Greatest Sportsman?

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Another random thread by me.

Who are the best sportman of all time? (Yes, this is a motorsport forum so don't be biased)

My list

1) Don Bradman (test average of 100)
2) Pele (greatest footballer ever)
3) Jim Cark (in my view the best driver ever)
4) Björn Borg (would have beat Federer or Sampras in straight sets)
5) Stephen Hendry (Unbeatable at his peak)

[nicemms]

As I am a Middlesbrough fan I am biased so it has to be Brian Clough.

In terms of motorsport I don't know really.

[harvick#1]

Wayne "The Great One" Gretzky

[jim mcglinchey]

What? No Ali?

[Rollo]

Another random thread by me.

Who are the best sportman of all time? (Yes, this is a motorsport forum so don't be biased)

My list

1) Don Bradman (test average of 100)
2) Pele (greatest footballer ever)
3) Jim Cark (in my view the best driver ever)
4) Björn Borg (would have beat Federer or Sampras in straight sets)
5) Stephen Hendry (Unbeatable at his peak)

To use the same sporting categories:

1) Bradman - Naysayers may doubt this but Bradman had to compete in the era without a helmet (when the English were aiming for batsman), and had his career cut a lot short by the war.
There simple has never been anyone close since.

2) Gary Lineker - Pele has the goals but Lineker passed through the entire of his career without a card of any colour. He was captain of his country and was only one goal behind the all-time record for English goals.
For me to put forward an Everton player means that he must have been special.

3) Jacky Ickx - 8 Grands Prix wins, 6 Le Mans wins, a Bathurst 1000, a Spa 24 Hours win and a Paris-Dakar win. Ickx won in different disciplines and on different surfaces. Had circumstances been different he probably would have won an F1 WDC.

4) Rod Laver - Was world No.1 for seven consecutive years, won all 4 grand slams in a calendar year and did that twice.

5) Steve Davis - Whilst Hendry has won seven World Championships, "Interesting" has won six as well as six UK championships. I think he may have scored more centuries than anyone else possibly.

[millencolin]

Wally Lewis - Greatest rugby league player of the modern era. Made gaps out of nothing. one of the most observant players ever.

[555-04Q2]

Golf - Tiger Woods
Cricket - Sir Don Bradman
Soccer - Diego Maradona
F1 - Michael Schumacher
Tennis - Bjorn Borg
Cycling - Lance Armstrong
Track & Field - Carl Lewis
Basketball - Michael Jordan
MotoGP - Vallentino Rossi

[Schultz]

The thing about Donald Bradman is that he was the best. there can be no doubt about that. I heard someone say this, and it really stuck. If 1000 people were to be asked who they thought the best cricketer of all time was, 995 would say Donald Bradman immediately. The rest will pause and think before saying 'Don Bradman'. There is only one way to measure a sportsmans greatness, and that is comparatively with the cricketers in his era. He dominated them. His average of 99.94 looks like it could only be matched by one man. Mike Hussey. But still, noone dares to compare him with 'the Don', and there never will be a compareable name in cricket.

If someone can come up with a name of compareable greatness in any sport of any form, then I will be surprised. Sir Donald Bradman is the greatest.

[pino]

Giacomo Agostini
Eddy Merckx
Pele
Carl Lewis
Juan Manuel Fangio
Cassius Clay
Björn Borg
Henri Toivonen

[Rudy Tamasz]

Diego Maradona. He alone was worth a whole team and singlehandedly brought Argentina to the second place in the 1990 World Cup.

[oily oaf]

Muhammed Ali.
The greatest sportsman who ever drew breath.
He dominated the heavyweight division at a time when it contained many mighty ring legends such as "Smokin' Joe, Floyd Patterson, George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, Ken Norton and many more.
For me he will always remain "The Greatest"

[Storm]

Diego Armando Maradona & Ayrton Senna

[ShiftingGears]

Bradman - 99.94 test average
Tazio Nuvolari - "The greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future" -Ferdinand Porsche
Giacomo Agostini
Juan Manuel Fangio

[Rollo]

Diego Maradona. He alone was worth a whole team and singlehandedly brought Argentina to the second place in the 1990 World Cup.

Diego Maradona also was worth a whole team and singlehandedly brought Argentina to the final in the 1986 World Cup.

That's a courageous claim to make in the face of any Englishman worth his salt.

[AndyRAC]

Being Australian discounts anyone from being the Greatest....

[ArrowsFA1]

Stirling Moss?

Spoke up for his 1958 championship rival (Mike Hawthorn) who was facing a penalty & loss of points at the Portugese GP. Arguably Moss lost the title as a result.

[schmenke]

Wayne Gretzky
Lasse Viren

[Dave B]

Sir Jackie Stewart.

He won 27 out of his 99 Grands Prix, an astounding strike rate which brought him three World Championships.

