1. Michael Phelps
2. Serena Williams
3. Lionel Messi
4. Lebron
5. Mr. 18-1 Tom Brady
6. Roger Federer
7. Simone Biles
8. Tiger Woods... 18. Patrick Mahomes
Originally Posted by :
In the end, we received more than 70,000 votes from ESPN contributors to create our top 100. We will reveal 25 athletes every day this week until we reach our No. 1 athlete of the 21st century.
I would have ranked Mahomes a bit higher, perhaps in the top 15. Also hilarious that Brady couldn't even manage to crack the top 3. [Reply]
Far too many basketball players in the top 25. I suppose that given it is a public vote the heavy American athlete and US sports voting is understandable however it does not give the rounded view of global sports in the last quarter century. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Hayneplane:
Far too many basketball players in the top 25. I suppose that given it is a public vote the heavy American athlete and US sports voting is understandable however it does not give the rounded view of global sports in the last quarter century.
Basketball is pretty big in America, Europe and China.
If you were focusing on global popularity of sports, it’d be a bunch of soccer and Formula One pussies. Who wants to see that? [Reply]
I suppose it come to how you define "athlete". While Patrick is defiantly a high level athlete - his defining trait is his competitiveness. IMO, Tyreek is more of an athletic specimen than Patrick, but Pat is much more a winner. [Reply]
Their 'soccer' inclusions are hilarious. Thierry Henry isn't even a top 20 player in the 21st century and according to this bullshit list he's 3rd behind Messi/Ronaldo and just ahead of ZIDANE :-) [Reply]
Not true at all. If a practice squad player could do what Messi or Federer can do then they would do that and not pick up a few hundred thousand on a practice squad.
Even taking the global out of things Floyd Mayweather is absurdly low on the list as a multi weight undefeated world champion Boxer in a sport where a 2 second loss of concentration can see you laid out on the canvas. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Zebedee DuBois:
I suppose it come to how you define "athlete". While Patrick is defiantly a high level athlete - his defining trait is his competitiveness. IMO, Tyreek is more of an athletic specimen than Patrick, but Pat is much more a winner.
To take it a step further Tom Brady is a very low level athlete game manager who won championships by doing a solid job at QB while his defenses carried him. Not a good athlete, not a top 5 NFL QB. Did seem to have a very competitive attitude, though. If this list were "Best Competitive Attitudes" he would belong at 3, and might beat out Mahomes just because of his willingness to cheat. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RealSNR:
Golfers aren't fucking athletes..
This! It's really difficult to play the game at the highest level but being able to walk a 18 hole course. What's that? 3-4 miles tops. Everyone of us can hit a golf ball. Just because they are the best in the world at hitting that ball, its still not an "athletic" feat. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Hayneplane:
Far too many basketball players in the top 25. I suppose that given it is a public vote the heavy American athlete and US sports voting is understandable however it does not give the rounded view of global sports in the last quarter century.
Basketball is more of an individual sport. Even if it's a team of 5 it's still fairly individualistic. Understandable that the list favors individualism. That's why you don't see baseball players. You can be a dominant hitter but it is hard to make an impact if you have bottom 5 pitching. Individual athletes can be colossal assholes yet dominate. Their entire sport is about individual accomplishment where in team sports there is always a debate about how much the individual carries a team and vice versa. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
This! It's really difficult to play the game at the highest level but being able to walk a 18 hole course. What's that? 3-4 miles tops. Everyone of us can hit a golf ball. Just because they are the best in the world at hitting that ball, its still not an "athletic"m feat.
sure but that speaks to why tiger is maybe lower on the list. And if there was ever a golfer who could qualify as an athlete, tiger would be it. [Reply]
