Who is the all time best sports player?

[The KingPin]

Many would claim that Jordan, Bird, Gretzky, Tyson and others are the best sports player ever. Who do you think is and why?

[ArtVandelay]

In what regard though? Are we going by pure numbers? Talent? What? I mean, you almost have to break it up into all the different sports.

But I'll get this started with someone no one will see coming. The greatest athlete of all time (in a major sport, hockey, baseball, football or basketball) is Mario Lemieux.

The guy had it all. The size, the reach, the power, the speed. The only thing he didn't have was health. If he had Gretzky's health, if he had Gretzky's help (for the most part, Lemieux played his career with relative unknowns, it wasn't until the penguins took Jagr that he had a TRUE weapon to work with. Gretzky had all kinds of help, not the least of which was some guy named Messier), he would have had all of Gretzky's records. The guy was a monster on the ice, and perhaps the most feared player ever, in the open ice. He played on days when he could hardly lace up his own skates, his back hurt so bad. He beat Hodgkin's disease. He made a comeback and showed that even though he was older and slower, he was still amazing. There's simply too much to say about the guy, he was amazing in every aspect of the word. Sadly, his career can be summed up in just two words: What if?

Hockey players are the most talented athletes of the major sports. Batting, in baseball, is the single most difficult thing to do in sports, but when you combine every aspect of a sport, hockey players are the best athletes. They have to combine skating, hitting, eye and hand coordination, spacing, you name it.... You can't look at the puck when you're carrying it (are you listening Mr. Lindros?????), you will get killed. Head up, believe it's there, feel it on the stick.


So there you have it. Your thoughts?

[The KingPin]

In what regard though? Are we going by pure numbers? Talent? What? I mean, you almost have to break it up into all the different sports.

But I'll get this started with someone no one will see coming. The greatest athlete of all time (in a major sport, hockey, baseball, football or basketball) is Mario Lemieux.

The guy had it all. The size, the reach, the power, the speed. The only thing he didn't have was health. If he had Gretzky's health, if he had Gretzky's help (for the most part, Lemieux played his career with relative unknowns, it wasn't until the penguins took Jagr that he had a TRUE weapon to work with. Gretzky had all kinds of help, not the least of which was some guy named Messier), he would have had all of Gretzky's records. The guy was a monster on the ice, and perhaps the most feared player ever, in the open ice. He played on days when he could hardly lace up his own skates, his back hurt so bad. He beat Hodgkin's disease. He made a comeback and showed that even though he was older and slower, he was still amazing. There's simply too much to say about the guy, he was amazing in every aspect of the word. Sadly, his career can be summed up in just two words: What if?

Hockey players are the most talented athletes of the major sports. Batting, in baseball, is the single most difficult thing to do in sports, but when you combine every aspect of a sport, hockey players are the best athletes. They have to combine skating, hitting, eye and hand coordination, spacing, you name it.... You can't look at the puck when you're carrying it (are you listening Mr. Lindros?????), you will get killed. Head up, believe it's there, feel it on the stick.


So there you have it. Your thoughts?

How about talent? Who brings it when it is needed? Is Kobe Bryant the basketball star of today? I am not sure. You see great people do great things at certain times. So does making a winning goal or shot make you a hero? Yes but for how long?

I think when you can do it over and over again that makes you the best.

[NoTapNorm]

I have to agree with Kevin regarding hockey players. I had the privilege of watching Gretzky with all the teams he played for (yes, even in the WHA Edmonton days). One could only imagine the line of Gretzky, Lemieux, and Messier.... What other brand of athlete has to skate at full speed, keep control of the puck, watch out he's not hit and shoot at the same time? Granted, futbol (soccer) athletes run a close second, only because they're on solid ground and not ice.

As far as an individual player- Gretzky

[Cerberus]

I think this should be an easy pick. I mean if your asking who the greatest sports player ever is, you go with the greatest athlete. And anyone who knows anything about sports, knows the greatest athlete is and always will be Jim Thorpe. I mean to pick anyone over him is just plain ridiculous. The man won gold in the Olympics in the Pentathalon, and Decathlon. And then went on to play professionally in the NFL. He is considered by almost everyone as the greatest athlete of this century. I would find it hard pressed to even consider anyone over him.

[ArtVandelay]

I think this should be an easy pick. I mean if your asking who the greatest sports player ever is, you go with the greatest athlete. And anyone who knows anything about sports, knows the greatest athlete is and always will be Jim Thorpe. I mean to pick anyone over him is just plain ridiculous. The man won gold in the Olympics in the Pentathalon, and Decathlon. And then went on to play professionally in the NFL. He is considered by almost everyone as the greatest athlete of this century. I would find it hard pressed to even consider anyone over him.

From an overall standpoint, there's no question. But this question is vague enough to allow for interpretation. hahahahaha.

[jwensil]

From an overall standpoint, there's no question. But this question is vague enough to allow for interpretation. hahahahaha.

nice response... I would say Michael Jordan for basketball, but he took everything from Dr. J. and built on it. Crosby for hockey currently, but he has taken everything from Gretzky and built upon it. But who's better, the student that took everything and built upon it or the person who was the originator?

Tyson was greatest in sheer strength and toughness, but then there's Ali. This is definitely a vague question but gets you thinking

[Cerberus]

If we are going sport by sport, then here is my list of the all time greatest of the ones that matter.

Baseball
Ty Cobb (More votes than Ruth for hall of fame; voted in same year)

Basketball
Bill Russell(More championships and better understanding of game than anyone ever;Jordan is media hype)

Football
Joe Montana(I do not even see anyone arguing this one)

Hockey
Wayne Gretzky(They call him the great one)

Athlete
Jim Thorpe

LOL argue amongst yourselves now

[ArtVandelay]

If we are going sport by sport, then here is my list of the all time greatest of the ones that matter.

Baseball
Ty Cobb (More votes than Ruth for hall of fame; voted in same year)

Basketball
Bill Russell(More championships and better understanding of game than anyone ever;Jordan is media hype)

Football
Joe Montana(I do not even see anyone arguing this one)

Hockey
Wayne Gretzky(They call him the great one)

Athlete
Jim Thorpe

LOL argue amongst yourselves now

Joe Montana? Really? Give me Tom Brady... hahahahaha.

I'll give Montana his due, but for football, give me that guy he was throwing to. He was pretty decent, and I don't think we'll ever see anyone APPROACH what he did.

[Cerberus]

Joe Montana? Really? Give me Tom Brady... hahahahaha.

I'll give Montana his due, but for football, give me that guy he was throwing to. He was pretty decent, and I don't think we'll ever see anyone APPROACH what he did.

I agree Rice is up there, but without the right man throwing him the ball, he is just a wide out. Plus you have to give a lot of that credit to Bill Walsh. It was his system. But no one has ever been as cool under pressure as Montana. He was a true great at the QB position. I think these days Peyton Manning has revolutionized the way Qb's play the game. He knows every position and every coverage. And he does a great job of exploiting them. But I have to give Montana the nod on the football. I was surprised no one was arguing Jordan or Ruth. When you throw out Cobb most times you get Ruth back.