Walter Peyton Tony Gwynn George Brett Ken Griffey JR. Larry Bird Reggie White Hakeem Olajuwon Steve Largent John Stockton Joe Montana Kirby Puckett Gary Payton Dave Winfield.
this may be as much a function of where you are/were in life as much as anything else.
standouts to me:
living in virginia while Michael Jordan was at NC living in alabama when Bo Jackson was at Auburn living in michigan when Wayne Gretsky was a Red Wing oops!
The coolest athlete I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with - Gilbert Brown, hands down. Reggie White was cool but not the same as Gilbert.
Not necessarily in order: Dan Gable, Gene LeBell, Sakuraba, Rulon Gardner, Randy Couture, Brooks Robinson, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle... these are the guys that come immediately to mind, I'm sure theres a couple others.
Should make a disclaimer here, I would've said Brett Favre until he texted pics of his junk, didn't show up for training camp twice with the Vikes, and threw that miserable int against the Saints, the most idiotic throw in NFL history.
Should make a disclaimer here, I would've said Brett Favre until he texted pics of his junk, didn't show up for training camp twice with the Vikes, and threw that miserable int against the Saints, the most idiotic throw in NFL history.
Should make a disclaimer here, I would've said Brett Favre until he texted pics of his junk, didn't show up for training camp twice with the Vikes, and threw that miserable int against the Saints, the most idiotic throw in NFL history.
Interesting caveat here. Care to share why?
I think I just did? Basically I'm saying I kinda lost respect for the guy at the end of his career, although he put together THE best QB season in the entire history of the Vikes in 2009.
I don't really look to athletes as role models, just genetically gifted entertainment vehicles. I can understand your faltering with Farve, but who hasn't sent a dicpic?
Aside from a dictionary, modern society, two millennium of recorded history, and me, nobody. Akin to the difference betwixt a craft and an art, we find Dale 'Oh there's a wall' Earnhardt, and every athlete ever distinctly separated.
Jerry Rice Joe Montana Steve Young Fran Tarkington Larry Czonka Terry Bradshaw Tony Dorsett Lynn Swan Barry Sanders Bo Jackson Emmit Smith Joe Frasier George Foreman Manny Pacquiao Mickey Ward Sugar Ray Leonard Nolan Ryan Hank Aaron Carl Lewis Edwin Moses Eric Heiden Larry Bird Michael Jordan
- Fred Biletnekoff - How could you not like a wide receiver who smoked on the sidelines and often threw up before games? (Of course, that may have had something to do with partying the night before with the likes of Kenny Stabler and John Matuszak)
My son - because of the way that he conducted himself in every sport. George Amundsen - because he combined the best all-around athlete I ever saw on a college football field with the type of person that all college football players should be.
Those two stand above the rest, but I could list many whose skills I have admired without really knowing the people possessing them.
If the question is pure athleticism my answer is different, but if winning and being a great human being is the measure, no one comes close to Bart Starr
Bobby Orr, I stand corrected. Great athlete, among the best ever, and a champ of a person too. Some day I hope to fish Georgian Bay musky with the man!!
When I was about 16, I came home one afternoon and looking out the kitchen window I saw this guy out in the apple orchard with my dad. They walked around to the front of the house, the guy got in car and left. Dad came in and saw me, said, "You know who that was? That was Carmen Basilio." Didn't mean a thing to me til I saw his picture in a magazine shortly afterward.
Stevelyn, I don't know either but one of the defensive ends for the Dolphins of that era, three or four Super Bowl rings later, Vern DenHerder (I want to say, # 87 at the time but am not sure) is a friend of mine. Have heard some interesting stories.
We occasionally hunt pheasants or coyotes together. In '67, his senior year in high school here, the team he was a center on won the state basketball tournament.
He lives in the same community as I, his home town, and still does some farming.
I can only speak for those in my lifetime and the guys were heroes of mine growing up.
