The top 20 greatest sports figures of all time IMO of course.

[trytrytry]

secretariat in there someplace

[trytrytry]

Pele lol. Can't get more overrated than that guy who never played outside America in a time where soccer was played basically standing. Basically played in amateur league all his life.

But it's your list so all good.

Im no soccer guy but im thinking you dont know what Pele did.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Man I can put out the greatest list but the current generation will not like it.

Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Wilt Chamberlain
Michael Jordan
Hakeem Olajuwon
Gordie Howe
Bobby Orr
Wayne Gretzky
Vladislav Tretiak
Johnny Unitas
Jim Brown
Jesse Owens
Usain Bolt
Michael Phelps
Mark Spitz
Billie Jean King
Steffi Graf
Nadia Comaneci
Diego Maradona

Laker, I like it. I realize you have to leave SOMEONE out. What about Ted Williams and Pele?

Swimming is a timed event, over era. Funny how Spitz times eventually shattered, wouldn't even touch Phelps times.

[lakerboy]

That's silly. How are you defining athlete? Running fast and jumping high and being strong. If that's the case, then the list will be totally different. He plays a sport, he's an athlete. By tat standard, why is Babe Ruth on your list.

Ruth played two positions at an extremely high level.

[Allure]

Im no soccer guy but im thinking you dont know what Pele did.

Oh I certainly do know what he has done. It is also no secret since it is widely available to look it up. It doesn't change my statement. He is overrated and doesn't belong in a Top 20 list especially if that list doesn't even include Maradona.

[Swinging Johnson]

In no particular order:

Bill Russell
Wayne Gretzky
Bobby Orr
Ted Williams
Babe Ruth
Tom Brady
Michael Jordan
LeBron James
Barry Sanders
Shaquille O'Neal
Barry Bonds
Simone Biles
Pele
Lawrence Taylor
Martin Brodeur
Muhammad Ali
Sugar Ray Robinson
Novak Djokovic
Jon Bones Jones
Tiger Woods

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Swingin, pretty good. We're talking GOATs, so I like your list. My personal critique:

1) Always thought BRussell was a hair overrated. Played on the right team. Swap him out for Kareem.
...Sounds impossible for a 6x champ to be under-rated, but Kareem is underrated. Production/longevity was taken for granted.

2) I love Brodeur. He might have been better than Roy, based on consistency.

3) I can't put Bones Jones in there. Messed up his career by failing drug tests.

The only real "Olympic" athlete you have on there is Biles, which is fine. Only in spotlight once every four years. Dan Gable and Michael Phelps worthy of mention.

[Runeblade]

Swingin, pretty good. We're talking GOATs, so I like your list. My personal critique:

1) Always thought BRussell was a hair overrated. Played on the right team. Swap him out for Kareem.
...Sounds impossible for a 6x champ to be under-rated, but Kareem is underrated. Production/longevity was taken for granted.

2) I love Brodeur. He might have been better than Roy, based on consistency.

3) I can't put Bones Jones in there. Messed up his career by failing drug tests.

The only real "Olympic" athlete you have on there is Biles, which is fine. Only in spotlight once every four years. Dan Gable and Michael Phelps worthy of mention.

Brodeur benefited from a neutral zone trap defense that was pretty much ruining the game of hockey. Great goalie but got a lot of help

[Runeblade]

Good list. However, mine includes Randy Johnson for Mlb. The most dominant/intimidating lefty starting pitcher, all-time
303 wins
4875 K’s

Randy Johnson was a beast in his prime. I forgot about him. Once his velocity started to go though he was getting crushed.

[las8]

Well athlete in terms of his profession. Best professional athlete ever, probably more than Jordan. Winning 7 superbowls harder than winning 6 nba finals. No qb ever gonna sniff that record.

This guy Minnesota said David Beckham lmao. Minny, are you talking about the loser who played with Gerrard Lampard Rooney Terry Sean Wright Phillips and add in Beckham and that team never won anything?

Beckham wasn't even a top 20 player in the world when he was in his prime. He was a good looking guy who bent a few balls on free kicks, and had a supermodel wife, and everyone loved him. He did nothing.

Beckham wasn't even the best mid on that 1999 ManU team. Scholes scores goals.

[DiggityDaggityDo]

NBA Players started wearing longer baggy shorts instead of daisy dukes because of Jordan.

Well, except for Stockton.

Stockton loved his daisy dukes

[Allure]

Beckham wasn't even the best mid on that 1999 ManU team. Scholes scores goals.

Well when Sir Alex Ferguson says that Scholes was the best midfielder in England than that's the end of discussion really.

[d2bets]

Ruth played two positions at an extremely high level.

So that's your qualification? You have to play two positions to be a top athlete? Come on. Who else on your list did that? A quarterback is pretty much worth 2 positions in any other sport.

Brady has excelled and achieved at his sport. Irrelevant how fast he is or how high he can jump or what he can bench press. Just like it's irrelevant for Babe Ruth also.

If it's not necessarily about particular sports achievement, then Bo Jackson should be on every list. Nobody exceled at multiple sports like him, plus just an insane athlete.

[Enikk]

NBA Players started wearing longer baggy shorts instead of daisy dukes because of Jordan.Well, except for Stockton.


Stockton loved his daisy dukes

I always thought Fab 5 changed the look than went pro.

