You started so well there TJ. But Tyson? A streetfighter given some legitimacy (is that a word? ) in the ring at a low point in the heavyweight division. Won't mention the wife beating or the rape conviction... oh er oops. But Haile G what a legend!!!
I said purely for entertainment mate, somebody mentioned Floyd Mayweather earlier, for entertainment value he'd be absolutely nowhere near for me, it's all subjective for me, I don't like looking at merit alone because everybody just says Ali and the debate is over, boring.
I missed the entertainment bit mate. He was certainly that. In the ring, and out of it! I was gutted Pacquio (gotta be close) didnt beat the crap out of him.
Pacman is a nice guy which wins him a lot of fans but he's not even the toughest fight Mayweather has faced never mind an all time great. He was given way too much hype for what he was capable in the ring, I say was, because he's finished now. Another I'd have for purely entertainment is Ayrton Senna, he didn't like rules or boundaries, he just pushed and pushed until he broke physics! Pele wouldn't get a sniff for me, the rate of goals he scored is being matched by Messi/Ronaldo at a higher level. Zidane, Maradona, cough Cantona cough Scholes, sorry I'm just being biased now!
I was over in South Carolina with a bunch of mates playing golf when Pacman beat the crap out of Ricky Hatton. We spent $300 dollars on taxi's to get to a sports bar, made a ****load of typical brit-abroad noise for Ricky, then spent another $300 getting back to our gaff half an hour later, while Ricky was brought round back to reality! We should have billed the bugger!
Don Bradman Test Average 99.94 First Class Matches 95.14 Aussie captain said he was worth 3 batsmen to the team
Now that was a great call! I absolutely detest cricket, but a name like Bradman will stand up in any sport in any age. I think also maybe Stanley Matthews from the same period - revered everywhere he went, yet so unassuming. And, if I could nominate a team, I'd include Harlem Globetrotters. They came to Roker Park twice in the late-1950s, and they were so brilliant that they could afford to bugger about and just entertain people. I didn't understand the sport, but by god, it was great to watch.
I remember Borg being extremely popular with the British public, but I have to say that Federer is also well liked..
Only if you're entertained by Snooker, O'Sullivan himself said it bored the life out of him when he had other things on his mind, it's just all he knew how to do to make money! I don't mind playing, but watching for me is mind numbing although I do confess to liking the odd Judd Trump game! Phelps was a great shout though, I read a load of stuff about his diet, the guy's a machine!
Federer. Best sportsman ever? Only if you like watching ****ing tennis, (which i don't, i rate it along side of golf and cricket). Then he may be considered. But there are tons of other contenders...That german f1 driver wasn't to shabby, nor was DaleyThompson, Carl Lewis. But what about John Surtees? The only person to have won world championship at F1 and Gran Prix mortorbikes.
It's subjective to sports you like to watch. Across the Atlantic you'd hear names like Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretski and Joe Montana. Go the other way round the globe and you'll hear names like Asashoryu and Jonah Lomu. The most widely watched, greatest sport is football and the greatest footballer ever is Paul Scholes. Close the thread.
