simple question...who was the greatest athlete you have ever seen in your life?

[backwoodsbob]

Any sport...anything.

Keep in mind I saw Barry Sanders MANY times when I lived in Detroit and he isn't my pick...or MJ..or Phelps

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Does it have to be a human?

If it doesn't, then I pick Secretariat.

One hell of a running machine!

[backwoodsbob]

2. oh hell yeah

if not limited to humans secretariat is my runaway pick...a once in a thousand year horse....however...we are talking human

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Well, I'm at a loss! I don't follow sports religiously, so.......

[backwoodsbob]

5. I obviously have my pick

gonna see what answers I get before I poison the pool

[Major Nikon]

53. If it works that way I'd have a tough pic over my two border collies

[csziggy]

55. How about a human - animal team?

If so, this dressage kur team:

ETA - Kur ("U" should have an umlat over it) is freestyle dressage to music. The rider selects the music and creates their own routine to it to highlight the athletic ability of their horse.

[rurallib]

4. Overall athlete Wilt Chamberlin by far

besides the basketball, he was a track star and pretty much adept at whatever he played.
I heard Jim Thorp was even better, but way early for me.

Recently I would say Bo Jackson - real shame he go hurt.

One last name would be (believe it or not) Roger Maris.

[backwoodsbob]

6. You...you

was hoping the post would last a while before his name came up.

[rurallib]

8. Was a big fan of the big guy as a kid

he and Russell left some memories.
Russell btw was a true civil rights leader and one of my favorite ever humans

eta to add that basketball had to add many rules to deal with Wilt. My favorite is that you have to stay behind the free throw line until the ball hits the rim on your free throw. That's because Wilt could do a standing broad jump and dunk it from the line (or so I was told)

[backwoodsbob]

11. you thought i was thinking Wilt?

ok

[rurallib]

12. Roger Maris?

[rug]

7. Lew Alcindor before UCLA.

[Blue_In_AK]

66. You knew Lew Alcindor

and I knew Elvin Hayes. Both greats in their college days.

[rug]

67. He was two years ahead of me in high school.

When DeMatha broke their streak his mother was crying in the stands.

And then Elvin broke his UCLA streak. Great players.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

9. Ted Williams

[n2doc]

10. Bo Jackson

Amazing athlete before he got injured.

[backwoodsbob]

13. a winner that fast

BO

Beyond a PHENOM...he was unreal.

an all star in baseball and a pro bowler in football the same year?Beyond great.
he holds to this day the fastest 40 ever in the combines and was a big guy.He could outrun...outmuscle..and outplay any player in both sports before he got hurt.Hell,he was so good he made it back to the bigs AFTER he had hip replacement surgery

[livetohike]

14. Roberto Clemente

Grew up watching him play and fortunate to see him in the old Forbes Field stadium. My Dad would always buy tickets down the first base line so we could see him in right field. He was my favorite player .

[backwoodsbob]

16. He was GREAT

Possibly the best baseball player of those years

[FSogol]

46. Same here. n/t

[we can do it]

15. I think I have to say LeBron James.

[backwoodsbob]

17. roflmao

[backwoodsbob]

21. Lebron is a great basketball player

I'd put him in my top ten in my life...but greatest overall athlete?

Better than BO?

[BlueStreak]

33. Hard to put James in front of ...

Jordan, Chamberlain, Robertson, Bird, Kareem, Magic, Isiah, Kobe, Russell, Dr. J and a bunch of other players.

If we want to talk only about hoops players, Roger Brown was the most amazing basketball player that most people never heard of or saw because he was banned from the NBA and played in the ABA when it didn't get much national media coverage.

But he played in my home town. I admit a homer bias. I've seen Lebron James make some good plays, but I honestly can't think of a single Lebron James play where my jaw dropped and I thought, "How can any human do that?" Roger Brown and Doctor J made plays like that EVERY DAMN GAME.

I would have trouble putting Lebron James in the top 20 all time at this stage. He is a very skilled player, but there have just been so many better players through the NBA over the years.

