Greatest Athlete?

[Kanewpadle]

In your opinion, who is the greatest athlete ever?

Jim Brown?
Mohamed Ali?
Michael Jordan
Jim Thorpe?
Carl Lewis?
Babe Ruth?
Jesse Owens?

A recent poll showed Bo Jackson as the greatest. I would have to agree. For a few short years nobody did it better than Bo. No, not even Jordon. For one man to dominate two professional sports is incredible even today. Too bad he got hurt. He would probably have been the only two sport hall of famer.

 

[feralmerril]

I never was a sports fan. I did read a lot about jim thorp and watched a few videos of him and was impressed. All records are made to be broken.
Who knows?

 

[USAF385]

I think it depends on what you mean by athlete. If you're talking pure athletic ability it's probably not some pro sport player and more like an Olympic decathlon... uh.. person.

Those guys you mentioned we're good at their game, but it doesn't necessarily make them great athletes.

 

[rimfired]

I pass through "Jim Thorpe" every other Tuesday. Used to be called "Mauch Chunk" from the native American, his ancestory. Mighty river valley surrounded by multiple high peaks and old railroad station. Very Cool place.

 

[USAF385]

I pass through "Jim Thorpe" every other Tuesday. Used to be called "Mauch Chunk" from the native American, his ancestory. Mighty river valley surrounded by multiple high peaks and old railroad station. Very Cool place.

Have you ever stopped at the prison to see the handprint?

 

[kozmic]

Michael Phelps rules the Olympic medal count but not sure he's the best athlete of all times. Mia Hamm leds in goals in international soccer competition but not sure she's the best female. Bruce Lee? Wilt Chamberlain? Wayne Gretzky? Tiger Woods? It's too hard to subjectively fill in that blank! Is it most points, etc? Longest career? Most money?

 

[RonJ]

Babe Ruth.

 

[kennyb]

little question in my mind....jim thorpe...king of sweden called him the greatest athlete of all time based on his performance (and gold medals) at the 1912 olympics...college star in three sports and went on to play years of pro baseball and in the very beginning of the nfl...amazing career with a sad ending

 

[Kanewpadle]

I never was a sports fan. I did read a lot about jim thorp and watched a few videos of him and was impressed. All records are made to be broken.
Who knows?

Who knows? BO KNOWS!!

 

[4Js]

Jim Thorpe, Wa-Tho-Huk, Gold medals in decathlon, pentathlon, played college and pro football, baseball, and basketball. Played until he was 41 in the days before sports medicine.

I went to school with a lot of his younger relatives.

 

[feralmerril]

Da shadow do!

 

[red14]

Thorpe, he could literally do it all.

 

[doublesharp]

Jordan had an NBA run that stands above. Ruth was dominant from the mound and at the plate. Koufax ruled for 4/5 years. Gehrig did it day after day. And how about Big Red. No horse ever like Secretariat.

 

[mtgianni]

One of the amazing facts that stuck in my mind was that Bo Jackson set his state record in the Decathalon as a Sr in High School. It stood for over 10 years at the time I heard of it and may well still stand. He did not run the long distance event as he did not like to run long distances. Setting a State record of long standing in a 10 event competition while only choosing to compete in 9 of them is amazing.
In MT a few years back Hot Springs won the Class C State Track Championship.
They only had one athlete compete, Todd Reich.

 

[Pop's2]

+one for Jim Thorpe

 

[chud333]

Bo Jackson was a great athlete no doubt but he did'nt
dominate baseball or football. He was only good for a handful
of years so that rules him out in my book.
Best all around athlete i ever saw in person was probably
Roberto Clemente. He could Hit, Hit for power, Run like a deer,
Catch and cover a lot of ground, and had a great arm to boot.
Never got to see Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle but from the
clips and footage i've seen of them they we're both tremendous
athletes as well.

Chuck

 

[kennyb]

Bo Jackson was a great athlete no doubt but he did'nt
dominate baseball or football. He was only good for a handful
of years so that rules him out in my book.
Best all around athlete i ever saw in person was probably
Roberto Clemente. He could Hit, Hit for power, Run like a deer,
Catch and cover a lot of ground, and had a great arm to boot.
Never got to see Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle but from the
clips and footage i've seen of them they we're both tremendous
athletes as well.

Chuck

excellent but...baseball players only...if it was one sport i would have easily said brett favre...he holds every major nfl record

 

[mc5aw]

Jim Thorpe as he has already held the unofficial title. Think about what he achieved long before the technological advances in conditioning and health present day athletes enjoy. Jim Brown was a top notch lacrosse player in college, and I have no doubt he would have dominated at any sporting endeavor he tried.

I go with the two Jims, #1 and #2. Bo Jackson maybe #3. Not sure of #4. I'd sneak Jesse Owens in the top 5 based on potential.

You know who else was a phenomenal athlete in his day? Bruce Jenner. Now he's just an obscure Hollywood D-lister with bad cosmetic surgery who married into a hideous family of freaks.

 

[HELLSING]

You know who else was a phenomenal athlete in his day? Bruce Jenner. Now he's just an obscure Hollywood D-lister with bad cosmetic surgery who married into a hideous family of freaks.

lol... I'm still trying to figure out if Jenner is now a woman OR a man.

I always liked Lennox Lewis since I'm a boxing buff, but now, boxing is a dead sport with no talent.

Jordan was the great too. His clutch ability was insane.

 

[Intheshop]

We have/had several pro athletes in the family.One of my boys called a cpl months ago and said to watch the "Bo" story on ESPN.

It was very interesting.....got "real" good at the end where he spends his time now making arrows and tweaking his compound.Practices in his yard,readying for another hunt.Has a whole rm with mounts piled up.Seems to have been at it for awhile?