08-18-2008, 11:58 AM
potthole Wrote:brytn Wrote:I don't think anyone is refuting the fact that he is a great athlete. I think the problem is that nowadays, we have to put a "best of all time" stamp on something we have seen.
Let me ask you. If Michael Phelps is, in anyone's opinion, the best athlete ever, did he supplant Mark Spitz? Or, or we as I think, jumping on the bandwagon of the Olympics. Three months ago if someone had asked any of us, "Who is the best athlete in the world?". I can pretty much guarantee that not very many people would have mentioned Michael Phelps.
In ABSOLUTELY no way am I diminishing Phelps' accomplishment, but...anyway you get my point.
Although I'm not one who thinks Phelps is the best athelete ever, I do consider him to be a better swimmer than Spitz. Spitz swam only two strokes, I believe, as where Phelps does 'em all.
So your saying he like to stroke everything??
Personally, I thinnk Jim Thorpe was the best overall athlete. He was very diversified in his sports; football, track, lacrosse..
He could do alot more than specialize in one sport.