...

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[Fixed]

marshall taylor
imho
cheers :beer:

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[Fixed]

my name bro
http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/457/Marshall_Taylor_cyclist_and_sports_trail_blazer
cheers

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[David Kirk]

Edwin Moses.........hands down. No contest. Winning every event he entered for 12 years as I recall.

That's pretty good I think.

Dave

[Elefantino]

Edwin Moses.........hands down. No contest. Winning every event he entered for 12 years as I recall.

That's pretty good I think.

Dave
I was going to say Edwin Moses, too. Darn. You beat me to it.

No question. The most dominant athlete of my lifetime.

http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/38420_TOP.JPG

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[michael white]

I'd put Michael Jordan over most of those. Isn't it clear he's the greatest in his sport we can hope to see in our lifetime?

Maybe Gretsky, though I'm not a hockey fan?


My fav swimmer is Natalie Coughlin, though she's not quite at her peak yet.

[dauwhe]

Hard to argue with Edwin Moses. Undefeated for 9 years, 9 months, and 9 days (122 races; 107 finals).

Dave

[michael white]

ok, then.

Secretariat.

[michael white]

Looks like Sports Illustrated pondered this question a few years ago, and though they named several of the athletes above in individual sports, the overall greatest athlete of the century, according to their writers, was Ali. I can certainly go with that . . .


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/cover/news/1999/12/02/awards/

[theprep]

Michael Jordan would be tops on my list. Crazy skills and the toughest mentally.

[93legendti]

I saw these guys play and they could take over the game whenever they wanted:

Gordie Howe
Wayne Gretsky
Magic Johnson

Merckx's record is unworldly. He won ~1 out every 3 races he entered.

[Fivethumbs]

What, no votes for Barry Bonds?

[93legendti]

What, no votes for Barry Bonds?

Nah, I'd take Willie Mays (whom I did see play one glorious S.F. afternoon while recovering from the mumps). He could win a game with a H.R., steal, great catch or a great throw. More tools than BB. Love BB thou.

[michael white]

What, no votes for Barry Bonds?

that's not the name we're really avoiding here.

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[michael white]

Natalie Coughlin? She's in a whole different league. ;)


well, you asked who was dominant, right?

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[jeffg]

I think Federer and Tiger have the potential to be the greatest in their respective sports and the most dominant of the 20th/21st centuries. Federer needs to improve on clay though and beat Nadal to win the French, which is quite a challenge.

Team sports: Basketball has a number of candidates such as Jordan, Magic, Bird, etc.

For cycling Eddy is unique. And yes, he won almost one out of every three races, but think of someone like Navratilova, who I think lost one match in 1984 in the fourth round of the French, won on every surface numerous times and is likely the best doubles player ever (how about those 20 Wimbledon titles in singles, doubles and mixed?). Martina rocks!

[slowgoing]

Edwin Moses.........hands down. No contest. Winning every event he entered for 12 years as I recall.

That's pretty good I think.

Dave

Agree completely. He had that same micromanager training mentality as Armstrong. Combine that with the right genes and the result is unstoppable.

I also liked Alberto Tomba for raw talent. That guy could win a ski race no matter what kind of shape he was in. I can't imagine how good he could have been with the same mentality as Armstrong/Moses.

And while it is more of a power sport, I also liked Al Oerter in the discus. Can't argue with four Olympic golds over 12 years.

[Avispa]

Edwin Moses.........hands down. No contest. Winning every event he entered for 12 years as I recall....

Yeah, too bad he was not listed... Out of all the athletes listed, I have had the pleasure to meet him, Merckx and Ali... Wow, great people to talk to and to learn something from. I think the greatest some of these guys are, the more humble they are.

A!

[skyflash]

Most dominant at one sport: Gretzky

Most dominant at any sport: Jim Thorpe

[alancw3]

ah. i'll say secretariat! won the belmont by 31 lengths let alone the triple crown with ease! now if we are talking just cycling then that is easy. eddy merckx! no comparison! the absolute greatest ever!! imho!!! oh i'll throw out another "torville and dean" in ice skating. like the only ones to ever get a perfect 10 from all judges. hey i am not even a fan of horse racing or ice skating but i do believe in reconizing the best of breed!

