Top 100 Athletes of the 20th Century

[Vituperative]

Best baseball player of all-time: Babe Ruth
Best basketball player of all-time: Larry Bird
Best football player of all-time: Barry Sanders
Best hockey player of all-time: Wayne Gretzky
Best swimmer of all-time: Michael Phelps
Best track athlete of all-time: Carl Lewis (We all know Bolt is roided up)
Best boxer of all-time: Wladimir Klitschko
Best soccer player of all-time: Lionel Messi
Best golfer of all-time: Jack Nicklaus (Tiger roided too)
Best tennis player of all-time: Roger Federer

Best football player: Jim Brown
Best Fighter: Anderson Silva
Best Boxer: not klitschko.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Not with you on Bird, I'd go with Jordan.
Boxer, not sure.
Soccer, Pele.

Bird could dominate any aspect of the game and he made every team he was ever on, great. Jordan was the third best player on his college team. He came into the league and they let him go wild and put up stats for ticket sales. But he has losing seasons all 3 years before Pippen (probably the real most athletic player in the league) came to town. What did Bird do in the meantime? Won a couple championships, beat Jordan 14 straight times (including 2 playoff sweeps). And Bird had to win against dynasty level teams like the Lakers, Sixers, Rockets, and Pistons. All's Jordan ever did was beat watered down teams led by the 80s A minus stars with David Stern's help.

You want to compare Bird and Jordan when they were at the end of their careers. Coming off two acl tears and a back condition that would have had every other player retiring, Bird led his team to 50 wins and he was still on verge to take out the Bulls if his back hadn't flared so bad that he was missing playoff games. Jordan in his last two years; two more losing seasons and no playoffs on 41 percent shooting. Bird never had one season like that. Jordan had freaking 5 of them. Sound great to you? He's a corporate illusion for obvious reasons; and like everything it comes down to money; not the truth.

As for boxing, I was considering Lennox Lewis and then I remembered Vlad Klit. LL actually beat VK; but that was b/c of a fluke cut that got worse throughout the fight. VK was actually ahead on the score card and in fact he's never finished a fight not ahead on the scorecard. Lewis didn't want any part of a rematch with that beast. He retired after that.

If you take out Jordan, then I go with Magic, Bird was sheer desire.

Magic was at Bird's level from 87 on. Before that the Bird/Magic thing was mostly marketing. Kareem and Worthy were probably better players to that point.

And it wasn't simply sheer desire for Bird. He simply could do things nobody else could do.. Bob Knight said he had the best eye hand coordination ever.

 

[Rocko]

Bird could dominate any aspect of the game and he made every team he was ever on, great. Jordan was the third best player on his college team. He came into the league and they let him go wild and put up stats for ticket sales. But he has losing seasons all 3 years before Pippen (probably the real most athletic player in the league) came to town. What did Bird do in the meantime? Won a couple championships, beat Jordan 14 straight times (including 2 playoff sweeps). And Bird had to win against dynasty level teams like the Lakers, Sixers, Rockets, and Pistons. All's Jordan ever did was beat watered down teams led by the 80s A minus stars with David Stern's help.

You want to compare Bird and Jordan when they were at the end of their careers. Coming off two acl tears and a back condition that would have had every other player retiring, Bird led his team to 50 wins and he was still on verge to take out the Bulls if his back hadn't flared so bad that he was missing playoff games. Jordan in his last two years; two more losing seasons and no playoffs on 41 percent shooting. Bird never had one season like that. Jordan had freaking 5 of them. Sound great to you? He's a corporate illusion for obvious reasons; and like everything it comes down to money; not the truth.

As for boxing, I was considering Lennox Lewis and then I remembered Vlad Klit. LL actually beat VK; but that was b/c of a fluke cut that got worse throughout the fight. VK was actually ahead on the score card and in fact he's never finished a fight not ahead on the scorecard. Lewis didn't want any part of a rematch with that beast. He retired after that.

If you take out Jordan, then I go with Magic, Bird was sheer desire.

Magic was at Bird's level from 87 on. Before that the Bird/Magic thing was mostly marketing. Kareem and Worthy were probably better players to that point.

And it wasn't simply sheer desire for Bird. He simply could do things nobody else could do.. Bob Knight said he had the best eye hand coordination ever.

