Lew II
G.O.A.T.
He was #6 for the Ballon d'Or
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The 41 Most Dominant Athletes of the Decade (Big 3 ranked)
- Thread starter Fedbump
- Start date
Bender
G.O.A.T.
Yeah if this were the 2000s Fed would be the uncontested #1 of the lot, but in the 2010s it should be Djokovic at #1 or even Nadal depending on how much weight you put on his RG dominance.
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
Only reason people don't unanimously go Messi Goat goes by the name of Gonzalo Higuain, who's funnily now Ronaldo's teammateDo you truly believe that?It takes a little more than googling the scoring stats to judge who was a better performer, and we know which one is so much more than those numbers.
There is Leo, and then there is everyone else. As far as the last three decades are concerned at least.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
He made France world champions. An honour (to make his country world champions) that Messi (this year's Ballon d'Or winner and a total of 6 times winner) will never have in his lifetime. In short, oldies are going to old.
T
Tiki-Taka
Guest
They were teammates for a few years before that screw up too. Suspicious for sure...
The_Mental_Giant
Hall of Fame
Nadal secured already 159 Weeks at 1 in this decade.
The_Mental_Giant
Hall of Fame
Imo both Djokovic and Nadal should make top 10... Rafa was the most succesful mannin 2 slam venues... 8/10 RG and 4/10 US open and Wimbledon title too. 4/10YE1 is huge, and the fact that djokovic won even more speaka great of djoko performance and doesnt hurt Rafa one, with 13 slams and 4ye1 you would have been #1 in most of other decades. He also lost 4 finals in Australia and 2 yec, incouding USo and wimby finals (and we could even include 2018 wim sf as a final)
I would put djokovic in 3 or 4 and Nadal in ,6 or 7, Federer would be in the list but quite down. Other sports are overrated where 99%of players are american. Tennis is one of the 3 big world sports along Football and Basquetball, and even Basquetball is heavily american dominated, although with more players of the rest of the world in recent years.
The_Mental_Giant
Hall of Fame
Most people outside of the US dont give a damn about basketball . Tennis is way bigger sport globally, only football is bigger.
ForumMember
Hall of Fame
Lol Bolt at no 14??? I mean when I saw Fed at 4, ahead of Djokodal i didn't think it could be more funny but then I saw Bolt at no 14.
Make no mistake, Bolt has most dominant dominance on his field than anyone else ever had in his/her sport.
Make no mistake, Bolt has most dominant dominance on his field than anyone else ever had in his/her sport.
weakera
Talk Tennis Guru
Sport popularity has nothing to do with the premise of the list. LeBron is the only choice for most dominant athlete of the decade in the sports world. No one comes close to matching his level of consistency and excellence throughout the decade. He entered the decade as arguably the best player in his sport, will leave the decade holding the same distinction and never took a one second break. The Olympians can't match the same year-in, year-out dominance from 2010-2019, nor can anyone else.
As an aside, yes basketball is more popular than tennis globally and growing faster too. It is far more popular in China, Philippines and other far Eastern countries. Revenues and ratings support this.
dominikk1985
Legend
Yes. The writer is totally unqualified to make such a list. How is kershaw ahead of trout? And fed ahead of Djokovic? And why is phelps that much higher than bolt?
dominikk1985
Legend
I agree. Basketball is not egg football in being only popular in the usa, it is quite popular and among the top5 sports in eastern europe, germany, spain, greece and the balkan countries.
Lew II
G.O.A.T.
France won the World Cup, not Mbappe.He made France world champions. An honour (to make his country world champions) that Messi (this year's Ballon d'Or winner and a total of 6 times winner) will never have in his lifetime. In short, oldies are going to old.
Sport
G.O.A.T.
Cristiano (aged 33) scored as many goals (4) as Mbappé in the 2018 World Cup and playing less matches. Cristiano did not win the World Cup because Portugal is a weak team, but his individual performance was even superior to Mbappé, as he scored the same number of goals with a better ratio.He made France world champions. An honour (to make his country world champions) that Messi (this year's Ballon d'Or winner and a total of 6 times winner) will never have in his lifetime. In short, oldies are going to old.
Sport
G.O.A.T.
Mbappé won it as well as all the components of the French team. But that is not the point. Cristiano scored as many goals as him in the 2018 WC and played even less matches. So in terms of individual performance in the WC, Cristiano >>> Mbappé.
Lew II
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, no way Mbappe is the best in the world.
