Greatest sportsperson of the modern era?

There's been some talk in the press about this over here, which almost certainly means there's been some talk in the press about it over there too.

Your thoughts?

 

fuck knows but it was announced today that micheal scumacher is retiring at the end of this season im fucking made up i hate that arrogant german cunt.

 

The words "arrogant" and "cunt" are redundant in that sentence.

 

Wayne Gretzky, the most dominant athlete in any sport.

 

College Football, Herschel Walker, of course Im sure Havoc is going to say something like "Bo Jackson" but thats all right. Its an opinion thing.

 

How exactly is that calculated? I give you two alternatives for the title: Don Bradman, and Walter Lindrum. Ah, what the heck, throw in Herb Elliot too.

 

I dare you to compare

Here is a complete list of his official records at the time of his retirement:
[edit]

Regular Season Records (40)

Most goals: 894 in 1,487 games
Most goals, including playoffs: 1,016 in 1,487 regular season and 208 playoff games
Most goals, one season: 92 in 1981-82, 80-game schedule
Most goals, one season, including playoffs: 100 in 1983-84, 87 goals in 74 regular season games and 13 goals in 19 playoff games
Most goals, 50 games from start of season: 61 in 1981-82 (Oct. 7, 1981 to Jan. 22, 1982, 80-game schedule) and 1983-84 (Oct. 5, 1983 to Jan. 25, 1984), 80-game schedule
Most goals, one period: 4 (Tied with 10 other players) Feb. 18, 1981
Most assists: 1,963
Most assists, including playoffs: 2,223
Most assists, one season: 163 in 1985-86, 80-game schedule
Most assists, one season, including playoffs: 174 in 1985-86, 163 assists in 80 regular season games and 11 assists in 10 playoff games
Most assists, one game: 7 (tied with Billy Taylor) done three times -- Feb. 15, 1980; Dec. 11, 1985; Feb. 14, 1986
Most assists, one road game: 7 (tied with Billy Taylor) Dec. 11, 1985.
Most points: 2,857 in 1,485 games (894 goals, 1,963 assists)
Most points, including playoffs: 3,239 in 1,485 regular season and 208 playoff games. (1016 goals, 2223 assists)
Most points, one season: 215 in 1985-86, 80-game schedule (52 goals, 163 assists)
Most points, one season, including playoffs: 255 in 1984-85; 208 points in 80 regular season games and 47 points in 18 playoff games
Most overtime assists, career: 15
Most goals by a centre, career: 894
Most goals by a centre, one season: 92 in 1981-82, 80-game schedule
Most assists by a centre, career: 1,963
Most assists by a centre, one season: 163 in 1985-86, 80-game schedule
Most points by a centre, career: 2,856
Most points by a centre, one season: 215 in 1985-86, 80-game schedule
Most assists in one game by a player in his first season: 7 on Feb. 15, 1980
Highest goals-per-game average, one season: 1.18 in 1983-84, 87 goals in 74 games
Highest assists-per-game average, career (300 min.): 1.321 -- 1,963 assists in 1,485 games
Highest assists-per-game average, one season: 2.04 in 1985-86, 163 assists in 80 games
Highest points-per-game average, one season (among players with 50-or-more points): 2.77 in 1983-84, 205 points in 74 games
Most 40-or-more goal season: 12 in 20 seasons
Most consecutive 40-or-more goal season: 12 from 1979-80 to 1990-91
Most 50-or-more goal seasons: 9 (tied with Mike Bossy)
Most 60-or-more goal seasons: 5 (tied with Mike Bossy)
Most consecutive 60-or-more goals seasons: 4 from 1981-82 to 1984-85
Most 100-or-more point seasons: 15
Most consecutive 100-or-more point seasons: 13 from 1979-80 to 1991-92
Most three-or-more goal games, career: 50 -- 37 three-goal (hat trick) games; nine four-goal games; four five-goal games
Most three goal games, one season: 10 (done twice) in 1981-82 and 1983-84
Longest consecutive assist scoring streak: 23 games in 1990-91, 48 assists
Longest consecutive point-scoring streak: 51 Games in 1983-84 (Oct. 5, 1983 to Jan. 28, 1984, 61goals, 92 assists for 153 points)
Longest consecutive point-scoring streak from start of season: 51 in 1983-84; 61 goals, 92 assists for 153 points (Oct. 5, 1983 to Jan. 28, 1984)
[edit]

