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Top 5 athletes of all time

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  • letthegoodtimesroll
    letthegoodtimesroll Posts: 10,615
    Philipiddes should be on of the list. His little run from Marathon to Greece seems to have stood the test of time. How many of todays athletes will be similarly remembered for their efforts ? 
  • SuedeAdidas
    SuedeAdidas Posts: 7,735
    letthegoodtimesroll said:
    Philipiddes should be on of the list. His little run from Marathon to Greece seems to have stood the test of time. How many of todays athletes will be similarly remembered for their efforts ? 
    Paula Radcliffe 😄
  • better red than dead
    better red than dead Posts: 491
    The greatest American athlete must be Jim Thorpe. Classic pentathlon and decathlon Olympic gold medal winner, played professional American football, baseball and basketball.
  • charltonkeston
    charltonkeston Posts: 7,358
    A real lack of cricketers on this thread, (may be a couple mentioned). When you look at the West Indies and how they totally dominated world cricket for over a decade they must of had at least one chap who deserves a mention. Richards, Holding, Garner, Loyd and many others. Warne for the Aussies, Botham, (cricket only) for us. All left a mark on the game.
  • sam3110
    sam3110 Posts: 21,249
    What is an "Athlete" anyway? Do you have to partake in athletic competitions? Old guys in weird socks walking around a country park, is there anything athletic about that?

    What about fat northerners in pubs lobbing tiny javelins?

    To me the top 5 Sportspeople of all time is a different list to top 5 Athlete of all time. Tom Brady is one of the greatest sportspersons of all time, no doubt, but he's not even the most "athletic" quarterback on his team
  • soapboxsam
    soapboxsam Posts: 23,229
    edited September 2022
    Muhammad Ali
    Serena Williams
    Usain Bolt
    Jack Nicklaus
    Pele

    Bradman, O' Sullivan, Piggott, Tendulkar and Phelps in a top ten; Michael Jordan possibly?

    Motor sports could have a contender ?

    They have all transcended their sport.

    Tiger Woods definitely would've replaced Nicklaus on that list but injuries and implosion in his private life has halted his GOAT status.

    Ronaldo or Messi could replace Pele when they finally quit.

    Only one woman but TBF females in the past had shorter careers because of starting a family.


  • McBobbin
    McBobbin Posts: 12,051
    How about Flo-Jo for a top female athlete? Still got the 100m and 200m records from 1988. Appreciate there are some questions marks e.g. the wind assistance for 100m but still impressively ahead of her time.
  • cafcdave123
    cafcdave123 Posts: 11,491
    Colin Montgomerie
    Stephen Hendry
    Gary Anderson 
    Tom Stoltman
    Stuart Balmer
  • PopIcon
    PopIcon Posts: 5,970
    Rocky Marciano
    Sir Don Bradman
    Michael Phelps
    Bill Russell
    Usain Bolt
  • blackpool72
    blackpool72 Posts: 23,667
    RodneyCharltonTrotta said:
    charltonkeston said:
    ThreadKiller said:
    Brian Jacks
    He presented me with a cricket medal/shield when I was at school. I was really surprised how short he was or maybe I was a big 15 year old and didn’t realise it. 
    I met him quite a few years later, he had a bouncy castle business, BJs. I hired one for my sons birthday 4th birthday party. We talked about his dips and squats on superstars. He came across as a nice guy. 

    Taught me judo as a kid in Orpington (well for the couple of weeks I was into Judo). 

    Can imagine a lot of disappointed stag dos in the 90s ordered BJs and it turned out not to be what was expected.

    Lives in Thailand now I think. 
    He does.
    Although he was back in Orpington a couple of weeks ago as I had a chat with him in Waitrose. 
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  • philcafc
    philcafc Posts: 3,883
    charltonkeston said:
    A real lack of cricketers on this thread, (may be a couple mentioned). When you look at the West Indies and how they totally dominated world cricket for over a decade they must of had at least one chap who deserves a mention. Richards, Holding, Garner, Loyd and many others. Warne for the Aussies, Botham, (cricket only) for us. All left a mark on the game
  • philcafc
    philcafc Posts: 3,883
    Can't put Warne above Bradman, the greatest batsman of all time and probably the greatest cricketer.
  • McBobbin
    McBobbin Posts: 12,051
    The correct answer is of course CB Fry, not least for his ability to jump onto a mantlepiece

    C. B. Fry - Wikipedia
  • Making_all_the_noise
    Making_all_the_noise Posts: 212
    Naming the best five sportsmen of all time is like naming the best five fruit and veg. It's beyond pointless. It's why Sports Personality of The Year is a BBC tragedy, not something that should be celebrated or humored.

    As for Babe Ruth, he's not going to get too much traction from Brits but he was phenomenally gifted. His technique at bat was pretty much incomparable, the steadiness of the swing for someone who could slug the ball is unmatched. He had a remarkable ability to pick up the trajectory of the ball very early, which allowed him to strike the ball far more consistently than other batters. He also had stats that suggested even as a pitcher he could have been a Hall of Fame contender. Only Shohei Ohtani can bat and pitch at an elite level in the modern game and his stats are not on Ruth's level.

    There is a reason you've all heard of Babe Ruth even though you don't necessarily follow baseball and it is well deserved. You'd be hard pressed not have him in the top five baseball players ever....whether he's top five sportsmen...jeez, leave it for the kids and desperate content filling sports news channels to debate that nonsense ;) 
  • Raith_C_Chattonell
    Raith_C_Chattonell Posts: 5,674
    There was a very large restaurant in Wapping called Babe Ruth's - seated 400.  It couldn't have been there for much more than 5 years.  Went the same way as the 70 million pound development of Tobacco Dock's shopping centre. 
       