Dude, Bird doesn't even sniff Top 10 NBA players of all time.

 

[Rocko]

Best baseball player of all-time: Babe Ruth
Best basketball player of all-time: Larry Bird
Best football player of all-time: Barry Sanders
Best hockey player of all-time: Wayne Gretzky
Best swimmer of all-time: Michael Phelps
Best track athlete of all-time: Carl Lewis (We all know Bolt is roided up)
Best boxer of all-time: Wladimir Klitschko
Best soccer player of all-time: Lionel Messi
Best golfer of all-time: Jack Nicklaus (Tiger roided too)
Best tennis player of all-time: Roger Federer

Best football player: Jim Brown
Best Fighter: Anderson Silva
Best Boxer: not klitschko.

Best football player: Jim Brown/Walter Payton
Best Fighter: I have no clue
Best Boxter: definitely not Klitschko LMAO, I'll go with Tyson.

 

[Rocko]

Best baseball player of all-time: Babe Ruth
Best basketball player of all-time: Larry Bird
Best football player of all-time: Barry Sanders
Best hockey player of all-time: Wayne Gretzky
Best swimmer of all-time: Michael Phelps
Best track athlete of all-time: Carl Lewis (We all know Bolt is roided up)
Best boxer of all-time: Wladimir Klitschko
Best soccer player of all-time: Lionel Messi
Best golfer of all-time: Jack Nicklaus (Tiger roided too)
Best tennis player of all-time: Roger Federer

lol at Tiger roided .

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

If you take out Jordan, then I go with Magic, Bird was sheer desire.

Magic was at Bird's level from 87 on. Before that the Bird/Magic thing was mostly marketing. Kareem and Worthy were probably better players to that point.

And it wasn't simply sheer desire for Bird. He simply could do things nobody else could do.. Bob Knight said he had the best eye hand coordination ever.

Dude, Bird doesn't even sniff Top 10 NBA players of all time.

You're an idiot if you believe that.

 

[Rocko]

Magic was at Bird's level from 87 on. Before that the Bird/Magic thing was mostly marketing. Kareem and Worthy were probably better players to that point.

And it wasn't simply sheer desire for Bird. He simply could do things nobody else could do.. Bob Knight said he had the best eye hand coordination ever.

Dude, Bird doesn't even sniff Top 10 NBA players of all time.

You're an idiot if you believe that.

I have nothing against Bird, he was great, but I think there's alot of players that were better. You a C's fan?

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Dude, Bird doesn't even sniff Top 10 NBA players of all time.

You're an idiot if you believe that.

I have nothing against Bird, he was great, but I think there's alot of players that were better. You a C's fan?

It doesn't matter if I'm a C's fan. I know basketball. And I know it's insane to say Bird wasn't top ten of all-time; epecially in lieu of the fact that he was simply the best ever.

 

[Rocko]

You're an idiot if you believe that.

I have nothing against Bird, he was great, but I think there's alot of players that were better. You a C's fan?

It doesn't matter if I'm a C's fan. I know basketball. And I know it's insane to say Bird wasn't top ten of all-time; epecially in lieu of the fact that he was simply the best ever.

Ok buddie.

 

[GWV5903]

If you take out Jordan, then I go with Magic, Bird was sheer desire.

Magic was at Bird's level from 87 on. Before that the Bird/Magic thing was mostly marketing. Kareem and Worthy were probably better players to that point.

And it wasn't simply sheer desire for Bird. He simply could do things nobody else could do.. Bob Knight said he had the best eye hand coordination ever.

Dude, Bird doesn't even sniff Top 10 NBA players of all time.

You're dead wrong, Bird was the best...

Olajuwon, pure talent, would have dominated had he been in LA or Boston...

Jordan, great player, all heart, SP made him unstopable...

 

[Rocko]

Magic was at Bird's level from 87 on. Before that the Bird/Magic thing was mostly marketing. Kareem and Worthy were probably better players to that point.

And it wasn't simply sheer desire for Bird. He simply could do things nobody else could do.. Bob Knight said he had the best eye hand coordination ever.

Dude, Bird doesn't even sniff Top 10 NBA players of all time.

You're dead wrong, Bird was the best...

Olajuwon, pure talent, would have dominated had he been in LA or Boston...