[las8]

Well when Sir Alex Ferguson says that Scholes was the best midfielder in England than that's the end of discussion really.

Xavi and Zidane agree with Sir Alex.

[Allure]

Xavi and Zidane agree with Sir Alex.

Rightfully so. Didn't get the attention he deserved because he wasn't flashy on and off the pitch.

Should have fukked his brother's wife to get more attention.

[jackpot269]

If your talking all time and not just the last 50 years how do you leave Jim Thorpe off a list? Considered by many to be #1

[KVB]

Sports figures. That's a key term..."Figures"

Don't underestimate just what Bird, Magic, and Jordan were to the NBA. We can throw Ali in there, but as the world becomes a smaller smaller village with globalization nobody in history compares to Tiger Woods and what he's done across the world.

When Woods overtook Jordan as a world brand he became something that has never been created before and it will be along time before it happens again.

That is, if we are talking about sports "Figures"

Don't forget trailblazers like Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens.

[DiggityDaggityDo]

No mention of Jake Paul yet?

Wtf

[KVB]

No mention of Jake Paul yet?

Wtf

No, his brother Logan went toe to toe with Money Mayweather and even beat him.

Jake will forever be in Logan's shadow...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">50-1 <br><br>HOLY penetrate<br><br>MY BROTHER JUST BEAT FLOYD MAYWEATHER</p>&mdash; Paul Paul (@jakepaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/jakepaul/status/1401745038237908995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" >June 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[lakerboy]

So that's your qualification? You have to play two positions to be a top athlete? Come on. Who else on your list did that? A quarterback is pretty much worth 2 positions in any other sport.

Brady has excelled and achieved at his sport. Irrelevant how fast he is or how high he can jump or what he can bench press. Just like it's irrelevant for Babe Ruth also.

If it's not necessarily about particular sports achievement, then Bo Jackson should be on every list. Nobody exceled at multiple sports like him, plus just an insane athlete.

Bo definitely.

I'm not making any qualifications based on playing two sports. I was just responding to your assertion that Ruth wasn't a great athlete because he was fat. Ruth is the greatest sports figure in American history for at least the first 60 years of that century. His impact on baseball was so big. He was a titan . On top of that he was great at two different positions.

Brady is a relentless worker who basically willed his way to the top because of his work ethic. I'm not denying his greatness but a great athletic figure? Hell no. Guy can't run away from anyone. Qb is one position albeit the most important. Ruth played the most important position in baseball ( pitcher and did it at an incredible level) and he played another position. The only other position Brady might have been able to play is placeholder.

[shadymcgrady]

Where's bo Jackson and Pete rose?

[trytrytry]

Magnus carlson

[Runeblade]

Where's bo Jackson and Pete rose?

Bo Jackson was a freak of nature no doubt but still outside the top 20 IMO, honorable mention yes definitely. Pete rose fantastic hitter but I can't put him in the same company as Ted Williams and Babe Ruth

[DiggityDaggityDo]

I guess you guys never played Tecmo Bowl

[Chi_archie]

Stan Musial
Michael Phelps
Usain Bolt
Mary Lou Retton
Moses Malone
Marvin Harrison
Bo Jackson
Mark Spitz
Ted Williams
Simone Biles
Lew Alcinder
Sammy Baugh
Steve Prefontaine
Pele
Renoldo
Tom Brady
Paul Anderson
Christy Matthewson
Rogers Hornsby

[Sato]

Arnold Schwarzenegger? He made fitness and bodybuilding to what it is today.

[Allure]

Michael Schumacher
Sebastian Loeb

[jtoler]

Michael Schumacher
Sebastian Loeb

and lewis hamilton

[jtoler]

Arnold Schwarzenegger? He made fitness and bodybuilding to what it is today.

a roided up freak show?

[Swinging Johnson]

Swingin, pretty good. We're talking GOATs, so I like your list. My personal critique:

1) Always thought BRussell was a hair overrated. Played on the right team. Swap him out for Kareem.
...Sounds impossible for a 6x champ to be under-rated, but Kareem is underrated. Production/longevity was taken for granted.

2) I love Brodeur. He might have been better than Roy, based on consistency.

3) I can't put Bones Jones in there. Messed up his career by failing drug tests.

The only real "Olympic" athlete you have on there is Biles, which is fine. Only in spotlight once every four years. Dan Gable and Michael Phelps worthy of mention.

Excellent critique. We need more CTG's at SBR.

[Enikk]

No Al Bundy? You not know what he did at Polk High? At least honorable mention.

[jjgold]

sanders does not belong on it

Bo Jackson even though career short was the greatest athlete that ever lived

nobody even came close

Best RB ever 25 carries in prime
Baseball he was unreal too

[Runeblade]

sanders does not belong on it

Bo Jackson even though career short was the greatest athlete that ever lived

nobody even came close

Best RB ever 25 carries in prime
Baseball he was unreal too

Exactly...Career cut short due to injury is why I can't put him there. Derrick Rose was destroying the NBA until his injuries derailed his career. No one mentions him though. Barry Sanders is 2nd to Jim Brown IMO because Detroit gave him no support what so ever and still broke records left and right even with a shitty O-line. If he didn't retire early he would have smashed every record there is.

[Kermit]

Tony Hawk