That's why I asked, you have to be an incredible athlete to be drafted in these three.
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
This.
Lee Chong Wei is possibly the second best badminton player of all time and it's a shame for him that his entire career has coincided with Lin Dan who's just so bloody ridiculously far ahead of anybody else in the sport.
Scott Burrell was drafted in the first round for MLB and the NBA. That's a lot more impressive, considering it's a first round pick and not the late round picks where teams literally just throw names and hope one pans out every 10 years.
Suprised at the number of votes for Jordan and Fed.
Has anyone mentioned Serena Williams?
She’s defeated 20 out of the 24 other women to ever be ranked #1 in the world. The 4 she didn’t beat retired before she went pro.
She’s defeated 20 out of the 24 other women to ever be ranked #1 in the world. The 4 she didn’t beat retired before she went pro.
Where is Sachin Tendulkar on that list?
Of course Sachin would humbly say so. 1.4 billion people, however, would disagree.
Standing in the Sport and Legacy
Bradman wasn't literally worshipped in his country. He didn't lead to mini-boosts in national economy on days he scored centuries. You clearly don't know much about how the cricketing world feels about Sachin.
Statistics
100 hundreds. How about that?
Distance from Competitors
They're still struggling to catch up with Sachin's numbers in one format, forget all. The man closest to doing it in Tests, praised by his peers as the greatest English batsman, retired this week after saying he had nothing left in his tank.
Bradman is obviously the better player and is the best cricket player in history ever(only Garfield Sobers comes close I think) but being an icon doesn't mean the best player I think.
What year does that ranking list start?
Surely there were more than four no.1s before Serena started playing (yes it has to start during the 70s since: Navratilova, Evert, Tracy Austin, Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Maria Bueno all no.1 before Serena started playing)
I think he means in the Open era - which would be Evert, Navratilova, Austin, and Goolagong.
The next person on the list is Graf who Serena played a couple of times at the tail end of Steffi's career.
Okay that makes sense. A bit unfair to ignore the older champions but its still a remarkable achievement for Serena whatever the exact numbers
The boy from Bowral, Bradman for me, closely followed by Ali and Bolt.
Average of 99.94 ( almost 40 ahead of the next highest ) over a career of 20 years which was interrupted by the second world war and in a time of no helmets and very basic protection.
29 hundreds in 52 test matches with a highest of 334. GOAT imvho.
I don’t really know about american only sports so have little opinion on some names mentioned.
Average of 99.94 ( almost 40 ahead of the next highest ) over a career of 20 years which was interrupted by the second world war and in a time of no helmets and very basic protection.
29 hundreds in 52 test matches with a highest of 334. GOAT imvho.
I don’t really know about american only sports so have little opinion on some names mentioned.
Your entire post is hilariously wrong.
Over the last century, athletes have changed enormously. Primarily due to the rewards related to success. Specialization has absolutely become a thing. 80 years ago, your average athlete looked like your average man. There is a brilliant ted talk about this exact thing. The gold medal shot putter was practically the same size as the high jumper, or something. However, as money has increased, as competition has increased, so has the sport specific selection (evolution). Sportsmen/women in all manner of sports have selected for their sports. Gymnasts have gotten much smaller. Basketball/football players, much bigger. Michael Phelps is a mutant, with midget legs attached to the torso of a 6'8 man.
High school kids today, frequently run the 100m as fast as Olympians from 50-70 years ago. This doesn't mean that people have evolved. It means sport science, nutrition, competition, evolution of the sports themselves has changed.
That tedtalk also talked about Jesse Owens, and in fact, yes, he was a lot slower than modern sprinters, just not as slow as it appears at first glance due to the conditions he ran in.
Cant believe this is still going and you still haven’t put Valentino Rossi in 
Second tier sportsman. Not even an athlete. He competes in an equipment sport on an uneven playing field.Cant believe this is still going and you still haven’t put Valentino Rossi in
He won a lot on inferior bikes, but you still need the best equipment to be consistently good in an motoring discipline.
Ole Einar Bjørndalen.
95 world cup victories and outside of that too many medals to mention.
95 world cup victories and outside of that too many medals to mention.
Usain bolt surely has to be in this conversation; breaking the speed barrier so many times over, taking man to his physical limit
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I still say this should have been split between 2 separate categories.
What absolute fecking nonsense
, if he’s not an athlete then half the list aren’t either including Michael Schumacher, Tom Brady, Gretzky, Bo Jackson etc, how is an American footballer more of an athlete than a top motorcyclist 
, these guy’s train like cyclists do for gods sake.You can’t have ever ridden a motorcycle at speed because if you had you would understand how fit you have to be, you don’t just sit on the bike and ride round, the only time you use the seat is on a straight at thats doing up to 220 mph then coping with g forces when you hit the brakes.