[CalfeeFly]

I thought it was too complicated to put team players (even if "...there is no "I' in team, but there is in win"...etc.) or horses on the list.

Why did I put Mathias on there??? :confused:

Mathias won the decathalon as a high school student...16 years old...against adults who trained their whole life for the event. Some of the events he only started when he was training. Then he came back and won it in the next Olympics.

I agree with the addition of Jim Thorpe. If you read about him then you know he could do it all. When he won the decathalon the pentathalon was essentially a 5 event version of the decathalon. Nobody was ever able to do that but him.

[David Kirk]

Edwin Moses again..........as cool and as talented as all of these fantastic athletes are none were as dominant as Moses. Most won lots of stuff over a bunch of years...............but 122 consecutive events. No one else is even close as far as I know.


122 Consecutive Wins

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Moses accepted an academic scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta and majored in physics and Industrial Engineering while competing for the school track team. Morehouse did not have its own track, so he used public high school facilities around the city to train. Initially, Moses competed mostly in the 180-yard hurdles and 440-yard dash. Before March, 1976, he ran only one 400-meter hurdles race, but once he began focusing on the event he made remarkable progress. His trademark technique was to take 13 steps between all the hurdles (or even 12 between some hurdles), pulling away in the second half of the race as his rivals changed stride pattern. That summer, he qualified for the US team for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Though it was his first international meet, Moses won the gold medal and set a world record of 47.64 seconds.
After breaking his own world record the following year, Moses lost to Germany's Harald Schmid on August 26, 1977 in Berlin, his fourth defeat in the 400-meter hurdles. Beginning the next week, when he beat Schmid by 15 meters in Düsseldorf, Moses did not lose another race for nine years, nine months and nine days.
By the time American Danny Harris beat Moses in Madrid on June 4, 1987, Moses had won 122 consecutive races, set the world record two more times, won three World Cup titles, won two World Championships, and earned his second Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles, where he was selected to take the Olympic Oath. After losing to Harris, he won 10 more races in a row, then finished third in the final 400-meter race of his career at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.



Dave

[wtex]

And what about that Russian wrestler that Rulon Gardner finally beat? That guy was feared.

[Fixed]

I know. :)
I was pulling your leg.
They have one of his bikes at the Carson Vdrome. :cool:

I think Merckx trumps Taylor though, even considering Major's major achievements.
bro but had to fight for everthing have you ever read his rules of conduct ..
cheers .
i vote for merckx on your list ...

[97CSI]

Miles Davis. Top of his game for at least 40 years. Untouchable.

Then it will have to Tiger Woods. He has only been a pro for how long?......11 years and see what he has done. Has at least another 5-10 years at the top of the game if he stays healthy. Add in his amateur record and no one else comes close. Too bad he didn't turn to cycling. But, probably gets an upset stomach from PEDs. :D

[michael white]

[QUOTE=David Kirk]Edwin Moses again..........as cool and as talented as all of these fantastic athletes are none were as dominant as Moses. Most won lots of stuff over a bunch of years...............but 122 consecutive events. No one else is even close as far as I know.


I know David . . . clearly he's a personal hero of yours, and there's no wrong answer when it comes to personal heroes. But it's just one event, the 400 hurdles. Moses just did his event better than anyone else. He didn't dominate the sport, just a specific event within the sport. That's why I guess those who follow track closely might put Lewis ahead of him. But maybe the intense focus of Moses actually makes him MORE attractive to you.

Someone like Ali is about much more than just the wins, connecting with milliions, billions of souls . . . he was actually much greater than just the sport, which he transformed . . . he was iconic, an American hero (or anti-hero, in some circles).

When I put forward Secretariat, that was serious too. . . Watching him you believe in God. He did not win hundreds of races, because race horses have 3 year careers. But what he did within those three years, the records which remain untouchable still, the inexplicable divine fire which possessed him at Belmont--that can never be matched in the language of flesh and blood. Never.