[blueamy66]

81. What about Steve Nash?

nt

[BlueStreak]

84. That's an interesting choice.

Almost nobody would put him anywhere near the top 10. But I think it is fair to say that he has made a real innovation to the point guard position -- probably the most significant change since Isiah Thomas.

I couldn't put Nash in front of James on the basis of skills or ability to take over a game. But if the question is how a player changed the way the game is played, I would definitely put Nash ahead of James.

James hasn't changed anything and he is not an innovator. He is just bigger, stronger, quicker, etc than others doing the same old boring stuff. The basic play is to put your head down and do a bull rush for the rim -- hoping that the refs will call a foul. And if your name is James, they always will. Absolutely unwatchable as an entertainment product.

[blueamy66]

90. Great post

I agree with everything you said.

I played for AZ State. I know about rushing the net for a foul, cause I was doing the fouling. Or blocking. I had a lot of bruises.

Nash is a class act and totally underrated.

And you're spot on about James. Wish he'd just go away.

[we can do it]

20. I only saw Andre the giant on tv, thought you meant in person.

You are not worth bothering with.

[backwoodsbob]

22. then why are you bothering to reply?

seems kind of counterproductive to reply to someone who doesn't deserve a reply unless you feel butthurt that I didn't pick your guy

[femmocrat]

19. Probably Mario Lemieux.

I don't go to sporting events, but when the kids were younger I would occasionally go to see the local teams. They are still huge fans.

[Chan790]

32. I saw Mario Lemieux once in person.

It was during a Whalers game I was being dragged out of by my parents during intermission for misbehaving and he was chain-smoking on the sidewalk outside the Hartford Civic Center.

Apparently when he got Hodgkin's Disease and missed a season, the team doctors told him he had to quit smoking and he just glared them down...he really liked his smokes.

Today, if a professional athlete, let alone one of that caliber, smoked...it'd be a scandal.

[Graybeard]

24. Secretariat.

The biggest horse i've ever seen (he was huge across the chest) and he dominated his sport like no other. There were thoroughbred racehorses and then there was Secretariat in his own world.

[backwoodsbob]

25. of non human athletes Secretariat wins

not even close

[BlueStreak]

34. better athlete than King Kong?

[pipi_k]

48. I've heard rumors

that King Kong was on steroids...

[CottonBear]

43. I agree. Big Red was the best EVER.

I'm an equestrian and I've ridden many Thoroughbreds including some off the track Thoroughbreds.

I grew up in the 1970s and saw all three triple crown winners race (on TV).

Nothing could ever surpass Secretariat.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

60. Ah, but the greatest racehorse of all was Ruffian.

She won ten out of ten races. Millions of us were permanently scarred when we saw her break down against Foolish Pleasure.



She's buried at Belmont Park.

[CottonBear]

70. Ah! Ruffian!

She was awesome. So very sad.

She is also among the greatest of Thoroughbreds. Equal to the stallions.

[GoCubsGo]

78. Yep. Barbaro, too.

When it comes to horse racing, only 3 events bring tears to my eyes years or decades later. Two of them are the losses of Ruffian and Barbaro. Barbaro could've won the Triple Crown had he not been hurt. The third is Big Red in the final stretch of the Belmont. Those are happy tears.

[Hoyt]

26. Ali.

[applegrove]

27. Gary Carter of the Expos.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

50. He was such a good guy...

We were neighbors and he was an assistant coach for my daughter's softball team. Couldn't be head coach as he was broadcasting in those days. His untimely passing saddened all who knew him as well as millions of fans.

[applegrove]

56. They just named a street for him in Montreal. What a great character he

was. His love of the game was infectious.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

57. His enthusiasm for life was equally infectious!

How nice that Montreal honored him so! The Carters were and are a lovely family as well.

[BainsBane]

28. Last time someone asked this question

I answered Lance Armstrong. Not anymore, obviously.

