Greatest Athlete of All Time
- Thread starter M. Winters
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Cena's Little Helper
Mid-Card Championship Winner
No he wasn't mentioned, because golf's not a sport.
Erm, what other sport did Jordan succeed in? Because he sure as hell was nothing in Baseball.
How are you determining this? Because I'd love to find out your ridiculous formula as 'proof' that Jordan is a better athlete. Jordan failed at baseball, before coming back to what was clearly what he was good at: Basketball.
It doesn't matter what the circumstances are, Jordan left his 'sport' in his prime to try and play a sport that he had no business of playing. And it showed, as he was a poor player.
Soccer isn't top 5 in the US either, doesn't mean it isn't the most popular.
And BS hockey isn't a top 5. What sports are ahead of it? Golf? Tennis? Hockey and Nascar are pretty much even, with Nascar being more popular in the south and Hockey more popular in the NW/MW/NE.
ÐаÑбоÑа
doesn't know REAL wrestling...
World Championships... People care... A LOT MORE than they do about Cricket.
The 1.4 billion people in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India that virtually treat cricket as a religion would disagree.
In terms of global popularity, I would say that it is
1. Association Football
2. Cricket
3. Basketball
4/5/6. Rugby Union, Baseball or Field Hockey
FunKay the Inevitable
People Like Me, We Don't Play
The English seem to like it...
I personally find it dull and not very entertaining at all.
I personally find it dull and not very entertaining at all.
M. Winters
Lyrical Wordsmith
Even so, basketball is not the most popular sport in any of those countries.
How credible the source is, idk, but this article has it Soccer/Cricket/Basketball as the top 3.
http://www.sportingo.com/all-sports/a11587_worlds-top-most-popular-team-sports
http://www.sportingo.com/all-sports/a11587_worlds-top-most-popular-team-sports
Smooth Sexual Chocolate
Grapefruits of Wrath
Jordan takes the cake over Gretzky, there's clearly some blind Canadians in this thread.
If any of you think that Gretzky is a better athlete than Jordan outside the sports of Basketball/Hockey than your opinions are worthless in my eyes.
Standing up for Gretzky is one thing, but trying to pretend like he'd have a chance in any form of track and field or any other sport against Jordan is just asinine.
You have to take the all aspects of the word athlete into consideration, not just how many records one holds while skating around with a stick.
If any of you think that Gretzky is a better athlete than Jordan outside the sports of Basketball/Hockey than your opinions are worthless in my eyes.
Standing up for Gretzky is one thing, but trying to pretend like he'd have a chance in any form of track and field or any other sport against Jordan is just asinine.
You have to take the all aspects of the word athlete into consideration, not just how many records one holds while skating around with a stick.
If you are going all around athlete, then Shaq. Can Jordan do half the things Shaq has on that show "Shaq vs"? I doubt it. Gretzky is the greatest Hockey player to ever lace up a pair of skates. Jordan FOR NOW is the greatest BBall player to step on the court (Some people say Lebron may beat him.. I don't know) But by your standards for greatest Athlete, Shaq has done more shit in more sports.
Little Jerry Lawler
Sigmund Freud On Ritalin And Roids
You think Jordan would have had the success he had if Bird and Magic weren't there to totally revive basketball?
Little Jerry Lawler
Sigmund Freud On Ritalin And Roids
I could make the case that Magic Johnson was a better basketball player than Michael Jordan. Dare I?
Smooth Sexual Chocolate
Grapefruits of Wrath
He probably wouldn't have been able to make the game of basketball as successful as it was worldwide, but I don't think it would have made a difference to his overall success.
Smooth Sexual Chocolate
Grapefruits of Wrath
Shaq's reality show?
COME ON MAN.
I'm not taking anything away from Gretzky, he was great, the best hockey player of all time, but don't come in here talking about Lebron, at least insult my intelligence with Kobe, but Lebron. LOLOLULZZZZ.
COME ON MAN.
I'm not taking anything away from Gretzky, he was great, the best hockey player of all time, but don't come in here talking about Lebron, at least insult my intelligence with Kobe, but Lebron. LOLOLULZZZZ.
I aint no Lebron fan. Not by a long shot. I also think when talking about the "Best Ever" Kobe often gets shafted. I'm just going by the general consensus. Lebron brought basketball's popularity back to the height it was at in Jrodan's time. All the commercials, clothes, magazine covers. Everything. I mean shit, his "where will I go" thing got national coverage. ******ed, I know.
And by all round athlete, yes, I did say Shaq. Only because he's made an attempt at almost every sport now (including Golf and Nascar). Some of them he wasn't even half bad (football).
And by all round athlete, yes, I did say Shaq. Only because he's made an attempt at almost every sport now (including Golf and Nascar). Some of them he wasn't even half bad (football).
Smooth Sexual Chocolate
Grapefruits of Wrath
Shaq's was for a reality tv show.
Jordan is the best basketball player of all time.
He played professional baseball in between winning 6 NBA Championships, and was not as big of a failure as people like to say he was.
Jordan is also a very talented golfer, golf just being a hobby of his.
Jordan did all these athletic things while in his professional career, Shaq going out and dicking around for a day in front of a bunch of reality tv cameras is just a little different.
Jordan's dunking ability alone is a greater single athletic feat than anything Gretzky could do, and that's not a knock on Gretzky but just goes to show how athletic Jordan was, he wasn't limited to just being a great basketball player. People often wondered how he would preform in the NFL and compare him to Randy Moss as far as build and leaping ability go.
