Top 10 Famous Athletes of All Time (any era)

LockeJET · 12-03-2009, 10:48 AM

In no particular order here are mine.

1. Pele

2. Jordan

3. Secretariat

4. Ali

5. Gretsky

6. Ruth

7. Tiger

8. Shaq

9. Lance Armtrong

10. Lebron

Honorable mention: Dale Earnhardt, Sampras, Bird, Magic, Elway, Montana, Jim Thorpe, Mario Andretti, Jerry Rice, Marciano, Tyson, OJ.

RaoulDuke · 12-03-2009, 11:00 AM

In no order

Pele
Maradona
Jordan
Gretzky
Ali
Michael Phelps
Tiger
Usain Bolt
Sergui Bubka
Valentino Rossi

HessStation · 12-03-2009, 11:04 AM

[QUOTE=LockeJET;3382584]In no particular order here are mine.

1. Pele

2. Jordan

3. Secretariat

4. Ali

5. Gretsky

6. Ruth

7. Tiger

8. Shaq

9. Lance Armtrong

10. Lebron

Honorable mention: Dale Earnhardt, Sampras, Bird, Magic, Elway, Montana, Jim Thorpe, Mario Andretti, Jerry Rice, Marciano, Tyson, OJ.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I mean I would take out Secretariat, Shaq and Lebron and put in Magic, Bird and Tyson.

Any football player would be tough. Unitas would probably be 1st though.

I would consider McEnroe and Connors much more "famous" than Sampras.

LockeJET · 12-03-2009, 11:09 AM

[QUOTE=HessStation;3382607]Yeah, I mean I would take out Secretariat, Shaq and Lebron and put in Magic, Bird and Tyson.

Any football player would be tough. Unitas would probably be 1st though.

I would consider McEnroe and Connors much more "famous" than Sampras.[/QUOTE]

I think Shaq and Lebron world wide are more famous then Magic and Bird... Tyson could easily be top 10..Mac and Conners could also be in place of Sampras I agree.

HessStation · 12-03-2009, 11:18 AM

You also have to think:
Jesse Owens
Carl Lewis
Micheal Johnson.

Sugar Ray Robinson
Joe Louis
Roberto Duran
Jack Dempsey
Sugar Ray Leonard
Rocky Marciano
George Foreman
Julio Cesar Chavez
Joe Frazier
Jake LaMotta

Jack Nicklaus
Ben Hogan
Bobby Jones

[B]OJ Simpson[/B]
Jim Brown
Walter Peyton
Bo Jackson
Lawrence Taylor
Joe Namath
Deion Sanders
Reggie White
Bart Star
Dan Marino

DiMaggio
Mantle
Gehrig
Aaron
Williams
Mays

JamaicanJetFan · 12-03-2009, 11:21 AM

Based on internet searches, Kournikova and Sharapova would have to be up there :p

AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite · 12-03-2009, 11:27 AM

Ummm...

Tiger Tiger Woods Y'all...

Soberphobia · 12-03-2009, 11:32 AM

Don Bradman probably more famous globally than anyone mentioned on this thread outside of Ali - yet this is the first post to mention him.

VincenzoTestaverde · 12-03-2009, 06:54 PM

[QUOTE=LockeJET;3382584]In no particular order here are mine.

1. Pele

2. Jordan

3. Secretariat

4. Ali

5. Gretsky

6. Ruth

7. Tiger

8. Shaq

9. Lance Armtrong

10. Lebron

Honorable mention: Dale Earnhardt, Sampras, Bird, Magic, Elway, Montana, Jim Thorpe, Mario Andretti, Jerry Rice, Marciano, Tyson, OJ.[/QUOTE]

Put Lebron in a Knick uniform next season and he'll be 3 or 4 on that list instead of an undeserved 10. Right now Lebron isn't even the most famous player in basketball right now - Kobe and Yao Ming are both ahead of him in popularity and worldwide fame.

