Who's the best athlete in sports history?

[Drunken Cat]

I was curious. If you take raw count alone (not really the most accurate way, but easy to calculate) it is basically a wash.

US: 2653 medals in 47 games (combined) = 56.4468 medals per games.

Russia: 489 medals in 10 games = 48.9 medals per games
USSR: 1204 medals in 18 games = 66.889 medals per games
Russian Empire: 8 medals in 3 games = 2.667 medals per games

Totals for Russia: 1701 medals in 31 games = 54.87 per games
Russia plus USSR: 1693 medals in 28 games = 60.4643 medals per games

[Drunken Cat]

even IF russia has more (not they surely dont or wont in the future because of the breakup of the soviet union), still doesn't mean the US-centric spots wont have the better athletes. the only sports where an american isnt the best or at least arguably the best is soccer and rugby.

I don't see how anyone can make such a statement. The US is best at US-centric sports. Baseball, basketball, American football, association football, and rugby aren't the only sports in the world. However, that's beside the point, as I was merely demonstrating the fallacious nature of your argument.

If there were as many medals given out for weightlifting as there are for track and field, the Chinese would probably lead every Olympics.

[Walt Liquor]

I don't see how anyone can make such a statement. The US is best at US-centric sports. Baseball, basketball, American football, association football, and rugby aren't the only sports in the world.

I was thinking more along the lines of cycling, decatholon, sprints, swimming, boxing...

all sports where the greateast athlete ever is from the us (at least arguably). you cant say the same thing for any other country

[thuggery]

Michael Phelps.

[CHOWWOKKA]

Brock Lesnar.

-1998 NJCAA Heavyweight Champion
-2000 NCAA wrestling champion
-Two-time NJCAA All-American
-Two-time Big Ten Conference Champion

-Became UFC Heavyweight Champion in only 4 fights after knocking out Randy Couture
-Bloodied up Frank Mir for a second time and knocked him out
-Submitted Shane Carwin after suffering from Diverticulitis, a disease found in the large intestine.

NFL Combine
Weighed 283 lbs
Ran a 4.65 40
Vertical Jump 35 inches
Standing Long Jump 10 ft
Bench Press 225lb x 30


He beat the absolute **** out of Sp1ke Dudley



And he is ****ing this


Maybe not the most athletic but he is the most ALPHA.

[J-Smooth]

Lebron James imho

[baya]

lance armstrong

[squealpiggy]

Bo Jackson was 6'1"/230 and ran a 4.12 40. FOUR-TWELVE. That's absurd. He's bigger than most soccer players, runs a hell of a lot faster, can jump higher, can cut just as fast...but because he's an American, he's not the best athlete. Get outta here son.

This 40 yard bullshit is a curiously American phenomenon. It's also a typical American tactic. If you can't compete at something invent your own version and declare yourself champion. What use would a 40 yard dash speed be to someone playing football or rugby? There is literally no sport in the world apart from rugby-for-cross-dressers in which being able to run quickly in a straight line for forty yards is any sort of advantage.

even IF russia has more (not they surely dont or wont in the future because of the breakup of the soviet union), still doesn't mean the US-centric spots wont have the better athletes. the only sports where an american isnt the best or at least arguably the best is soccer and rugby.

Golf, tennis, badminton, cricket, boxing (nowadays), judo, hockey, table tennis, darts, snooker, motor racing, marathon, cycling I mean really, do I have to go on?

Cricket, the second most popular sport in the world. Hey what was the name of that prominent American cricketer? Ha ha don't worry, he doesn't exist.

[fight_professor]

Garfield St Aurburn Sobers.

/

Thread.

[gingeralbino]

Max Woosnam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Woosnam

Won gold at the olympics and won Wimbledon as a tennis player, made centuries when playing cricket, made a 147 break in snooker (equivalent to, say, a perfect game in bowling, or maybe a no-hitter in baseball), captained Manchester City and England as a footballer (soccer player) AS AN AMETEUR. And once beat Charlie Chaplin at table tennis using a butter knife instead of a bat

COME AT ME!

that was gonna be my pick, beat me to it