MatsPhilander
Legend
Honestly thought Ovett was dead watching when he collapsed with chest pains.
Greatest athlete of all time
- Thread starter deacsyoga
- Start date
Honestly thought Ovett was dead watching when he collapsed with chest pains.
hollywood9826
Hall of Fame
I gotta get involved with this Bonds debate and I am glad to see someone else besides me understand how great bonds was. Bonds was a bit of an a-hole. Griffey was more marketable and Nike made him the wonderkid. So naturally he will be the guy that gets the attention.
Young Griffey hit more Homers and had a better arm than young Bonds. That's it.
When do people think Bonds started using roids? Is 98-99 when McGwire and Sosa started getting all the shine the agreed upon time frame? Bonds 93 season was better than any year Griffey ever had (probably 97). 90-94 Bonds was better than 96-00 Griffey minus the homers.
Bonds walked more and struck out less, hit more doubles and triples, stole more bases, hit into less double plays had a higher slugging percentage. That's is not even counting his 01 to 04 run which is the greatest stretch any hitter has ever had.
hollywood9826
Hall of Fame
A guy who rides a bike can not be the greatest athlete of all times.
I've seen Phelps throw a baseball. He is not it either.
Bo had a short career but prime Bo was the best athlete I ever saw with my own eyes.
Deion Sanders comes close.
Jordan was a better baseball player than most give him credit for and from the given list is my pick.
LeBron could be the best TE in the NFL. He is bigger, faster, and stronger than gronk. His hands are excellent, you couldn't win jump balls over him.
The way Federer runs could transition to just about any sport. I think he would have been an excellent baseball outfielder.
Now if we are talking single sport dominance. Its probably Bolt, Phelps, Jordan, Gretzky. In that order (of the poll options). Without Karelin its hard to take serious though.
I've seen Phelps throw a baseball. He is not it either.
Bo had a short career but prime Bo was the best athlete I ever saw with my own eyes.
Deion Sanders comes close.
Jordan was a better baseball player than most give him credit for and from the given list is my pick.
LeBron could be the best TE in the NFL. He is bigger, faster, and stronger than gronk. His hands are excellent, you couldn't win jump balls over him.
The way Federer runs could transition to just about any sport. I think he would have been an excellent baseball outfielder.
Now if we are talking single sport dominance. Its probably Bolt, Phelps, Jordan, Gretzky. In that order (of the poll options). Without Karelin its hard to take serious though.
r2473
G.O.A.T.
Just revisted the 1990's Griffey vs. Bonds stats. You guys are right, the edge goes to Bonds. He was better. The margin isn't huge IMO, but Bonds is better.
Obviously from 1998 onward, Bonds is much, much better. And Griffey was mostly hurt.
deacsyoga
Banned
OK maybe that is a hyperbolic statement, but I wouldnt have him top 25 after his now proven doping and loss of all his Tour de France titles, and I personally did not have him top 5 even before I started believing he was a doper (well before his admission and strippage of all his achievements post cancer) due to as I said being a 1 event pony. While the Tour de France is the most important Tour even if you gave say 3 points for a Tour de France win and 2 points for say each other major tour, I am pretty sure atleast 4 others would be over him. I am just baffled that today anyone can call him the best ever as you pointly just did. Before his admission and losing all his Tour de France titles I would have even strongly disagreed with anyone who said it, although atleast understood how one could believe it, but today, LOL! You are literally the first one I have heard say "Lance best cyclist ever" in years now. I remember a public list coming out that had him rated 7th best all time a few years ago, and nearly everyone who posted a comment ripped into the author/expert to shreads for daring to have him that high.
No he is not comparable to Barry Bonds which was your drawn parallel since in Barry Bonds case you can atleast argue it is pretty clear nearly everyone has been doping for almost a century now and thus he beat almost everyone in history both steroid for steroid and home run for home run. In Lance's case the most you could argue is maybe everyone has been doping in very recent times (and even that nowhere near as obvious as baseball), which would only prove he is better steroid for steroid than guys like Hamilton, Vinokourov, Ulrich, Landis, hardly all time greats of cycling.
There is no reason to believe any of the other all time greats, none who is someone Lance faced except Indurain at his end for a couple years when Lance was a nobody pre cancer and pre steroids, was neccessarily a doper.
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T1000
Legend
I would have Gretzky over jordan at least. You could make a solid argument for other players being better than Jordan (rings = Russell and a strong argument for lebron being better) #2 on the all time points list in hockey is closer to #10 than Gretzky. That's just ridiculous
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Where is Sebastien Loeb?
MarcusInKensington
Hall of Fame
Time for Mr Bolt to save athletics again. Hopefully he smashes drug cheat Gatlin.
MatsPhilander
Legend
Nobody looking especially impressive-Coleman looks to be the one to challenge him here. It is hard to rate him as the best athlete ever because of his lack of longevity-less than a decade of being truly world class & that he has been declining massively for 2-3 seasons & is done at 30. On the other hand he is going out still at the top rather than hangng around & becoming an embarrassment.
