Who's your Top 3 athlete's of the decade ?

[the kid 05]

Im going with Peyton Manning, Kobi Bryant and Lance armstrong .

whos that?

 

[TellerMorrow34]

No I wouldnt say it takes much hand eye cordination to hit a ball that doesnt move.

Then all you've done is shown your complete ignorance of what it takes.


I suspect either you've never played golf, at all, or you've tried and failed miserably at it so that is part of your ignorance on the sport and/or your hatred of it.

 

[Biggems]

it takes very little hand eye coordination to hit a stationary ball, very little.

however, if you want to get great distance and accuracy....it takes great hand eye coordination as well is supreme muscle control, balance, and technique.

 

[MC KAos]

Tiger
Roger Federer
Michael Phelps
Lance Armstrong

I think u add bolt to this list and pick any three, u can't go wrong

 

[Temo]

I don't see how no one includes Bolt on any of these lists. I mean, he's only the fastest human being ever.

 

[Danny White]

I think u add bolt to this list and pick any three, u can't go wrong

I don't see how no one includes Bolt on any of these lists. I mean, he's only the fastest human being ever.

The reason I didn't (and wouldn't) add Bolt is that he hasn't had the longevity that the others have.

Those four have done amazing things for a prolonged period of time. And if you're talking "all decade" you need to be talking about people who have put up great performances for more than just one year.

Heck, next year we could see someone faster than Bolt and he'd be yesterday's news.

Those four have been at the top of their games for a ridiculously long period of time.

 

[Doomsday101]

Well then bottom line is we have a disagreement in what makes an athlete and athlete. To me it's not all about how fast you can run, or how high you can jump . It's alot about hand eye cordination, awareness, precision, balance, mental toughness as well . Now to say it takes great athletic ability to hit a stationary white ball into a hole is insane, it doesnt ... but to say to throw a 45 yard pass on the money, while avoiding 300 lb lineman , and 240 lb line backers coming after you does.


My point is... that playing NFL QB takes way more athletic skill then it does for A Golfer to hit a white ball on a beautiful california day.

There is no comparsion of the two.

"eye cordination, awareness, precision, balance, mental toughness as well" sound like what it takes to be a pro golfer. Golfer does not get a half time he has to be mentally tough for 4 days in a row 18 holes each day. One reason other athletes like golf because of the mental challege the game presents

 

[kev8822]

Emmitt Smith, Shawn Michaels, Ken Griffey Jr.

The greatest wrestler of all time.

 

[Temo]

The reason I didn't (and wouldn't) add Bolt is that he hasn't had the longevity that the others have.

Those four have done amazing things for a prolonged period of time. And if you're talking "all decade" you need to be talking about people who have put up great performances for more than just one year.

Heck, next year we could see someone faster than Bolt and he'd be yesterday's news.

Those four have been at the top of their games for a ridiculously long period of time.

For one, sprinters have a naturally quick ascent and a shorter stay at the top than the other guys. Seems ridiculous to penalize him for that. And you included Phelps, who hasn't been around that long either, only a couple years longer than Bolt.

For two, It took about a decade for someone to break Michael Johnson's records in the 100m and 200m, and Bolt OBLITERATED them.

Bolt revolutionized a sport that no one thought COULD be revolutionized. It's the oldest sport in existence yet he showed a different way to excel at it. He broke the old prototype of what a sprinter had to be and set a altogether new standard for speed.

I don't know, I just don't understand it personally. To me at least he had the most amazing athletic achievement that I've ever seen-- though maybe if I was around when Roger Bannister broke the 4:00 minute mile barrier I'd say differently.

 

[Danny White]

For one, sprinters have a naturally quick ascent and a shorter stay at the top than the other guys. Seems ridiculous to penalize him for that. And you included Phelps, who hasn't been around that long either, only a couple years longer than Bolt.

Phelps won 6 golds in 2004 and 8 golds in 2008.

He won the World Swimmer of the Year Award in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and American Swimmer of the Year Award in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

 

[DFWJC]

Tiger Woods (total dominance)
Roger Federer (ditto)
Lance Armstrong (ditto)
or maybe Kobi Bryant or Phelps

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

For one, sprinters have a naturally quick ascent and a shorter stay at the top than the other guys. Seems ridiculous to penalize him for that. And you included Phelps, who hasn't been around that long either, only a couple years longer than Bolt.

For two, It took about a decade for someone to break Michael Johnson's records in the 100m and 200m, and Bolt OBLITERATED them.

Bolt revolutionized a sport that no one thought COULD be revolutionized. It's the oldest sport in existence yet he showed a different way to excel at it. He broke the old prototype of what a sprinter had to be and set a altogether new standard for speed.

I don't know, I just don't understand it personally. To me at least he had the most amazing athletic achievement that I've ever seen-- though maybe if I was around when Roger Bannister broke the 4:00 minute mile barrier I'd say differently.

This is not accurate. In actuality, Phelps came onto the scene in Olympic Swiming in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. He pretty much has been around for a decade. While I do believe that Bolt is a tremendous athlete, I don't think he is comparable to Phelps. I honestly don't believe anybody is comparable. Phelps is in a class by himself IMO.

