The Top 10 Best Athlete's Evah!

[Guest Redhawk]

When talking about the best CBs ever, people tend to only think 1990 and up. What about Night Train Lane? Mel Blount? Herb Adderly? I know those guys didn't get thrown at as often as current-era DBs, but at the same time they also had to play the run more often.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Its a ridiculous list. Shouldn't a list of top 10 ATHLETES consist of more track & field stars? Where are Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis?

[Vern Gagne 0]

Carl Lewis loses all credibility after his alleged ceremonial first pitch last season.

 

 

Seriously my guess why Lewis, or any other Track and Field star isn't included is their including athletes who excelled a wide variety of sports. From a pure athletic stand point running and jumping probably rank near the top. However someone like Bo Jackson was not only fast, he was able to play at an All-Star level in both Football and Baseball. Two sports that require more than pure athletic ability to excel in.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

As for Michael Jordan. He hadn't played baseball in 13 years. Now, if he was a good player in AA, then he'd probably move up the rankings.

 

How many big leaguers have played well after a decade away from the game?

 

I'd assume that had he played both sports, he could have been a AAA player, or maybe a bit more.

 

How many times was he caught stealing in 1994?

[Guest Redhawk]

He might have only played one sport, but Herschel Walker was a straight-up freak of nature. He was the only football player I've heard scouts/coaches say could have went from H.S. to the NFL. He did like a million pushups and situps a day, which I know doesn't make you a good athlete necessarily, but just find a picture of him with no shirt on. Dude was a BEAST. And I think at one time he was on the USA Olympic luge team.

[Vern Gagne 0]

It wast the bobsled team. Along with Edwin Moses, and Willy Gault.

[Ripper 0]

If Deion is considered, then I really think Darrell Green should get a look or two.  Darrell Green was basically the Deion Sanders of football before Deion came around.  Darrell just didn't have a big mouth or a ME attitude to go with it.  Also, he was ALMOST lured away from football in the 80's to run in the olympics.  Yes, he was that fast in his prime.

I think Deion Sanders is easily a Top 10 athlete of all-time. He was arguably the best CB in NFL history, one of the most demanding positions in any sport. He had sprinters speed, and had a solid MLB career.

Here is my beef with calling Deion the best CB ever. I think in his PRIME he definately has to be considered, but when he lost a stop later in his career, he declined FAST. He went from his prime to garbage in a matter of two years. As opposed to someone like Darrell Green or Aneas Williams who even though they lost a step, stayed good at their positions every year.

Or Rod Woodson. Before Barry Sanders gave him the Shake of doom, I would have taken him over Deon as best corner in the league, and then he went to a SS and played at a allstar level on two diferent teams despite not only losing A step, about 10 or 15 of them.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Jim Brown?

I don't know how much of it is true, but I've heard that Brown was so dominant at lacrosse that they had to change the rules to create a more level playing field. Of course, the fact that they had to pull out his high school basketball stats and a FIFTH place finish in the pentathlon kind of take away from his standing (if he finished 5th, wouldn't it make sense that the 4 that finished above him should be on this list too?!?)

 

And my biggest complaint with people calling Sanders the best CB ever is the fact that the man just could not tackle. Yes, he was faster than all hell, and brought a lot to the table when he had the ball in his hand. But a defensive player being incapable of making a big hit or tackle is inexcusable.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

When talking about the best CBs ever, people tend to only think 1990 and up. What about Night Train Lane? Mel Blount? Herb Adderly? I know those guys didn't get thrown at as often as current-era DBs, but at the same time they also had to play the run more often.

As much as I love old-school CBs like Blount, if these guys would be playing today every other play would be a pass interference call.

 

Of course, once the flag got thrown, Blount would make sure he gets his penalty's worth by cold-clocking the receiver...

[The Czech Republic 0]

Okay, how about Kareem?  6 NBA titles, 5 MVPs, Just as many scoring titles, 2nd alltime in Blocks, and rebounds, First all time scoring?

 

I think the reason Kareem isn't often placed very high is because he made everything look so easy and because he was so big. When I bring up Kareem to casual fans, the usual response is something like "All he did was take hook shots all day. If I was 7-2, I could do that and get 20 a game."

 

Yeah but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in "Airplane!" I rest my case.

[Slayer 0]

Carl Lewis loses all credibility after his alleged ceremonial first pitch last season.

Don't forget his rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner"

 

As much as I love old-school CBs like Blount, if these guys would be playing today every other play would be a pass interference call.

 

Of course, once the flag got thrown, Blount would make sure he gets his penalty's worth by cold-clocking the receiver...

I miss those days too... or at least what those days stood for, since I didn't get to see much of them live

 

I remember seeing a couple interviews with old time D players from the 60's and 70's saying that they think NFL has essentially told D-men to back off because fans want to see big offensive plays (much in the same vein as the "juiced ball" accusations in baseball)