asiaskyblues
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sorry he's not British but for me he was
Greatest Sportsman ? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter bringbackrattles
- Start date
Terry Gibson's perm
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In his eyes he is for me the legend has grown in time. Many of goals where scored in the army and probably his back garden, Maradona was better for me
Otis
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Ah, but I discounted him because of the drugs and cheating.
Which also meant I had to discount most tennis players, cyclists and athletes too!
eastwoodsdustman
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asiaskyblues
Well-Known Member
Pele was a drug cheat? Well blow me over.
Pele was massively over-rated. He did it in the world cups but little else. Look at Kanu for Wales. Suddenly being offered 100,000 pounds a week to play in China and just because he scores one great goal in the Euros. Pele and Maradonna score spectacular goals against England, or had amazing matches against them, so we judge on those games.. For me the best footballer was Cruyff. He did it at club level as well as internationals. Week in week out he played a blinder.
Terry Gibson's perm
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Roy Race was the ultimate
Billy's boots also
Billy's boots also
tisza
Well-Known Member
Murray's a great tennis player but can't be considered for greatest sportsman.
3 Grand Slams is a fantastic achievement in any era but the fact he has lost so many finals is still a negative.
The "greatest" sportsman needs to be someone who for a decent period of time was the best in the world.
Redgrave, Thompson, Faldo, Wiggins, Hoy, Calzaghe, Taylor all seem to fit this criteria better than Murray.
3 Grand Slams is a fantastic achievement in any era but the fact he has lost so many finals is still a negative.
The "greatest" sportsman needs to be someone who for a decent period of time was the best in the world.
Redgrave, Thompson, Faldo, Wiggins, Hoy, Calzaghe, Taylor all seem to fit this criteria better than Murray.
bringbackrattles
Well-Known Member
Looking at the names mentioned to my thread it could be Redgrave and Daley Thompson going head to head for top sportsman ?
jimmyhillsfanclub
Well-Known Member
Rowing....pah....Redgrave couldn't even be arsed to stand up when competing.
Daley Thompson all day long out of them two.
bringbackrattles
Well-Known Member
Drum roll and the winner is : DALEY THOMPSON .
Otis
Well-Known Member
Yep, totally agree.
Alistair Cook has to be in with a shout, Englands top run scorer and 11th highest run scorer of all time looking certaint to make the top 3, Ashes win in Australia winning man of the series, Capiatining England to Ashes wins and a first series win in India for almost 30 years.
CJ_covblaze
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Joey Dunlop wins it for me. Both for what he did in and for his sport & what he did away from it.
Otis
Well-Known Member
I honestly just had to Google that, CJ, as I had no idea who he was.
CJ_covblaze
Well-Known Member
It has been a while I suppose. In various polls he's been voted as Northern Ireland's greatest ever sportsman ahead of George Best. I can think of a few that had a peak during long successful careers but I can't think of anyone else that was pretty much the best in their sport from the day they started until the day they finished. If he hadn't passed away I honestly think he'd still be winning now at 63. If you add in the millions he raised for good causes without any fanfare and the way how the whole of Northern Ireland came to a stop for his funeral it says a lot.
The only other two that come close is Taylor and Mathews. Phil hasn't got worse, the opposition have just got better. So many good players around now in the PDC. Wright, Wade, Klassen, Anderson, MvG, RvB etc. Somehow though he's still rightly one of the favourites for every tournament. Don't need to say much about Sir Stan. Achieved things that will never be equaled. That is 100% certain.
However what is great? Does George Best qualify as his career was so short? Does the lack of international success mean Ryan Giggs can't be considered?
Shouldn't Collingwood, Moore and Johnson be considered as they've all captained our teams in our three main sports to 'World Cup' wins? No one else can lay claim to that.
CJ_covblaze
Well-Known Member
Someone else that's worthy of a mention is Valentino Rossi. British citizen.
Otis
Well-Known Member
I had heard the name Joey Dunlop before, but didn't know he was a sportsman. Sounds more like someone who belongs in TOWIE.
Only thing on Johnson I would say is that in Rugby there are only really 8-9 top teams (the 6 nations, or 5 if you discount Italy, plus Austrailia, New Zealand and South Africa) though I do accept you can only beat what is put in front of you.
I do think to be the greatest you should have conquered the world stage.
Think Daley Thompson for me.
Murray winning the Davis cup with GB, pretty much the world cup of tennis? Not sure you can put Collingwood in for winning the WT20, Strauss taking England to the world no1 ranking is a greater acheivement and I would put Cook & Anderson ahead of him in cricketing terms for their records.
Terry Gibson's perm
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All apart from Murray had teams around them.
I know in the Davis cup he has other players but some don't seem to know which end of the racquet to hold.
The next two years are huge for Murray, peak age, playing some of the best stuff of his career, back with Lendl, if he can win 2 of the US, Tour Finals and the Olympics he will be there or there abouts in the fight for world no1 ranking, which he has come out and said is his next aim.
Picking up the Australian and French (both of which he made the finals this year) would make him a very strong contender for Britains greatest sportsman I think.
Picking up the Australian and French (both of which he made the finals this year) would make him a very strong contender for Britains greatest sportsman I think.
lifeskyblue
Well-Known Member
I think Denis Compton deserves a mention. He played cricket for England on many occasions and was part of arsenals cup winning and league winning sides. Not bad bad being at the top of two sports. Never saw him play but my grandad raved about him
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bringbackrattles
Well-Known Member
Been reading today in the paper about WG Grace who was born today in 1848. He scored 54,000 runs, took 2,876 wickets,and 871 catches in first class cricket. In 1876 he was the first man to score 300 runs in an innings,and did it again a week later. He also played bowls for England and founded the English Bowls Association. Now those stats are impressive.
Grendel
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A Jack of all trades and a master of none.
bringbackrattles
Well-Known Member
Not sure what you mean ? He's an Olympic gold medal winner !
Grendel
Well-Known Member
It's a term often associated with such athletes who couldn't compete in the individual disciplines.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
And master of the decathlon. How is that master of none?
Typical Grendalism this.
It's like saying if Andy Murray wasn't a world class tennis player and a racketathon existed then he could be mediocre at tennis squash ping pong and badminton and claim to be an elite athlete
Murray didn't have to - he is world class at an actual event.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
Racketathon doesn't exist. Decathlon does.
Daley Thompson was best in the world. How on earth does that not make him master of something?
Laughable.
Not really he wanted to be a sprinter and couldn't make the grade and managed only one world title. If Murray wins this Olympics he will equal that medal haul and have succeeded in more grand slams than Thompson world titles.
Terry Gibson's perm
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Nice spin!!
Thompson won two Olympics, one World Championship, two European Championships and broke the World Record four times.
Master of none?
Think you will struggle to get pretty much anyone to agree with you.
I think you thrive on that though don't you.
He is the master of decathlon that is enough for me, I am normally everything is about football and cricket but can't on this one
Otis
Well-Known Member
To be the best over ten disciplines is an incredible achievement.
Simply cannot buy this notion of failing to come up against individuals in their own specialised disciplines because no athlete on earth could be the best 100m runner and the best 1500m runner and the best hurdler and the best discus thrower and pole vaulter and shot putter and long jumper. Not possible.
I also have tremendous admiration for triathletes too.
CJ_covblaze
Well-Known Member
Can't disagree at all with that.
