Click HERE to see this thread with all of the graphics, features, and links.

well?...whos the greatest athlete of all time....when i was 1st asked this question i said jordan but than thinkin about it i thought ali

ali

Jordan. Not only for his basketball but in a way, his baseball skills showed how great of an athlete he was since he joined the minors after not playing SINCE HIGH SCHOOL! Not to mention his golf skills are at top notch with any other amature.

gretzkys up there two...i mean he played at the professional level at the age of 17...17! and he dominated too

Carl Lewis.

tiger woods is good to

id hav to go with Jim Brown. He ran for 6 1,000 yard seasons in his career and at the time, they only played 8 games, so really, its like 6 2,000 yard seasons

thats alot of yards

i think barry sanders is better runnin back than brown but i'm also a lil biased since sanders is a hometown boy

What about Bo Jackson? He's up there too.

he was defintly a great athlete..he might be the best pure athlete ever but coz his career was so short i don think we could see he was one of the greatest

SETH M. FERRANTI

Has been incarcerated since October 1, 1993.
Obtained the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies through correspondence while in prison.
His basketball articles have been published in Slam magazine.
His articles on prisoner life appear in Don Diva, Vice and Feds.
His first book, Prison Stories, comes out next fall.

Not the best of all time, but he can do any sport. He has national (prison) championships in like 5 different sports including basketball, baseball, and football. He is most known for his basketball skills. He couldn't go pro in any of his sports because well... he's been in jail. Its hard to say how good he would have been on the outside though so I wouldn't say he's the best, but he is one of the worlds most rounded athletes.

i dont know about that....they actually organized sports in prison?....he might be a good athlete and its definetly an interesting story but he cant prove himself agains prisoners

Football: Brett Farve in his Prime
Basketball: Michael Jordan
Golf: Tiger Woods or Ernie Els
Hockey: Wayne Gresky
Baseball: Ken Greffy Jr or Barry Bonds
Skiing: Apollo
Boxing: Ali

Can Golfers really be classed as athletes?

Isn't Apollo an ice skater, not a skier(sp?).

wuTa - I was mentioning him as a great all around athlete, but I agree that he wouldn't really fit in a "greatest athlete of all time" because of the fact that he can't really prove himself.

ernine els?.....he's good but not great....shoulda put jack nichlson....same ken griffey jr...he was great but he hasnt dont anything in 2 or 3 years...there alot better players than him mayes, ruth, and aaron just to name a few

pele

Jim Thorpe

In the 1912 Olympics he won gold medals in the decathalon and pentathalon (and to compete in these events, you have to be a well-rounded athlete by nature)

He played pro baseball for about a decade.

He led his college to the championship in football.

He led his pro football team to whatever championship they had back then three times.

Roger Bannister (first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes)

lance armstrong

Bobby Orr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or not......

good pick....i forget about him

Whos the good pick, Boby Orr, or Lance Armstrong? (Nice name! )

there both good picks but i was talkin about orr.....man, are you makin fun of my name?...that would be pretty ballsy comin from someone named Lurik

no, I meant Armstrong...*giggles like a school girl*

but honestly, i meant Armstrong

Tiger Woods or Venus Williams.

Armstrong.

Ali

ali hands down

Ali is OVER rated as a boxer

Best boxer of ALL time is Harry Greb, Middle weight champ of the 1920's.

Gans fogut a 42 fight war with Battling Nelson, I would put Joe Gans over Ali.

Greb would fight like 20 or so times a year at his peak.

Footspeed check
Quickness check
Fitness check
Strength check
Endurance check
Skills, agility and accuracy check
Championships check

Answer = Michael Jordan

In my view the best one is Jim Thorp all America

Jordan did pretty poor in minor Baseball.

Thorp was great at Running, tracking, football, baseball and that indain game, Thats pretty close to hockey.

I mean Jim Thorp was the AMERICA team in the 1912 games.