But what is more impressive is the manner in which he went about it. He could have switched teams, he certainly had the opportunity, to ensure he was always in the best car. But he chose to remain loyal to Ken Tyrrell, and to Ford.

He also wasn't afraid to speak up on matters of safety in an era where drivers were expected to shut up and get on with the job, and even in "retirement" continued to push for better conditions - not just for the well-paid drivers, but also for marshals and mechanics.

As well as his undoubtedly amazing talent behind the wheel, JYS has proved to be a great ambassador for British motorsport and an astute businessman. His eponymous F1 team took a podium in its first season, and within three years had won a race - compare to the infinitely better funded efforts of Honda and Toyota.

There may have been better drivers, in terms of their pure raw ability. Prost, Senna and Schumacher could maybe lay claim to that. But taken as a whole, Stewart's career is amazing. Of course, Senna was taken before his time, and Schuey has only just hung up his helmet.

Greatest Sportsman means more than "just" being successful in one's chosen field - although goodness knows Stewart has had plenty to boast about. For me, JYS wins hands down.

[jens]

Eddie "Eagle" Edwards! ;)

[gadjo_dilo]

Don't know if she's really the greatest but definitely Nadia Comaneci is one of the most important sports personalities of last century. She was the first gymnast who was perfect and received a 10 and started a revolution in this sport. Her perfect performance at the olympic games from Montreal was one of the rare moments in history when man was superior to computer. Cos the software didn't take into account perfection and after minutes of difficulties had to display her mark as 1.00. :laugh:

[Sirius]

Bjorn Borg.

[Valve Bounce]

Johnny Coleman; when he flew, all the fans yelled "Johnny"

[Mark in Oshawa]

Greatest sportsman? Well, when I first read the thread title, I discerned at first that you would factor in sportsmanship as well as ability. I will take this tack for I want to just not say who the best is, I want the factor of class, modesty and ethic's to be factored in.

ok, first off Hockey: Wayne Gretsky (Bobby Orr was the greatest talent, and classy and humble, but Wayne did it in an era where media attention would have eaten the very private Orr alive,he is almost Greta Garbo like)
Baseball: Cal Ripken or Lou Gehrig- take your pick
Soccer: Pele, one of the worlds greatest men period
Motorsport: Sir Jackie Stewart for all the reasons Dave Brockman cited. Stirling Moss is an honourable mention, as is Elliot Forbes Robinson and Richard Petty, and on two wheels, Fast Freddy Spencer
Boxing: Ali, even though his personal ego and personality were at odds with the times, in the end, he will always be....the greatest.
Football (gridiron): Walter Payton, James Brown (tie)
Basketball: Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Larry Bird ( Jordan was the greatest competitor, but Bird and Kareem were also humble in their demanour and deeds. ) In 10 years, I may say Steve Nash...
Cricket: Bradman, but I will just say Iam following what I have read by my Aussie friends, since I am not up on cricket.
Tennis: Borg, class and domination in a way that Federer may eclipse but hasn't yet.
Golf: Tiger and Jack may be the greatest golfers, but for the true measure of commitment to the game and greatness, and honourable behaviour, I cite the little guy, Gary Player
Curling(for all you Canadians): Ernie Richardson
Cycling: Eddy Merckx. Armstrong may be the greatest, but there is a whiff of controversy about him that defeats his sportman's credentials.
Rugby: ....heck they are all gentlemen, so I say Jonah Lomu of NZ.
Aussie rules? hell I would be reaching on this one, so I will quit here, but Iam sure you Aussies can tell me, since I do love the sport when I can find it on TV.


My choices are after all, just my choices, and are based on a mixture of ability and class. I figured it was more interesting and more inviting of debate than just saying "the greatest player" ever in each sport. Sportsmanship in sport for someone who grew up on a curling rink kind of shaped my attitude. Curling, like golf and cricket, was perceived to be a gentleman's game, and I applied my lessons learned at the curling rink to my assessment of athletes (I used to be a suck when I didn't win in sports, being singled out as a fool in Curling cured me of it)

[Mark in Oshawa]

Two more sports I forgot, Track: Eamonn Coghlin, the great miler out of Dublin, and in rowing, a sport also near and dear to me, the great Ned Hanlon, who dominated the sport in the late 19th century and was pretty much undefeated over 11 odd years. Ned is Toronto's first sporting hero, and not forgotten unlike many other Toronto athletes I grew up finding out about, but Ned was a world figure in the burgeoning world of sport.

[Woodeye]

Muhammed Ali
Wayne Gretzky
Pele
Paavo Nurmi

Michael Schumacher
Valentino Rossi
...err and also (hard to say as I'm a Finn) Sebastien Loeb

and as a sugar in the bottom...

Matti Nykänen! :D

[Mark in Oshawa]

Nurmi? I agree althought Zatopek might be in the same class.

For a Finn though to say Loeb? No way, Tommi Makinien is greater IMO...or Ari Vatanen. Loeb is good, but just more recent, I wouldn't say better...