Greatest sportsman of all time. Who is it?

[asterix]

We're looking for sportsmen, not who's going to star in the film version of Captain Pugwash.

Your candidate has been dwarfed by a giant. Give in gracefully.

Last time I saw a cricket bat it was being used to paddle a boat. Best use I can think of.

 

[oxbob]

What about that compton fella?

 

[Flying_Monkey]

For me it has to be Lance Armstrong, to come back from being riddled with cancer and then win the Tour de France as many times as he did, its legendary to me!!

Lance Armstrong is a great, but he isn't even the best cyclist ever, let alone the best sportsman... there was a really fair list done recently (with a full and open explanation as to how it was calculated) and Lance came in 11th, I think. There was a thread in 'race' about it.

It all depends how you see these things though - is being the greatest sportsman about pure sporting achievement or about the context too? This would include reaching the top agains the odds etc. Does it include the other traditional conceptions of what makes a sportsman apart from simply performance on the field? You know, all those 'amateur' values like fairness, character etc... W.G. Grace, for example, was the most horrendous cheat!

 

[Smokin Joe]

Lance Armstrong is a great, but he isn't even the best cyclist ever, let alone the best sportsman... there was a really fair list done recently (with a full and open explanation as to how it was calculated) and Lance came in 11th, I think. There was a thread in 'race' about it.

It all depends how you see these things though - is being the greatest sportsman about pure sporting achievement or about the context too? This would include reaching the top agains the odds etc. Does it include the other traditional conceptions of what makes a sportsman apart from simply performance on the field? You know, all those 'amateur' values like fairness, character etc... W.G. Grace, for example, was the most horrendous cheat!

Upon being bowled first ball on one occassion, WG refused to leave the crease. When the umpire went up to ask him to leave, WG said, "They came here to watch me bat, not to watch you umpire".

It's cheating, but cheating with style.

 

[PaulB]

fatima whitbread

I used to go out with her but she chucked me.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Sir Steven Redgrave.

 

[Chuffy]

Lance Armstrong is a great, but he isn't even the best cyclist ever, let alone the best sportsman... there was a really fair list done recently (with a full and open explanation as to how it was calculated) and Lance came in 11th, I think. There was a thread in 'race' about it.

It all depends how you see these things though - is being the greatest sportsman about pure sporting achievement or about the context too? This would include reaching the top agains the odds etc. Does it include the other traditional conceptions of what makes a sportsman apart from simply performance on the field? You know, all those 'amateur' values like fairness, character etc... W.G. Grace, for example, was the most horrendous cheat!

There's a lovely symmetry to this post...

 

[Abitrary]

There's a lovely symmetry to this post...

I'm trying to read it but I'm a bit pissed. Explain the symmetry. Explain what you mean.

 

[Chuffy]

I'm trying to read it but I'm a bit pissed. Explain the symmetry. Explain what you mean.

Lets say that the end and the beginning are a perfect reflection of each other.

 

[Abitrary]

Why are you suddenly getting into sport all of sudden chuffy? I thought you were a cool indy kid.

Ever since I was about, er, 8, I realised that sport was for dunderheads.

I like cycling and the only reason I do it is to look cooly ironic.

 

[oxbob]

Why are you suddenly getting into sport all of sudden chuffy? I thought you were a cool indy kid.

Ever since I was about, er, 8, I realised that sport was for dunderheads.

I like cycling and the only reason I do it is to look cooly ironic.

i realised this slightly later at the age of 11 going arse over tit in the sack race and thus knocking jessica birtwhistle (my betroved) out of the egg and spoon race

 

[col]

Daley thompson would be a good candidate.

 

[Keith Oates]

From what I've read Stanley Matthews was a (very) good footballer and a gentleman on and off the field.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who was the greatest ever.........I don't know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nicensleazy]

Are you sure its not Jean Jacques Burnel ??

 

[dellzeqq]

Don Bradman has to be one of the greatest!

I'm with the OP and Dayvo on this. Bradman has always been top of my list, followed by Merckx and Navratilova. The only challenger has to be that darts bloke, and I'm excluding darts.

Bradman had a test average of almost 100. The current best batsmen in the world are at about 50.