Playoff Records (15)

Most playoff goals, career: 122
Most playoff assists, career: 260
Most assists, one playoff year: 31 in 1988 (19 games)
Most assists in one series (other than final): 14 (tied with Rick Middleton) in 1985 Conference Finals (six games vs. Chicago)
Most assists in final series: 10 in 1988 (four games, plus suspended game vs. Boston)
Most assists, one playoff game: 6 (tied with Mikko Leinonen) on April 9, 1987
Most assists, one playoff period: 3 -- Three assists by one player in one period of a playoff game has been recorded on 70 occasions. Gretzky has had three assists in one period five times.
Most points, career: 382 -- 122 goals and 260 assists
Most points, one playoff year: 47 in 1985 (17 goals and 30 assists in 18 games)
Most points in final series: 13 in 1988 three goals and 10 assists (four games plus suspended game vs. Boston, three goals)
Most points, one playoff period: 4 (tied with nine other players)
Most short-handed goals, one playoff year: 3 (tied with five other players) 1983
Most short-handed goals, one playoff game: 2 (tied with eight other players) April 6, 1983
Most game winning goals in playoffs, career: 24
Most three-or-more goals games (hat trick): 10 (eight three-goal games, two four-goal games)
[edit]

All-Star Records (6)

Most All-Star game goals: 13 (in 18 games played)
Most All-Star game goals, one game: 4 (tied with three players) 1983 Campbell Conference
Most All-Star game goals, one period: 4 1983 Campbell Conference, third period
Most All-Star game assists, career: 12 (tied with four players)
Most All-Star game points, career: 25 (13 goals, 12 assists in 18 games)
Most All-Star game points, one period: 4 (tied with Mike Gartner and Adam Oates) 1983 Campbell Conference, third period (four goals)

 

I vote Al Bundy . .

 

I had a long, drunken conversation with a hockey fan about how great Gretzky was. And I fully believe it.

But consider this:

In the game of Test cricket, the mark of a batsman is his batting average the average number of runs he scores each time he comes to the wicket.

Good batsmen average over 40. Greats average over 50. The second highest average of all time (players of 20 Tests or more) is Graeme Pollock on 60.98.

Don Bradman averaged 99.94. Over more than 50 Tests.

I realise I'm being a parochial hick (Bradman is revered in Australia). But then again, so are you with Gretzky I guess.

Shame we couldn't get them together for a round of golf to sort out the title once and for all.

 

You ask and you shall recieve, I am planning a trip to Aus to visit a mate of mine working in Sydney, I will keep you aprised, we can definatley do the drunken golf adventure, and banter stats back and forth. 8)

 

Excellentment!

*rubs hands together with glee*

 

It'll be just dandy lad!!

 

Including the Ass-Olympics!

 

I thought it was the ass-clown olympics?

 

Eh, it's all opinion and bias. It's not surprise that a man once paid to play hockey picked a hockey player. Leaving it that wide open compounds the number of variables indefinitely.

If we were only speaking about hockey, I'd be the first to agree with 'Mate.

Being a baseball fan--only sport I pay any attention to, I'd pick a baseball player, probably Nolan Ryan. 367 K's in a season...insane.

 

There is only one Sports figure that has achieved the status equal with God in his home State.

Want proof? They still pipe his voice into the opposing team's dressing room before the games. He died before 95% of the current players were even born, but they still report being intimidated by the voice.

23 years after his death, he still gets a substantial number of write in votes in every election for governor.

Not the greatest athelete - but Sports figure ? Maybe so.

 

Dan Marino /thread.

 

I posted all of Gretzky's records, please post all of Nolan Ryan's records, he has to hold more than 62 in his sport to be superior to Gretzky.

 

Marino's Records.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/extras/graphics/marino/athlete/nflrecords.htm

 

There's 28 of them. Unless I counted wrong.

But surely it's not just about the sheer number of records you've held? What about the quality of the opposition, performance under pressure, etc.

On sheer records alone, Muhammed Ali was not the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time (it would probably be Rocky Marciano). But anyone who's got an inkling of the sport rates Ali the greatest because of his incredible variety, tactical nous and a bunch of other non-statistical intangibles.