Let me know who you think are the greatest athletes of all-time. I tend to pick guys who played team sports because they are easier to compare.
1. Bo Jackson: Bo was unstoppable on the football field. He was also an awesome baseball player. It's too bad he suffered that hip injury.
2. Deon Sanders" Like Bo, Prime Time excelled in multiple sports. Greatest corner over. Dude got it done in MLB also.
3. Jim Thorpe: Dude excelled at football, baseball, and track. Hard to beat. I can't rate him higher because I never saw him play a live game.
4. Jim Brown: Way ahead of his time in football. Also a great lacrosse player.
5. LeBron James: Never saw a guy who possessed as much size, strength, speed, and agility as LeBron. Dude would have killed it at TE in the NFL if he could survive the hits.
my top 5 is based on who i was actually old enough to watch. i know there's all time rankings and what not, but guys like jim brown wont make my list simply because they didnt have that sort of impact as the guys i actually grew up watching.
Honorable mention. Michael Vick: There just simply wasn't any other NFL QB like him. His ability to change direction while running top speed, the agility, his absolute cannon that was fairly accurate with regards to the deep ball. Came back after we all know what, and then had some legendary games against the giants and redskins as an Eagle. Dude inspired so many of us growing up in the inner city, cause everybody said you can't be successful with Vick's style of play. Well, he was successful.
5. Usain Bolt. the fastest man alive. the guy who came the closest to becoming a real life Flash. He simply could not be stopped in track. he would not even run to his full power, and still smoke the competition. he inspired so many, nevermind his home country with honor.
4. Jerry Rice. Dude caught everything thrown his direction. He is part of a very select few of WR's who balled out no matter who was throwing the rock. can be somewhat argued he made the QB better, not the other way around. His addiction to crisp route running, attention to detail, so many things to list, i can fill up an entire essay on him. He was the perfect WR, and arguably the best overall football play of all time.
3. Christiano Ronaldo: the absolute reason i even bother following soccer. His ability to strike from any distance, epic hat tricks, drop dropping assist, and his pure leadership ability is why i have him as the best soccer player in the world. he's better than choke artist Messi and its no longer close. Ronaldo shows up in the big games, and leading Portugal to the Euro Cup was one of the greatest runs in soccer history.
2. Lebron James: #2 all time greatest. nevermind the fact that the guy managed to never get seriously injured due to his freakish durability, but freakish athleticism. he gave us moments in cleveland/miami that will be talk about for decades. the 07 ECF against detroit. 2010 game 6 against the celtics. 2016 finals title coming back from a 3-1 deficit. the guy dominated in almost every aspect of the game. teams were literally scared if his jumper was on any given night, cause when it was on, he could not be stopped. so many teams/coaches/gm's have been torn up/fired due to his utter dominance of the East. Hawks, Celtics, Wizards, Raptors, Pistons. all really good teams completely torn apart due to devastating playoff loses to Lebron.
1. Tom Brady: GOAT. greatest QB of all time. the ONLY QB who can ever call himself Mr. 5 time. 8 superbowl appearances overall, plethora of division and playoff wins. he is my #1 because of his accomplishments based on his roots. 6th round pick, projected to be nothing more than a clipboard holder. went from the 6th round to the GOAT. Epic playoff battles against peyton manning. 07 season going 18-1 with Randy Moss. coming back from a 25-3 deficit in the superbowl against the Falcons. winning the MVP award at age 40. this guy brought absolute intensity to the game when he stepped on the field. there isn't a throw he cant make, a deficit he can't climb out of. you can take some random guy from the stands, and he'll make him look like a border line all-pro at the WR position.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Dude, maybe I wasn't clear. I wasn't talking about guys who were best at their sport. I'm talking about all-around athletes.
Can we stick to that. And I apologize for not being clear. The fault was w/me, not you. I'm talking about great athletes who could have--or did--excel at multiple sports.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
It's so hard to compare eras. When i hear this question I think of like 100 people.
Current day athletes who are still competing? Lebron James Serena Williams
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
Bo...amazing athlete who now is heavily into archery/hunting building his own equipment. Plus I've always thought he was a good man...loved his momma and always let it be known.
Brady was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1995 as a HS baseball player. He was a LH hitting catcher, and a highly ranked prospect. He probably chose the right sport, though.
My choices: Bo Jackson, Brian Jordan, Jim Thorpe, Jim Brown. I read that Jim Brown lettered 13 times in 5 different sports while in High School.
Honorable mentions:
Deon Sanders
Dave Debusschere - named to the NBA's all time Top 50 team. Pitched for the Chicago White Sox - he shut out the Indians once in 1963.