[img]http://sportpops.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Lebron_Knicks.jpg[/img]

Come Back to NY · 12-03-2009, 07:09 PM

if its' top ten personal preference, in no particular order:

Dr. J
Wayne Gretzy
Michael Schumacher
AJ Foyt
Clyde
Jack Nicklaus
Michael Jordon
Dwight Stones
Joe Frazier
Mario Lemeiux

hon mention- Eddie Giacomin but few know who he is....

Come Back to NY · 12-03-2009, 07:12 PM

[QUOTE=RaoulDuke;3382599]
Valentino Rossi[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="Black"][B]<[/B][/COLOR]

[IMG]http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/11/15/michael_schumacher_wideweb__470x261,0.jpg[/IMG]

Austin · 12-03-2009, 07:17 PM

Are we talking worldwide fame?

I'd probably go (in no order):

Babe Ruth
Michael Jordan
Tiger Woods
Muhammed Ali
Pele
Lance Armstrong
Wayne Gretzky
Shaquille O'Neal
David Beckham
OJ Simpson

Horses and car drivers don't count as they're, you know, not athletes. Say what you want about Beckham or OJ (clearly for different reasons) but everybody knows who they are.

Soberphobia · 12-03-2009, 07:38 PM

Sachin Tendulkar says hello.

Soberphobia · 12-04-2009, 06:41 AM

From Lockejets first post:

1. Pele

4. Ali

These two definitely - but Ali would, without a shadow of any doubt, be ahead of Pele.

Could make an argument for these other two being in the top 10:

2. Jordan

7. Tiger

But the rest, absolutely no way.

Soberphobia · 12-04-2009, 07:02 AM

No NFL player could possibly make the list - it's a sport isolated to North America, great as it is. Gretzky? Awesome athlete - in a sport isolated to frozen countries. A baseball player *maybe* to make the list, but again, the sport, on the world scale, is fairly marginal. The 'World Series' is contested by teams from the USA. I could pick someone from billiards or snooker just as famous.

Basketball - yeah, its getting there - but if you are talking about global popularity of a single player you could make an argument for Yao Ming much more than you could for Shaq. But Jordan is the obvious pick, though based on the global power of his Nike marketing machine just as much as his superlative skill.

I'd have Ali at number one - Maradona and Pele wouldn't be far behind - Bradman would be there for sure. Name known throughout the entire British Empire whose exploits regularly made the front pages of foriegn countries. Tendulkar as well - adored as a God, literally, by over a billion people. Have to say I'd have more boxers in the top 10 - probably Tyson and maybe, also, Jack Johnson.

RaoulDuke · 12-04-2009, 07:59 AM

[QUOTE=Come Back to NY;3383512][COLOR="Black"][B]<[/B][/COLOR]

[IMG]http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/11/15/michael_schumacher_wideweb__470x261,0.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
Funny, both have dabbled in each others sports and done remarkably well.

Rossi tried out a Ferrari F1, and wasn't far from pole position times, and Schumi is a motorcycle freak and does very well in German National races. He crashed in one race which made him miss filling in for Massa after his accident this year.

Both have motorsports in their blood it's not even funny.

Come Back to NY · 12-04-2009, 08:42 AM

[QUOTE=Black Death;3383563]Sachin Tendulkar says hello.[/QUOTE]

dude cricket is not a sport.....its' an insect....

[QUOTE=Black Death;3385646]No NFL player could possibly make the list - it's a sport isolated to North America, great as it is. Gretzky? Awesome athlete - in a sport isolated to frozen countries. A baseball player *maybe* to make the list, but again, the sport, on the world scale, is fairly marginal. The 'World Series' is contested by teams from the USA. I could pick someone from billiards or snooker just as famous.

[/QUOTE]

but cricket players or billard players would????

dude- do you think people in europe know who Tom Brady is??? or Ben Rothlisberger??? I had to google the names of the guys you posted to find out who the eff they are....