Only in his role there are Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Hazard, Salah, Suarez, Lewandovski, Griezmann, Sterling, Aguero...
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Yes, and Mbappe was instrumental in that win. Just how Messi should have been for Argentina. Alas, it is not meant to be for "the best" and an "oldie"
Lew II
G.O.A.T.
Send a letter to Ballon d'Or.Yes, and Mbappe was instrumental in that win. Just how Messi should have been for Argentina. Alas, it is not meant to be for "the best" and an "oldie"
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Lew II
G.O.A.T.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Lew II
G.O.A.T.
Impact is subjective, bro.Didn't realise that Nzonzi had the same impact on France's game as Mbappe.
I'm happy you think Mbappe is the best in the world. I disagree, and Ballon d'Or commision is with me.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Who got this baby (which, by the way, is the most prestigious title in Football):
Look here:
Lew II
G.O.A.T.
Who got this baby (which, by the way, is the most prestigious title in Football):
Look here:
Lew II
G.O.A.T.
@Tennis_Hands
World Cup is the biggest team award.
Ballon d'Or is the biggest individual award.
Mbappe won the World Cup with a team.
Messi won the Ballon d'Or alone.
Simple.
World Cup is the biggest team award.
Ballon d'Or is the biggest individual award.
Mbappe won the World Cup with a team.
Messi won the Ballon d'Or alone.
Simple.
Sport
G.O.A.T.
Congratulations. You won the debate.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
The repetition of your post shows that you are at a dead end, but it reminded me of something else. Since your argument was about the place of the oldies and you keep bringing up the rest of the France's team:
France was the shared 2nd/3rd youngest team at the World Cup in 2018.
On the other hand, Argentina was the third oldest.
Ouch.
Lew II
G.O.A.T.
This is an acceptable argumentation, unlike the previous.
kevaninho
Hall of Fame
Do you truly believe that?
There is Leo, and then there is everyone else. As far as the last three decades are concerned at least.
At least one of them has challenged himself going to England, Italy and Spain to play, which hes winning titles and accolades. Along with international honours.
Im pretty sure if Messi went to England, he would be half the player he is in Spain.
PMChambers
Hall of Fame
It's a typo, was meant to deciment. To win 1 in 10. Out of 40 Majors Fed got 5 or 1 : 8. That's better deciment than Nole or Rafa.
kevaninho
Hall of Fame
The repetition of your post shows that you are at a dead end, but it reminded me of something else. Since your argument was about the place of the oldies and you keep bringing up the rest of the France's team:
France was the shared 2nd/3rd youngest team at the World Cup in 2018.
On the other hand, Argentina was the third oldest.
Ouch.
It doesn't matter who was the youngest TEAM. You replied to the Ballon d'or comment, of the last 4 winners being over 30, with a caption of Mbappe LOL .
Once again, another pointless post.
kevaninho
Hall of Fame
He made France world champions. An honour (to make his country world champions) that Messi (this year's Ballon d'Or winner and a total of 6 times winner) will never have in his lifetime. In short, oldies are going to old.
And Griezmann was their best player in the WC. This is backed by stats, not just my opinion.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Actually, the debate was about "old" vs "young" in football, not about individual vs team in football, so, he lost the debate.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
And Griezmann was their best player in the WC. This is backed by stats, not just my opinion.
What stats?
Spencer Gore
Legend
Just another example of complete ignorance about sport among many Americans.
Breakpointerer
Legend
Lol come on now. You can't be seriously arguing that Fed was better than Djokodal this decade when he was clearly third best.
And that on a tennis forum, all the Europeans and South Americans want to talk about is soccer .. which the rest of the world has little interest in.
mehdimike
Hall of Fame
Honestly we - Iranians - love football as much as Europeans and South Americans.
And as far as I know most Africans and Asians are crazy about it too.
It's like the metric system in a way!!
