ESPN ranks Floyd Mayweather, Jr as the 17th best athlete of the last 20 years.

Context, son, context.



:hi:

 

#1 isn't even close. Michael Phelps.

 

And Nadal probably didn't get tested.


:nut

 

right behind MJ? lol you guys

 

Those ESPN guys aren't even trying. That's just a list of the guys with the most name recognition in America. I've talked with people who golf and none of them say Tiger Woods was the best golfer of his time. It's kind of like if you ask physicists who the best physicist is they don't say Stephen Hawking.

There are too many basketball players on this list and not enough soccer players. Michael Schumacher from formula one racing should be there if racing is considered a sport now, Liu Xiang is like Usain Bolt but with hurdles, Lin Dan is like Roger Federer with Badminton, Kelly Slater for surfing, and like whoever has been the best in soccer Zinedine Zidane, Rinaldo, or Lionel Messi maybe? As an afterthought, Jerry Bailey seems to be a very successful jockey.

However, I do like a lot of those picks: Jordan, Phelps, Armstrong, etc.

 

Phelps has twice as much olympic gold than any other athlete EVER. 7 of his 39 world records still stand, 5+ years later.

 

Yo homerism...you stole that from Chuck.

If Nadal gets up to 18 (which i highly doubt with his play style and current physical condition), he's got a really good argument for the title.

But I don't judge tennis players based on just slams. 10 straight GS finals and 23 straight GS semis....that's sustained brilliance.

 

its just an american list, they might as well have just dropped every guy off it that wasn't american

i mean the have Mia Hann on it but no Ronaldo Ronaldo is the best athlete in soccer and soccer is the most popular sport in the world

no Jonah Lomu,Dan Carter,Johnny Wilkinson,Zindane,Ronaldinho

 

Jordan only had 1 event. And let's not forget that nobody goes into swimming. Nobody gives a **** about swimming. It's swimming.

 

look...Jordan is my favorite athlete of all time as he was my 'hero' growing up. But for the 'past 20 years' (95-15), he had 3 years of greatness. That doesn't constitute top spot for best athlete of the past 20 years.