Originally posted by ZoSo
Bobby Orr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh hell yes! put on a protected list by Boston at age 12 at a time when he was playing in a league where the boys he was against were 6 and 7 years older than him, won the rookie of the year, captured 8 Hart trophies(MVP) in a row, wont he Art Ross Trophy(leading scorer) numerous times, won 2 Stanley Cups, defined the "offensive defenseman" 2 time all star, 3 time Team Canada, scored the most recognised goal in all of hockey history(see below) so and so forth...also is one of 11 numbers retired by the Bruins organization(set worlds record at the time for longest continuous standing ovation when his number was retired)....yeah, Gretzky may have set more records and scored more goals and Howe may have more cups but remember....Orr was who they looked up to and held in admiration.....

sir steve redgrave, rowing. 5 golds in 5 seperate olympics, thast domination, and to be good at rowing requires immense strength and drive. and think about that, for 20 years hes dominated..... how many other athletes have done so?

ali is one of the greatest, but i sometimes think that people remember him for his wit, he did lose. micheal jordan? well definately either the greatest basketball player or secong best behind wilt chamberlain. who knows?

Originally posted by wuTa
well?...whos the greatest athlete of all time....when i was 1st asked this question i said jordan but than thinkin about it i thought ali

Ali and prob Allen Iverson.

Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali


swear i cant decide between them. they had so much heart and talent. its really hard to find difference between them other then the fact that they played different sports.

i love hockey so i have to go with

Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Dominik Hasek, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Doug Harvey, Terry Sawchuck and...

Tai Domi thumbup

http://www.muh.edu.hel.fi/elever/Jesse/Iso%20kiho%203.jpg

Carl Lewis.

It's hard to pick one greatest. There are so many. Probably my favorite is Jordan.

ali or pele

Originally posted by Myth
What about Bo Jackson? He's up there too.

I agree with this. There is something amazing that someone can play two sports at the same time and excel int hem. There is that raw talent that he has (and Deion Sanders to a degree, though deion is no greatest athlete) that translates into probably being able to play several sports but could only fit two. Imagine having to deal with that, so hard.

Originally posted by Freaky Zeeky
Ali and prob Allen Iverson.


Iverson? hysterical

Originally posted by hh?
i love hockey so i have to go with

Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Dominik Hasek, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Doug Harvey, Terry Sawchuck and...

Tai Domi thumbup

http://www.muh.edu.hel.fi/elever/Jesse/Iso%20kiho%203.jpg

That sport is so brutal

Any Chinese person who plays table tennis

Kept thinking about this and I would add this breakdown:

Inspirational Athlete - Lance Armstrong
Athletic Athlete - Bo Jackson
Role Model Athlete - Michael Jordan
Hottest Athlete - Ana Kornikova

so far the only decent suggestions have been Steve redgrave and Lance Armstrong

i would also go for Pete Sampras (14 grand slam victories including 7 wimbledon titles)


and an honourable mention to Jona Lomu who has fought back from being unable to walk 10 feet because of a serious kidney disorder and is pretty much back to full fitness and is about to destroy the world of rugby again

Garrincha: brazillian footballer as highly regarded as pele in his homeland...as skilled as pele...and did it all with bow legs after suffering from polio as a child...thats greatness defined

Darts ace Andy Fordham, peak physical condition, such a role-model and such a great athlete!

I'll go way out on a limb here...
Sergei Bubka

football - Qb- Dan Marino RB- Barry Sanders WR- Jerry Rice
baseball - For my money in his prime no one was better at hitting than Pete Rose.
basketball- Michael Jordan of course
boxing - Ali is Overrated....If Tyson never went to Prison he woulda been greatest...now hes a chump though =/

MIcheal Phelps....he won 6 gold medal at athens...he isi the best!

Ted Williams.

Originally posted by peejay88
Darts ace Andy Fordham, peak physical condition, such a role-model and such a great athlete!



yeh great athlete. can walk for 10 seconds without getting out of breath!

