Which person do you think mastered his/her sport better than anyone else?

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: gsellis

Originally posted by: rbV5

Originally posted by: wwswimming
Kelly Slater on the ASP (association of Surfing Professionals) world tour.

8 world championships & shows no signs of slowing down. won it in 2006,
an Australian named Mick Fanning won it in 2007.

plus he's bald. just wish he would let his hair grow out & be proud of his
baldness instead of shaving his head. he gets a little behind on the head-
shaving, some paparazzi takes his pic, yeah look, Kelly Slater is bald.

:thumbsup:

In the same vein, I would also suggest that Laird Hamilton is perhaps the greatest Big Wave Surfer of all time. He has his peers without a doubt, but I do think he alone rises above all others...all things considered Proof

OK, I modify my original, Kelly, Mike, and Laird.

I also give Jeff Clark honorable mention for learning to surf regular foot (jeff is goofy foot) so that he could surf Mavericks ALONE for 15 years <incredible accomplishment at one of the heaviest breaks on the planet>

edit: OOPs

 

[Randum]

Lance Armstrong.

 

[Megatomic]

David Scott - best triathlete ever.

 

[batmang]

Lance Armstrong - Cycling
Michael Jordan - NBA
Tiger Woods - PGA

 

[GG02]

Tiger Woods - solo effort.

Michael Jordan - Team game, with Jerry Rice a close second for consideration.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: gsellis

Originally posted by: chuckywang
But with racing, the driver isn't doing anything athletic. In golf, the golfer is doing something athletic.

This response is uninformed. 1-4g's for 2+ hours in 120+ heat. NASCAR is close to 2g for up to 4 hrs. F1 is up to 4g for up to 2 hrs. If you have never tried fighting that, you would not understand. That is why F1 drivers almost all have resting heart rates in the 40-50s. Shuie's doc told him to cut back on the training in the 90's because he was causing too much wear on his joints. 8hrs/day.

I have no doubt that racecar drivers are placed in extremely strenuous situations, and you have to be in top physical condition to handle those situations. However, they still are not doing anything athletic. They are not performing anything that's physically exerting. They are simply placed into a situation where they have exertions placed upon them; they are not exerting themselves.

I understand their job requires split-second reactions, and tremendous driving skill, however, the real definition of sport requires you to exert yourself and that doesn't occur in racing.

so then explain what is so physically exerting about golf? They don't even compete against one another. They compete against the course, and pay someone to do the physical work for them.

Physically hitting the ball by swinging your arms is a form of exertion. Yes, golfers do rely on their equipment to obtain accuracy and distance. However, NASCAR drivers rely more on their cars than golfers rely on their clubs. A lot of how well a driver does in NASCAR is predetermined by the strength of their car.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: gsellis

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: gsellis

Originally posted by: chuckywang
But with racing, the driver isn't doing anything athletic. In golf, the golfer is doing something athletic.

This response is uninformed. 1-4g's for 2+ hours in 120+ heat. NASCAR is close to 2g for up to 4 hrs. F1 is up to 4g for up to 2 hrs. If you have never tried fighting that, you would not understand. That is why F1 drivers almost all have resting heart rates in the 40-50s. Shuie's doc told him to cut back on the training in the 90's because he was causing too much wear on his joints. 8hrs/day.

I have no doubt that racecar drivers are placed in extremely strenuous situations, and you have to be in top physical condition to handle those situations. However, they still are not doing anything athletic. They are not performing anything that's physically exerting. They are simply placed into a situation where they have exertions placed upon them; they are not exerting themselves.

I understand their job requires split-second reactions, and tremendous driving skill, however, the real definition of sport requires you to exert yourself and that doesn't occur in racing.

You need to go to a race. Watch the guy who is winning on a road course some time. Hits the same freaking marks within an inch lap after lap under load. You do exert yourself, but you aren't getting this whole changing direction thing under heavy g loads, do you? Chasing a little ball is not much.

BTW, racing is a sport. The things you are thinking about are games.

Once again, hitting the same marks is a form of skill. I've seen 10 year old kids hit the same marks over and over again in Guitar Hero ... are they athletes?

 

[montanafan]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: Nemesis 1
Billy Jean King bringing womens tennis pay wise up to par in the professionl series threw Virgina slims. Forceing the mens series into =pay.

Women's tennis still does not have equal pay across the board, nor should it....until the same number of people watch women's tennis as do watch the men.

Same with golf, basketball, etc. Sports are a business. I know some colleges have made a big deal of paying their women's hoops coaches the same as the men's. That makes no sense.
The X's and O's might be similar, but the JOB, the entire JOB, isn't even close to what the men's is.


Also, regarding Billy Jean King, she's famous for beating an old man, Bobby Riggs. And even then, the sets were like 6-3, 6-4, IIRC. He was 55 at the time, she was in her prime as a pro tennis player.

No woman pro could beat a male pro if they were both at the same stage of their careers.
Absolute guarantee that Billy Jean at age 55 would have been shut out by Riggs at the same age.


But back on topic: Regarding Tiger Woods, I really should have put Jack Nicklaus up there, at least until Tiger surpasses him.
IMO, although not to the same extent as Federer in tennis now, Tiger doesn't have as much competition like Jack did. Look back at the legendary names that Jack had to contend with each year.....then look at who challenges Tiger on a regular basis.
To face Tiger today, who are today's Johnny Millers, Arnold Palmers, Raymond Floyds, Tom Weiskopfs, Lee Trevinos, etc?
Tiger can't help that, and if he shows up and he's "on", nobody can touch him...but Jack's competition also could be "on"....can't say the same for Tiger's.

Regardless, Tiger's a bad mofo.

Actually, women's tennis is more popular in the U.S. now than men's tennis, in both participation and in TV ratings for the big tournaments.

As for you not understanding why some colleges are paying their women's basketball coaches the same as the men's, well I guess you've never been to a women's basketball game at Tennessee, Connecticut, LSU, North Carolina, etc.. They're pretty darn popular and exciting. And how exactly is the JOB, the entire JOB, for a college women's basketball coach not even close to what the men's is? I don't understand that statement at all.

I would prefer to watch the men play in most of the major sports because, yes, they are just so much better than women at the same game, but tennis isn't one of them. The men's game has become so boring. It's all about the serve and that's about all there is to it. Serve>ace, Serve>fault>serve>double fault, Serve>return>out, etc.

About the only woman I can think of who came close to dominating a sport where men and women competed against one another is Susan Butcher.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: coldmeat
Astronauts and firefighters need to be in excellent shape too.

those are not competitive entertainment areas though.

not to mention that many firefighters are NOT in shape, and often suffer heart problems as a result of being called into physically demanding situations without being sufficiently fit. read it in a news article some time ago.

 

[KMFJD]

Easy, it's Wayne Gretzky, almost 1000 more points than any other player.


Wayne Gretzky 2857
Mark Messier 1887
Gordie Howe 1850
Ron Francis 1798
Marcel Dionne 1771
Steve Yzerman 1755