Jordan is the best basketball player of all time.
He played professional baseball in between winning 6 NBA Championships, and was not as big of a failure as people like to say he was.
Jordan is also a very talented golfer, golf just being a hobby of his.
Jordan did all these athletic things while in his professional career, Shaq going out and dicking around for a day in front of a bunch of reality tv cameras is just a little different.
Jordan's dunking ability alone is a greater single athletic feat than anything Gretzky could do, and that's not a knock on Gretzky but just goes to show how athletic Jordan was, he wasn't limited to just being a great basketball player. People often wondered how he would preform in the NFL and compare him to Randy Moss as far as build and leaping ability go.
Hockey requires some great hand-eye coordination. Considering Gretzky's one of the top Goal and Assist scorers, it's fair to say his H.E.C was quite high.
Baseball, like Hockey, requires a great deal of H.E.C. Even with Wayne never playing baseball competitively in his life, at least from what I know, it wouldn't take him long to catch on.
Also, if speed and jumping is apart of a 'great athlete' then Usian Bolt or Tyson Gay should be handed the title right now, considering they're miles faster then any of the guys mentioned.
Also, Dave Winfield was a Baseball HOF, drafted in 3 sports, even though he never played one in college. Certainly that means his athletic ability is higher then Michael's, no?
Baseball, like Hockey, requires a great deal of H.E.C. Even with Wayne never playing baseball competitively in his life, at least from what I know, it wouldn't take him long to catch on.
Also, if speed and jumping is apart of a 'great athlete' then Usian Bolt or Tyson Gay should be handed the title right now, considering they're miles faster then any of the guys mentioned.
Also, Dave Winfield was a Baseball HOF, drafted in 3 sports, even though he never played one in college. Certainly that means his athletic ability is higher then Michael's, no?
Smooth Sexual Chocolate
Grapefruits of Wrath
If your going to argue Winfield than you first have to argue Thorpe, but both get consideration, Michael did play two pro sports though, Wini only played baseball, though like you stated he "could" have played in others. Jordan did play in others.
As for track and field, Michael Johnson is certainly one of the greatest athletes of all time.
All thinks athletic have to be taken into consideration when talking about athletic ability, which is why I didn't choose someone who was simply a track and field star.
I could have gone with prime time, the only player to play in a superbowl and a world series.
I could have gone with Lance Armstrong, who arguably competed in the toughest sport of them all, and dominated the competition.
I'm very well versed in sports and know damn well what I'm talking about, and anyone who wants to put Gretzky at number one based only on his Hockey stats is just not seeing the whole picture.
As for track and field, Michael Johnson is certainly one of the greatest athletes of all time.
All thinks athletic have to be taken into consideration when talking about athletic ability, which is why I didn't choose someone who was simply a track and field star.
I could have gone with prime time, the only player to play in a superbowl and a world series.
I could have gone with Lance Armstrong, who arguably competed in the toughest sport of them all, and dominated the competition.
I'm very well versed in sports and know damn well what I'm talking about, and anyone who wants to put Gretzky at number one based only on his Hockey stats is just not seeing the whole picture.
Also, are we talking in their prime? Because if so, then yes, I do think Gretz could beat Jordan in a track race. I don't know if you ever skated before, much less in full hockey gear.. But if you take into effect the weight of the gear, and the ammount of cardio they do each day to stay in top shape.. The championship thing also.. I mean, you can be an AMAZING player, but if your team is not that great, you won't win shit. Jordan's team was great. They were a dynasty. But if you take away some of those top guys, do they still have those championships? Do they still win without Pippen, and Rodman there each year? That's why I was basing mine off of individual stats, rather then say NBA finals wins, or Stanley Cup wins. Also you mentioned that Jordan golfs. But so does Wayne. Hell he has the "Wayne Gretzky invitational" every year. Yes Jordan may be a better football player, or Baseball player. But Wayne may have him beat in Golf, Soccer, and Tennis. Now who is to say Baseball/Football is better then Tennis/Soccer. No one. Everyone has their take on which sport requires more of what. Could Wayne play basketball? Dunno. Maybe, maybe not. Could Jordan play Hockey. Dunno. Who's even to say that Jordan would do better at an actual contact sport? The game of Basketball is non-contact, while hockey you can practically break the guys neck (looking at you Bertuzzi). It's a tough call, and unless someone asked those men personally, no one here can say for sure who is the "greatest athlete"
He played Basketball at a Big 10 college, which I believe is a little more impressive then minor league baseball that Jordan had.
And where's your proof that Jordan is a better athlete then Wayne? Clearly both would dominate the other in their respective sports, but as far as a sport like baseball, where H.E.C is critical, more then anything for a hitter, and Wayne was given the same amount of time to get his game down that Michael had in the minors, I'm almost positive that Wayne would be a better ball-player then Michael. Speed would go to Jordan, but it's not as cut and dry for Jordan as you think.
And where's your proof that Jordan is a better athlete then Wayne? Clearly both would dominate the other in their respective sports, but as far as a sport like baseball, where H.E.C is critical, more then anything for a hitter, and Wayne was given the same amount of time to get his game down that Michael had in the minors, I'm almost positive that Wayne would be a better ball-player then Michael. Speed would go to Jordan, but it's not as cut and dry for Jordan as you think.
Mighty NorCal
SHALL WE BEGIN?
Probably Jim Thorpe, MJ, Deion Sanders, or Bo Jackson
