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Best American Athlete Ever
- Thread starter TSE
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thegoldenmackid
macrumors 604
Lance is great without a doubt, the question though is would others be able to surpass given the equipment he has and the money that he has dedicated to research...
basesloaded190
macrumors 68030
I think what we all saw from lance the last decade will never be able to duplicated in the sport of cycling. Equipment will always be getting better and cyclists will always be getting stronger and faster, but lance had/has that special something that we only get to see once in a lifetime
Mousse
macrumors 601
I'll have to go with Jesse Owens. Mostly because the impact of his victory on the Nazi propaganda machine. This "inferior" black man thumped Hitler's "aryan supermen" for a whopping 4 Gold metals during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany.😎 That's how you stick it to the man.
pilotError
macrumors 68020
Signal-11
macrumors 65816
LOL. I'm not a wrestler. Try again.
You just don't like the idea that there are dudes out there who don't take ball games seriously.
dejo
Moderator emeritus
My vote would have to be for Steve Prefontaine. He held every American track and field record from the 2,000 to the 10,000 meters. His 3 and 6 mile collegiate records still stand today.
caligurl
macrumors 68040
GfPQqmcRKUvP
macrumors 68040
No, I don't like the fact that you arbitrarily assign the word "sport" to whatever suits you. What's your criteria? I've wrestled people for fun. I've played basketball competitively.
zap2
macrumors 604
Yea, he gets props for that one...but I took the question as who was the best at their sport...yes, Owns was amazing, but I believe others have beaten his time(as is true with main records of the past as our society progresses)
Signal-11
macrumors 65816
My definition seems arbitrary because it is, just like everyone else's.
You really want to know where I draw my fuzzy line or is this more about being defensive about your games?
electroshock
macrumors 6502a
electroshock
macrumors 6502a
Along these lines...
...might be also interesting to come up with a short list of the world's 10 best athletes of the 20th century -- and not necessarily bias it towards the last 10-20 years or a particular country.
...might be also interesting to come up with a short list of the world's 10 best athletes of the 20th century -- and not necessarily bias it towards the last 10-20 years or a particular country.
mscriv
macrumors 601
Okay Signal-11, explain a little further how that mind of your is working on this one. I understand some people draw a distinction between events in which you challenge yourself (running, mountain climbing, biking, etc.) vs. events in which you challenge others (the ball sports, etc.), but I'm not sure I get where your coming from here. To draw a line in the sand at "games first athletic second" seems kind of odd. Almost all sports are at their foundation a form of competition against someone or something else. In some sports it's direct competition and in other sports it's indirect competition. To me, regardless of the nature of the competition, they all require a level of athletic ability or developed skill. And to say an activity is disqualified because there is a focus or element of entertainment is even more odd. All sports/games/athletics involve entertainment whether it be for the spectators or the participants.
To use a little hyperbole of my own, "I don't understand the rules of the game your playing?"😉
abijnk
macrumors 68040
Went through this whole thread and honestly find it too ambiguous to be worth a hoot. Athleticism is really subjective in the end. People don't take some sports seriously while others do, the gymnastics argument is a good example.
I could throw out my hero, Beezie Madden, one of the greatest show jumping riders ever, and no one here would take me seriously.
I could throw out my hero, Beezie Madden, one of the greatest show jumping riders ever, and no one here would take me seriously.
Consultant
macrumors G5
Yup, Lance Armstrong is pretty high on the list. Maybe because Lance is a Mac user?
I am surprised no one else mentioned Michael Phelps. He is the only person so far to ever won 8 Olympic Gold Medals in one Olympics.
Lance Armstrong, Mac user
Michael Phelps swims with iPod under water
I am surprised no one else mentioned Michael Phelps. He is the only person so far to ever won 8 Olympic Gold Medals in one Olympics.
Lance Armstrong, Mac user
Michael Phelps swims with iPod under water
Jaffa Cake
macrumors Core
Indeed – comparing totally different sports/disciplines is a totally subjective matter. Should stamina and strength be considered better than skill and verve – if so, why and if not, why not? While a formidable achievement, is winning a shedload of medals at one event (such as Phelps at the last Olympics) a greater achievement than consistently being at the top of your sport for a considerable period of time?
With some sports, it can even be difficult to judge players against each other. For example, in Association Football how does one weigh up a striker against a defender?
abijnk
macrumors 68040
basesloaded190
macrumors 68030
Antares
macrumors 68000
I don't know if you can ever truly say "Best American athlete of all time" for anumber of reasons.
1. Someone may be good at one sport but be poor at others (even multi-sport athletes).
2. There are technical factors. Some sports require more or different skills, strength, endurance than others.
3. Different time periods have different levels of training, and different types of allowed substances (nutritional or otherwise).
4. The type of competion can be different at different time periods. Poor competition can make an athlete seem better than if is competition was better (or vise versa).
The only thing someone can truly say ask "who is your favorite American athlete of all time?" It's technically impossible to say who is the best athlete of all time (even referring to an individual sport).
1. Someone may be good at one sport but be poor at others (even multi-sport athletes).
2. There are technical factors. Some sports require more or different skills, strength, endurance than others.
3. Different time periods have different levels of training, and different types of allowed substances (nutritional or otherwise).
4. The type of competion can be different at different time periods. Poor competition can make an athlete seem better than if is competition was better (or vise versa).
The only thing someone can truly say ask "who is your favorite American athlete of all time?" It's technically impossible to say who is the best athlete of all time (even referring to an individual sport).