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

[Tyrones own]

Lance... beyond a shadow of a doubt
Jordan
Woods
Phelps
Marciano.

[moysider]

Jesus oh i wish i never had said no to Steve Redgrave. POG and Galls are going to meet for a boxing match after this. 

Top 5 Sports People in my opinion:
1) Zidane (minus the headbutt)
2) Michael Jordan
3) Tiger Woods
4) Rocky Marciano
5) Ali

The reason for this is beacuse I have taken worldwide massive sports and put who I believe to be the best at each in numbers 1-4 then Ali as I just think he is a cool mofo. Dont think there has ever been the same persona in a sport. Having the cockyness yet the ability to back it up is class.

Gonna finalise a list.

1. Ali
2. Michael Jordan
3. Pele
4. Tiger Woods
5. Roman Sebrle (I just personally think the Decathletes are something else, truly the best athletes and his is still the world record holder and won 9 Golds at Euro/World/Olympic level along with 4 silver and 4 bronze)

I would have a problem with a decathlete. Undoubtedly great all round but very inferior to the specialists in each event. I suspect many end up as decathletes because they could nt make it as sprinters, jumpers or throwers. Jordan was a great but it was basketball which is about as worthy as volleyball or olympic handball.


I remember years ago [12-15] The Sunday Times did a wonderful series of magazines profiling the best sportspeople of all time. Should have kept them. I forget exactly how many profiled but there were hundreds anyway. Anybody remember? If memory serves me correctly - and it probably does nt - only 1 hurler and 1 footballer featured. Ring and O Connell. I think Henry VIII got mentioned for hawking/falconry.

Surprised nobody here mentioned Robin Hood or William Tell for archery.

[Hardy]

Debatable. Lots of evidence that Marciano's manager doctored his record from earlier fights.

Interesting, Gallsman. It seems there's been a long-standing controversy about this that I never heard of before. There's a good account of the story here. A good read. I don't know how authoritative the source is, but it presents a convincing case that Rocky's pro record was clean.

In summary, he conducted a "haphazard" amateur career, including competing in the Golden Gloves and the AAU championships. He lost four of these amateur fights. In the course of this amateur career, in 1947, Rocky fought one fight as a "pro" – really just a local tournament he entered to make a few bucks - under the name "Rocky Mack" (to prevent his mother finding out!). Contrary to the claims about the doctored record, he won this fight.

Here's a description of his amateur career from the piece:

Marciano's amateur career was a haphazard affair with no professional guidance. He didn't have a gym to train in, nor anyone to train him other than his childhood friend Allie Columbo. In fact, he didn't have a professional trainer until his 5th pro fight, when Charlie Goldman was assigned to train him under the management of Al Weil. He simply signed up to fight in major tournaments and did surprising well against men who were fighting very often as amateurs. He had 12 fights and lost 4, two because of hand injuries, once for disqualification, and one on a questionable decision.

It seems he never lost a fight as a pro, including the one he's most often quoted as losing as "Rocky Mack":

Long after he became famous as heavyweight champion, fight fans from the New England area confused some of his amateur losses with his pro fights, going so far as to insist that he'd been beaten under the name of Rocky Mack. The confusion is understandable, considering how he mixed in that single pro fight under the name of Mack with his amateur fights. But the record is clear on who he fought as Rocky Mack and who won the fight. Nat Fleischer investigated the fight record of Marciano and had no doubt that all his pro fights were on record and all were victories. Likewise, the losses he suffered as an amateur were all in sanctioned amateur tournaments, dispelling any suspicion that they were really pro fights.

[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

[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

[Eastern_Pride]

Provisional list for Poll.
(In no particular order)

Michael Jordan
Muhammed Ali
Usain Bolt
Tiger Woods
Pele.

Yeah?

[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


Surely it would be easier to pick the sports, then pick the best sportsman.
Only the most popular sports should be chosen

[WhoAreYaWhoAreYa!]

Provisional list for Poll.
(In no particular order)

Michael Jordan
Muhammed Ali
Usain Bolt
Tiger Woods
Pele.

You may have opened a can of worms with that one, many people would put Maradona before Pele, not me though.

[Declan]

Sugar Ray & Rocky Marciano were as good as if not better IMHO

Robinson yes - Marciano No - IMO.

Would still have Nicklaus ahead of Woods though
Jordan - fair enough
Pele- Yes

[gallsman]

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

Shove them in the ring? Bit of a dodgy comparison to make due to the weight difference. On a pound for pound basis, Sugar Ray would be recognised as the best.

[full back]

As I said we should recognise the sports then the sportsmen

[gallsman]

This is an impossible poll to make due to there being at least another ten people who could be put on the list. As full back says, recognise the worldwide sports, and then select one from each. Here's my stab:

Soccerball - Pele
American Sports (I'll group them as one, mainly basketball considering a worldwide option) - Magic Johnson
Tennis - Rod Laver (Yes, Fed is great, but let's see him win the grand slam twice)
Golf - Jack Nicklaus
Athletics - Yifter/Gebreselaisse/Bekele/Tulu/Bolt/Zelezny/Riedl
Swimming - Michael Phelps
Cricket - Don Bradman
Cycling - Eddy Mercckx (more complete, all round rider than Lance)
Boxing - Sugar Ray Robinson

**Lol. The extent of his fame, Gebreselaisse isn't highlighted by the spell-checker!

[full back]

Soccer - Pele
Basketball - Jordan
Motor Sport - Schumacher/Fangio
Tennis - Federer
Athletics - Bolt
Golf - Nicklaus
Boxing - Sugar Ray Robinson
Cricket - Bradman

[The Real Laoislad]

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

[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.