The whole world minus the US follows it.
mehdimike
Hall of Fame
I didn't say you wereI'm not from the US
clout
Hall of Fame
IMO, the best male athletes of the decade are:
1. Usain Bolt (no one separated himself from the field more than this great man)
2. LeBron James (second most dominant decade by an individual player in nba history after MJ in the 90’s)
3. Michael Phelps (had it not been for his mini hiatus earlier in the decade, he could’ve been number one)
4. Novak Djokovic (most successful player in perhaps the greatest decade in tennis history; the Nole Slam was one of the decades best sporting achievements)
5. Lionel Messi (imo, he’s the football GOAT)
6. Cristiano Ronaldo (one of the GOATs of football)
7. Rafael Nadal (in any other decade prior to 2000, 2010’s Rafa would be the decades best tennis player)
8. Tom Brady (the most winningest QB of all time, and at 42, he never seems to go away)
9. Mike Trout (by far the youngest player on the list; Mike Trout at just 28 has dominanted this decade like very few before him)
10. Lewis Hamilton (certainly the greatest F1 driver of his gen, he may end up surpassing Schumacher’s records when it’s all said and done)
I’d like to hear everyone’s opinion on this list, just out of curiosity
1. Usain Bolt (no one separated himself from the field more than this great man)
2. LeBron James (second most dominant decade by an individual player in nba history after MJ in the 90’s)
3. Michael Phelps (had it not been for his mini hiatus earlier in the decade, he could’ve been number one)
4. Novak Djokovic (most successful player in perhaps the greatest decade in tennis history; the Nole Slam was one of the decades best sporting achievements)
5. Lionel Messi (imo, he’s the football GOAT)
6. Cristiano Ronaldo (one of the GOATs of football)
7. Rafael Nadal (in any other decade prior to 2000, 2010’s Rafa would be the decades best tennis player)
8. Tom Brady (the most winningest QB of all time, and at 42, he never seems to go away)
9. Mike Trout (by far the youngest player on the list; Mike Trout at just 28 has dominanted this decade like very few before him)
10. Lewis Hamilton (certainly the greatest F1 driver of his gen, he may end up surpassing Schumacher’s records when it’s all said and done)
I’d like to hear everyone’s opinion on this list, just out of curiosity
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Tennis_Hands
Banned
It is part of the the same argumentation. It is just you, who derailed the topic with unnecessary bickering about personal rewards in a team sport.
Tenacity
Hall of Fame
Would you be upset or care if it was the opposite for previous decade of this century?
Imagine putting Federer at #4 and in front of Nadal or Djokovic in 2010-2019 time period.
T
Tiki-Taka
Guest
La Pulga is way too loyal to his home to be bothered by some arbitrary challengers from the doubters. Besides, he actually did more damage against the best English teams than that other one guy, despite never playing in England himself.
If you believe so. He flourished under enough different systems in one place for me to think otherwise.
For me, although I have very little interest in the Olympics, it's:
1. Bolt
2. Phelps
End of list.
Those two men dominated their popular respective sports for the decade. If you have two or more people from the same sport, then no-one dominated. If it's a team sport, then they have to basically carry their team and win everything. I don't really follow basketball, but perhaps James could sneak into third sport, but that's about it. Including anyone else means you aren't really taking about domination.
1. Bolt
2. Phelps
End of list.
Those two men dominated their popular respective sports for the decade. If you have two or more people from the same sport, then no-one dominated. If it's a team sport, then they have to basically carry their team and win everything. I don't really follow basketball, but perhaps James could sneak into third sport, but that's about it. Including anyone else means you aren't really taking about domination.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Football is a team sport, so that is pretty much the most important thing. It is not my fault that Lew brings in highly irrelevant argument to make a point in the old vs young debate, and it is even less my fault that you and others like to troll here by supporting him, just because I am the other side of the argument. If you can't think for yourself, don't intervene in my debates.
I agree with most of your points. What I find even stranger while talking about dominance is how dominantly US Professional Leagues are present is almost all of those lists.
1) They are all team sports of course
2) They are all niche sports except maybe Basketball without global significance.
Any Chinese or South-East Asian Table Tennis or Badminton league or some winter sports only practiced in countries with much snow could be there with the same right.
And I don’t mean that as an offense to any fan of American Football or so, but how can anyone talk about this as a serious international sport with top athletes comparable to Bolt or Phelps?
If we look at Sporcle (an otherwise great quiz site), most quizzes about “general sports” have like 5 questions: One about NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA and then one about "everything else".
That really is a bit silly. We have various codes of football here and a few dominant players, one who was mentioned in another thread who dominated one codes, then switched a dominated another. We have race car drivers who dominate locally, but they don't belong on a list with Bolt.
Bolt competed in the most basic of all sporting events, which every able bodied person on the planet has the opportunity to participate in. The 100 and 200 metre sprints are usually decided by hundreds of a second and high definition photograph finishes. This guy repeatedly turned up and blew the competition away, starting his party 10 metres before the finish and still setting world records.
I really have no interest in track and field, but what he did was dominate. Pure and simple. No-one else comes close.
