was even close to his greatness. I'm a big fan of Michael Jordan, and I rate him with Bradman. Bradman would have been higher if he was a better bowler. He wasnt the greatest at everything in his sport. I also wouldnt count athletes, swimmers or any other athletic, technically non-sporting, people. Boxing is also something that is barely a sport, but hey I'm not going to argue with them.
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Not trying to start an agunment but Boxing is defently a sport,
its
One of the great things that I knew would happen when I though
about making this thread is that people would have a list of
great champions that I forgot about, I mean guys like Babe Ruth
and Spitz, these people are all amazing.
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Heather McKay is worth a look. Check out her record it is unbelievable.
That's if womens squash meets the criteria of a) being a
sport and
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I like Heather McKay being brought up - add Geoff Hunt to that. Not quite rating on the numbers front but there's no reason it couldn't...
Roy Jones - you love your boxing and that's great, but really
it's a war of attrition that only allows skill if you avoid a
hit to the important part of the brain... that's not
something I really associate with I have to say. Bang, you're
knocked out and it that's it. No come back. A bit like
batting in cricket I guess VJ, you contradicted yourself. No one comes close to Bradman yet then you say you rate Jordan with him. Jordan plays a sport less than a million people play seriously world-wide (seriously means you have to be requisite height to play in that silly league). Good sportsman, but no in his league. Obviously no Canadian input or we'd have seen Gretsky here. Apparently a stand-out in his sport, albeit one not taken seriously outside Canada. Any Sumo wrestling fans?
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I am in total agreement with Bradman based upon his ability to be the best at what he put his mind to. He was once beaten in a game of billiards by Lindstrum so built a billiard room at his house and practiced solidly for a year until he could beat Lindstrum in a return match which he did. If it is an athletes ability to excel in a number of sports I'd throw up Daley Thompson decathlete. Admittedly all were athletic events but he dominated for years in a sport where you had to excel in ten different sports. Dion Sanders and Bo Jackson who both played Major League baseball and NFL American Football back to back over many years.
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peanuts, i meant no one comes close to Bradman in cricket. you're ignorance of basketball is amazing, as being tall helps but being coordinated is far more important. Tall guys are only useful in one spot on the court and thats right under the ring. If they cant catch, bounce and throw the ball straight then they wont make it. jordan was 6'6" or something like that but his athletic ability and coordination was astounding. You will not see anything like it for a very long time. mind you i also think basketball is a crap sport. I played it for years and am glad i dont anymore. i also played a bit of cricket and consider it a lazy mans sport, and from my experiences those who generally played a lot of cricket and became good at it, were those that did not make it in other sports due to lack of athleticism, which is something i place very highly at the top of my list of attributes a great sportsman must have. i disagree with golf being a sport, it is probably one by technical definition, but my idea of a sport is one that requires a great deal of physical effort and skill at the same time. My idea of the greatest sportsperson is someone who excels at all sports.
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Ok if we were to break it down to sport or hobby (in some peoples
eyes for some sports), who wins in each sport
American Football - Montana (modern players elway/emmit
smith) Ok that is all I can think of off the top of my head, as always I am open to suggestions and knockbacks
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Wow, what a topic. Some great names being thrown around
here. On the F1 front I'm not a huge fan but how does Shoe cmpare to Senna. I keep hearing Shoe isn't worthy of doing up his bootlaces ?
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Senna for mine too 69'er. At least there was a bit of competition back then. The Shu isn't fit to suck the sweat out of Senna's day old racing undies...
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does fangio rank??
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Hmm, I posted last night but for the life of me it must have disappeared into cyber space...I know all that know me would think I would put 'God' aka Sir P Lonard as the best...but...
I said Jason McCartney... I vote that he has had a HUGE impact on Australians and people all over the world. The guy is a total hero. What a story.
*sigh*...unlike me to get all teary eyed at these type of things!
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SC,
you did post it but in the other topic Australian best sportsmens
oops..
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"troyfunz"
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aaghh alcohol always making great comments unforgettable or is that forgetable..
hmmm alcohol
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Michael Jordan
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Just like your cricket predictions Bob, short sweet, and wrong.
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Easy tie between Don Bradman and Michael Jordan. Jack Nicklaus runner up
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