John Havlicek - all time NBA great, also drafted by the Cleveland Browns as a 6-5 205 lb WR in 1962. 3 sport star at Bridgeport HS, Bridgeport, Oh.
Everyone knows about his hoops prowess ... he was so good they changed rules to make him less affective ... thats the ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT to how good someone is ...
He was a 3 time champ in the big 8 in at least one track and field event .. he excelled in multiple events ... shot putt .. high jump .. he ran a 4.6 40 .. the same as Lebron ...
And he did that in hs spare time as hoops was obvioulsy his main focus ...
Was a world class volleyball player into his 50’s .. i believe he played professionally and i believe he played professionally into his 50’s ...
If your interested watch this video .... ya’ll learn a lot ...
Yeah, he's a freak. I tried to keep it to only people I was alive for, as I figured they wouldn't be the first thoughts most people had. But it's crazy that some of these tall dudes are so freakishly athletic, beyond just moving quickly for someone who is 6'11+. They're quick by any standard. It may surprise people, but Greg Oden bested Kevin Durant in every event at the NBA combine. Too bad he went to Portland/couldn't stay healthy. Shaq is another guy. You got your quickish version when he was with the magic, but then you just have the Lakers Shaq who was freakishly strong. Quite frankly it's very unfair. I'm glad Shaq's sons aren't genetic clones of him, the world wouldn't have been ready for that. Zion Williamson is probably the next NBA freak of nature. He's at Duke this year. He weighed in at 6'7 285 and dunks the ball from the free throw line. That shouldn't physically be possible. You wouldn't know he's 285 until he shoots the ball, he gets no air when he's shooting.
good call about Wilt. People forget about his track status.
Also, Babe Ruth would be on my list ... he dominated the game
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
I have a much bigger pool to draw from from since im an old man ... i’d Rather have your pool to draw from ... *L* ..
Wilt was hated ... he was a strong willed black man and that didnt go over back then .. Wilt did and said what Wilt wanted .. he didn’t care less weather u were white or black he was gonna say what he felt .. that didnt go over so good for black men in the 60’s and 70’s ... much much different times back then ...
I used to debate folks all the time on who was better Russell or Wilt .. it wasnt even close ... Russell couldn’t carry Wilts jock ... WILT DOMINATED HIM ... but Russell had a much better supporting cast and he played for the Celtics who were always portrayed as the cowboys with the white hats and Wilt and the 6ers were the cowboys in the black hats ...
If it wasn’t for that media bias back then ... many more would know about Wilt ....
His career reminds me of the year DiMaggio won the AL MVP in the same year that Williams won the triple crown ...
Wilt was always overshadowed and never given the credit he deserved cause of the fact he was a proud black man that said what he wanted and didn’t behave like a black man was suppose to in the 60’s and 70’s ...
Let me know who you think are the greatest athletes of all-time. I tend to pick guys who played team sports because they are easier to compare.
1. Bo Jackson: Bo was unstoppable on the football field. He was also an awesome baseball player. It's too bad he suffered that hip injury.
2. Deon Sanders" Like Bo, Prime Time excelled in multiple sports. Greatest corner over. Dude got it done in MLB also.
3. Jim Thorpe: Dude excelled at football, baseball, and track. Hard to beat. I can't rate him higher because I never saw him play a live game.
4. Jim Brown: Way ahead of his time in football. Also a great lacrosse player.
5. LeBron James: Never saw a guy who possessed as much size, strength, speed, and agility as LeBron. Dude would have killed it at TE in the NFL if he could survive the hits.
Who is on your list?
I firmly believe that Hershel Walker was the greatest all around athlete of all time.
In High School he won Georgia state championships in Football, shot put, 100 yard dash, 220 yard dash, 4 x 100 yard relay.
Beside his athletic career he was hos school valedictorian.
In College he led Georgia to the 1981 College Football National title. A 3 time All American, Won a Heisman trophy. He is still the only college football player to finish in the top 3 in Heisman voting 3 years straight. He is now a member of the college football hall of fame.
Had a 15 year NFL Football career and his USFL and NFL rushing totals combined would rank him 5th in professional football's all time rushing leaders list.
He was also a kick returner and if his USFL and NFL career rushing, receiving, and returning yards were combined 25,283 it would make him the all time all purpose yardage leader in professional football history. He is the only player in history to have 4,000 yards rushing, receiving, and returning in NFL history.
Outside of football he competed in MMA where at 48 years of age he competed in 2 Strike force division matches and is 2-0 all time. Olympic Bobsledder where his 2 man team qualified for the 1992 Olympics and placed 7th at the games.
He is a 5th degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do.
He won 2 ABC Sports American Superstars Competitions.
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