Greatest Sportsmen of all Time/New Poll for top 5 to Agree on.

[The Real Laoislad]

Soccer - Maradona
Basketball - 
Motor Sport - Schumacher
Tennis - Sampras
Athletics - Carl Lewis
Golf - Woods
Boxing - Ali
Cricket - 

i would 1005 agree with you there except Carl Lewis was on drugs. A pity because he was a fantastic athlete.

In 2003, Dr. Wade Exum, the United States Olympic Committee's director of drug control administration from 1991 to 2000, gave copies of documents to Sports Illustrated which revealed that some 100 American athletes who failed drug tests and should have been prevented from competing in the Olympics were nevertheless cleared to compete. Among those athletes was Carl Lewis.
It was revealed that Lewis tested positive three times before the 1988 Olympics for pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine, banned stimulants and bronchiodilators also found in cold medication, and had been banned from the Seoul Olympics and from competition for six months. The USOC accepted his claim of inadvertent use and overturned the decision. Fellow Santa Monica Track Club teammates Joe DeLoach and Floyd Heard were also found to have the same banned stimulants in their systems, and were cleared to compete for the same reason.[71][72]
The positive results occurred at the Olympic Trials in July 1988 where athletes were required to declare on the drug-testing forms "over-the-counter medication, prescription drugs and any other substances you have taken by mouth, injection or by suppository."
"Carl did nothing wrong. There was never intent. He was never told, you violated the rules," said Martin D. Singer, Lewis' lawyer, who also said that Lewis had inadvertently taken the banned stimulants in an over-the-counter herbal remedy.[73] "The only thing I can say is I think it's unfortunate what Wade Exum is trying to do," said Lewis. "I don't know what people are trying to make out of nothing because everyone was treated the same, so what are we talking about? I don't get it

[Eastern_Pride]

Soccer - Maradona
Basketball - 
Motor Sport - Schumacher
Tennis - Sampras
Athletics - Carl Lewis
Golf - Woods
Boxing - Ali
Cricket - 

i would 1005 agree with you there except Carl Lewis was on drugs. A pity because he was a fantastic athlete.

In 2003, Dr. Wade Exum, the United States Olympic Committee's director of drug control administration from 1991 to 2000, gave copies of documents to Sports Illustrated which revealed that some 100 American athletes who failed drug tests and should have been prevented from competing in the Olympics were nevertheless cleared to compete. Among those athletes was Carl Lewis.
It was revealed that Lewis tested positive three times before the 1988 Olympics for pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine, banned stimulants and bronchiodilators also found in cold medication, and had been banned from the Seoul Olympics and from competition for six months. The USOC accepted his claim of inadvertent use and overturned the decision. Fellow Santa Monica Track Club teammates Joe DeLoach and Floyd Heard were also found to have the same banned stimulants in their systems, and were cleared to compete for the same reason.[71][72]
The positive results occurred at the Olympic Trials in July 1988 where athletes were required to declare on the drug-testing forms "over-the-counter medication, prescription drugs and any other substances you have taken by mouth, injection or by suppository."
"Carl did nothing wrong. There was never intent. He was never told, you violated the rules," said Martin D. Singer, Lewis' lawyer, who also said that Lewis had inadvertently taken the banned stimulants in an over-the-counter herbal remedy.[73] "The only thing I can say is I think it's unfortunate what Wade Exum is trying to do," said Lewis. "I don't know what people are trying to make out of nothing because everyone was treated the same, so what are we talking about? I don't get it

Fairly thorough answer. Retracted.

[Main Street]

Hard to see Ali as the Greatest Sportsman of all time when he isnt even the greatest boxer of all time

He would be up there mind you, if we are talking about the Greatest Sporting Personality of all time

He is regarded in most lists I have seen as the best heavyweight of all time.
In lists for best boxer of all time, it looks to between Ali and Sugar Ray as the most consistently voted boxers.