Phoenixx · 12-04-2009, 08:57 AM

[QUOTE=Come Back to NY;3383509]
hon mention- Eddie Giacomin but few know who he is....[/QUOTE]

I was at The Garden up in the blues on the night he returned and cried wearing those strange colors and number.

Part of my misspent youth.

[IMG]http://www.legendsofhockey.net/graphspot/pin_giacomin02.jpg[/IMG]

PlumberKhan · 12-04-2009, 09:27 AM

[QUOTE=Black Death;3385646]No NFL player could possibly make the list - it's a sport isolated to North America, great as it is. Gretzky? Awesome athlete - in a sport isolated to frozen countries. A baseball player *maybe* to make the list, but again, the sport, on the world scale, is fairly marginal. The 'World Series' is contested by teams from the USA. I could pick someone from billiards or snooker just as famous. [/QUOTE]

Whaaaaa? Hey...it's not our fault that we have more sports than other countries. Americans like to be instantly gratified...we can't spend 3 hours on a Sunday watching two teams kick a ball and score upwards of 2 or 3 points. :P

FF2® · 12-04-2009, 11:13 AM

[QUOTE=Black Death;3383563]Sachin Tendulkar says hello.[/QUOTE]

Really?

Tell her FF2® says hey. :)

12-03-2009, 10:48 AM	#1
LockeJET pooping, but thinking of you! Hall of Fame Charter JI Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 15,959	Top 10 Famous Athletes of All Time (any era) In no particular order here are mine. 1. Pele 2. Jordan 3. Secretariat 4. Ali 5. Gretsky 6. Ruth 7. Tiger 8. Shaq 9. Lance Armtrong 10. Lebron Honorable mention: Dale Earnhardt, Sampras, Bird, Magic, Elway, Montana, Jim Thorpe, Mario Andretti, Jerry Rice, Marciano, Tyson, OJ. Last edited by LockeJET; 12-03-2009 at 10:59 AM.

12-04-2009, 08:42 AM	#17
Come Back to NY Making lotsa $$$ off obama's stupidity... Jets Insider VIP JetsInsider.com Legend Charter JI Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 31,407	[QUOTE=Black Death;3383563]Sachin Tendulkar says hello.[/QUOTE] dude cricket is not a sport.....its' an insect.... [QUOTE=Black Death;3385646]No NFL player could possibly make the list - it's a sport isolated to North America, great as it is. Gretzky? Awesome athlete - in a sport isolated to frozen countries. A baseball player maybe to make the list, but again, the sport, on the world scale, is fairly marginal. The 'World Series' is contested by teams from the USA. I could pick someone from billiards or snooker just as famous. [/QUOTE] but cricket players or billard players would???? dude- do you think people in europe know who Tom Brady is??? or Ben Rothlisberger??? I had to google the names of the guys you posted to find out who the eff they are.... Last edited by Come Back to NY; 12-04-2009 at 08:44 AM.

12-03-2009, 11:00 AM	#2
RaoulDuke Son of Ham Hall Of Fame Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Paris, France Posts: 11,870	In no order Pele Maradona Jordan Gretzky Ali Michael Phelps Tiger Usain Bolt Sergui Bubka Valentino Rossi

12-03-2009, 11:04 AM	#3
HessStation All Pro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,902	[QUOTE=LockeJET;3382584]In no particular order here are mine. 1. Pele 2. Jordan 3. Secretariat 4. Ali 5. Gretsky 6. Ruth 7. Tiger 8. Shaq 9. Lance Armtrong 10. Lebron Honorable mention: Dale Earnhardt, Sampras, Bird, Magic, Elway, Montana, Jim Thorpe, Mario Andretti, Jerry Rice, Marciano, Tyson, OJ.[/QUOTE] Yeah, I mean I would take out Secretariat, Shaq and Lebron and put in Magic, Bird and Tyson. Any football player would be tough. Unitas would probably be 1st though. I would consider McEnroe and Connors much more "famous" than Sampras.

