Who is the best sportsperson of all time?

[feetofflames]

What about any of the top darts players Bobby George for example not athletic in the Carl Lewis sense of the word but competitive all the same.  Fcukin love darts.  Now theres a true sport of the pauper.

Does alcohol / fags count as drugs in sport.

[5 Sams]

What about someone like Deion Sanders, who scaled the heights in 2 different sports?

Teddy McCarthy

[full back]

Jordan was an exceptional talent. He carried the Bulls for a number of seasons.
Honourable mentions to Woods & Taylor
Federer is superb but his lack of titles in one of the Grand Slams rules him out

[gawa316]

What about someone like Deion Sanders, who scaled the heights in 2 different sports?

Teddy McCarthy

Who's he? A footballer and a hurler?

[JimStynes]

Jordan for me aswell. I have a dvd of Jordans best moments in the house, some of the things he does are ridiculus. The slam dunks, on the buzzer scores, winning games by himself - the man was a freak. He dominated in an era where Magic Johnson, Larry Baird, Issiah Thomas and Charles Barkley where knocking about aswell. Totally dominated the sport then retires and comes back a few years later and totally dominates the sport again. For me he is the greatest sportsperson ever.

[The Real Laoislad]

Good Thread...Also some good arguments for the different sportsmen..
If Peter Canavan is being mentioned then i would have to also include DJ Carey..which also brings up the question was DJ a better hurler than Canavan was a footballer..
I would think yes DJ was a better hurler than Canavan was a footballer,But I'm sure many will line up to shoot me down on that...

Tiger Woods is by far the greatest competing sportsman alive today in my opinion..
But there are a number of sportsmen who could be included in the Greatest of all time category,but how do you decide who was the best..
Is it harder to drive a F1 car at 200mph around a track than to land a golf ball two foot from the pin from 250yards 
Or what makes you the ultimate sportsman?
For me it has to be Tiger Woods,I don't think there has been anyone else in any sport that is so far ahead of his competitors in terms of skill than Woods is...

[5 Sams]

What about someone like Deion Sanders, who scaled the heights in 2 different sports?

Teddy McCarthy

Who's he? A footballer and a hurler?

On the money GAWA....the only man to win AI medals in both codes in the same year.

[The Real Laoislad]

zidane just for this unreal goal

best goal in a soccer final without doubt!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GmN8zp5QDSI

No debating it was a brilliant goal,I remember watching the match in the very early hours in Melbourne,Match was pure dung but was worth getting up early just to see that goal.
But best goal in a soccer Cup Final? I actually think this was better...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1hJ454_Jxo&feature=related

But even better than that was Van Bastens in the Euro 88 Final  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWpl_IZrVuU&feature=related

[David McKeown]

To be honest I really think you need to define what you are lookinf for in terms of the best sportsman.  If its skill in their sport then Tiger and Jordan have an edge as their sport lends it self to display of skill more than other sports.  If its in terms of dominated their sport for many years then that brings in Redgrave etc.  If its being the model sportsman and benefitting the sport then that rules out Schumacer for me.   This later category also makes it hard for sports stars who dominate their sport as it tends to make the sports boring which puts people off and ultimately harms the sport in the long run.  Some times in order to be considered a great sportsman you need a great rivalary 

[gawa316]

For me it has to be Tiger Woods,I don't think there has been anyone else in any sport that is so far ahead of his competitors in terms of skill than Woods is...

Phil Taylor?

[The Gs Man]

David Healy!

[bridgegael]

Dinny,  you don't really believe carl lewis was a drug cheat,  just another conspiracy me thinks!

[Medic]

michael jordan and his superior skills...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OFxXSXGd4hs

[fred the red]

George Best- the first playboy of sport

[DirtyDozen12]

Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather, champion at something like 5 different weight classes, beat everyone put in front of him.