Phelps has been competing at a world class level since the age of 15. He broke his first world record at 15. Phelps currently holds world records in 8 different events. He has set or held 37 world record times in his career, more then any other athlete. He has won 16 Olympic Medals and will almost certainly shatter the all time record of 18 (Larissa Latynina - Soviet) before he's finished. He has 14 Olympic Gold Medals, the most by any athlete ever. He has won a total of 54 Medals in major international events, 45 Gold Medals,(Olympics, World and Pan Pacific Championships) also records. He has dominated all events in his sport like no other athlete in the history of the Olympic Games. He, in my mind, is the greatest althlete the world has ever seen. Nobody even comes close to dominating there sport like Phelps has and he's only 25.

 

[Temo]

And Bolt is 23, ABQ.

You guys remember Phelps because he's American. The first time I saw Bolt and remember him was when in 2002, when he was 15 and competing in the world junior championships. I just remember him towering over everyone else (he was already like 6'6" at that time) and I remember thinking "that guy should go play basketball or something, he'll never make it as a sprinter with that body". Well, he proved me and everyone else wrong.

He didn't do the 100m at that time because everyone thought he had the wrong physiology for it, and he disappointed in 2004 because of a leg injury, which is no new thing for sprinters. If healthy, he was a lock for the 200m gold. Swimmers have it much easier on their bodies in terms of hard impact and can stave off injury.

Finally, the number of Gold things is irrellevant. It's far more impressive to win the 3x golds that Bolt won in 2008 than Phelp's 8, IMO. I mean, if runners were silly enough to do a "backwards 100m and 200m", then sure Bolt could have won a few more gold.

 

[The Panch]

1. Woods

2. Duncan

3. Kobe/Manning

 

[Phoenix]

1. Usain Bolt
2. Michael Phelps
3T:
Manny Pacquiao
Roger Federer


(I was going to start another "that's not an athlete" debacle by saying Jimmy Johnson of NASCAR lol )

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

And Bolt is 23, ABQ.

You guys remember Phelps because he's American. The first time I saw Bolt and remember him was when in 2002, when he was 15 and competing in the world junior championships. I just remember him towering over everyone else (he was already like 6'6" at that time) and I remember thinking "that guy should go play basketball or something, he'll never make it as a sprinter with that body". Well, he proved me and everyone else wrong.

He didn't do the 100m at that time because everyone thought he had the wrong physiology for it, and he disappointed in 2004 because of a leg injury, which is no new thing for sprinters. If healthy, he was a lock for the 200m gold. Swimmers have it much easier on their bodies in terms of hard impact and can stave off injury.

Finally, the number of Gold things is irrellevant. It's far more impressive to win the 3x golds that Bolt won in 2008 than Phelp's 8, IMO. I mean, if runners were silly enough to do a "backwards 100m and 200m", then sure Bolt could have won a few more gold.

It has nothing at all to do with Phelps being American. At 15 years of age, Phelps was not competing in the Jr. Games. He was competing in the Olympic games. At 15, he was setting world records. Not Jr. world records. Your opinion of how silly swimming events are is irrelevant. To people, who hit tennis balls or catch fly outs, or strike golf balls, they may feel as if running around a track for various different distances is silly. You can't diminish Phelps' accomplishments because you like Bolt better. Bolt has not accomplished nearly the same, reached the same heights as has Phelps. Injuries or whatever the excuse, Phelps has done more. Really can't argue that IMO.

 

[Temo]

It has nothing at all to do with Phelps being American. At 15 years of age, Phelps was not competing in the Jr. Games. He was competing in the Olympic games. At 15, he was setting world records. Not Jr. world records. Your opinion of how silly swimming events are is irrelevant. To people, who hit tennis balls or catch fly outs, or strike golf balls, they may feel as if running around a track for various different distances is silly. You can't diminish Phelps' accomplishments because you like Bolt better. Bolt has not accomplished nearly the same, reached the same heights as has Phelps. Injuries or whatever the excuse, Phelps has done more. Really can't argue that IMO.

I'm not arguing that SWIMMING is silly, just the fact that you can get a gold for Free Style 100m, 200m, 400m, and then turn around and the same thing for backstroke. I just don't think you can compare those golds with, say, a basketball gold medal. Or a triathlon gold medal. Even the best triathlete in the world can't win more than one gold per Olympics.

 

[Rampage]

this whole thing is a joke imo.

Tiger won athlete of the decade(he doesn't even run in his "sport")

Jimmy Johnson the Nascar driver won athlete of the year.........

 

[Doomsday101]

I'm not arguing that SWIMMING is silly, just the fact that you can get a gold for Free Style 100m, 200m, 400m, and then turn around and the same thing for backstroke. I just don't think you can compare those golds with, say, a basketball gold medal. Or a triathlon gold medal. Even the best triathlete in the world can't win more than one gold per Olympics.

You can win more than 1 medal in track if you have the talent to run in the different track events. Many of Phelps competitors did not swim in all the events he did, many only specialized in their own particular event be it the 100, 200 or 400.

 

[Temo]

You can win more than 1 medal in track if you have the talent to run in the different track events. Many of Phelps competitors did not swim in all the events he did, many only specialized in their own particular event be it the 100, 200 or 400.

Aye, and Bolt won 3 golds-- setting world records in each. Which I would put on par with Phelps' 8, considering the difficulty of both.