Baseball - Cal Rypkin Jr
Football - Bo Jackson
Basketball - Jordan
I also hold Reggie White, Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter and Larry Bird in high regard as well. Lots of athletes these days couldnstand to learn from these greats.
Baseball, Tony Gwynn. I got to meet him once and shake his hand. He signed every baseball card i had of him without a second thought and i still have them all. He was a nice guy to talk to and was happy to give a fellow lefty some hitting advice. Major deal to a little leaguer....
Football, Dick Butkus. No holds barred, smashmouth football player.
Im sure there are other sports people watch, but those are the ones i grew up with.
When I was about 16, I came home one afternoon and looking out the kitchen window I saw this guy out in the apple orchard with my dad. They walked around to the front of the house, the guy got in car and left. Dad came in and saw me, said, "You know who that was? That was Carmen Basilio." Didn't mean a thing to me til I saw his picture in a magazine shortly afterward.
Helluva nice guy. All the heart in the world. Held 2 weight classes at the same time.
Later in life he had a restaurant. Walk around and talk to folks. "You like that?" Pointing to your plate. If ya did he'd go and get you some more. Lol
Lead with his face. Never wanted to be in the ring against him.
Stevelyn, I don't know either but one of the defensive ends for the Dolphins of that era, three or four Super Bowl rings later, Vern DenHerder (I want to say, # 87 at the time but am not sure) is a friend of mine. Have heard some interesting stories.
We occasionally hunt pheasants or coyotes together. In '67, his senior year in high school here, the team he was a center on won the state basketball tournament.
He lives in the same community as I, his home town, and still does some farming.
George, when I was in high school, we would to to Buena Vista basketball games. They were played in St. Mary's gym at that time. The seating was quite limited. In a game against Central, we wound up sitting next to the Central players on the bench. Vern fouled out and was, naturally, displeased. He took the end seat on the bench and we kept shoving our friend next to him so that he would bump into Vern. Being the decent sort that he is, he just ignored our foolishness. I also saw him in that state tournament at Vets'. If all NFL players were of his caliber, it would be a better world.
Another vote for Howe, he'll of a player and didn't need a goon to protect him. 100+ mph wrist shot, and an outstanding puck handler. Hell, I was named after him and have met him several times,
Concur on Kaline, too. Class act, probably the last pro athlete to think he was paid too much.
Have to add Rusty Staub to the list. Only one of the 76 Tigers to take time out to actually talk to an 8 year old kid that asked for his autograph at spring training. Class act, but earned the nickname 'chug' for his (lack of) speed.
Jim Brown Terry Bradshaw Lynn Swan Franco Harris Charles Edward Greene, known as �Mean Joe� Greene Dick Butkus Walter Peyton Johnny Unitas Joe Montana Jerry Rice Joe Lewis Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. aka "Muhammad Ali" Sugar Ray Leonard
When I was a little kid, my mother used to bowl with Ray Nitschke's wife.
Said he was one of the nicest guys in the world. Learned some of his background - he didn't have the best upbringing.
From what I've read his wife deserves a lot of credit for him mellowing out. A lot of Packers said he was a mean person when he first came into the NFL.
Is there a difference between Favorite athletes of all time and Greatest athletes of all time? Favorite could include many factors besides pure athleticism or first place in the record books. What they did off the field and what they brought to their sport? Or just to your favorite sport?
Bad guy Ty Cobb vs. good guy Stan Musial? Greatest football legend or the meanest SOB to ever come out of the locker room.?
Greatest ever at one sport or one of the greatest at more than one sport? Is the current Olympic Decathlon record holder the �World's Greatest Athlete?"
This has already been determined as Sir Donald Bradman who is the only sportsman in history to perform twice as well (High Score game Averages)than the best number 2 who ever lived regardless of generation or era. His double score standing has never been equaled to this day.
