Yahoo's Greatest Sportsman Poll

[ONeill]

The Greatest !!



Who is the greatest sportsman in the world today? Over the next 11 weeks, Eurosport-Yahoo plan to find out and we need your help.


We have selected 32 of the greatest athletes in the world to contest the honour and they have been randomly drawn into eight groups of four.

Half of the votes will be decided by the results of our online poll and half by our panel of experts.

And in the great tradition of reality TV shows, in the case of a tie you get the final say.

The winner of each of the eight pools will go into the semi-finals with the winners of those two subsequent groups going into the head-to-head final.

Meet our team of experts:

Gary Imlach - presenter of ITV's coverage of the Tour de France; Channel 4's coverage of the NFL; Eurosport's coverage of the African Nations Cup and winner of the 2005 William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.

Simon Reed - commentated on the last seven Wimbledon Championships for the BBC as well as cricket for Sky Sports plus tennis and ice skating for Eurosport.

Mr Ed - Eurosport-Yahoo's managing editor gets a vote - after all it was his idea.

Their votes for each group have been put in a sealed envelope so not to be influenced by the poll result and paradoxically their decision will not be revealed until each Wednesday morning when the poll ends and the winner is unveiled.

Here's the draw:

Group A: Ronaldinho (Football); Thierry Henry (Football); Robert Scheidt (Sailing); Steve Nash (Basketball)

Group B: Cristiano Ronaldo (Football); Ricky Ponting (Cricket); Dan Carter (Rugby); Ronnie O'Sullivan (Snooker)

Group C: Kaka (Football); Richie McCaw (Rugby); Sebastien Loeb (WRC); Kenenisa Bekele (Athletics)

Group D: Roger Federer (Tennis); Floyd Mayweather (Boxing); Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (Biathlon); Ivano Balic (Handball)

Group E: Lionel Messi (Football); Valentino Rossi (Moto GP); Tyson Gay (Athletics); Kobe Bryant (Basketball)

Group F: Michael Phelps (Swimming); Thomas Morgenstern (Ski Jumping); Tom Brady (NFL); Giba (Volleyball)

Group G: Tiger Woods (Golf); Jeremy Wariner (Athletics); Chris Hoy (Cycling); Peyton Manning (NFL)

Group H: Fernando Alonso (Formula One); Muttiah Muralitharan (Cricket); Bryan Habana (Rugby); Sidney Crosby (NHL)

It's not about how popular the sports are but more of a reflection on what each individual brings to his respective sport - in terms of domination, entertainment and longevity.

Is Ronaldinho contribution to football since the millennium worth more Lionel Messi's value today? Is Ole Einar Bjoerndalen more talented that Kaka?

You decide!

So get voting on the home page poll right now and to help your choice, there is a bio of each the Group A contestants available by clicking on the link under the photo.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/02012008/58/greatest.html

[The Real Laoislad]

Tiger Woods without a doubt in my mind

[ONeill]

Federer is a very close second for me. Until he wins the French, he will never be the complete player.

[The Real Laoislad]

The Dubs will be complaining that Ciaran"can't be sent off in Croke Park" Whelan isn't in it

[stephenite]

Yep, for total domination of his sport it's got to be Tiger. Federer would probably be second, but it's not close

[The Real Laoislad]

Too be honest i think it's laughable to have the likes of C.Ronaldo in that poll

[stephenite]

Looks like they've just taken the top players in some of the more well known sports and some from some obscure sports. I have no idea who the bi-athlete or handballers mentioned are - maybe they've dominated more than Woods in their sports?

[ONeill]

I remember watching that handballer at the last Olympics. Can't remember his nation but he was a man with complete mastery of his sport.

[muppet]

I think a far more worthy exercise would be a Sports Greatest Yahoo Poll

Any takers?

[stephenite]

 

Oh but where to start....

Gazza, Pillar, Paidi always struck me as a complete Yahoo, Cantona, John Daly, John Mullane, Johnny Barr, Shane Warne, Tyson.

It could go on forever

[Puckoon]

Of the sports I really follow Id have to go for the following shortlist:

Kaka - Soccer
Tom Brady - American Football
Kobe Bryant - Basketball
Tiger Woods - Golf
Roger the todger - Tennis


I think these are the people who are really at the top of their game in what I would class the major sports. Ive fallen away from the rugby so I cant pick a player from that code. The rest I just dont class as sportsmen. Ronnie O'Sullivan? Fernando Alonso? Just not sportsmen for me. If they are in I demand inclusion for my speed typing.


From the above list Id have to pick Tiger.

[his holiness nb]

The Dubs will be complaining that Ciaran"can't be sent off in Croke Park" Whelan isn't in it

Ciaran would be flatterred to hear that when looking at this thread you automatically thought of him LL.
Grab that mask, its slipping!!!

[thejuice]

I'd go with Tom Brady or Tiger Woods, to be honest I never watch tennis, soccer or basketball and i dont think theres a dominant rugby player so to speak. But there you have my un-informed opinion anyway,

[nifan]

Tiger Woods or Roger Federer are possibly the greatest individuals to EVER play their sport  - how many on that list could you say that about?

[Bogball XV]

Tiger Woods or Roger Federer are possibly the greatest individuals to EVER play their sport  - how many on that list could you say that about?

Is federer that much better than Borg, Sampras, Laver?  I don't know, just asking.  Laver did the grand slam twice, probably less competititive, but as Derry said in '93, you can only beat what's put in front of you
Woods is probably better than Nicklaus, but Hogan, Jones, who'll ever know.
That aside, they are probably the 2 best sportsmen in the world at the minute.