So who's the greatest athlete of all time?

[Sir Og]

Sergei Bubka also deserves a honorable mention. He has bettered his own WR 35 times. He totaly dominated pole vault and it is very likely that the record will remain his in the near future.

[Dis]

It can be really difficult to compare between sports.

One way to look at it is to determine how many different movements and thought processes the position requires. This is why I choose Quarterbacks over Running backs (despite Walter Peyton being one amazing althlete). And why I can't say Michael Jordan is the best. Jordon does have a lot of moves. But really, it's all about running, jumping, shooting, and good ball handling. I think a Quarterback requires more skill and definately more intelligence. A Quarterback has to run, jump, throw more accurately than a shooter in basketball, read defenses, memorize playbooks, call audibles, and face terrifying lineman, and linbackers.

And for the same reason I would choose american football over most sports (I'm not familiar with all of them though). Bowling- crap. Golf- crap. Baseball- steroid crap. Basketball (mentioned above). Hockey- that's just beathing the **** out of each other , high jump- jumping high, running- well that's just running , bycycling- that's just rotating a gear with your feat and making minor steering adjustments, darts- that's a game you play when you're drunk

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Originally posted by Frankychan
A tie between Muhammad Ali and Lance Armstrong.

Who else do you know that kicked the crap out of cancer, then won the Tour de France more than once?

Cancer Shmancer. Greg LeMond got shot.

[Drake Tungsten]

Damn, Laz beat me to it...

[Joseph]

Jim Thorpe

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Kucinich
Don't you mean Hercules?

Same person. Hercules is the Roman name, Heracles is the Greek Name.

[Solomwi]

The man who went back to Auburn and got his degree the same quarter I started there...

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson.

There's something extremely satisfying about seeing a guy you've had a beer with mentioned in a "greatest athlete" thread on 'Poly.

Greatest non-athlete athlete would have to be another Auburn product I've had a beer with (just a couple of months ago here in Birmingham), Charles Barkley. Even with my obvious bias, I'm tempted to name John Kruk, though, for his classic line "Lady, I'm no athlete. I'm a baseball player."

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by mactbone
Real athletes play multiple sprts UR. Like Jim Thorpe the greatest guy athlete ever.

That would make decatheon'ers the greatest athletes.

[molly bloom]

http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014147.html

"The first to prove a girl could be a stud athlete, Babe Didrikson began as a muscular phenomenon who mastered many sports and ended as a brilliant golfer. An exuberant tomboy whose life was athletics, she was accomplished in just about every sport - basketball, track, golf, baseball, tennis, swimming, diving, boxing, volleyball, handball, bowling, billiards, skating and cycling. When asked if there was anything she didn't play, she said, "Yeah, dolls." "


Fanny Blankers-Koen:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/siforwomen/top_100/26/

First woman to win four golds at a single Olympics

Francina Koen was 18 when at the 1936 Berlin Games she experienced her first Olympic highlight: approaching U.S. legend Jesse Owens and asking for an autograph.

[bipolarbear]

I think that all of you selfish ba****ds are forgetting who the real hero is....


Christopher Reeve!

Really though I think that you have to rule out any nascar driver, especially that stupid arsed earnhardt moron.

To judge best athlete, I think it has to be someone who puts up with considerable pain, or at least has to use most of their muscles. But body Builders don't count, b/c the governator can't be considered for this list.
Maybe a gladiator, or an AMerican Galdiator,

I guess I'll nominate Arnold Palmer. He was the greatest. And yes I am serious about htta one.

[Drake Tungsten]

Way to prove the man's point...

That would make decatheon'ers the greatest athletes.

Exactly, which is why 1912 Olympic gold-medal decathlete Jim Thorpe is the greatest athlete of all time.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by cinch
Gretz.

Worship in the face of your one, true God!

[Ted Striker]

1. Ted Striker
2. Jim Thorpe
3. Michael Jordan

[notyoueither]

Gretzky is better at baseball than Ted Striker, and Michael Jordan most likely.

[FrustratedPoet]

1. The tiny japanese guy who can eat more than 50 hot dogs (+ buns) in 12 minutes. (link)
2. Ted Striker (link)
3. Robocop (link)