12-03-2009, 11:09 AM	#4
LockeJET pooping, but thinking of you! Hall of Fame Charter JI Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 15,959	[QUOTE=HessStation;3382607]Yeah, I mean I would take out Secretariat, Shaq and Lebron and put in Magic, Bird and Tyson. Any football player would be tough. Unitas would probably be 1st though. I would consider McEnroe and Connors much more "famous" than Sampras.[/QUOTE] I think Shaq and Lebron world wide are more famous then Magic and Bird... Tyson could easily be top 10..Mac and Conners could also be in place of Sampras I agree.

12-03-2009, 11:18 AM	#5
HessStation All Pro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,902	You also have to think: Jesse Owens Carl Lewis Micheal Johnson. Sugar Ray Robinson Joe Louis Roberto Duran Jack Dempsey Sugar Ray Leonard Rocky Marciano George Foreman Julio Cesar Chavez Joe Frazier Jake LaMotta Jack Nicklaus Ben Hogan Bobby Jones [B]OJ Simpson[/B] Jim Brown Walter Peyton Bo Jackson Lawrence Taylor Joe Namath Deion Sanders Reggie White Bart Star Dan Marino DiMaggio Mantle Gehrig Aaron Williams Mays

12-03-2009, 11:21 AM	#6
JamaicanJetFan START BILAL POWELL, kthx All League Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 2,690	Based on internet searches, Kournikova and Sharapova would have to be up there :p

12-03-2009, 11:27 AM	#7
AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite is all out of fuCks to give... All Pro Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 7,451	Ummm... Tiger Tiger Woods Y'all...

12-03-2009, 11:32 AM	#8
Soberphobia All League Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3,440	Don Bradman probably more famous globally than anyone mentioned on this thread outside of Ali - yet this is the first post to mention him.

12-03-2009, 06:54 PM	#9
VincenzoTestaverde laughing at the Pledge Against America Banned Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: NYC Posts: 9,162	[QUOTE=LockeJET;3382584]In no particular order here are mine. 1. Pele 2. Jordan 3. Secretariat 4. Ali 5. Gretsky 6. Ruth 7. Tiger 8. Shaq 9. Lance Armtrong 10. Lebron Honorable mention: Dale Earnhardt, Sampras, Bird, Magic, Elway, Montana, Jim Thorpe, Mario Andretti, Jerry Rice, Marciano, Tyson, OJ.[/QUOTE] Put Lebron in a Knick uniform next season and he'll be 3 or 4 on that list instead of an undeserved 10. Right now Lebron isn't even the most famous player in basketball right now - Kobe and Yao Ming are both ahead of him in popularity and worldwide fame. [img]http://sportpops.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Lebron_Knicks.jpg[/img]

12-03-2009, 07:09 PM	#10
Come Back to NY Making lotsa $$$ off obama's stupidity... Jets Insider VIP JetsInsider.com Legend Charter JI Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 31,407	if its' top ten personal preference, in no particular order: Dr. J Wayne Gretzy Michael Schumacher AJ Foyt Clyde Jack Nicklaus Michael Jordon Dwight Stones Joe Frazier Mario Lemeiux hon mention- Eddie Giacomin but few know who he is....

12-03-2009, 07:12 PM	#11
Come Back to NY Making lotsa $$$ off obama's stupidity... Jets Insider VIP JetsInsider.com Legend Charter JI Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 31,407	[QUOTE=RaoulDuke;3382599] Valentino Rossi[/QUOTE] [COLOR="Black"][B]<[/B][/COLOR] [IMG]http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/11/15/michael_schumacher_wideweb__470x261,0.jpg[/IMG]

12-03-2009, 07:17 PM	#12
Austin WINNING All Pro Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Upper East Side Posts: 6,187	Are we talking worldwide fame? I'd probably go (in no order): Babe Ruth Michael Jordan Tiger Woods Muhammed Ali Pele Lance Armstrong Wayne Gretzky Shaquille O'Neal David Beckham OJ Simpson Horses and car drivers don't count as they're, you know, not athletes. Say what you want about Beckham or OJ (clearly for different reasons) but everybody knows who they are.