But shove the two of them in the ring at the same time at their peak, wouldn't most select Ali to be the winner

Sugar Ray & Rocky Marciano were as good as if not better IMHO
It was his persona along with his ability that made him who he is today

You are referring to personal opinion which is what this thread is about.
I am referring to credible 'all time lists'  in response to you saying Ali "isnt even the greatest boxer of all time"

[full back]

Hard to see Ali as the Greatest Sportsman of all time when he isnt even the greatest boxer of all time

He would be up there mind you, if we are talking about the Greatest Sporting Personality of all time

He is regarded in most lists I have seen as the best heavyweight of all time.
In lists for best boxer of all time, it looks to between Ali and Sugar Ray as the most consistently voted boxers.

But shove the two of them in the ring at the same time at their peak, wouldn't most select Ali to be the winner

Sugar Ray & Rocky Marciano were as good as if not better IMHO
It was his persona along with his ability that made him who he is today

You are referring to personal opinion which is what this thread is about.
I am referring to credible 'all time lists'  in response to you saying Ali "isnt even the greatest boxer of all time"

That is my personal opinion..........

[muppet]

Is it only me or is it daft having Bolt on any such list?

The other candidates were great champions who proved themselves over and over again, whereas brilliant as Bolt is, if someone beats those records next year is he then off the list?

We should judge him after many years at the top, not just one.

[Eastern_Pride]

Is it only me or is it daft having Bolt on any such list?

The other candidates were great champions who proved themselves over and over again, whereas brilliant as Bolt is, if someone beats those records next year is he then off the list?

We should judge him after many years at the top, not just one.

9.58
19.19
Enough said. I don't think you understand how momentous that is.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Phil Taylor - World Champion 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009



Usain Bolt eat your heart out!!

[Eastern_Pride]

Phil Taylor - World Champion 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009



Usain Bolt eat your heart out!!

Usain Bolt's faster than that dart....

[Hardy]

Is it only me or is it daft having Bolt on any such list?

No - it would be daft having you on it too, heh heh.

Just a passing observation:
Motor"sport" - 

[full back]

Is it only me or is it daft having Bolt on any such list?

No - it would be daft having you on it too, heh heh.

Just a passing observation:
Motor"sport" - 

Why the eyes?
Is it not a sport in your mind?

[muppet]

Is it only me or is it daft having Bolt on any such list?

The other candidates were great champions who proved themselves over and over again, whereas brilliant as Bolt is, if someone beats those records next year is he then off the list?

We should judge him after many years at the top, not just one.

9.58
19.19
Enough said. I don't think you understand how momentous that is.

I don't think you know how to think.

[Hardy]

Is it only me or is it daft having Bolt on any such list?

No - it would be daft having you on it too, heh heh.

Just a passing observation:
Motor"sport" - 

Why the eyes?
Is it not a sport in your mind?

No.

[full back]

Is it only me or is it daft having Bolt on any such list?

No - it would be daft having you on it too, heh heh.

Just a passing observation:
Motor"sport" - 

Why the eyes?
Is it not a sport in your mind?

No.

Why?

[Hardy]

Loads

Is it only me or is it daft having Bolt on any such list?

No - it would be daft having you on it too, heh heh.

Just a passing observation:
Motor"sport" - 

Why the eyes?
Is it not a sport in your mind?

No.

Why?

Because I don't like it.

Seriously, many reasons. (I'm talking F1, mostly. Rallying I just don't get at all. Vroooommmmm! Five minutes later, Vroooommmmm! again. And you don't know who's leading or who's won until you go home.

F1 lacks the tension you'd normally associate with sport. Nothing happens. Any sport where the practice is given almost equal billing with the event has a problem, in my opinion. The most exciting event in any Grand Prix race is the tyre changing. Says it all. The driver doesn't seem to make much difference. It should be the engineers and the tyre changes on the podium I'd say. It doesn't seem to meet any definition of sport that most people would accept.

Worst of all, it's corrupt. People slow down to let others win. In any other sport, professional or amateur, when money is gambled on the outcome, that would be seen as fraud and people would go to jail.

As you can gather, I just can't stand it.

[muppet]

Is it only me or is it daft having Bolt on any such list?

No - it would be daft having you on it too, heh heh.

Just a passing observation:
Motor"sport" - 

In my day I also also did 9.58 seconds (the time it took from start of alarm clock to alarm clock hitting wall) and 19.19 seconds (for the 100m).