Where is Lord Bendtner on that list?
Someone like ninja has to be on the list. He'd absolutely batter the likes of Don Bradman at Fortnite.
His finger dexterity is something else
Schumi shouldn’t be there either.What absolute fecking nonsense
You can’t have ever ridden a motorcycle at speed because if you had you would understand how fit you have to be, you don’t just sit on the bike and ride round, the only time you use the seat is on a straight at thats doing up to 220 mph then coping with g forces when you hit the brakes.
Equipment sports are second tier sports in terms of athletic achievement. Not in terms of athletic output, which you are conflating.
Worst F1 driver in best car beats Best F1 driver in worst car.
I hate American football but it’s true that more normal people can do what the worst F1 driver can do than what the worst starting NFL quarter back can do.
I love good motor racing. I also love The Doctor. But he rides equipment and challenges for championships based on how good the bike is. He is the best rider ever, but he’s still just a bike rider.
@UnrelatedPsuedo
So what is this poll based on, athletitism, fitness, longevity? If so top sportsmen like Rossi, Chris Froome and lewis Hamilton for instance should all be there because I very much doubt any American footballer, hockey player, golfer and cricketer are anywhere close to the athletes these guys are.
It shouldn’t include anyone with any outside influences on their abilities such as bikes, cars, skates etc but it does, you need a list for each kind of discipline such as golf, cricket, hockey and tennis should be in one list. Footballers and American footballers and swimmers etc should be in another and powered disciplines in another, otherwise it’s incomparable.
If you include one, you have to include all.
So what is this poll based on, athletitism, fitness, longevity? If so top sportsmen like Rossi, Chris Froome and lewis Hamilton for instance should all be there because I very much doubt any American footballer, hockey player, golfer and cricketer are anywhere close to the athletes these guys are.
It shouldn’t include anyone with any outside influences on their abilities such as bikes, cars, skates etc but it does, you need a list for each kind of discipline such as golf, cricket, hockey and tennis should be in one list. Footballers and American footballers and swimmers etc should be in another and powered disciplines in another, otherwise it’s incomparable.
If you include one, you have to include all.
I very fecking much doubt that. Unless you've driven a car or a motorcycle even remotely close or near the limit, stop commenting on things you have no idea about.
FYI, im a handy motorcyclist... I run in the top groups at track days where approximately 30 odd riders are all around about 10-20 seconds off the pace off WSBK... considering many of those riders are on bikes that are ex racing machines that are setup for exactly that and are still that much slower... Sorry but you are far less likely to find another Valentino Rossi then you are an NFL quater back. There's probably 10 GP riders (and thats being generous) that have ever existed where you can say, feck those blokes are next level. Those riders are properly special and its why when it comes to motorcycling, they stick out like a sore thumb.
Favre, Manning x 2, Brady etc... do you want me to keep going and thats in the last 20 years...
Can't agree with you more.
The fact that Brady is on this list is a joke. It's like putting Frank Lampard on it.
The position of NFL quarterback is typically an intangibles position.
Reflexes, timing, vision, decision making. The average time a QB has to make a read down field and make a decision, is about 2.5-3 seconds. Now, on top of all that, they need the requisite athletic talent to actual perform. So yes, while Brady isn't powerfully athletic by NFL standards, the guy has exceptional athletic tools you cannot measure.
Let's split the difference. In 2.75s, a QB has to read the defense. That means that they have to look at a defense, see how it moves, and decide what defensive package is being used. This makes an incredible difference in how and where he will throw the ball. Next, he has to anticipate the rush. Where the pocket is likely to coalesce. Is the pressure right? Left? Central? Are the ends coming hard? Are they dropping into shallow coverage in the flats? What is the secondary doing? Is it cover 2? Man? Man free? Nickle? What are Mack, Sam and Will doing? Now they have to read their receivers own interpretation, because the the receiver also has to identify the coverage, and adjust their route to the defense. If it's zonal coverage, the receiver has to shut any sort of crossing route down in a hole, or, they need to belly it out, or turn it up field into a seam. This creates variations in what can happen in a simple crossing pattern. The QB needs to then anticipate what will happen, seconds before it happens, and this is all sorts of insane math that your brain is doing that you're not even aware of, this is called "vision" as an intangible. The ability to anticipate the play, before it develops, so that you are 2-3 steps ahead of everyone else.
Then, they have to whip a ball 5-60 yards down field, with a very slim margin of error for how inaccurate they can be. They also have to make correct decisions about, who to throw to, whether or not to throw, whether to throw the ball away, whether to tuck the ball, take a hit and not give up a potential turnover.
