Greatest athlete on Earth?

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Who gets your vote and why? I'm pretty sure loads of people would go for the Tiger but I would say Lance Armstrong. After fighting cancer, winning Tour De France 5 times in a row is simply phenomenal. And what do 95% of these top athletes have in common? They are 'down to earth' people with positive attitude toward life. Who gets your vote?
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 64
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Definitely Lance.
  • Reply 2 of 64
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Placebo

    Definitely Lance.



    Yup. Close the thread. Nothing more to post about.
  • Reply 3 of 64
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    He's one of the greatest athletes for sure, but you simply can't compare sports to each other. Stick Tiger Woods on a bike and he wouldn't last 20 minutes climbing the Pyrenees. Give Lance Armstrong Barry's maplewood bat and let him take a few swings at 95+ mph fastball.
  • Reply 4 of 64
    kelibkelib Posts: 740member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    He's one of the greatest athletes for sure, but you simply can't compare sports to each other. Stick Tiger Woods on a bike and he wouldn't last 20 minutes climbing the Pyrenees. Give Lance Armstrong Barry's maplewood bat and let him take a few swings at 95+ mph fastball.



    Obviously we are comparing apples and oranges. I just think Lance's achievements are out of this world and he deserved more credit than he actually gets.
  • Reply 5 of 64
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    He's one of the greatest athletes for sure, but you simply can't compare sports to each other. Stick Tiger Woods on a bike and he wouldn't last 20 minutes climbing the Pyrenees. Give Lance Armstrong Barry's maplewood bat and let him take a few swings at 95+ mph fastball.



    going by that I'd probably have to take a strong look at some basketball players. Someone like Michael Jordon. Best basketball player ever but if you stuck him in nearly any other sport he'd be able to compete.



    I don't think lance could compete in much else than biking.
  • Reply 6 of 64
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    You mean, living and doing his/her thing right now, or like, ever, or...? In any case, I'd think someone like Evil Knievel?
  • Reply 7 of 64
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kelib

    Obviously we are comparing apples and oranges. I just think Lance's achievements are out of this world and he deserved more credit than he actually gets.



    Well, you're demeriting Indurain altogether since he was the first person to win 5 times in a row. Maybe Lance will win 6...or 7. Who knows? It was his will that led to his recovery from testicular cancer, not his athleticism. Willpower isn't to be ignored, but neither is well-rounded athleticism.
  • Reply 8 of 64
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by applenut

    Someone like Michael Jordon. Best basketball player ever but if you stuck him in nearly any other sport he'd be able to compete.



    Except baseball and golf.
  • Reply 9 of 64
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Jim Thorpe. He competed in just about everything and won.
  • Reply 10 of 64
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    Except baseball and golf.



    welllllllll





    he did sort of alright
  • Reply 11 of 64
    kelibkelib Posts: 740member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by bunge

    Jim Thorpe. He competed in just about everything and won.



    He died back in the 50s so he won't count here. But what a sportsman he was. When I asked greatest on earth I meant those alive and actually still competing. The greatest athlete in world history is another matter
  • Reply 12 of 64
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    It was his will that led to his recovery from testicular cancer.



    If you're saying that he the way he came back to the forefront of cycling after his illness is his will, I agree. If you're saying that he healed from testicular cancer through his will, I most certainly disagree. It's wishful thinking to believe that you'll heal better if you're an optimist or a strong-willed person. It's just luck, and factors like your bodily composition, heritage, treatment, stage in which the disease was discovered, ...

    Impossible? Maybe not. But if you'd make up a chart of what causes someone to heal from cancer, optimism would account for less than 0.1%.

    This is my opinion, however. And I want you to know that I'm willing to change that opinion if convincing evidence is presented to me. I'm not aware of any.
  • Reply 13 of 64
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Don't have any evidence handy, but I've seen it enough to say that when you admit defeat, think "I'm dead".... you're ****ing dead.



    I think having a strong will is a HUGE factor in recovering from things such as this.
  • Reply 14 of 64
    kelibkelib Posts: 740member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by murbot



    I think having a strong will is a HUGE factor in recovering from things such as this.




    Agreed, and I think most doctors would agree with you
  • Reply 15 of 64
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    I didn't think it was all that rare to come back from testicular cancer so I never really thought it was as big of a deal as some people make it out to be. I also don't know how advanced it was when he was diagnosed.



    Too bad about Thorpe. He's A#1 in my opinion.



    As for today, can I say Water Payton? I guess not because he's dead too. Damn.
  • Reply 16 of 64
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kelib

    Agreed, and I think most doctors would agree with you



    Yeah, mental exhaustion leads to physical exhaustion. Mental strength and will lead to better physical health through chemical balance, diet, sleeping patterns, etc. I think der Kopf thinks that since I'm somewhat politically conservative, I must be talking about prayer and faith! No, I'm a Godless individual.



    I didn't differentiate between conquering cancer and becoming competitive again because I was referring to both.
  • Reply 17 of 64
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    I think der Kopf thinks that since I'm somewhat politically conservative, I must be talking about prayer and faith!



    I have never given your political stance that much thought, to be honest (probably because its mainly the extremes on both ends of the spectrum that stand out). I could agree with you, and murbot, when you claim that admitting defeat puts you on the fast lane out. Still. My point, or opinion, if you wall, concerns itself more with the other side: no matter how positive you are, if your number has come up, you're out of here.
  • Reply 18 of 64
    709709 Posts: 2,016member
    Eh...screw it.
  • Reply 19 of 64
    _ alliance __ alliance _ Posts: 2,070member
    stupid thread. comparisons like this can't work simply because athletes are so specialized. very few athletes can do more than one thing at extreme levels.
  • Reply 20 of 64
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    I guess Dion Sanders is the best athlete of all time then?



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