The GOAT, Brady or Jordan?

[t-gator]

Carl lewis? Michel Phelps ? I thought this was a sports message board?

 

[Alumni Guy]

Coach Mac

 

[stephenPE]

Most spectacular to watch, in no particular order:

Nicklaus
Jordan
Ali
I'm tempted to add Gale Sayers

Maravich.

 

[rogdochar]

Greatest of all time, GOAT? Since all time ain't occurred yet, I have to postpone my decision.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

I was going to choose Ric Flair but the article said team sports only so I’m going with Road Warrior Animal. He was the better half of the greatest tag team in wrestling history.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Carl lewis? Michel Phelps ? I thought this was a sports message board?

That's my boy!

 

[ExecutiveGator]

Roy Hobbs!

Not even a contest!

Of course! If ever there was a Natural...

 

[78]

This thread has serious flaws.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

This thread has serious flaws.

It’s a reflection of the mental condition of many here on this board.

 

[78]

It's too difficult to cross-pollinate. I can't compare a shooting guard to a quarterback to a boxer.

So I'll categorize by sport.

NBA ... Jordan
NHL ... Orr
MLB ... Ruth
NFL ... Brady (I'm tempted to pick Payton because he could do so many things)
Soccer ... Pele
College football ... Tebow over Herschel
College basketball ... (tie) Maravich and Alcindor
Boxing ... Ali
Golf ... Nicklaus
Tennis ... Federer
Posting ... Clearly me

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Maravich.

White guy bouncy ball?

 

[Swamp Donkey]

College basketball ... (tie) Maravich and Alcindor

Wilt.

Because he could both dominate basketball and with da ladies.

 

[78]

Wilt.

Because he could both dominate basketball and with da ladies.

Where does that put Tebow?

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

It's too difficult to cross-pollinate. I can't compare a shooting guard to a quarterback to a boxer.

So I'll categorize by sport.

NBA ... Jordan
NHL ... Orr
MLB ... Ruth
NFL ... Brady (I'm tempted to pick Payton because he could do so many things)
Soccer ... Pele
College football ... Tebow over Herschel
College basketball ... (tie) Maravich and Alcindor
Boxing ... Ali
Golf ... Nicklaus
Tennis ... Federer
Posting ... Clearly me

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how difficult it is to make these comparisons. Part of the problem is that the games change over time making it difficult to compare guys that played the same position in the same sport in different eras. Take NFL QB for example. Nowadays, the defense can’t hit the QB like they could 30-40 years ago, nor can they jam the WRs like they could in years past. Therefore, QBs like Bradshaw, Staubach and Montana aren’t going to have the passing stats of a Brady or Brees, nor will they have the health and longevity that gives them more chances to win Super Bowls. Same with the NBA. No 3 point shot back in the day so lower career stats in points scored, triple/doubles, etc. Guys like Jordan didn’t get mugged as badly driving to the basket as guys from earlier generations and little nuances like push offs from shooting guards became more acceptable in recent times, etc. It’s just so difficult to crown the GOAT in many sports because of this.

 

[78]

Did you watch any of the old Pistons-Bulls matchups? Jordan got more than mugged going to hoop. It was a full-fledged gang bang.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Did you watch any of the old Pistons-Bulls matchups? Jordan got more than mugged going to hoop. It was a full-fledged gang bang.

Yes, but it’s all relative. Also, you can find plenty of videos on YouTube that show how Jordan was given star treatment by the refs quite often when he was at the peak of his career. Heck, even Magic Johnson joked about it.

 

[The Shady Grove Gator]

Tom Brady can go Marilyn Manson his own manhood regardless of number of trophies or Guinness Book of World Records for any kind of enemas performed on/or endured by one person.

 

[78]

Yes, but it’s all relative. Also, you can find plenty of videos on YouTube that show how Jordan was given star treatment by the refs quite often when he was at the peak of his career. Heck, even Magic Johnson joked about it.

He'd been in the league several seasons before he earned his stripes with the refs.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

He'd been in the league several seasons before he earned his stripes with the refs.

Yes, I said as much in my post...and that goes to my point that it’s tough to determine the GOAT when rules of the game, officiating, etc. change over time and we’re stuck trying to compare the greatness of players from the same league who often times played very different sports due to external forces.

 

[78]

Yes, I said as much in my post...and that goes to my point that it’s tough to determine the GOAT when rules of the game, officiating, etc. change over time and we’re stuck trying to compare the greatness of players from the same league who often times played very different sports due to external forces.

Yes, the passage of time brings about lots of variables, and yet having watched the NBA for over 50 years I feel my eyes can compensate for the changes.

Jordan is the best I've seen probably followed by Magic Johnson and, sigh, LeBron James, who replaces Oscar Robertson atop my personal leaderboard.