Who is the greatest Athlete?

[crapshooter]

I think Lance because of all that he's had to overcome...and yet still win year after year. If not for the cancer I'd probably vote for Thorpe also.

[DevilDriver]

LANCE IS ON ROIDS....anyone watch that Outside the Lines where they showed the evidence??? that really convinced me

[go_jays_go]

I'm thinkin' Sidney Ponson.

[Kingctb27]

I went with Bo

[danleroi22]

Michael Vick isn't bad either....

[Coppermine]

Michael Vick isn't bad either....

Ugh... dude, where do you get your "Greatest Athlete of All Time" criteria?

First of all, "greatest athlete" is so generic and subjective... there so many different criteria and skills necessary to be an athlete. Someone who many be considered a great athlete because they've trained exhuastively their whole life, maybe be a different kind of athlete than one that was born with a particular skill, ability or body time.

Then you have your different sports; we think of athletes almost exclusively as basketball, baseball, football and hockey players, with a little bit of Olympic type things mixed it. But athleticism isn't really something that can be measured.

For instance, Jim Thorpe... he was an unbelievable athlete in its purest sense; that is, he certainly wasn't the greatest as far as athletic ability. He's often cited as the most versatile athlete of all time; and compared to Bo Jackson's mediocre numbers in just baseball and football, I'd say Thorpe deserves at least consideration; but more of versatility than unadulterated athletic ability.

Another guy most of you are forgetting is Muhammad Ali, who was named as the greatest athlete of the 20th century. He really was an unstoppable boxer, and to think that he went to toe to toe in fights with, arguable, the greatest generation of boxers of all time.

Michael Johnson holds some impressive running world records; and Sergei Bubka has a pretty impressive pole vault record.

You see, it's impossible to say, and this entire "who is the greatest athlete of all time" discussion has turned in to "who is your favorite athlete from the last 3 years."

[danleroi22]

I didn't say he was the best of all time... I'm just saying he isn't that bad o f an athlete....

[Coppermine]

I didn't say he was the best of all time... I'm just saying he isn't that bad o f an athlete....

Understood, and I'd have to say that when you compare all of the greatest athletes of all time, in football or otherwise, I'd have a hard time fitting Michael Vick anywhere on that list.

So the guy can throw a football (average at best) and run (but probably not as well as the fasted wide receivers in the league).

He's a great all-around quarterback, but his numbers aren't even particularly impressive (especially fantasy numbers, he's a nearly worthless fantasy pick). I can name about 20 QB's off the top of my head from the last 10 years I'd much rather have than Vick.

Just my opinion though.

[DK]

Babe.


Didrickson Zaharias, that is.

[bronxxbomber]

I didn't say he was the best of all time... I'm just saying he isn't that bad o f an athlete....

Understood, and I'd have to say that when you compare all of the greatest athletes of all time, in football or otherwise, I'd have a hard time fitting Michael Vick anywhere on that list.

So the guy can throw a football (average at best) and run (but probably not as well as the fasted wide receivers in the league).

He's a great all-around quarterback, but his numbers aren't even particularly impressive (especially fantasy numbers, he's a nearly worthless fantasy pick). I can name about 20 QB's off the top of my head from the last 10 years I'd much rather have than Vick.

Just my opinion though.

Ummm you're way off about his arm. Vick has a cannon, his problem is that he's just makes a lot of bad decisions and isn't super accurate.