Biggest sports star ever?

[Grndslmhttr3]

Tough call, I mean, there are countless superstars out there - Tiger, Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps just to list a few, then you have PAST superstars, such as Nolan Ryan and Michael Jordan.

If I had to pick, however, I would say Wayne Gretzky . He was a freaking animal beyond imagination, and indisputably the absolute best at what he did.

[Three Putt]

Now you're just getting silly.

Let's call a truce....

Bo Jackson was the most gifted athlete in 2 "Big Money" professional sports, injury cut his career short. I like soccer, watch it more than NFL, Christiano Renaldo IMHO being the the sports biggest star. I like F1, much more than Nascar, Kimi Raikkonen being my "favourite"... I would say Tiger is the biggest star as of today, he will be the first billion dollar athlete in winnings and endorsements, so it's really no argument. He's everywhere. Much respect to our "over the pond members" of the sandtrap, glad you found humor in my posts.

[Grndslmhttr3]

I actually think Edward Payson Weston was the best sports star ever. No one could walk like him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Payson_Weston

[juanrjackson]

If you are saying worldwide I would say the current ones are:

Christiano Ronaldo (soccer)
Beckham (soccer)
Lewis Hamilton (F1 driver)
Tiger (golf)


I am an American but lived in England from 2005-2007. I also traveled around Europe & been to Asia...so I base my comments on that experience.

People from outside America would not know who anyone was in the NBA (ok maybe Shack), NFL, NASCAR, or MLB is.

Tiger is the only golfer that non-golfers have heard of besides maybe Jack Nickolas or Arnold Palmer.

[RichF]

Tough call, I mean, there are countless superstars out there - Tiger, Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps just to list a few, then you have PAST superstars, such as Nolan Ryan and Michael Jordan.

Incorrect: being the 'best' doesn't translate to 'biggest'.

[RichF]

I actually think Edward Payson Weston was the best sports star ever. No one could walk like him.

This bit is just

classic : "Weston spent most of the remainder of his life urging others to take up walking for exercise and competition. He warned that automobiles were making people lazy and sedentary. Weston was severely injured when he was struck by a New York City taxicab in 1927, and never walked again. He died in his sleep two years later"

[Grndslmhttr3]

Incorrect: being the 'best' doesn't translate to 'biggest'.

Yeah but I still think that Wayne Gretzky is definitely one of the

biggest sports stars ever, second to Edward Payson Weston.

[jonanthans]

Taking into consideration the 4 largest continents by population, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America;

#1: Tiger- Golf is played on all 4 continents, and I would have to say he is more known than any other athlete. Beckham may be slightly more well known in Europe, but it wouldn't be by much. People who do not follow Soccer likely have no clue as to who Beckham is, as opposed to people who do not follow Golf have almost always heard of Tiger. Plus, in this age of media coverage, his exposure to the world is borderline saturated!

#2: Pele- In my opinion, this is the man who was the most dominant in his sport. No doubt he was well know in 3 of the 4 listed continents above, with being slightly less known in North America. However, his sport was not televised near as much, so although a lot of peoplemay have known who he was, many never seen him play.

#3: Many tied here: Ruth, Gretzky, Beckham, Lance Armstrong, Jordan, etc, etc.

note: I would also have to put the likes of Mike Tyson and Willie Mosconi up there as well. At one 2-3 year stretch, Tyson was likely the most recognized athelete in the world. And billiards (pool) is played on every continent in the world, and Mosconi was widely regarded as the father of billiards, and was the premier player in the world for many years.

[RichF]

Yeah but I still think that Wayne Gretzky is definitely one of the

...in Canada and the US, definately.

Everywhere else: No.

[uttexas]

Personally, I don't have much respect for Beckham's game. He is certainly famous for his wife, girlish looks, high pitched squeeky voice, salary, and his free kicks from 25 yards+. Oh, and there was that shot from his own half when he was young. He certainly has talent, especially on set shots, but he is also infamous for missed penalty kicks and silly, childish fouls. He is not a leader on the pitch or off it. He is not the toughest player.

There have been numerous better and arguably more famous footballers from the United Kingdom. George Best was a far better football player.

Now the best football players imo,
Pele
Maradona-what a waste of talent
Johan Cryuff

[cocky_watchman]

Seeing as people are coming out with ridiculous names-A Rod-WHO?, Wayne Gretski??? Nolan-WHO?. You cant class american sport only as contenders-we havent even heard of half of these people over here.

Its like me saying Kenny Daglish, Ian Rush or John Barnes-they are a damn site better sports stars than the above TO ME. You have to consider only sports with world appeal. i.e soccer, boxing, golf, cricket, rugby, tennis, squash, athletics, anything in olympics etc. You cant count anyone in American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey or Basketball.

My opinions on American Sports are as follows (dont read if easily offended!)

Basketball-boring, game of percentages. Score, score, score, score, miss-they lose. Played by 7 foot people primarily. Just think its a dull sport. Ok some great athletes but just doesnt excite. Chance of making it unless you are at least 6 4' plus is slim-I know the odd 5 foot 7 guy plays but not often.

American Football. Rugby with lots of padding and loads of breaks-designed for commercials. Basically boring as well-to me. Hut hut 67 43-aghhh. what the hell is that all about.

Baseball. The best of the american sports. Lots of stats-I like that. Nowehere near as interesting or skillfull as cricket. I am a cricketer. When I went to the USA I went to the batting nets-I was hitting 90 per cent of the balls at the highest speed the machine would do. the US guy could not hit anything-he thought I was amazing, it was my first go. I explained, in cricket we call a pitch a full toss. A relatvely easy ball to hit since it doesnt bounce. And ther batting stroke is a slog. Cricket is far far more interesting and requires much more skill-plus cricket is played all over the world.-India, Pakistan, Zimbabwee, West Indies, Aus, New Zeland, S Africa, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Holland, Bermuda, England and so on. Who plays baseball. Who takes part in the WORLD SERIES-where is our team???

