Biggest sports star ever?

[uttexas]

Here's some study material for you.

Jim Thorpe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe

Babe Didrikson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias

IMO, the "best athlete" is the world record holder in the decathlon.
Daley Thompson recently held the record for eight years (during a very competitive decathlon period)

[RichF]

Here's some study material for you.

So they were 'names' in an 'amateur' environment 100 years ago.

In America. (Furthermore, such participants are a jack of all trades but a master of none. They are only decathletes because they are mediocre at the individual disciplines and would hardly even make the final in any of those individual events.) You're completely missing the point of what consitutes at being 'biggest' star, globally in sports.

[uttexas]

I'm not missing the point, the answer is easy....Pele with Ali a close second.

I am adding some flavour to the discussion.

[Titleist Man]

Tiger Woods

[uttexas]

Ha! touche.

Some historians have stated that Jesus played a form of cricket as a young boy.

[PEZGolf]

Here's some study material for you.

The thread is about the "biggest sports star ever", and somehow Tiger's name was brought up. The discussion is interesting and those who are not myopic realize that who is BIG in the United States may not be so popular elsewhere in the world.

It is interesting that you brought up the Babe's name (not Ruth, but Zaharias). There is no debate as to the "greatest athlete to ever play golf"---she is the one and only one to be considered for that title---two gold medals and a silver in the 1932 Olympics in track and field BEFORE she ever played golf at all! No other golfer has ever won a gold medal in the Olympics in another sport and been a Champion golfer. Not only did the Babe excel in track and field, she also starred in softball and basketball. And she really deserved THREE gold medals: Since the AAU Championships were the de facto US Olympic Trials, Didrikson qualified for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. By the rules then in effect, as a female athlete, she was limited to entering up to three events, and she chose the javelin throw, the 80 meter hurdles and the high jump. She nearly won all three events: she won gold medals in the javelin (143 feet, 4 inches) and hurdles (11.7 seconds). She cleared the same height (5foot 5inches) as her teammate Jean Shiley in the high jump (with whom she had tied in the AAU Championship). The judges, however, disapproved of her jumping style (jumping over headfirst) in the final tie breaker jump, and they declared Shiley the Olympic champion. After the Games, Shiley and Didrikson split their two medals - the gold one and the silver one In terms of athletics, the Babe stands alone on the top pedestal among golfers. In terms of popularizing the game of golf in the US and especially among women, she was a standard bearer and was one of the Founders of the LPGA Tour. As Louise Suggs and Patty Berg have made clear, the Babe made the Tour possible because of her personality and ability. The rest of the Founders were great players, but the Babe electrified people! So---she is one of the "greatest sports stars" to play golf. I would never say that she was world famous, on the scale of Jim Thorpe, or Muhammed Ali, or Michael Joradan, but she did achieve greater fame than any other woman golfer, because of her many achievements in other sports. It would be interesting to see what some others may say about her fame vs. Annika in terms of world wide "sports fame", and not just "golf fame".

[RichF]

The thread is about the "biggest sports star ever", and somehow Tiger's name was brought up.

You state this as if it were an incredulous suggestion...

[iacas]

The thread is about the "biggest sports star ever", and somehow Tiger's name was brought up.

Duh. Of course he was. Why act like it's such a shock?

The discussion is interesting and those who are not myopic realize that who is BIG in the United States may not be so popular elsewhere in the world.

Uhm, for awhile Tiger Woods was given credit for being "the most widely recognized celebrity in the world." Not just athlete or "sports star" - all human beings.

This thread doesn't belong in Tour Talk.

[RichF]

The thread is about the "biggest sports star ever", and somehow Tiger's name was brought up. The discussion is interesting and those who are not myopic realize that who is BIG in the United States may not be so popular elsewhere in the world.

Plus you've just wasted all that type on someone that hardly anyone knows or even remembers, even in athletic terms.

[bogeyhitter25]

-Tiger
-Ali
-MJ
-Pele

Not specifically in that order, but it's too hard to pick between them.

[Three Putt]

Talk about everyone missing the boat......

Bo Jackson is hands down the best athlete that played sports where real money is paid.....foosball and baseball

I would have to say MJ as #2, even though I hate basketball

"Sweetness" #34 Walter Payton, at #3 (though he's my #1).....Look up "football player" in the dictionary and a picture of Walter shows up!

[Dugie]

Ali, Jordan, Woods (and he's not done)

[damoc1]

Its funny to see that only Americans think that Michael Jordan is one of the biggest most recognised faces in sports history. Im not denying his popularity.

But if anyone is looking beyond Pele, Ali, Marradonna and Tiger Woods then people must be barmy!!

Somone previously on this forum mentioned Babe Ruth!!! how laughable is that, the vast majority of people from over this side of the pond wouldnt be able to point him out of a list of pics of baseball players in ten years!!!

Football (soccer to americans) was, is and will always be, king of sports i challenge anyone to find a sport more popular throughout the world and more played at any level.

I often wonder why soccer has never taken off in America. Does anyone know why?

[mstuk]

It is astonishing is it not the degree of myopia demostrated by so many of the American posters to this thread , are you not embarrassed by your lack of familiarity with anything not American in origin or purvue ? Whilst I agree that Tiger Woods is a global Phenomenon and that no doubt Muhamed Ali must be recognised as possibly the best known sportman of all time I find your assertion of the likes of Babe Ruth , Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong to laughable in the face of your ignorance regarding any sports not mainstream in America.

I do not dispute that each of those men are truely great sportsmen and quite possibly unique in their achievements but at least I can consider them in conjuction with other great sportsman from sports far more popular than anything played predominatley in the United States. I feel fairly certain that in overall global terms you will find that Pele , George Best and David Beckham are all better known that Ruth , Armstrong or Jordan .

[damoc1]

I know this wont be an obvious selection as its now classed as entertainment rather than sport,

but what about Hulk Hogan?

He obviously wont eclipse Ali & Pele but he is certainly a world wide household name and without doubt one of the most recognised faces in the world. I would guarentee that if you put a picture of Hulk Hogan next to a vast majority of sports stars 99% of people will recognise Hogan before any of them.

So my selctions for a poll are

1. Pele
2. Muhammed Ali
3. Tiger Woods
4. Hulk Hogan

[flap]

I will agree that Pele and Beckham and Maradonna are all famous world class atheletes but Muhamed Ali was actually bigger than his sport and his face was known on all continents of the world.

[Three Putt]

It is astonishing is it not the degree of myopia demostrated by so many of the American posters to this thread , are you not embarrassed by your lack of familiarity with anything not American in origin or purvue ? Whilst I agree that Tiger Woods is a global Phenomenon and that no doubt Muhamed Ali must be recognised as possibly the best known sportman of all time I find your assertion of the likes of Babe Ruth , Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong to laughable in the face of your ignorance regarding any sports not mainstream in America.

Beckham has not taken the US by storm. Most Popular: TW - Golf MJ - Basketball Hulk Hogan - Pro Wrestling Ric Flair - Pro Wrestling Ricky Bobby - Nascar

[damoc1]

who on earth is Ricky Bobby?