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Top 5 athletes of all time

North Lower Neil
North Lower Neil Posts: 22,943
in Other Football and Sports
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?

«134

Comments

  • BigRedEvil
    BigRedEvil Posts: 11,068
    Aneke? 
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,590
    Bolt
  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 20,841
    Muhammad Ali
    Usain Bolt
    Michael Jordan
    Michael Johnson
    Michael Phelps

    Clearly being called Michael gives you a head start!
  • philcafc
    philcafc Posts: 3,883
    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
    BigRedEvil Posts: 11,068
    Ronaldo and Messi should be in the discussion easily 
  • Lincsaddick
    Lincsaddick Posts: 32,345
    Mo Farah
    Dick Fosbury
    Cristiano Ronaldo
    Floyd Mayweather Jnr
    Alan Shearer

    just a sample from a possible cast of many thousands
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,590
    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
    Manic_mania Posts: 2,257
    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
    hoof_it_up_to_benty Posts: 22,435
    Jack Nicklaus has to be ahead of Tiger Woods.

    Djokovic 

    Messi

    Jesse Owens

    Muhammad Ali

  • AndyG
    AndyG Posts: 5,905
    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
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  • SuedeAdidas
    SuedeAdidas Posts: 7,733
    Eddie the Eagle
    Eric the Eel

  • SuedeAdidas
    SuedeAdidas Posts: 7,733
    Terry Hurlock
  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 69,839
    Muhammad Ali
    Don Bradman
    Jesse Owens
    Pele
    Michael Phelps
  • RodneyCharltonTrotta
    RodneyCharltonTrotta Posts: 14,827
    edited September 2022
    Carl Lewis a notable omission 
  • SomervilleAddick
    SomervilleAddick Posts: 3,575
    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
    North Lower Neil Posts: 22,943
    SuedeAdidas said:
    Eddie the Eagle
    Eric the Eel

    100% record of winning his races. 
  • Big_Bad_World
    Big_Bad_World Posts: 5,859
    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
    Fumbluff Posts: 10,122
    Daley Thompson
    Steve Redgrave

  • McBobbin
    McBobbin Posts: 12,051
    RodneyCharltonTrotta said:
    Carl Lewis a notable omission 


    First name I thought of, did it in a couple of sports
  • Cafcmunich
    Cafcmunich Posts: 209
    ric flair
    sting
    Hulk Hogan
    Stephen Hendry
    Eric Bristow
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  • Macronate
    Macronate Posts: 12,890
    Ben Johnson
    Lance Armstrong 
    Adrian Mutu
    Any Russian athlete or Bulgarian weightlifter 
    Diego Maradona

  • masicat
    masicat Posts: 5,008
    Ali
    Woods
    Bolt
    Pele
    Phelps
  • ricky_otto
    ricky_otto Posts: 22,600
    edited September 2022
    Ali
    Tyson
    Michael Johnson
    Woods
    Phelps
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,832
    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
    ThreadKiller Posts: 8,620
    Brian Jacks
  • Fumbluff
    Fumbluff Posts: 10,122
    Eddie the Eagle
  • Friend Or Defoe
    Friend Or Defoe Posts: 18,070
    Michael Phelps
    Stanley Matthews
    Mariusz Pudzianowski
    Daley Thompson
    Eliud Kipchoge

  • charltonkeston
    charltonkeston Posts: 7,358
    Daley Thompson. Better than good at everything he did. 
  • EugenesAxe
    EugenesAxe Posts: 3,282
    Jocky Wilson
  • EugenesAxe
    EugenesAxe Posts: 3,282
    Martin Sangaard

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