Best Athletes - Fun for Everyone

[Drizzt80]

Influenced by this thread, I'd like to see a list of what y'all think are your top 5 Best Athletes. Athlete is the key word, so no bowlers or golfers please. You can list 'em, you can explain 'em, you can link pictures, you can link bio's, you can just plain old name 'em for no reason what-so-ever. Male, Female, Animal, Amateur, Pro, Sport, """Sport""", Traditional, X-Games, Whatever.

I'll defer my list for a bit as I'm having trouble with #'s 4 & 5.

D80

 

[dionythicus]

Secretariat tops my list, but I'm not really into sports, per se, so animals would be the only ones to stand out. I also really admired Bodacious, the bull. Barbaro was an amazing athlete, lost far too soon.

 

[Jenstar]

Bodacious was an awesome bull.

 

[Nanci]

Lance Armstrong:

 

[Nanci]

Little Yellow Jacket:

 

[Nanci]

Scott Jurek: (Brian Smale photo)

* Won the Spartathlon 152-mile race from Athens to Sparta, Greece three consecutive times (2006-07-08).
* Won the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, and held the record time for one year until Kyle Skaggs set a new record in 2008.
* Won the Western States Endurance Run seven consecutive times (1999-2005), and holds the record time (15:36:27 in 2004 on a modified course).
* Won the Badwater Ultramarathon twice (2005, 2006), and held the course record for two years (2005).
* Finished first three times (2002-2004) and second three times (2001, 2005, 2006) in the Miwok 100K.
* Won the Leona Divide 50 Mile Run four times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004).
* Won the Diez Vista 50K Trail Run twice (2000, 2003).
* Won the Montrail Ultra Cup series twice (2002, 2003).

 

[Chip]

Just a quick brainstorm: Jordan, Ali, Unitas, Fedor, and soon to be Larry Fitzgerald.

 

[Drizzt80]

Okay, here goes:

Honorable Mention, only because I watched his training regimen on Spike TV prior to his first MMA bout. Unbelievable!!! Brock Lesnar

Number 5. Being a swim coach, this guy HAS to be on the list. Mark Spitz

Number 4. Nothing but class. Acted like he'd been there before. Walter Payton

Number 3. No words are necessary. Muhammad Ali

Number 2. If a guy can get a basketball hater (me) to watch the game . . . Michael Jordan

and Number 1. Again, as a swimming coach. This guy has to be on the list. I know how swimmers train. I know their battle. (PS. This is an athlete list, not role model list. )

D80

 

[Drizzt80]

and soon to be Larry Fitzgerald.

I wanted to add him to my list too, but too soon, too soon.

D80

 

[ComoxCorn]

My top five picks are:

#1 Wayne Gretzky - The best hockey player there ever was.


#2 Ty Murray - Rodeo's Best


#3 Hank Aaron - Unlikely anyone steroid free will break his home run record.


#4 Mohammed Ali - Best Ever Heavyweight Champ


#5 Randy Couture - At 44, he is the best UFC heavyweight

 

[Drizzt80]

My top five picks are:

#1 Wayne Gretzky - The best hockey player there ever was.
#2 Ty Murray - Rodeo's Best
#3 Hank Aaron - Unlikely anyone steroid free will break his home run record.
#4 Mohammed Ali - Best Ever Heavyweight Champ
#5 Randy Couture - At 44, he is the best UFC heavyweight

Can't really find an overall argument against any of them! Great list.

D80

 

[vetusvates]

These come to mind first, and are subject to change (order is only approximate) :
1) Hank Aaron
2) Bruce Jenner
3) Lance Armstrong
4) Michael Jordan
5) Mark Spitz
6) Martina Navratilova
7) Muhammad Ali
8) Greg Louganis
9) Michael Phelps
10) Olga Korbut
11) Nadia Komanich

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

I don't know if I could only pick five - or if I could put them in any particular order....

Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Secretariat, Joe DiMaggio, Jerry Rice, Willie Shoemaker, Michael Jordan, Hank Aaron, Johnny Unitas, Man 'O War, Pete Sampras, Jesse Owens, Babe Ruth, Jim Brown....

 

[Suzy]

I'm a baseball nut, so I'm going to have to do my list based on baseball players. I couldn't do just 5, so I have 6 on my list. I'm a cheater!
I couldn't leave off number 6 in good conscience because of where I'm from, and what he will always mean to this city.

1 - Hank Aaron
2 - Jackie Robinson
3 - Babe Ruth
4 - Nolan Ryan
5 - Rickey Henderson
6 - George Brett

 

[snakewispera snr]

I can only think of one that can be described as a true athlete...
Erik Seedhouse... .. He's a decatriathlete, and ultramarathon runner....
Check him out......

 

[Drizzt80]

I can only think of one that can be described as a true athlete...
Erik Seedhouse... .. He's a decatriathlete, and ultramarathon runner....
Check him out......

Ooh! That reminds me!! Doh!

Steve Prefontaine

D80

 

[tsst]

LeBron James got to be in the discussion.

 

[dionythicus]

Ooh! That reminds me!! Doh!

Steve Prefontaine

D80

Yup!!

Let's not forget the mushers and dogs who compete in the Iditarod, especially the women. Alaska, where the men are men, and women win the Iditarod.

 

[Drizzt80]

Let's not forget the mushers and dogs who compete in the Iditarod, especially the women. Alaska, where the men are men, and women win the Iditarod.

Yup!! Right back 'atcha! What picture to even post to represent?! Let's just post the Official Site of the Iditarod.

Ahhhh, shoot, can't NOT have a picture!

Keep 'em coming!
D80

 

[Snake Dave]

Me...