I'm down for a lot of these athletes. I watched Michael Jordan a lot. He also was utterly transcendent. If you watched him in his two finals against Karl Malone--the meanest, strongest, most powerful forward in the history of the game, playing for the best overall team in the league, and I choose these words carefully--that was as close as I can imagine any human being ever coming to what Secretariat did. But I'm not sure anyone ever stood for more than the sport, actually became the unfolding of history and race and prophecy itself . . . as much as Ali.

sorry for the rant gotta get back to work.

mw

[dauwhe]

I don't see anyone who dominates like Edwin Moses. How many other people have won major golf tournaments since Woods started playing? With Moses, for almost ten years, you're racing for second place. And not just the Olympics or the World Championships. Every single race!

I'd say something about Miles Davis, but I might get banned from the forum ;)

Dave "Ellington, Monk, Mingus are my heroes" Cramer

[Fixed]

I'd say something about Miles Davis, but I might get banned from the forum ;)

Dave "Ellington, Monk, Mingus are my heroes" Cramer[/QUOTE]
nat treasures imho bro miles was miles

[97CSI]

. . . Watching him you believe in God.
mwWhich god? There are so many.

[michael white]

take your pick then.

[David Kirk]

[QUOTE=David Kirk]Edwin Moses again..........as cool and as talented as all of these fantastic athletes are none were as dominant as Moses. Most won lots of stuff over a bunch of years...............but 122 consecutive events. No one else is even close as far as I know.


I know David . . . clearly he's a personal hero of yours, and there's no wrong answer when it comes to personal heroes. But it's just one event, the 400 hurdles. Moses just did his event better than anyone else. He didn't dominate the sport, just a specific event within the sport. That's why I guess those who follow track closely might put Lewis ahead of him. But maybe the intense focus of Moses actually makes him MORE attractive to you.

Someone like Ali is about much more than just the wins, connecting with milliions, billions of souls . . . he was actually much greater than just the sport, which he transformed . . . he was iconic, an American hero (or anti-hero, in some circles).

When I put forward Secretariat, that was serious too. . . Watching him you believe in God. He did not win hundreds of races, because race horses have 3 year careers. But what he did within those three years, the records which remain untouchable still, the inexplicable divine fire which possessed him at Belmont--that can never be matched in the language of flesh and blood. Never.

I'm down for a lot of these athletes. I watched Michael Jordan a lot. He also was utterly transcendent. If you watched him in his two finals against Karl Malone--the meanest, strongest, most powerful forward in the history of the game, playing for the best overall team in the league, and I choose these words carefully--that was as close as I can imagine any human being ever coming to what Secretariat did. But I'm not sure anyone ever stood for more than the sport, actually became the unfolding of history and race and prophecy itself . . . as much as Ali.

sorry for the rant gotta get back to work.

mw

I agree with you to a certain extent. But.........the original poll question was "who was the most dominant in their chosen sport". IF.....IF the question was who was the most inspiring or influential or well known or popular then I'd pick someone else. But that wasn't the question. If it was who was the most exciting to watch or who was awe inspiring then I might have a different response.

122 wins in a row. Let that sink in. 12 years of more than 10 events a year on average and winning them all. There are no cyclist or golfers or baseball players that come anywhere even close to this. True it was a single event. But tennis is a single event....golf the same. Are there any cyclists that have won 122 field sprints or time trials or road races in a row? Slalom ski races? Weightlifting? Running marathons? Running 100m dashes? I'm not the expert but I doubt it. I'd be happily corrected on this. 122 events without a loss is utterly dominant.

FWIW Moses isn't a personal hero of mine. I have respect for him and I admire his accomplishments but I've never had a sports figure be a personal hero.

My favorite athlete is Eddy Merckx. Not so much for how many events he won but how many events he won in different disciplines and with such panache. He raced every race to win and that is fun to watch.

I do have heros. My father, Colin Chapman, Jimmy Carter. None of them athletes but all, in my humble view, heroic.

