Greatest sportsman of all time. Who is it?

[PaulB]

Bradman has always been top of my list, followed by Merckx and Navratilova.

Bradman had a test average of almost 100. The current best batsmen in the world are at about 50.

At the end of the day, that has to be the only way of measuring it regardless of anyone's personal opinions about the specific sport at hand. The fact is Bradman stands head and shoulders above anyone else who's ever played the sport. The fact he is so monumentally far ahead of the next best cricketer means he takes the title. And takes it in his majestic stride.

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm not sure that his stride was majestic. More pitterpatter. He was a bit on the small side.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Ron Hill - one time ranked as the best in the world but more importantly has inspired others and has continued to run for the love of it all his life.

In fact, he has not missed a day of running since December 1964, and achieved his goal of racing in 100 countries before his 70th birthday recently with races in Panama and the Faroe Islands.

 

[postman]

ALI ----- A showman a genius. Simply the Best. And during the time when boxers were boxers.Hard mean men.

 

[mickle]

The question isn't 'Who's was the greatest sporting career?' I (and the majority of the world's population) had never heard of Bradman before this thread so he can't be great. And cricket aint a sport. It might just qualify as a game but it more likely to be a pastime.

It's Ali.

 

[snorri]

The question isn't 'Who's was the greatest sporting career?' I (and the majority of the world's population) had never heard of Bradman before this thread so he can't be great.

If you had never even heard of Bradman, then your knowledge of sporting history is clearly very limited, making your nomination of Ali totally irrelevant to this academic survey.

 

[col]

If you had never even heard of Bradman, then your knowledge of sporting history is clearly very limited, making your nomination of Ali totally irrelevant to this academic survey.

Who hasnt heard of Ali? even people not interested in sport have heard of him,and class him as the greatest,so your point isnt valid.Bradman obviously didnt do enough to become as well known.

 

[snorri]

even people not interested in sport have heard of him,and class him as the greatest,

If they are not interested, on what criteria do they judge?

 

[Smokin Joe]

Ali gets nominated because he has a high media profile. Most non cyclists would rate Armstrong as the greatest ever cyclist for the same reason, never having heard of anyone else.

 

[mickle]

Lance Armstrong is the greatest cyclist ever though. Shows what you know.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Mickle's had a knock on the head, best humour him

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Eddy Merckx stands above other cyclists in the same way that Bradman stands above other cricketers. Look at the scores on the recent 'Top 25 cyclists of the modern era' list...

IMHO too.

Then the subjective bit - how do you compare them? I would have to say that what Merckx did was far physically and mentally harder than Bradman's achievements. As cyclists we should all know this!

 

[ACS]

My vote goes to Mark Allen the 6 time winner of the Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, 5 of which where consecutive.

He went undefeated in 10 trips to the Nice International Championships (Olympic distance) and from 1988-1990 he put together a winning streak of 20 races.

Over the course of his racing career, which ended in 1996, he maintained a 90% average in top-three finishes.

Not well known outside the world of Triathlon he excelled in 3 different sports and his ability to race at all distances from short to ultra distance must put him in the running for the title.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

What about chaps like James Hunt and Barry Sheen? - those boys could down booze like nobodies business, smoke themselves stupid, entertain ladies all night and still turn up and make a fairly good ham-fisted attempt at a race.

 

[asterix]

If you had never even heard of Bradman, then your knowledge of sporting history is clearly very limited, making your nomination of Ali totally irrelevant to this academic survey.

As a Scot you should be ashamed of yourself, claiming knowledge of a game whose amusement value ranks with vicarage tea parties

Altho' no great fan of boxing, I do admire Mohammed Ali for the many reasons expressed by C of G. A great man.