Steve Yzerman Jack Nicklaus Ted Williams Mickey Mantle Johnny Unitas Barry Sanders Gale Sayers Dick Butkus Dale Earnhardt Y.A. Tittle Dan Fouts Raymond Berry Miguel Cabrera Kirk Gibson
One of only four players to be named the Most Valuable Player of the American League three times and is one of seven managers to lead both American and National League teams to the World Series. As a player, coach, or manager, He appeared in 21 World Series, winning 13 of them. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
"All pitchers are liars or crybabies."
"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore." Source: Baseball Digest (June 1987)
"Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical."
"Bill Dickey is learning me his experience."
"He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious."
"How can a you hit and think at the same time?"
"I always thought that record would stand until it was broken."
"I can see how he (Sandy Koufax) won twenty-five games. What I don't understand is how he lost five."
"I don't know (if they were men or women fans running naked across the field). They had bags over their heads."
"If people don't want to come out to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?"
"I'm a lucky guy and I'm happy to be with the Yankees. And I want to thank everyone for making this night necessary."
"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did."
"In baseball, you don't know nothing."
"I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?"
"I never said most of the things I said."
"It ain't the heat, it's the humility."
"It gets late early out there."
"I think Little League is wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house."
"It's like deja vu all over again."
"I wish everybody had the drive he (Joe DiMaggio) had. He never did anything wrong on the field. I'd never seen him dive for a ball, everything was a chest-high catch, and he never walked off the field."
"Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets." Source: Catcher in the Wry (Bob Uecker)
"Ninety percent of this game is half mental." Source: Sports Illustrated (May 14, 1979)
"Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded."
"So I'm ugly. I never saw anyone hit with his face."
"Take it with a grin of salt."
"The game's isn't over until it's over."
"The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase."
"You can observe a lot just by watching."
"You should always go to other people's funerals, otherwise, they won't come to yours."
"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going because you might not get there."
My daughter. How can you not vote for your own kid? 10 years of fastpitch, toiling on the mound. Mone of this 5 days off between starts-just give her the ball and GTF off the field. She played with poise, passion, and a hunger for the game. I will never forget the jubilation of the wins, and the crushing despair of the defeats.
Dick Butkus - Gayle Sayers - Dan Hampton Roberto Duran / Esteban DeJesus Olympian flag waving George Foreman Kenny Norton Mantle - Maris - Berra Aparicio - Nellie Fox - Sherm Lollar (had to hit homers or would never getto first) Johhny Unitas - Raymond Berry Minnie Minoso Hank Sauer Dick the Bruiser Eddie Arcaro Captain Ahab Charles "the hammer" Martel
Stevelyn, I don't know either but one of the defensive ends for the Dolphins of that era, three or four Super Bowl rings later, Vern DenHerder (I want to say, # 87 at the time but am not sure) is a friend of mine. Have heard some interesting stories.
We occasionally hunt pheasants or coyotes together. In '67, his senior year in high school here, the team he was a center on won the state basketball tournament.
He lives in the same community as I, his home town, and still does some farming.
George, when I was in high school, we would to to Buena Vista basketball games. They were played in St. Mary's gym at that time. The seating was quite limited. In a game against Central, we wound up sitting next to the Central players on the bench. Vern fouled out and was, naturally, displeased. He took the end seat on the bench and we kept shoving our friend next to him so that he would bump into Vern. Being the decent sort that he is, he just ignored our foolishness. I also saw him in that state tournament at Vets'. If all NFL players were of his caliber, it would be a better world.
John, he is a salt-of-the -earth type, conservative, and by nature, a farmer, the post-NFL occupation he took up after his football days but enabled because he was shrewd in handling his income of those football days even if in those days the money was relatively pedestrian.
As to the OP, he was not a world class athlete, but a good one, with size to match. These were the days before steroids and aggressive weight-lifting programs. As he told me once, "now QBs (Newton) are about as big as I was as a defensive end then---about 6' 6", and 250 at that time.
