The undisputed greatest sportsperson of all time...

[coblos]

Where does Michael Phelps fit in to this. Has any one dominated a sport like him?

Swimming is not a real sport, he'd be up there for the best at exercising though.

[Jeremy Festa]

Swimming is not a real sport, he'd be up there for the best at exercising though.

Truth haha

[canadianbeaver]

Swimming is not a real sport, he'd be up there for the best at exercising though.

This reminds me of a comment by my neighbor, who told me her cousin was a "real artist"...

[str8dog]

greatest sportsman???this story comes to mind...

on sept 24th 1988...lawrence lemieux...while sailing during the seoul olympics...committed probably the most unselfish act in the history of the modern olympics...in second place at the time(lawrence figgered he had a pretty good chance of catching the first place boat)...he hove to in order to rescue 2 singaporean sailors whos boat had capsized...thus giving up a chance at an olympic medal.

at the end of the games...j a samaranch awarded lemieux the coubertain medal(the only honour that the olmpic committee considers a higher honour than an olympic gold medal)...while awarding the medal j a samaranch stated"By your sportsmanship, self-sacrifice and courage,..you embody all that is right with the Olympic ideal."

the word sportsman and the word sportsmanship are are(i feel)interchangable ... therebye making him if not the greatest sportsman of all time...at least someone who deserves consideration.

didnt make millions

didnt sell shoes

dominated no sport

just the greatest sportsman

certainly a great canadian

derrek

he lives 1/2 an hour down the road from me.

Agreed,.. and to reiterate, GREATEST ATHLETE does not equal GREATEST SPORTSPERSON.

[joeypots]

Swimming is not a real sport, he'd be up there for the best at exercising though.

lotta people say that about golf.

[thechenman]

What is your definition of sport then?

Why Curling of course...

[mazolaman]

If we're talking of noble acts in sport...

Peter Norman deserves great respect, even though his acts cost him his career at his peak, and much opprobrium back home.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Norman

[Marker]

Willie Mays was a much better ballplayer than clemente. Also could be said he did as much for baseball as a whole.

[khomeinist]

Not taking about baseball. Talking about 'real life.'

Clemente got that wrapped up.

[coblos]

The undisputed greatest sportsperson of all time the day ...

Nate Robinson!!

One of the greatest playoff 4th quarter performances ever.

[Mojo Risin]

Muhammad Ali

[Skyfall]

Archie "Doc" "Moonlight" Graham!

[kiwifruit]

OP said it was Jordan.

[kiwifruit]

The answer is:

Michael Jordan

[ewipper]

Ron Jeremy

[Jnaube]

Ali

Jordan

Jackie Robinson

Jim Brown ( altough I'm a die hard dallas fan and I looooooooved E Smith

I think somewhere, we also have to think about Michael Phelps...

Basically, from what I can see, I'm unable to make a choice...

[srsMichael]

Payton Manting

[obviousadams]

I'm not a golf, soccer or boxing fan so In my lifetime Jordan has to be the greatest.

[BMack]

Though I wasn't alive when he won his first Super Bowl, I say Joe Montana. Four Super Bowl wins and should have been four Super Bowl MVPs(Jerry Rice couldn't win an MVP without someone throwing to him) in a career shortened by injury. He also was one-half of the brainchild of creating an offense that is still being widely used in the game, the west-coast offense. In the final years of his career he took a crappy Chiefs team to the playoffs two years in a row.

Michael Jordan legacy is based on stats moreso than changing the way the game is played...leaving your mark on the sport after you've retired is a lasting legacy.

I mean if you're talking about Jordan's accomplishments in scoring and popularizing a sport, Wayne Gretzky beats Jordan out. Gretzky holds nearly all major records by leaps and bounds over others. He popularized the sport in non-traditional markets, paving the way for successful hockey clubs in LA, San Jose, Dallas, Tampa, Anaheim, Miami, Phoenix, Carolina, Nashville. They moved the goal line further away from the end boards(until 2005) to give more room behind the net so others could more easily use Gretzky's tactics of creating goals for other players.

Actually, I may have just talked myself into changing my opinion to Gretzky.

[DrunkenMonkey]

Jim Thorpe.

[Dimmers]

Michael Jordan legacy is based on stats moreso than changing the way the game is played...leaving your mark on the sport after you've retired is a lasting legacy.

wait .....what?? Sorry you couldnt be more incorrect there. Jordan dominated the league as a guard, in the toughest era for guards (before the many rule changes watering down defense/opening up the game). He forever changed the way the game is played. Lots (and lots and lots) of articles online just do a google search - here is a very good one - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1383036-how-michael-jordan-changed-the-nbas-center-position-forever

[El Presidente]

hard to go past so many here. Bradman certainly is up there if you watch cricket.

As a game changer, Pele. There is something about a sport where a group of kids from the back blocks of Santiago, Buenos Aires, Managua or outer Siberia can put aside the bleak surroundings and kick a ball 2 on 2, 3 on 3 or more. Pele was a game changer. he revitalized a true global sport from the grassroots.

[stargazer14]

Dominate your sport and beyond.

"Race car drivers in the United States rarely enjoy the same name recognition as other professional athletes. While most Americans know the names Derek Jeter or Tony Romo... biggest exception to this rule is a man whose name has become permanently associated with both racing and speed in American culture: Mario Andretti.

[ewipper]

Jennie Finch

[Skyfall]

Jennie Finch

you win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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