Dave

[michael white]

I see your point. I just don't quite see it the same way, just don't get all the way there. . .

Let the question read: who has the highest percentage of wins in a single event, then I agree. But there's more to sport, imho.

Eddy: greatest cyclist for sure.

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[Dave B]

Rocky Marciano (sp)

Golfers who actually hit persimmon woods and hit it as far as Tiger.

Babe Ruth (When he was a Red Sox) he hit all those homers in a 48 game season, not the BS they play now.

I say Jack N as well as he exudes such class.


I am young and am consistently sickened by many athletes today. All of us here love cycling and also despise some cyclists.

But seriously they have nothing on some of the "American" athletes who steal, shoot, rape, molest, their way to fame.

Every time I watch sports center, which during the summer is pretty much from 5am to 1pm I hear of somebody doing something else AGAIN.

TO, Pacman, Iverson, Kobe etc.

Seriously, every time we have an athlete appear bigger then life the collective "we" always wait for the other shoe to drop or some sort of cliche' like that.

I guess however the OP was not about character.

I think Jordan was amazing before the retirements and stuff. He just seemed to be that much better then everyone else.

[jhcakilmer]

Tiger Woods, hands down IMO.
At only 28, and has won 12 majors, and 58 tour wins
$100 million last year......winnings and ednorsments (amazing since the next highest is half that amount.....I think that says a lot!!)
AP Male Athelete of the year 4x (along with Mr. Armstrong)
married to one of the most beautiful women in the world
Tiger Woods Foundation.....benefits millions of children throughout the world, every year
Personally, he transcends his sport, and is a public icon....worldwide!

I remember in the beginning of his career commentators use to say that he might be bad for the sport, because he was so dominant......I've never heard that about any other athelete.....

I think Moses's record is amazing, but very focused, in a certain event. IMO golf is one of the most difficult sports, sure it doesn't take the cardio of track/field events, but I would challenge anyone to go out and walk 18 holes in 90-100 degrees, on a PGA course....believe me it's not a walk in the park, especially if your trying to hit that little white ball!

Overall, the only rival Woods has, IMO, would be Michael Schumacher.

[vaxn8r]

Mark Spitz. Seven golds in '72.

[steelrider]

I'd put Michael Jordan over most of those. Isn't it clear he's the greatest in his sport we can hope to see in our lifetime?

Maybe Gretsky, though I'm not a hockey fan?


My fav swimmer is Natalie Coughlin, though she's not quite at her peak yet.


I bleed blue, and she's not too hard on the eyes either.

[Fixed]

Tiger Woods, hands down IMO.
At only 28, and has won 12 majors, and 58 tour wins
$100 million last year......winnings and ednorsments (amazing since the next highest is half that amount.....I think that says a lot!!)
AP Male Athelete of the year 4x (along with Mr. Armstrong)
married to one of the most beautiful women in the world
Tiger Woods Foundation.....benefits millions of children throughout the world, every year
Personally, he transcends his sport, and is a public icon....worldwide!

I remember in the beginning of his career commentators use to say that he might be bad for the sport, because he was so dominant......I've never heard that about any other athelete.....

I think Moses's record is amazing, but very focused, in a certain event. IMO golf is one of the most difficult sports, sure it doesn't take the cardio of track/field events, but I would challenge anyone to go out and walk 18 holes in 90-100 degrees, on a PGA course....believe me it's not a walk in the park, especially if your trying to hit that little white ball!

Overall, the only rival Woods has, IMO, would be Michael Schumacher.
bro he's 31

[steelrider]

Growing up in the Bay Area and watching Joe Montana and Jerry Rice was a treat. Heck, with the passing of Bill Walsh it makes me long for the 80's. The 49ers were truly dominant.

[mcewen]

What does the quality of someone's wife and their "foundation" and how much money they make have to do with how "dominant" they are?

And by the way, golf IS a walk in the park.

I swear that I get dumber reading this board. Do you guys think about how this sounds before you type it?

[JohnS]

What does the quality of someone's wife and their "foundation" and how much money they make have to do with how "dominant" they are?