[Mopar151]

29. Richie Evans

Honorable mention to Ollie Silva. Both phenomenal drivers, far above their peers in raw talent.

[undeterred]

30. Pete Sampras

[BlueStreak]

31. Karch Kiraly

[DreamGypsy]

35. No doubt, feet down, couldn't be anyone but Yiannis Kouros and Ann Trason ...

OK, I'll admit that I am not a fan of 'professional, commercial, organized, for-money sports". I don't follow teams or individuals from that realm.

I have been a long- and ultra-distance runner during my life. My votes for the greatest female athlete I have seen: Ann Trason and for greatest male athlete I have seen: Yiannis Kouros.

Ann Trason (born August 30, 1960) is an American ultramarathon runner from Kensington, California. She has broken twenty world records during her career.

Trason's ultra career began when she entered the 1985 American River 50 Miler at age 24 and both won and set a course record (she returned 8 years later and dropped her time an hour to establish the 6:09 course record that still stands).

Trason did not finish her first two times trying to run the Western States 100; in 1987 she dropped out due to knee problems and in 1988, near the finish line, from dehydration.[1] She finished and won it in 1989. She has won Western States 14 times in all, most recently in 2003. She held the women's division course record for 18 years (17:37:51, set in 1994) until it was broken by Ellie Greenwood in 2012.[2]

Trason appears in Christopher McDougall's accounts of the Leadville Trail 100 in the 1990s in his 2009 book, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. Her time of 18:06:24 in the Leadville which she ran in 1994, is the women's course record.

In both 1996 and 1997 Trason performed the "double" of winning the Western States 100 just 12 days after winning the 56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa.

Ann's course records are:
6:09:08 – American River 50 mile
6:13:23 – Comrades Marathon 56 mile
3:59:32 – Cool Canyon Crawl 50K
7:31:24 – Firetrails 50 mile (1987)
6:13:54 – Hunter Thompson 50 mile
18:06:24 – Leadville Trail 100 women's record (2nd place overall in 1994)[3]
8:55:49 – Miwok 100K Trail Race (2001)
6:43:00 – Quicksilver 50 mile
7:29:36 – Silver State 50 mile
22:27:10 – Wasatch Front 100 mile
7:00:47 - World 100K (1995)

Yiannis Kouros (born February 13, 1956 in Tripoli, Greece) is a Greek ultramarathon runner based in Melbourne. He holds every men's outdoor road world record from 100 to 1,000 miles and every road and track record from 12 hours to 6 days.

Yiannis Kouros' world records, sccording to the International Association of Ultrarunners, as of October 2012.

Distance
100 miles Road 11h 46min 37s 13.665 km/h
1000 km Track 5d 16h 17min 00s 7.338 km/h
1000 km Road 5d 20h 13min 40s 7.131 km/h
1000 miles Road 10d 10h 30min 36s 6.424 km/h

Time races
12 h Road 162.543 km 13.545 km/h
12 h Track 162.400 km 13.533 km/h
24 h Road 290.221 km 12.093 km/h
24 h Track 303.506 km 12.646 km/h
48 h Road 433.095 km 9.023 km/h
48 h Track 473.797 km 9.875 km/h
6 days Road 1028.370 km 7.142 km/h
6 days Track 1038.851 km 7.214 km/h

His 24 hour track record is 188 miles, 103 yards. Incredible!


So, where did I see Ann and Yiannis? That's part of the question, right. Well, I have run in events where Ann and Yiannis were participants, and the superhuman are not always ahead of the mere human. For all of us there are good days and not-so-good days: I finished 8 minutes, 8 seconds ahead of Yiannis in a 100 mile run in 1988; in 1990 I finished 20 minutes, 40 seconds ahead of Ann in a 50 mile run. I am fortunate in personally enjoying the experiences of my running. Ann and Yiannis have shown the world the true capabilities of great athletes.

[cynatnite]

36. I always thought Billie Jean King was something else...

I loved Ali and Jackie Joyner Kercee.

Those are my favorite athletes.