Brady isn't the best arm. The most accurate arm. He isn't the fastest guy. Strongest guy. However, in the last 40 years, and let's be honest, probably in the history of the game, there has never been a guy who does all of the intangibles better than Brady. He makes the right decisions, the right passes, minimizes his mistakes, constantly, at level no other guy has ever achieved. This coming from a Packer fan, who has Favre and Rodgers to cheer on, and while Rodgers and Favre were both better "athletes", neither guy approaches the decision making of Brady and therefore they are not as good football players.
When you look at successful NFL quarterbacks, how you can compare any motorsport to that is beyond me. First, is the level of competition. Being an NFL quarterback, is one of the most competitive positions in the world of sports, in one of the highest paying sports on earth, in one of the highest paying positions in sports on earth. You're comparing one of the deepest, most competitive pools in all of sports, with a niche sport.
Now, I don't doubt the reflexes and decision making of a motorsports athlete, but the talent pool filtering into those sports is not large. Moreover, there isn't a marriage of athleticism between the intangibles, and the physically measurable like there is as a QB.
I'd agree with th sentiment of your post. I've watched the NFL for a very long time. While Brady is a very good quarterback, that's really all he is. Peyton Manning did everything Brady can do, better, and without having the greatest coach of all time. Steve Young and Aaron Rodgers both mastered the mental game while having vastly superior arm strength and mobility. I think Brady is hugely overrated.
Except from winning. Which is kind of important.
Winning as a quarterback does not tell you anything. When Dilfer and Flacco's win Superbowls it makes that argument baseless.
Not sure why Gretzky is named as an example from 'half' the list that wouldn't be included if motorcylists don't count. Hockey is heavy on physical demand. It's nearly always in the discussion for the most physically demanding sport.What absolute fecking nonsense
You can’t have ever ridden a motorcycle at speed because if you had you would understand how fit you have to be, you don’t just sit on the bike and ride round, the only time you use the seat is on a straight at thats doing up to 220 mph then coping with g forces when you hit the brakes.
There's flukes in every sport. If Flacco wins three times, that makes it less of an argument.
Eli Manning won twice. Troy Aikman won three times. Peyton won his 2nd playing like a corpse. They weren't all flukes, defense and coaching had bigger parts in those wins than luck.
Because he’s using equipment to play his sport, I’m not saying hockey isn’t hard because I know that it is, but someone saying that a top motorcyclist is a second tier athlete compared to hockey, rugby, cricketers and golfers for instance is a complete joke.
An ex workmate of mine used to think that they just sit on the bike, a bit like saying Hamilton just sits in his car driving around in circles
Eli has been a very good QB, so has Aikman. And of course defense and coaching are relevant, as in literally any team sport. You can't dismiss great players just because the rest of the players were good as well.
I'm not saying Brady should be a part of the discussion for greatest athlete/sportsman of all time, but he's definitely the best QB of all time (at least one of three). So if people feel a QB is deserving of the title "Greatest sportsman", Brady should be the one, or at least the front runner in a discussion. It's daft to call him overrated, and plain wrong to call him hugely overrated.
I disagree. He's been hailed by the media and most folk as this "GOAT" moniker. When in actuality he's been a very good player for the best coach ever. He's a top-10 QB, and nowhere close to greatest football player of all-time.
Eli has not been a very QB at all. He's ranged from above-average to below-average. Same with Aikman.
Greatest sportsman should be someone from either an individual sport, or so far above his peers in a team sport that it's unfair. That's why I voted for Don Bradman. No-one from the NFL should be in this discussion.
I do agree with the last part. Gretzky should be mentioned, as should Messi imo. Phelps is my pick, though.
Good shouts.
There's no logic at all in saying that a pair of skates are equal to a bike or a car, especially when the topic is athleticism. Of course a pro MotoGP or F1 driver has to be in top physical condition to be able to drive as they do but surely you can see the massive difference between sitting in a car and playing hockey when it comes to athletic ability? Riding a bike is obviously more complex than driving a car though.Because he’s using equipment to play his sport, I’m not saying hockey isn’t hard because I know that it is, but someone saying that a top motorcyclist is a second tier athlete compared to hockey, rugby, cricketers and golfers for instance is a complete joke.
An ex workmate of mine used to think that they just sit on the bike, a bit like saying Hamilton just sits in his car driving around in circles
I also think the main point was that the best drivers get to a point where they have better equipment than their competitors for the majority of their careers which gives them a big advantage, which obviously isn't the case in hockey, rugby, cricket or golf.