Top 5 athletes of all time

North Lower Neil

This photo has been doing the rounds as it's Americans being Americans and forgetting the rest of the world (and Michael Phelps apparently) exist:



But how wrong are they?  At least 4 (I dont watch baseball so little idea there) would be in with a shout to be honest, but then it ignores so many others.

Who would you actually have in yours?

Messi?
Bolt?
Bradman (got to be better than Babe Ruth in a hitting things with a bat sport, surely?)?
Tiger Woods?
Federer?
Cory Gibbs?

BigRedEvil

Aneke? 

DaveMehmet

Bolt

bobmunro

Muhammad Ali
Usain Bolt
Michael Jordan
Michael Johnson
Michael Phelps

Clearly being called Michael gives you a head start!

philcafc

A highly predictable all American list with 3 who play sports that are only really significant in the US. Interesting too that Tiger Woods arguably more significant than any world wide isn't included.

BigRedEvil

Ronaldo and Messi should be in the discussion easily 

Lincsaddick

Mo Farah
Dick Fosbury
Cristiano Ronaldo
Floyd Mayweather Jnr
Alan Shearer

just a sample from a possible cast of many thousands

DaveMehmet

Lincsaddick said:

Mo Farah
Dick Fosbury
Cristiano Ronaldo
Floyd Mayweather Jnr
Alan Shearer

just a sample from a possible cast of many thousands

I wouldn't put Dick Fosbury on the list, he was a bit of a flop.

Manic_mania

Too many sports that are almost impossible to compare - a few names not mentioned thus far that could be in the mix (and tried to keep an international flavour apart from a slight bias )

Wayne Gretsky, 
Brian Lara
Steve Redgrave
Pele
Chris Hoy

hoof_it_up_to_benty

Jack Nicklaus has to be ahead of Tiger Woods.

Djokovic 

Messi

Jesse Owens

Muhammad Ali

AndyG

Muhammad Ali

Tiger Woods

Michael Phelps

Mike Tyson

Djokovic 

Imo Ali is miles ahead as he truly transcended the world of sport. The others are there by virtue of their domination of their respective sports

SuedeAdidas

Eddie the Eagle
Eric the Eel

SuedeAdidas

Terry Hurlock

killerandflash

Muhammad Ali
Don Bradman
Jesse Owens
Pele
Michael Phelps

RodneyCharltonTrotta

Carl Lewis a notable omission 

SomervilleAddick

This is definitely one of those things American have odd options about. I remember seeing a similar thing put together by fairly famous journalist - pretty much all baseball and basketball players.  The next week people raised there issues, and Jesse Owens and Pele were mentioned as far more significantly global athletes. His argument was that neither were real athletes because their sports did not rely on hand/eye coordination. 

North Lower Neil

SuedeAdidas said:

Eddie the Eagle
Eric the Eel

100% record of winning his races. 

Big_Bad_World

Impossible to say but some more, for me, noticeable omissions:

Jonah Lomu
Sachin Tendulkar
Valentino Rossi
Daley Thompson
Lewis Hamilton / Michael Schumacher
Phil Taylor

Fumbluff

Daley Thompson
Steve Redgrave

McBobbin

RodneyCharltonTrotta said:

Carl Lewis a notable omission 


First name I thought of, did it in a couple of sports

Cafcmunich

ric flair

sting

Hulk Hogan

Stephen Hendry

Eric Bristow

Macronate

Ben Johnson
Lance Armstrong 
Adrian Mutu
Any Russian athlete or Bulgarian weightlifter 
Diego Maradona

masicat

Ali
Woods
Bolt
Pele
Phelps

ricky_otto

Ali
Tyson
Michael Johnson
Woods
Phelps

MrOneLung

I think the list should be of people who transcend just sports fans and have had a worldwide impact 

my 5 today ( will probably change next week) in no particular order would be:

Muhammad Ali 
Tiger Woods
Ronaldo
Messi 
Usain Bolt

ThreadKiller

Brian Jacks

Fumbluff

Eddie the Eagle

Friend Or Defoe

Michael Phelps
Stanley Matthews
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Daley Thompson
Eliud Kipchoge

charltonkeston

Daley Thompson. Better than good at everything he did. 

EugenesAxe

Jocky Wilson

EugenesAxe

Martin Sangaard