[blueamy66]

82. Got to see her play in Prescott, AZ

It was a fluke. Happened to be at the tennis club having an iced tea. Great experience.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

37. Being a musician is physically strenuous.

Many people don't realize how physically demanding it is to play in an orchestra, for example.

Being a concert pianist is especially taxing.
I saw Arthur Rubinstein play a full piano recital when he was eighty-three years old. This was in 1970.

I don't think you can beat that for physical and mental accomplishment.

In this clip from 1975, he plays Chopin. He was born in 1887, which makes him 88 here:

The classical musician who threw the most energy into her playing was Jacqueline duPre. I was lucky enough to see her perform during her very brief concert career in 1967. This is the Elgar Concerto, her favorite piece:

[jmowreader]

38. John Force

Drives a funny car.

Won fifteen national championships, most of any athlete in any sport. Won ten consecutive national championships, a feat not equaled by any other athlete or team in any sport. (The closest two are Jimmie Johnson's five consecutive Sprint Cup championships and the Yankees' five consecutive World Series.) Won his last championship at the age of 61, defeating guys a third his age.

Among athletes not shaped like zeppelins, definitely Bo Jackson.

[Mopar151]

64. And crippled by polio..

Grew up broke, family worked as farm labor and in trucking. Mentored by his brother "Diesel Louie" and his Uncle Beav - Gene Beaver, a partner in the old "LA Hooker" funny car.

[Demo_Chris]

39. Tara Lipinski, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Walter Ray Williams Jr, Arnold Schwarzenegger

These are four athletes that repeatedly demonstrated absolute superhuman perfection in their sport.

[Katashi_itto]

40. Honorable Mention - Sting - He holds 24 Hour Tantric Sex Record

Sting practices "tantric sex", a form of intercourse that means, using Buddhist powers, he can enjoy the act of sexual lovemaking for a billion hours before releasing his love yoghurt. This means that he can satisfy any lady (or open-minded man), as long as they are turned-on by the prospect of spending most of a day rubbing up against a sweaty, sinewy middle-aged man who was once in Dune. An unfortunate side-effect of this form of sex, which interviewers are banned from discussing, is that Sting's pork-sword glows blue when orcs are near.

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Sting

[In_The_Wind]

42. I'm impressed!

[MrYikes]

44. I agree with Hoyt

Ali is always my choice.

[EvilAL]

45. Saw Gretzky play at the old forum in Montreal.

I was cheering against him, but it was nice to see him play.

[Grantuspeace]

47. Walter Payton @ Lambeau Field against my beloved Packers..... many times.

Back in the day visiting teams had to cross the concourse via a mobile chain link fence. Ditka, McMahon etc. Were booed. Walter was cheered. R.I.P. W.P. Second Place: Barry Sanders. Athough he never seemed to have good games in Green bay. At least when I was there.

[HarveyDarkey]

58. I was going to say Sweetness too

Just think what he could have done if he were playing for a good team.

[Gato Moteado]

75. for most of his career he played on a lousy team, true......

....but he also played on the very best NFL team ever, the 1985 bears. the bears were probably the best team in the league the next 2 years as well, even though they didn't return to the superbowl.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

49. Bo Jackson...hands down

My son asked me this question a few weeks ago. Gave him the same answer.

[pipi_k]

51. Never been a

sports fan, really, and only started watching Pro Football in the mid 90s, so...

If I had to say which athlete is the greatest I've ever seen, I would have to be partial and say Tom Brady.

[Major Nikon]

52. Even though I hate the Red Sox, Bill Lee

[Inkfreak]

54. Alex Honnold

Look him up people. What he does is nothing short of epic.

[MrScorpio]

59. My Great Uncle, Joe Louis, Heavyweight Boxing Champ of the World

Here he is with several of his nieces, including my mom sitting on the far right.

