Greatest athlete ever - Choose one.

[Keyser Soze]

Or write in your own.

My vote goes to Babe Ruth because he dominated as both a pitcher and a hitter, something no other athlete in Baseball has ever been able to accomplish. He remains immortal and is widely considered the greatest baseball player who ever lived. His only downfall is he never played against black baseball players who never got the chance to compete with Ruth.

[diceisgod]

Bill Buckner.

[Teenweek]

if he did not get hurt i would have said bo jackson. guess i will say jordan.

[nerdo5]

defintiely jim brown. other than being a great football player, he was an incredible lacrosse player. just a good all around athlete. plus he's a former saltine warrior, er... orangeman, and now he's a snazzy dresser.

[QuickStop]

abe vigoda

[Gooch]

"Do you have anything nice to say about Babe Ruth?" - Interviewer

"Well, yes. He ran fast for a fat man," - Ty Cobb.

[Galt]

Jack Nicklaus is not an athlete from what I know. The only thing I've ever seen him do is play golf. You might as well say that Michael Shumaker is an athlete

Babe Ruth: an athlete? Please

When I saw the topic, my answer was Bo Jackson. No question. He was a God. But he's not listed, so I'd have to say Jim Brown.

I hear a lot about Thorpe that he's probably the best athlete ever, but to be honest, I don't know much about him, so I can't really offer an opinion.

[2 tired 2 give N F]

Peter Jennings

[Hybrid]

gooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllll

[Keyser Soze]

The word athlete brings to mind pure physical prowless and instincts.

I should have been more specific and said greatest sports figure in terms of how they dominated their sport.

If asked who was the greatest athlete in the purest sense of the word, I would also say Bo Jackson. The man was a physical anomoly and if he stayed healthy would have been mind numbingly dominant in both Football and Baseball.

[GonzoStyle]

I would have to say Ali, maybe because I love boxing more than any other sport. But no one man in my opinion did more for a sport, and more for atheletes in other sports than Ali. The only person who comes close is babe ruth, I agree with galt though, while ruths skill was enormous, I never viewed him as an "athlete".

Ali taught athletes that they were their own best promoters, he taught athletes that instead of making thousands, they could make millions. Ali was more than an athlete, he was an icon.

But beyond that, the amount of "Wars" he went through, the amount of top name champions he fought, is mind boggling. He fought in his career, from 1964-1980: Sonny Liston (2), Ken Norton (3), Joe Frazier (3), George Foreman, Ingemar Johansson, Archie Moore, Floyd Patterson (2), Henry Cooper (2), Ernie Terrell, Jerry Quarry, Jimmy Ellis, Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks (2).

All of whom were champions, former champions, or top contendors.

He did all of this while also missing 3 and a 1/2 years of his prime career. From 1967 to 1970, ages 25, 26, 27, 28. Prime years for a fighter, yet he still managed to accomplish so much in his fabled career. He always defied the odds, and he set the standard.

Plus to watch him was not just to see a fight, it was like a ballet, the way he moved, the way in his 20's he was basically unhittable, moved like poetry. He was more than an athlete, he was a god.

[The Sleeper]

Jeremy Shockey

[The Jays]

...John Smith..

[GonzoStyle]

Jim Thorpe could have been the greatest natural athlete ever, if not for alcoholism. While he played in several professional sports. He was not a great nor even a good baseball player, he was a good football player. Naturally his medals were taken away cause of his participation in professional sports. All around Thorpe was one of the greatest natural athletes the world has ever seen.

Jim Brown was also an amazing athlete, his body was built for sport as is roy jones. These are people who were built to be sportsmen. Brown did so much with so little time, never showed any signs of weakness. Whenever the man was put down he always got up the same way with his shoulders up and head down, so people never knew if he was hurt or not. Kind of like how Mantle ran the bases, chin tucked down.

But my personal opinion still stands with Ali.

[fbd]

Jeremy Shockey

didnt see that coming at all

[GonzoStyle]

Since I mentioned others I should mention one more person on the list, Pele. While in america soccer is not as popular as it is in other countries. Soccer is trully the worlds sport.

Not only was he the best player in a truly world sport winning an amazing three world cups, scoring 1,282 goals (139 in one season), and average of about one goal a game (among other achievements), but has been a great ambassador for the game. He has brought popularity to the game in America, and has continued interest today in the advancement of the game. He was voted the South American player of the century in 1999 and in 1980. To ignore how heads above the rest he was is ignorant. His feats in soccer are comparable to someone hitting 60 home runs a season for the length of their entire career, or averaging a career triple double, etc.

[Keyser Soze]

Jesus Christ Gonzo, you are an encycolpedia of sports knowledge. If I didn't know any better I would have thought you were Bill Simmons!

[PeterDragon]

I should have been more specific and said greatest sports figure in terms of how they dominated their sport

Well, Ruth dominated his sport most. He hit more home runs than teams, and changed the way the game is played.

Ali wasn't so dominant as an Athlete (that is what made his bouts with Frazier & Forman so good), but he was a dominant personality. There probably wasn't anyone on earth who didn't know who Ali was.

It seems that other than agreeing with Gonzo there isn't much more to add here......

[GonzoStyle]

I just love the history of certain sports, which kinda got me to thinking. You have Ruth on the list and I feel kinda dumb defending all these people and saying nothing about Ruth. I don't feel you have to say much about The bambino, if I wasn't this big a boxing fan I would say Ruth in a heartbeat, the man was a giant and icon, almost a god.

But to have barry bonds on the list as well, brought me to a thought.

How could you leave off Ty Cobb?

From 1907-1919 Ty Cobb won a total of twelve batting titles in thirteen seasons. This has been unmatched by any other player ever to play the game. Throughout the entire decade he believed that .500 was reachable. Several times he would be in the middle of the season and hitting marks in the upper .400's. From 1910-1919 his lowest batting average was .368 in 1914. He stole bases almost at will with 96 stolen bases in 1915, 83 stolen bases in 1911, and four other seasons with at least 60 steals. He scored over 100 runs and had over 200 hits the majority of the time. The only seasons in which he wouldn't get either would be if he was injured a lot and was only able to appear in about 120 games.

From 1910-1913 Cobb hit an astonishing .385, .420, .410, and .390. Only one other hitter in history has ever equalled Cobb's back to back .400 seasons when Rogers Hornsby hit .424 in 1924 and .403 in 1925. Along with the great batting averages Cobb stole 261 bases, including 83 in 1911. He had a total of 818 hits and 829 runs scored and RBI's. In his 1911 season, quite possibly one of the best single seasons ever, Ty lead all offensive categories except homeruns. He batted .420, scored 147 runs, had 144 RBI's, and stole 83 bases.

Then in 1922 when Cobb was supposed to be washed up and old, he proved them all wrong once again by batting .401 on the season. In one of his final games Cobb added to his record by stealing home for the final times, a record that still stands to this date, most successful steals of home plate. Also striking out less than 900 times in over 11,000 at bats, which is a feat unto itself. Along with 4,191 hits, .367 lifetime BA, 892 stolen bases.

[Kim]

What about Wayne Gretzky, Jessie Owens or Willie Mays?? One could also make an argument for Martina Navratilova or Jackie Robinson...

I noticed you didn't mention one female in the poll...