12-03-2009, 07:38 PM	#13
Soberphobia All League Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3,440	Sachin Tendulkar says hello.

12-04-2009, 06:41 AM	#14
Soberphobia All League Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3,440	From Lockejets first post: 1. Pele 4. Ali These two definitely - but Ali would, without a shadow of any doubt, be ahead of Pele. Could make an argument for these other two being in the top 10: 2. Jordan 7. Tiger But the rest, absolutely no way.

12-04-2009, 07:02 AM	#15
Soberphobia All League Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3,440	No NFL player could possibly make the list - it's a sport isolated to North America, great as it is. Gretzky? Awesome athlete - in a sport isolated to frozen countries. A baseball player maybe to make the list, but again, the sport, on the world scale, is fairly marginal. The 'World Series' is contested by teams from the USA. I could pick someone from billiards or snooker just as famous. Basketball - yeah, its getting there - but if you are talking about global popularity of a single player you could make an argument for Yao Ming much more than you could for Shaq. But Jordan is the obvious pick, though based on the global power of his Nike marketing machine just as much as his superlative skill. I'd have Ali at number one - Maradona and Pele wouldn't be far behind - Bradman would be there for sure. Name known throughout the entire British Empire whose exploits regularly made the front pages of foriegn countries. Tendulkar as well - adored as a God, literally, by over a billion people. Have to say I'd have more boxers in the top 10 - probably Tyson and maybe, also, Jack Johnson.

12-04-2009, 07:59 AM	#16
RaoulDuke Son of Ham Hall Of Fame Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Paris, France Posts: 11,870	[QUOTE=Come Back to NY;3383512][COLOR="Black"][B]<[/B][/COLOR] [IMG]http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/11/15/michael_schumacher_wideweb__470x261,0.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] Funny, both have dabbled in each others sports and done remarkably well. Rossi tried out a Ferrari F1, and wasn't far from pole position times, and Schumi is a motorcycle freak and does very well in German National races. He crashed in one race which made him miss filling in for Massa after his accident this year. Both have motorsports in their blood it's not even funny.

12-04-2009, 08:57 AM	#18
Phoenixx Hall Of Fame Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Fairfield County, CT Posts: 6,870	[QUOTE=Come Back to NY;3383509] hon mention- Eddie Giacomin but few know who he is....[/QUOTE] I was at The Garden up in the blues on the night he returned and cried wearing those strange colors and number. Part of my misspent youth. [IMG]http://www.legendsofhockey.net/graphspot/pin_giacomin02.jpg[/IMG]

12-04-2009, 09:27 AM	#19
PlumberKhan BRACE YOURSELVES FOR 12... Hall Of Fame Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Van down by the river Posts: 21,014	[QUOTE=Black Death;3385646]No NFL player could possibly make the list - it's a sport isolated to North America, great as it is. Gretzky? Awesome athlete - in a sport isolated to frozen countries. A baseball player maybe to make the list, but again, the sport, on the world scale, is fairly marginal. The 'World Series' is contested by teams from the USA. I could pick someone from billiards or snooker just as famous. [/QUOTE] Whaaaaa? Hey...it's not our fault that we have more sports than other countries. Americans like to be instantly gratified...we can't spend 3 hours on a Sunday watching two teams kick a ball and score upwards of 2 or 3 points. :P

12-04-2009, 11:13 AM	#20
FF2® Believes Sloppy Guy was involved JetsInsider.com Legend Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 46,180	[QUOTE=Black Death;3383563]Sachin Tendulkar says hello.[/QUOTE] Really? Tell her FF2® says hey. :)