If Muhammad Ali is the greatest

You mean Montana and Jerry Rice along with the 49ers dynasty? Boy, Brett Favre had no dynasty - he was THE football team for 17 seasons with 0 weapons in his arsenal but just himself.... There will never be another Iron Man like Brett Favre. Brett Favre is the definition of the ultimate athlete.

 

I have never heard anyone argue that the 8-9 team NBA was more competitive than the 80's or 90's NBA. I have seen people argue that the last few expansion teams have stretched the talent of the NBA too far because it has outgrown it's pool of talent and elite players. But that was in comparison to the 80's NBA on, not the 60's. And shooting percentages and assist to turnover ratio suggest that the 80's amnd 90's NBA players were more skilled.

As for the Russell retirement and the Celtics laying dormant for 6-7 years? They were dormant for 2 seasons(were above .500 in the 2nd year). They made the playoffs the 3rd year after his retirment and won a title 5 years after it. The Bulls took 7 yrs to make the playoffs after Jordan left. The Bulls have never won a title without Jordan. They have never made the finals without him.

You also realize that Russell, a center, shot a lower percentage than Jordan did over his career?

Listen, I'm not saying that Russell isn't arguably the best ever. He affected the game greatly. (I don't buy revolutionizing the game as a trump card. Every sport goes through those periods and it gives and unfair advantage to old sports figures since the sports were still relatively new). But to say that his 11 titles gives him the advantage over Jordan's 6 titles and not take into account the time period? Come on.....There is no way the NBA was more competitive with 9 teams than it was with 27 (the last few teams may have stretched it past its breaking point). That's why there was another league that formed.

 

Montana won his first 2 SBs without Rice, but I think Rice is the greatest 49er ever and maybe the greatest player ever.

 

The most incredible athlete I ever saw with my own eyes was Vincent Edward Jackson.

He could perform on the track, on the diamond and on the gridiron - at a professional / world class level. If he had not suffered a career ending injury there is simply no telling what he could have accomplished.

"Bo" Jackson was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major sports. Before his professional career, he earned the 1985 Heisman Trophy and qualified for the Olympics as a sprinter but didn't accept the position to pursue professional sports.

An almost forgotten man - but the greatest athlete I ever saw.

 

Deion had more longevity than Bo. Bo was an all-star in both sports though. Deion was an okay baseball player, but an amazing defender (his tackling was another story).

I was a bigger fan of Bo though.

 

Steve Redgrave and Lance Armstrong there records speak for themselves and armstrongs story is inspirational and shows what the human body can do these two athletes were nothing but amazing.

 

ALi is #2 right behind Jordan

 

Ali beyond a shadow of a doubt is the underrated Champ of Eastside boxing Forums. He gets scant mention around here but I belive after Ray Robinson this was the greatest boxer of all time

 

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I can't think of any other athlete that played a team sport that had carried an entire team and franchise on their own shoulders for so long, without ever missing a game and playing through so much **** and pain. I'm not saying that Brett Favre was the most poised football player because he wasn't. But the guy could do it all and he did it with such an absolutely average team and average players. His #1 receiver was Antonio Freeman lol, his #2 was Donald Driver.(both of which were lead recievers since they played in seperate 'eras')

The only reason I embedded that video was because there is a message from Muhammad Ali to Brett Favre at the end of the video "welcome to the legends club"...I'm not trying to go off on a tangent and turn this into a football thread but.....What Brett Favre did last season rallying the youngest team in the NFL the packers nearly to the Superbowl to take on the Patriots would have been a moment that would have resembled very closely to what an old ass Ali did to a 25 year old George Foreman.

In a very general sense there are a lot of similarities between Ali and Brett, they won when they weren't supposed to win and when everyone counted them out.

 

Oh these two are not real athletes or real sports oh what an idiot i am? atsch two of the fittest most determined athletes that have ever existed try it sometime you might be surprised how easy a rowing race or cycling race can make you wanna quit :hi:

ps read a little in to there training regime or maybe watch the redgrave documentary where he rows indoor so hard that he passes out and is brought round with oxygen in a training session leading up to the olympics these athletes do not quit they get my vote and SRR gets my vote for best boxing athlete.

 

i'm sure gordie howe would rank high also,he dominated the N.H.L. for 2 decades played 32 seasons in pro hockey was 52 years old in his last season in theN.H.L.

 

If it is for worlds greatest athlete, then any basketball or Baseball players can be ruled out immediately. They are not worldwide sports. Michael Jordon is mainly known as being an item of footwear elsewhere in the world.
For Worldwide impact maybe Pele, or how about someone like Michael Johnson who's 200 & 400m achievement speeds are without peer
Ali is certainly head and shoulders above Babe Ruth/Michael Johnson when it comes to a world stage.
But for actuall athletisism how about Birgit Fischer who won 8 gold medals over 6 olympic games in an endurance event. Thats a 24 years of being the best on a world stage.





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10 greatest sportspersons of all time:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Pele
3. Michael Jordan
4. Tiger Woods
5. Donald Bradman
6. Diego Maradona
7. Martina Navratilova
8. Carl lewis
9. Mark Spitz
10.Lance Armstrong

 

Took 66 posts before Pele and Maradona got a mention?! :huh