The Super Athlete...

AudioSavior

I should have mentioned Ali in my original post. We had a debate a while back and people tried to say that he wasn't the most popular world wide but he was back then. He faught all over the world and where ever he went he got huge media coverage.

Anyway, I think Tiger Woods is the only real athlete ( yes I know some will debate that he is one) of this time that would fit in with Gretzky, Ruth and others in that he is with out a shadow of a doubt the best there is in the sport, both past and present. Most others that are here now and making noise that they might be that good( In their sport ), are doing just that, making noise and there is a lot more than a thin line between being a great outstanding player and being bar none the best there is and was. ( Just as Bret Hart lol )

Freak

Well Ida, the athletes I mentioned -- LeBron, Crosby, Ovechkin, Michelle Wie -- are just getting started. Obviously they haven't matched Gretzky's or Jordan's feats just yet, I'm just saying they're showing more potential than anyone else in their respective sports in the last 15 years.

Also, I can't believe I forgot to mention Peyton. There's a guy who has already established himself as one of the best QBs of all-time, and with a couple Super Bowl wins, should likely settle the "Greatest QB ever" debate once and for all.

AudioSavior

Yes, I understand that but what I am getting at is, the greats of the past were instantly billed as so when they came out, or not long after. It is a blurry line now because the game or sport has changed so much that it is hard for any one person to dominate their sport. Even if they do dominate, they don't always bring home the gold so to speak for their team like Ruth,Gretzky, and Jordan did.

Freak

I don't really get what you're saying... I mean I do, but I respectfully disagree.

Michael Jordan was certainly not "instantly billed" a basketball revolutionary when he came out... I'm pretty sure a couple teams even passed on him in the NBA Draft. It took a few years before he really started his assault on the record books, and by that time (like someone in here said), he was a good three or four years older than LeBron James is right now.

Gretzky was definitely more of a kid prodigy and immediately dominated the NHL, but most NHL observers argued he wasn't going to be big or strong enough to play in the NHL.

As for Michelle Wie, she IS going to be exactly the kind of athlete you're talking about here. She's like 15 years old, still growing (at 6+ feet), and outdrives anyone else on the LPGA tour already. It seems she's been focusing too much on the PGA lately (for my tastes anyway), but she is a perfect example of how there's still room today for individuals to come in and completely change their sport.

I guess it's worth included Roger Federer (tennis) in this debate too, since he's dominating his sport more-so than anyone has in a long time, and if he keeps his play up, will likely break all sorts of records.

Dr. Giganto

Well, Ida, it wasn't really quite so obvious with Jordan and Ruth.

Jordan was drafted 3rd overall, meaning that at least two teams thought he wasn't instantly going to be a super-duper star. (One of those picks, Hakeem Olajuwon, went on to a Hall of Fame-worthy career, so you can't really fault the Rockets there). Plus, he was drafted in 1985, but didn't win his first championship until 1991. Now that I think about it, people should take this into consideration when they look at Lebron's career tothis point...remember also that this year, LeBron's third in the pros, was Jordan's last year of college.

As for Babe Ruth, it wasn't until after the Red Sox traded him to the Yankees that he became the star he was.

So, although I agree with you that the level of competition may make it more difficult for an athlete to stand out among the best of his peers, I don't think that if somebody hasn't done it yet, they never will.

Also remember, that today's athletes have many more advertising and marketing opportunites than athletes of the past, so it will be easier for LeBron to make a global name for himself, since Jordan already laid the ground work.

It's a pretty complicated question. I mean, obviously athletes will continue to increase in overall skill, money, and commercial success, but it's still difficult to see people rising to that Jordan/Ruth/Gretzky level. I think there may also be a "glass ceiling" in place, whereno matter how good a basketball player is, people will always say "Well, he's no Jordan", and the same in baseball and hockey.

Damn, this is a complex issue...

AudioSavior

My point is more that once they started showing their skills, they dominated their sport. Today it seems that anyone with some top skills is getting labeled or talked about as being the next whomever. I can't imagine how great they would have to be to make an impact in sports like the greats of the past have. I feel sorry for Corsby because there is so much focus on the guy to be the Golden Boy and I think it can cause too much pressure.

After reading that most of the greats were not great to start off, maybe that is why they ended up becoming the greats. There was no pressure on them when they first started out, so when they did start to shine, they were mature and experienced enough to not cave under the pressure.