Originally posted by Joker1237
Ali is OVER rated as a boxer

Best boxer of ALL time is Harry Greb, Middle weight champ of the 1920's.
/B]
The master of dirty fighting and a distinct lack of punching power? Hell no.
Ali all the way. What other athlete, except for maybe Jordan can be recognized in the most ass backward African village, and who's poetry is read by high school students?

Remi Bonjansky he kicks ass

Originally posted by Gryn Jabar
The master of dirty fighting and a distinct lack of punching power? Hell no.
Ali all the way. What other athlete, except for maybe Jordan can be recognized in the most ass backward African village, and who's poetry is read by high school students?

Popularity doesn't make you the greatest Athelete.

Anyway Jim Thorpe is probally the best of all time. Its the best Answer so far.

Secratariat.

Of course that is who ESPN says is a great athlete. Why a horse and not a person???

Me... I say Gale Sayers. GIFTED BEYOND!!!

Carl Lewis.

Michael Jordan.

Bo Jackson...it's gotta be fellas. My gosh, he was sooo athletically gifted. Jeepers, given time to do anything, he would have been great at it, or gets great at it faster at something new than his peers would.

Gotta give credit to Reggie Bush of the USC trojans

No Reggie bush is not even in the top 100 greatest athlets of all time hes on an amazing team in COLLEGE not in the Nfl hes not on a so so team he has perfect blockers and perfect everything else look at guys like Vince Young or Jerome Harrison they are better Vince doesnt have perfect anything that Bush has hes just amazing but no great athlete or Jerome on the Cougs and had better stats than Bush but Reggie is from California thats why everyone knows who he is and thinks hes so amazing when hes not

But to stay on topic Lance Armstong is the greatest athlete of all time.

See, Pinball, don't get me wrong, I love Lance, and from where he came from, beating cancer n' all, it's one the more truly amazing storied in athletic competition.

However, my support for Bo Jackson tends to make me believe that it'd be easier for Bo to become a world class cyclist, than for Lance to be a great football player and/or baseball player.

I could be wrong, but just my opinion.

True True there both great athletes

MARADONA!!!

I think I have to go with Jordan on this. However, it really depends on how you're judging and thinking about it, I think in terms of just totally mastering a sport like he did, with his speed quickness and finesse i'd go with Jordan. However if you held a huge olympics type of think with "athletic" type of events, along with power things etc, much like a culmination of the olympics only adding in various sporting skills, who would you really pick...

Some people have mentioned Bo Jackson... wow he was amazing, think if he never got injured, his power and speed was just incredible, I've never seen anything like it... simply amazing.

In terms of total speed/power/quickness etc it might be Bo... I think if you matched up all the great athletes in like running events, power events, jumping events, cycling, boxing etc and many different sports, he could possibly come out on top. I don't think i could pick against him. There's no way i could pick against him... who has the total package like him?

Like vs Ali, sure Ali wins in boxing, but Bo kills him in every strength category, every speed/quickness category, I mean it's almost no contest.

vs Jordan, Jordan may win in jumping and basketball obviously, but Bo destroys him in every other event, like shotput etc, weight lifting, track....

In terms of being physically gifted NOONE and i mean noone beats Bo Jackson.

Sure some track guys may beat him in their running events, but what about the power? I'd take Bo over a lot of track guys in the 100 even.

It's really impossible to really pick an answer, just all depends on the criteria.

I'm hearing you, oh Fabled One. I agree.

MJ, michael jordan has to be the greatest athlete of all time.

Lance Armstrong - In my opinion, Lance Armstrong represents the perfect combination of the greatest athletic qualities of any athlete of all time, Balance, Strategy, Poise under Pressure, Determination, Never Gives UP, Work Ethic, Speed, Power, Endurance, Cancer Survivor, 7 Time Tour de France Champion. We were lucky to have witnessed him in action with our own eyes!

Hockey: Gordie Howe, Gretzsky, Mario Lemieux
MMA: Fedor Emelianenko, Georges St. Pierre
Boxing: Ali, Frazier
Basketball: Jordan