We grew up in nearby communities, arch rivals in everything. They had their first football season in '66, when we were opposing juniors in HS. If you can believe it he was returning kick-offs at that time. I drilled him in the first play of the game that year as we kicked off to them. I don't think he got to step-one on the return.
He was later a steady part of the No-Name defense for the Dolphin's perfect season team
1. Johnny Unitas 2. Rick Flair 3. Nolan Ryan 4. Terry Bradshaw 5. Ted Williams 6. Dusty Rhodes 7. Walter Payton 8. Jack Lambert 9. Concrete Charlie Bednarik 10. Marvin Hagler
Jim Thorpe, Johnny Weismuller. Jack Lalanne, the dude who walked the tightrope across the Grand Canyon, the lady who, aged 64, swam from Cuba to Florida in 2 days. The guy who set the record bicycling from NYC to Frisco, 8 days. 20 mph, 20 hours per day. Man, talk about grueling.
Joe DiMaggio, left, New York Yankee star centerfielder, poses with Mickey Mantle, right, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, N.Y. in this April 14, 1951 photo. (AP Photo/File)
July 22, 1972 file photo, New York Yankee greats Mickey Mantle, left, and Joe DiMaggio, doff their caps to the crowd at Yankee Stadium as they appeared for an old timers game between games of a doubleheader between the Yankees and the California Angels. (AP Photo, File)
Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees, and Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox, carry weapons that made them famous during a conversation before a doubleheader in this July 4, 1956 photo at Boston's Fenway Park. (AP Photo)
New York Yankees baseball players Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle are shown in this 1961 file photo. AP file photo
A few of my favorite athletes from my younger days: 1 - Bart Starr. Not only was he an amazing player he is a true gentleman and everything you would hope for in your childhood idol. Best wishes and speedy recovery to him.
2 - Lou Graham. A professional golfer who won the U.S. Open in 1975. Just like Starr a true gentleman and everything you would want in a childhood idol.
3 - "The Man" Dave Scott. 6 times Hawaii Ironman champion. Everyone's idol who did triathlons back in the day.
There are a few athletes I like today, but as an adult it just isn't the same thing. -tnscouter
Had the opportunity to be lapped by Ned in a couple races back in the day. Ned was/is an animal. Raced %110 from start to finish, what ever it took.
Edwin Moses was light years ahead of anyone in his era.
Surprised no mentioned Herschel Walker.
I wondered if anyone here would know who those 2 guys were!
Never saw Johnnie T. But did ride in the same "open" Pacific States Series race with Ned, Tom Ritchey, Jackie Phelan etc in '84. Along with another ton of the early mountain bike pioneers. And yeah, Overend was just in another class than the rest at that time...
As for others:
John Howard Lynn Hill Alex Lowe Willy Mays Joe Montana Nicki Lauda
I was a yooper then, so that might explain it. 
![[Linked Image]](http://s196.photobucket.com/user/Relic_123/media/viqueens.jpg.html)
![[Linked Image]](http://darrengarnick.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/ted-hunt-buff.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://bacharphotos.com/files/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Oz.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://s1.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/jogging-hot-female-athlete-gifs.gif)
![[Linked Image]](http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE5Njc1MTQ0MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDg0Mzk1OA@@._V1._SX393_SY500_.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](https://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/9b/41/ad/9b41ad20669d376053b8d26c5d0a7e23.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Yogi_Berra_1956.png/300px-Yogi_Berra_1956.png)
![[Linked Image]](http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/kits/images/Aviation/amt-t643box2tedwilliams.JPG)
![[Linked Image]](http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/606x404-d06205794147bcae09313a6c6ded9d99.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/606x404-68fea9f4b1acb26f6b8db6147d2c1b8b.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/606x404-7a370f2d1fbd40105b7912b83574c6f1.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/606x404-b928a5cbcc7d6f540e8d5e5790677a9f.jpg)