Who is the greatest sportsman of the 20th century?

[Sloth]

M.J does not stand for... Michael Jackson.
It stand for....Milla Jovovich

[Hydey]

Walter Lindrum (billiards) they changed the rules to try and stop him dominating the sport.

Hubert Opperman. (cycling) almost unstopable.

[lightblue]

Michael Jordan (no doubt the MJ Sloth refers to) must be one of the best known athletes in the world. Only Ali and Pele are probably more widly known. Not only the single most dominating smallish player in basketball history (Bill Russel would be the most dominating big man, 11 titles in 13 years), also at the forefront of turning sport into a big money enterprise (good or bad I don't know, influential in any case).

Another nomination must go to Sir Steven Redgrave. Winner of 5 consecutive gold medals in rowing between 1984 and 2000, must be counted as one of the single most amazing feats of physical consistency ever seen.

[Tamerlin]

John Mc Enroe

[reds4ever]

Re: Who is the greatest sportsman of the 20th century?

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
My pick would be Muhammad Ali, whose probably more popular outside of the United States than at home. Other contenders in boxing would be Joe Lewis and Rocky Marciano.

Defineatly Ali, not just for what he accomplished but for the number of years he did it over,he beat the best for 20 years.

As for Marciano, don't be fooled by the 49-0 recored he's not even one of the top ten heavywieghts of all time, let alone the greatest sportsman, he had hand picked opponents on the way up and made six title defences all against either bloated light heavyweights or old men, and a time when heavyweight boxing was a low ebb, there's plenty of boxers with better credentials.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Forget Schumie. Fangio was the greatest Grand Prix driver.

Other greats...

Athletics-

Ed Moses (400m hurdles)
Jan Zelazny (Javelin)
Jesse Owens (sprints & high jump)
Daley Thompson (Decathlon)

Boxing-

Marvin Hagler
Julio Cesar Chavez
Sugar Ray Robinson
Joe Louis.

[aaglo]

Jesse Owens wasn't a high-jumper he was a long-jumper.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

A mere 90 degrees out.

[aaglo]

The crucial 90 degrees...

[Winston]

I could go for Edwin Moses as a contestant as well. Astounding performance each and every time for nearly a decade.

Although I really hate to nominate a Swede, I think Ingemar Stenmark (alpine skiing, mainly slalom) deserves a place here as well.

And how about Olga Korbut (gymnastics)?

[Adam Smith]

A vote here for Jesse Owens, for what he did on the track as well as off it. Saw some interviews with him a couple of years ago. The man was very intelligent, very articulate, and a class act from top to bottom. And he was a true amateur in the financial sense.

Paavo Nurmi and Roger Bannister get honorable mention since I used to run cross country.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Mo mention of Pete Sampras - even though he was as boring as hell, but well when he was at his best -noone could touch him, and that lasted for a while.

Mohamed Ali was one of the better charachters in sport that is for sure.

Other than that, Michael Schumacher, even though he had luch - if we can say so - that Senna died when he started, and there was noone to challange him properly. -Senna had Prost, and there was usually some decent competition, unlike now. Hakinnen - Hill , etc all had better cars when they have won. When Michael has the best car now it is not even a contest.

Michael Jordan - can you do without him, he was more than outstanding.

What else, Pele, Maradonna in football.

Miguel Indurain in cycling.

Ingemar Stenmark - Alpine Skiing.

Matti Nikennen - Ski jumping

Sergei Bubka - well he must qualify as the most dominant in his discipline ever! He did not have any competition for a long time (apart from a few glitches when he did not jump as far as he normally did)

[atawa]

Originally posted by Hydey
Hubert Opperman. (cycling) almost unstopable.

Ever heared of a guy named Eddy Merckx?

[atawa]

Football: Diego Maradonna

Cycling: Eddy Merckx

Skating: Eric Heiden


And why do people keep calling formula 1 a sport

[academia]

Michael Jordan - Basket
Juan Manuel Fangio - F1 Racing
Maradona/Pele - Football
Bjon Borg - Tennis
David Campese - Rugby
Mark Spitz - Swimming