MarcusInKensington
Hall of Fame
I dont know what to make of the semi. Coleman looked impressive, but I felt like Bolt had him covered. Could be wrong though. Looks like age has caught up with Gatlin. Good!
Long jump final is getting very interesting. A human being jumping 30ft+ blows my mind.
Long jump final is getting very interesting. A human being jumping 30ft+ blows my mind.
MatsPhilander
Legend
Bolt proves he isn't as great as Lewis who won his final race.
MatsPhilander
Legend
Whoops, won it at 35. Bolt is done at 30.
MarcusInKensington
Hall of Fame
RIP athletics. Cheats prosper.
MatsPhilander
Legend
They are all cheats. Gatlin was just stupid enough to get caught.
Sysyphus
Talk Tennis Guru
Right on.
Krish872007
Talk Tennis Guru
Ouch, bit of a sour note to end on but what a career. What a legend.
Gatlin, at the age of 35, finally gets his win over Bolt - think he should call it a day as well.
Looking forward to seeing the presentation ceremony and the Women's Final tomorrow evening in person
Gatlin, at the age of 35, finally gets his win over Bolt - think he should call it a day as well.
Looking forward to seeing the presentation ceremony and the Women's Final tomorrow evening in person
MatsPhilander
Legend
He will probably call it quits after the 2020 Olympics. Still running at a ridiculously high level & lost out on a lot of golds to Bolt that he will now want.
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
Dodgy starting blocks ftl
Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil
Talk Tennis Guru
Cool gesture by Gatlin, bowing to the greatest.
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
5*
Krish872007
Talk Tennis Guru
Up to him of course, if he keeps his form he could potentially rack up a few more medals for the cupboard. But holding off Coleman and others will be tough.
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
And on that note, I think it is time for a Ronnie picture.
MatsPhilander
Legend
And on that note, I think it is time for a Ronnie picture.
Thought it was Maurice Greene.
Sysyphus
Talk Tennis Guru
In all seriousness, I wish Bolt and Gatlin coulda swapped this race and the 2015 Beijing 100m between them. Gatlin fumbled that one over the last few meters. That way, Bolt gets the legend's valediction he ought to have while Gatlin still gets his redemption for all the sanctimonious crap and boos.
Kinda weird to see that nearly all of Gatlin and Bolt's respective teammates have been caught breaking the rules at some point, ditto with nearly all the medalists of the past, yet this one guy who served his four years and came back to reach an insane level in his 30s receives all the boos.
In any case, this race won't define Bolt's legacy in any way, except for the grace he evinced when he finally was defeated.
/ramble
Kinda weird to see that nearly all of Gatlin and Bolt's respective teammates have been caught breaking the rules at some point, ditto with nearly all the medalists of the past, yet this one guy who served his four years and came back to reach an insane level in his 30s receives all the boos.
In any case, this race won't define Bolt's legacy in any way, except for the grace he evinced when he finally was defeated.
/ramble
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Vcore89
Talk Tennis Guru
And on that note, I think it is time for a Ronnie picture.
6x Mr. Olympia Dorian ''lat spread'' Yates with the Master Blaster Joe Weider
helennnnnn
Professional
Not gonna lie, enjoyed booing Gatlin at the stadium yesterday in person during the first round. Shame he won, I had picked Coleman yesterday as my second fave after wanting Bolt to win.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Retire with a loss or do not retire at all.
THE MAN
Professional
I got to meet Bobby Eaton a few years back. Really nice guy and soft spoken southern boy.5*
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
I like how Jim Cornette put it - ''Bobby is the type of guy that wouldn't say boo to a goose.''
MatsPhilander
Legend
Guy is hilarious-remember him doing a shoot interview many years back & him spending the entire time saying how uncomfortable he was & trying to kayfabe the whole thing.
deacsyoga
Banned
I hated yesterdays result and I am not even a huge Bolt fan. Absolutely cant stand Gatlin. Not just the doping tests, since I believe most sprinters dope anyway (even Bolt probably does) but his amazing arrogance even for sprinters standards, self entitled attitude, and no remorse for having failed 2 doping tests regardless if others might be doping or not. His gesture to Bolt was nice atleast.
Gatlin should absolutely retire on that note but he is not the smartest guy so I highly doubt he does, and more likely goes out struggling badly as a track grandpa in 2019/2020.
Gatlin should absolutely retire on that note but he is not the smartest guy so I highly doubt he does, and more likely goes out struggling badly as a track grandpa in 2019/2020.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
TheNachoMan
Legend
Lionel Andres Messi
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Today in 2023 the triple jump world record is 28 years old (Jonathan Edwards, 18.29m) and the high jump world record is 30 years old (Javier Sotomayr, 2.45m), and Mike Powell's long jump world record is 31 years old (8.95m). Clearly no money in jumping these days! [excepting DuPlantis as he uses a pole]
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Need more than a leap of faith to break the men's long jump record the past 55 yrs
Sentinel
Bionic Poster
If i remember it was with Bob Beamon before that, and stood a while.
Sentinel
Bionic Poster
End thread.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
1968 Olympics till 1991
Sentinel
Bionic Poster
Yes. Mexico. High altitude according to the critics.
