Greatest athlete of modern times

DaddyFlip said:
Exactly! @HankBuck retract your statements.
Click to expand...
your right - accusations without any confirmed proof or evidence mean nothing and the press often likes to take down “Stars”. I enjoyed watching him play and especially that play where he drove Bozworth into the end zone. Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo Jo) also has faced the same rumors because her Women's 100 & 200 meter dash World Records still stand —40 years later. I guess some people are born with GIFTS
 
What, no golfers? Arnie, Jack, Lee maybe Bobby Jones?
 
Safari Dave said:
I'd dare any soccer player to step into an octogon or boxing ring.

I would bet that Bo Jackson could have been good at anything when he was in his prime.


A cyclist in the octagon would be sight to see!
Click to expand...
But the octogon isn’t the ultimate test of athleticism. Toughness yes. The greatest fighter in the world would be run off a soccer field or basketball court by a good high school player.
 
Safari Dave said:
I'm also thinking Bo Jackson, but Deion Sanders was faster...

I don't think any mountaineer will ever be more accomplished than Reinhold Messner.

Ted Williams was one of the best baseball players who has ever lived, but I think it was more of a combination between his almost unbelievable vision and hand/eye coordination, rather than all around athleticism. The fact that he was a good hunter and fisherman was definitely a plus!
Click to expand...
I think Bo was actually faster. Unofficial 4.13 40. I recall an interview with Sanders conceding the same as well. I saw Thorpe listed below. The new series on him was excellent!
 
Russ16 said:
I heard junior say the same thing. That’s why I mentioned him. I think he’s right.
Click to expand...
I would have to disagree, but that's the nature of this question. There is no right or wrong answer.

Unless you say it's this guy. Then you're wrong.
1784598644054.gif
 
Jack Nicklaus gets my vote along with Christy Matthewson
 
RR 314 said:
I think Bo was actually faster. Unofficial 4.13 40. I recall an interview with Sanders conceding the same as well. I saw Thorpe listed below. The new series on him was excellent!
Click to expand...
I played against Sanders when he was in AAA Columbus Yankees, he was definitely fast but Bo was so much bigger Sanders may have looked faster.
 
It an unanswerable question, as the sports are so different, but in my belief it has to be Bo Jackson or Jim Thorpe. I think they could have excelled at nearly any sport they played.
It’s just so hard to compare a great boxer, to a swimmer or cyclist, skier, sprinter, basketball player, and etc.
 
Tbitty said:
I would have to disagree, but that's the nature of this question. There is no right or wrong answer.

Unless you say it's this guy. Then you're wrong.
View attachment 778333
Click to expand...
He’s right that he’s the most dominant in his sport fo anyone in their sport today. Not necessarily the greatest athlete.
 
I dunno. If you want to ask who could singlehandedly change the entire momentum of a team or even an entire sport, MJ gets my not. That's probably a product of my age and what I saw with my own eyes. He had it all. Talent. Drive. Work.

Honestly though, worldwide over the past 100 years, there's about 10, maybe 20 people that are all in that same class. Most have been mentioned here.
 
IMO: and I'll echo a few other's comments:

Jim Thorpe, Shaq O'Neal(?), Deion Sanders, Gene Conley, IIRC played multiple sports, all have baseball stats.

To give someone the title of Greatest Athlete and that achievement is based on them only competing / playing only in one sport,....well they are only the Greatest Athlete in that one sport not the Greatest of All Time.

To qualify for GREATEST OF ALL TIME, The athlete must have competed in multiple sports of their birth gender.

There should separate GOAT awards for men and women and a separate award for co-ed sports competition ie tennis Bobby Riggs vs Billie Jean King.

These identity crisis athletes are automatically disqualified from earning any athletics awards for competing in another sex's sports because they can't effectively compete against those in their birth sex sport.
 
Last edited:
Forgot to mention Usain Bolt!
 
Tiger woods. An almost comical dominance in his prime. Everyone was playing for second.
 
Hunt anything said:
I will definitely have to vote for Bo. He was my teammate at Auburn (baseball) from 83- 86, we fished some, hunted some and shot our bows a lot. I would really like it on early morning trips as he would always bring something really good to eat.

Then we played against one another in the minor leagues before his call up. I saw some unbelievable things on the baseball field many times when we were just goofing around before or after practice.

We still keep in touch a little bit, hearing from him 8-10 times a year.

Some people say he could’ve been an Olympic sprinter with more training,
Click to expand...
My boss and Bo talk pretty regularly. He’s a huge hunter and fisherman. I’ve joked about him offering to Bo to tag along on one of my Safari’s.

Bo was the first name that came to mind for me.
 
Hard to say. Fairly modern post-1950ish athletes ?? All subjective. IMO… Basketball- John Havlicek and Julius Irving. I watched them play. Baseball- Mickey Mantle. I watched him play. He had the most compact, naturally powerful swing and great speed but bad knees prevented full potential. A swing very similar to Ruth’s. 4 legged- hands down Secretariat. Football- Bo Jackson, Lee Roy Jordan, Bob Lilly. Boxing- Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Thomas Hearns. Track and Field- Al Oerter.


FIFA trendy buzz??? Who knows. I don’t pay any attention to soccer. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

... and 1085 more.
Total: 146,995 (members: 1,135, guests: 145,860)

Forum statistics

Threads
69,642
Messages
1,553,219
Members
163,664
Latest member
GeorgiaEnn
 

 

 

Proudly sponsored by

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

A
animesslayer
Anime Slayer APK is honestly one of the best anime apps I’ve ever used. It’s packed with a massive collection of both popular and underrated titles, and everything streams smoothly without interruptions. I appreciate how well it runs even on mid-range Android devices.
Visit official website: https://animesslayer.com/
•••
M
MHYOUNG 375 wrote on DLSJR's profile.
Dan who is C. W. Richter? He seems to not be a fan of myself!
•••
M
MHYOUNG 375 wrote on DLSJR's profile.
Who's this C. W. Richter? Seems to have a chip on his shoulder.
•••
Andrew NOLA
Andrew NOLA wrote on Huntforever's profile.
Lbarr might be a scammer

it appears he sold the same brass to me and another member
•••
N
Nomosendero wrote on gregrn43's profile.
Between Blak Rock and Pocahontas, I did not want to say that on the forum. That's a nice Cat!
•••

Share this page

 
Top