Jordan, great player, all heart, SP made him unstopable...

Jordan, Kobe, Jabbar, Russell, Chamberland, Oscar Robinson, Jerry West, Lebron James Olajuwon, Karl Malone/Kevin Garnet

 

[Synthaholic]

If you take out Jordan, then I go with Magic, Bird was sheer desire.

Magic was at Bird's level from 87 on. Before that the Bird/Magic thing was mostly marketing. Kareem and Worthy were probably better players to that point.

And it wasn't simply sheer desire for Bird. He simply could do things nobody else could do.. Bob Knight said he had the best eye hand coordination ever.

Dude, Bird doesn't even sniff Top 10 NBA players of all time.

Yes he does, but he's not one of basketball's greatest athletes. I would put Karl Malone and Dominique Wilkins and Jordon and prolly 10 others ahead of Larry Legend, athlete-wise.

Now, basketball players? Shot makers? Game smarts? Larry is definitely top 5.

 

[Rocko]

Magic was at Bird's level from 87 on. Before that the Bird/Magic thing was mostly marketing. Kareem and Worthy were probably better players to that point.

And it wasn't simply sheer desire for Bird. He simply could do things nobody else could do.. Bob Knight said he had the best eye hand coordination ever.

Dude, Bird doesn't even sniff Top 10 NBA players of all time.

Yes he does, but he's not one of basketball's greatest athletes. I would put Karl Malone and Dominique Wilkins and Jordon and prolly 10 others ahead of Larry Legend, athlete-wise.

Now, basketball players? Shot makers? Game smarts? Larry is definitely top 5.

One can make an argument for top 5, 10. I personally don't think so, but still, hard to find many people who think he was better than Jordan.

 

[Synthaholic]

You're an idiot if you believe that.

I have nothing against Bird, he was great, but I think there's alot of players that were better. You a C's fan?

It doesn't matter if I'm a C's fan. I know basketball. And I know it's insane to say Bird wasn't top ten of all-time; epecially in lieu of the fact that he was simply the best ever.

I don't agree. Bill Russell was better. Jordon was better. Kareem was better, and is my #1 pick. Bird follows them. Then Oscar, Wilt, Magic, Duncan, Shaq, Malone, Hakeem.

 

[Papageorgio]

I'd rank them:

1. Jordan
2. Jabbar
3. Magic
4. Chamberlin
5. Bird

I was never a fan of any Laker, I can't stand them. Nor did I ever like Jordan because I hated the Bulls, but facts are facts.

Jordan made his team better once he figured out what he could do and control. Jabbar and Magic made everyone that played on that team better. Wilt took over games and changed the game. Bird also willed the teams to win and made everyone on his team better.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Dude, Bird doesn't even sniff Top 10 NBA players of all time.

Yes he does, but he's not one of basketball's greatest athletes. I would put Karl Malone and Dominique Wilkins and Jordon and prolly 10 others ahead of Larry Legend, athlete-wise.

Now, basketball players? Shot makers? Game smarts? Larry is definitely top 5.

One can make an argument for top 5, 10. I personally don't think so, but still, hard to find many people who think he was better than Jordan.

That's b/c most people are idiots who buy the hype. Again, Bird beat Jordan 14 straight times.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

I'd rank them:

1. Jordan
2. Jabbar
3. Magic
4. Chamberlin
5. Bird

I was never a fan of any Laker, I can't stand them. Nor did I ever like Jordan because I hated the Bulls, but facts are facts.

Jordan made his team better once he figured out what he could do and control. Jabbar and Magic made everyone that played on that team better. Wilt took over games and changed the game. Bird also willed the teams to win and made everyone on his team better.

The Bulls were one bad call from returning to the finals the year after Jordan retired. He was 0-5 in getting a winning season w/o Pippen and 3 of those years he was in his prime.

 

[Oddball]

Now way Mark McGwire belongs on the OP list.

He not only 'roided, he was only a middle-of-the-road 1B defensively.

 

[rightwinger]

You know it's bs when they list Woods and not Palmer, when Woods is chasing Palmers records.

Woods has beaten every Palmer record

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

You know it's bs when they list Woods and not Palmer, when Woods is chasing Palmers records.

Woods has beaten every Palmer record

But Palmer wasn't a doper.