  • Greenie
    Greenie Posts: 9,172
    The greatest sports Athlete?
    As Hemingway said ‘there’s only three true sports, Bull fighting, mountain climbing and Motor racing the rest are merely games.’
    I don’t know any bull fighters or mountain climbers so it has to be Carl Fogarty.
  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 69,840
    Who are the top 5 cricketers of all time? I'd suggest the following 3, but can't nail down the other 2

    WG Grace
    Bradman
    Sobers
  • Lincsaddick
    Lincsaddick Posts: 32,345
    McBobbin said:
    The correct answer is of course CB Fry, not least for his ability to jump onto a mantlepiece

    C. B. Fry - Wikipedia
    BUT .. how high was the mantlepiece ? .. and could he do a Fosbury Flop ?
  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 20,842
    killerandflash said:
    Who are the top 5 cricketers of all time? I'd suggest the following 3, but can't nail down the other 2

    WG Grace
    Bradman
    Sobers
    Viv?
    Keith Miller?
    Lillee?
    Kallis?

  • McBobbin
    McBobbin Posts: 12,051
    bobmunro said:
    killerandflash said:
    Who are the top 5 cricketers of all time? I'd suggest the following 3, but can't nail down the other 2

    WG Grace
    Bradman
    Sobers
    Viv?
    Keith Miller?
    Lillee?
    Kallis?

    Sam Cook. Giving Kent some whoopity at the moment.
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  • North Lower Neil
    North Lower Neil Posts: 22,945
    killerandflash said:
    Who are the top 5 cricketers of all time? I'd suggest the following 3, but can't nail down the other 2

    WG Grace
    Bradman
    Sobers
    Kallis and Warne are the greatest in my lifetime.

    As much as Lara is my favourite.
  • SomervilleAddick
    SomervilleAddick Posts: 3,575
    Tom Brady is, in my opinion, a perfect example of what wrong with this.  I’m a big Brady fan, no doubt the greatest QB ever. Definitely the best at what he does, but great athlete? He can’t run, he can’t jump and I doubt he’s very good a strength tests.  He may be excellent at throwing the football and the mental aspects of reading/preparing for games. But great athlete he ain’t. 
  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 20,842
    SomervilleAddick said:
    Tom Brady is, in my opinion, a perfect example of what wrong with this.  I’m a big Brady fan, no doubt the greatest QB ever. Definitely the best at what he does, but great athlete? He can’t run, he can’t jump and I doubt he’s very good a strength tests.  He may be excellent at throwing the football and the mental aspects of reading/preparing for games. But great athlete he ain’t. 
    Which is exactly why I listed five 'athletes'.
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,835
    McBobbin said:
    How about Flo-Jo for a top female athlete? Still got the 100m and 200m records from 1988. Appreciate there are some questions marks e.g. the wind assistance for 100m but still impressively ahead of her time.
    yeah, wind assistance is the only question mark ......

  • McBobbin
    McBobbin Posts: 12,051
    edited September 2022
    MrOneLung said:
    McBobbin said:
    How about Flo-Jo for a top female athlete? Still got the 100m and 200m records from 1988. Appreciate there are some questions marks e.g. the wind assistance for 100m but still impressively ahead of her time.
    yeah, wind assistance is the only question mark ......

    I'm wondering if it will ever be possie to work out whether the playing field is level due to everyone being on drugs or not? 1988 was certainly a vintage year for that, but as far as I know flo Jo was never caught
  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 20,842
    McBobbin said:
    MrOneLung said:
    McBobbin said:
    How about Flo-Jo for a top female athlete? Still got the 100m and 200m records from 1988. Appreciate there are some questions marks e.g. the wind assistance for 100m but still impressively ahead of her time.
    yeah, wind assistance is the only question mark ......

    I'm wondering if it will ever be possie to work out whether the playing field is level due to everyone being on drugs or not? 1988 was certainly a vintage year for that, but as far as I know flo Jo was never caught
    She was too bloody quick!
  • LenGlover
    LenGlover Posts: 31,651
    Greenie said:
    The greatest sports Athlete?
    As Hemingway said ‘there’s only three true sports, Bull fighting, mountain climbing and Motor racing the rest are merely games.’
    I don’t know any bull fighters or mountain climbers so it has to be Carl Fogarty.
    John Surtees did it on a bike and in a car.
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,780
    Big_Bad_World said:
    Impossible to say but some more, for me, noticeable omissions:

    Jonah Lomu
    Sachin Tendulkar
    Valentino Rossi
    Daley Thompson
    Lewis Hamilton / Michael Schumacher
    Phil Taylor
    The Doctor, Lewis, Schumacher and Taylor are all great sportspersons and competitors but athletes?
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,780
    McBobbin said:
    Edwin Moses deserves a mention, dominated his sport. 
    First name I thought of when I read the thread title. 
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,780
    Blackheathen said:
    This type of thread seems to pop up from time to time.  Surely no list of top sportsmen (or women) is complete without mention of CB Fry.  Best known as a classic England batsman he was also a top class sprinter and world record holder in the long jump - also a hurdler.  He played in a CupFinal for Southampton and - icing on the cake - played rugby for Blackheath and was named in a North v South game which was a sort of international trial.
    But could he do it on a cold Tuesday night…?

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