[Hoyt]

88. Wow.

[polly7]

89. Amazing! nt.

[Locut0s]

61. Seen in person? None. Seen on TV? Usain Bolt...

100 m: 9.58 WR (Berlin 2009)
150 m: 14.35 WB[5] (Manchester 2009)
200 m: 19.19 WR (Berlin 2009)
300 m: 30.97 (Ostrava 2010)
400 m: 45.28 (Kingston 2007)

[graham4anything]

62. Willie Mays,Bob Gibson,Sandy Koufax,Arthur Ashe Joe Namath,Mark Roth,Chas. Sifford

[First Speaker]

63. Bobby Orr

...the other hockey players treated him like God, not a competitor... ...you can imagine what we fans thought... BUT--if I were old enough, I'm pretty sure my answer would be Babe Ruth.

[Downwinder]

65. Rhode Lee Michelson

[solara]

68. Muhammad Ali

[url=http://www.cosgan.de/smilie.php][img][/img][/url]

[Moondog]

93. Yep. He was incredible, back in the day.

[Doc_Technical]

69. It's got to be this guy

[Skinner]

71. Michael Jordan was at my bachelor party.

Well, he wasn't really there for my bachelor party. But he was at the same restaurant where I had my bachelor party (Cafe Milano in Georgetown, DC). I was walking to the bathroom at the same time he was walking in the front door. I nearly ran right into him. Of course, I immediately ran back to the table and told everyone, which cleared out the entire table. Pretty cool.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

73. that is pretty cool, Skinner

MJ in the hizzy !!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

72. Skywatch

[LWolf]

74. Secretariat.

[Gato Moteado]

76. it's a hard choice for me between walter payton and michael jordan....

...and maybe it's just because i'm a Chicago boy. but those two guys were incredible athletes.

i'll probably go with payton....he didn't have the blazing speed, but he never sidestepped a defender to go out of bounds....he made every defender pay. he never slacked....he played every play, whether he had the ball or not, like it was the most important play of the game.

[MuseRider]

77. Hmmmm, terms?

So many for so many reasons. I am not a big sports fan so mine are limited.

Ali?
Billie Jean King?
Roger Federer?
Agassi because of his tremendous recovery at an older age?

Secretariat would probably be my first choice.

[loli phabay]

79. daley thompson, guy was a machine or lionel messi as he is poetry in motion

[blueamy66]

80. Jim Kelly

nt

[SwissTony]

83. George Best (soccer)

Man U came to South Australia in the late 60s. British and other clubs used to do so in that period.

Man U had Best, Law and Charlton. What a team. Best was a skinny, not very big man. But he was like a ghost on the field. When anyone came to challenge him, they'd find he'd already gone or he'd be waiting to go past them like they were blocks of concrete.

[polly7]

85. Wayne Gretzky.

I saw him many times in Edmonton, he was the smartest, most intuitive hockey player I've ever seen.

[closeupready]

86. Nadia Comenici - she just pulled out WOW performances, each one more amazing

than the last.

[mnhtnbb]

87. Bill Walton at a party one time while I was at UCLA; also got to rally with Jimmy Connors

when he was at UCLA before he turned pro when he 'helped' with a tennis class
I had to take for my major (PE before it became Kinesiology); one of my
roomies at UCLA, Pokey Watson, was a two time Olympic gold medalist in swimming 1964-68;
the tennis great Althea Gibson was at a Los Angeles hotel once when I was a kid and we
met her hanging out at the pool.

[Joey Liberal]

91. Bruce Lee

Nuff said.

[MrSlayer]

92. Wayne Gretzky on many occasions.

No one has Gretzky's vision and touch. And talk about scoring, if the man never scored a single goal in his career he'd still have more points than anyone in history. He's Babe Ruth if Ruth had 1100 home runs. He's Jabbar if if Jabber had 60,000 points. He's Favre if Favre had 500 TDs. The single most dominant player in any sport ever.

[Scuba]

94. Magic Johnson. Saw Michigan State at Wisconsin March 3, 1979. Wes Matthews hit a 50-footer ...

... to win the game for the Badgers. It was State's last loss that season.

Magic was very special.