Ice hockey-No ice here. Boring, cant see the puck/ball anyway. Just men skating with big sticks. Too cold.

Just my opinions on US sport. I had to rant. I got fed up with people posting rubbish/garbage, such as MJ, A Rod or babe for me. Come on!!!!! Wayne Gretski took the p££s-ok Jordan or Babe Ruth-but an ice hockey player.

Cocky

PS Does anyone remember Tugboat in the World Wrestling!

[pjsnyc]

As an American, even I'll admit that Pele is probably the most well known athlete of the 20th century+

Pre-1900, i'd say the most well known sports star (athlete) was probably the great gladiator - Maximus

OR Achilles :P

[Grndslmhttr3]

Seeing as people are coming out with ridiculous names-A Rod-WHO?, Wayne Gretski??? Nolan-WHO?. You cant class american sport only as contenders-we havent even heard of half of these people over here.

Gretzky is Canadian. Nice try, though.

[Three Putt]

Baseball. The best of the american sports. Lots of stats-I like that. Nowehere near as interesting or skillfull as cricket. I am a cricketer. When I went to the USA I went to the batting nets-I was hitting 90 per cent of the balls at the highest speed the machine would do. the US guy could not hit anything-he thought I was amazing, it was my first go. I explained, in cricket we call a pitch a full toss. A relatvely easy ball to hit since it doesnt bounce. And ther batting stroke is a slog. Cricket is far far more interesting and requires much more skill-plus cricket is played all over the world.-India, Pakistan, Zimbabwee, West Indies, Aus, New Zeland, S Africa, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Holland, Bermuda, England and so on. Who plays baseball. Who takes part in the WORLD SERIES-where is our team???

Well cricketer, cricket is not a well known game in the USA, obviously not a real sport cause' it don't pay no money you troll from across the pond.

Bo Knows....cricket blows.

[mad max]

Seeing as people are coming out with ridiculous names-A Rod-WHO?, Wayne Gretski??? Nolan-WHO?. You cant class american sport only as contenders-we havent even heard of half of these people over here.

I think you are making the mistake of thinking what is popular where you live is popular everywhere. If you don't consider basketball a world wide sport I don't see how you can think cricket or rugby are. Squash??? who watches squash. Anything in the Olympics I have seen some pretty lame events in the Olympics. By the way Basketball, Ice hockey and Baseball are in the Olympics.

I would think that soccer could have the Biggest sports star because they have the largest fan base but their is no consensus on who the best player is currently. I say currently because I don't believe you can be considered a sports star just because people know your name. I think you have to be instantly recognizable and with the exception of Ali most of the world doesn't know what these past sports star looked like and certainly never saw them preforming the respective sport before widespread T.V. and internet use. That being said I think due to the larger and more informed world population a modern sports star would be known by more people, so I think Tiger Woods has to be considered because he is the only athlete currently that would be almost unanimously considered to be the best at his respective sport and has been thought of that way for many years.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Well cricketer, cricket is not a well known game in the USA, obviously not a real sport cause' it don't pay no money you troll from across the pond.

No need to completely denounce something he likes.

[Surefire]

You have to consider only sports with world appeal. i.e soccer, boxing, golf, cricket, rugby, tennis, squash, athletics, anything in olympics etc. You cant count anyone in American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey or Basketball.

I almost agreed with your post, until it got to this point, then it just started going downhill.

NFL is a very American game. Baseball while not a major world game, is pretty big in Asia these days, as well as a couple of countries near the US like Cuba. Basketball is definitely not a US only game. Its actually quite popular in most of Europe, and is getting bigger in China. Ice Hockey is also very popular in Europe. Probably less popular in warmer climates because of the weather, even though it is played indoors in artificial ice. The town I live in, actually has the best Basketball and Ice Hockey teams in the UK, so the sports are definitely over here. As for your list of sports, not many people could name a single squash player, and aside from certain big names like 100m record holders not many track and field athletes. The Olympics is popular, but as a whole, the individual sports within it are not necessarily so popular. Cricket is also really a niche sport. It is very popular in a few countries, but not globally. Rugby also falls into this same category, being huge in about 10 countries, but less popular elsewhere.

[cocky_watchman]

Wow-I got called a troll. Only found out what it meant the other day!

Ok, I was a little harsh. Basketball does have appeal in Europe. Ice Hockey and American Football though, very little. And Baseball cant be called a world sport, I mean because Japan and Cuba play it doesnt count as world appeal.

Cricket is huge world wide-its just US doesnt play it. What about Aus, SA, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zim, NewZeland, Kenya, West Indies-hardly a "niche", US sports in fact are much more niche.

I just stated my personal opinions, I quite like Baseball, but don't like the rest! I think one of the reasons I dont like them is because they aren't so open to participation. American Football-you need all the gear, and as a kid you can only play touch in the playground. Basketball-you really need to be tall.

Football and cricket you can bascially just pick up a bat and ball and play.

Rugby-yes it is more niche. I personally am not a rugby fan, my dad is. I call it chase the egg to annoy him! But again its more global than American Football, Ice Hockey and Baseball FACT.

Squash is hugely global-its just not a massively covered sport in the media-BIG DIFFERENCE. Almost all countries play it to my knowledge.

You can argue any sport is played anywhere. Im sure there a croquet team in peru somewhere (well maybe not). Its more a question of how significant it is in these countries.

Three Puut-thank you for your childish post. In your opinion a sport is not a sport unless it pays-interesting point. Ok I was a little over the top and harsh with my opinions but at least I tried with some substance! Im off to go and get some Troll food-does anyone know what a troll actually eats?