And by the way, golf IS a walk in the park.

I swear that I get dumber reading this board. Do you guys think about how this sounds before you type it?
+1

[Simon Q]

Most dominant at one sport: Gretzky

Most dominant at any sport: Jim Thorpe

If you are talking statisctically then Don Bradman would have to come close:

Career records for batting average are usually subject to a minimum qualification of 20 innings played, in order to exclude batsmen who have not played enough games for their skill to be reliably assessed. Under this qualification, the highest Test batting average belongs to Australia's Sir Donald Bradman, with 99.94. Given that a career batting average over 50 is exceptional, and that only four other players have averages over 60, this is an outstanding statistic. The fact that Bradman's average is so far above that of any other cricketer has led several statisticians to argue that, statistically at least, he was the greatest sportsman in any sport.

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

[jhcakilmer]

What does the quality of someone's wife and their "foundation" and how much money they make have to do with how "dominant" they are?

And by the way, golf IS a walk in the park.

I swear that I get dumber reading this board. Do you guys think about how this sounds before you type it?


Well, enlighten us with your vast knowledge, and omnipotence.......you know people that usually talk this way about others thoughts, and feel a need to degridate others, usually have enough issues of there own.

My mom, use to have a saying....."if you don't have anything nice to say, then keep it to yourself." I think several forumites, could do well and take this to heart.

Also, I guess I need to spell things out to some.......what is a sport......basically it boils down to one thing.....entertainment. If anyone else thinks differently then I'd love to hear. Because without spectators the sport dies, or at best withers.....just ask the NHL.

So they're social, or personal life can contribute greatly to the athelete's status, or legacy. So in this day and age, in which all professional sports boil down to entertainment, yes, all those things matter........icons aren't one-dimensional.

Also in my experience, individuals that criticize golf, wouldn't know the different between a golf ball, and a ping-pong ball.

[fiamme red]

Since Edwin Moses has been proposed as most dominant in his specialized event, I'd put forward Sergei Bubka in the pole vault.

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

"Bubka won 6 consecutive IAAF World Championships, an Olympics gold and broke the world record for men's pole vaulting 35 times (17 outdoor and 18 indoor records). He was the first to clear 6.0 metres and the first and only (as of June 2007) to clear 6.10 metres (20 feet)."

[fiamme red]

Jahangir Khan (squash)

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

"During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times. Between 1981 and 1986, he was unbeaten in competitive play for five years. During that time he won 555 matches consecutively."

[Tom Byrnes]

My Vote for "Most Dominant Athlete": Jim Thorpe

During a period when American Indians were not considered American citizens and amid the racial discrimination and prejudice that existed in our country at that time, Jim Thorpe's accomplishments included:

Two 1912 Olympic Gold Medals in the multi-events Pentathlon and Decathlon. (Medals taken in from him, but years later, after his death, restored to him.)

Star of Carlisle Indian Industrial School (1912 National Collegiate Champion), scoring 25 touchdowns and 198 points, beating favored powerhouses Harvard and Army. Thorpe was a defensive back, placekicker and punter besides being the team's star running back.

Played professional baseball (N.Y. Giants, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves).

Played professional football (six NFL teams, retiring at the age of 41).

Played some professional basketball.

While many others (Moses, Merckx, Shumacher, Tiger, Jordan, et al.) were or are very dominant in their respective event or sports, Jim Thorpe excelled at the highest level in many sports, often at the same time, when his participation in sports was not widely encouraged or welcomed.

He was phenomenal athlete, and, IMHO, the Most Dominant.

Tom

[andy mac]

in regards to the earlier SI link, that only seems to cover US athletes.

i believe sports ill. looked into this globally a few years back when i was working on nike's business, and to back up simon q, they named donald bradman the australian cricketer, the most dominant athlete statistically.

trying to put it in baseball terms, he basically hit a homer nearly every time at bat.

looking at the athletes in the original poll stenmark was pretty amazing. i had the honor of having him whip me badly a few times back-in-the day. he really only won in GS and SL though. people like zurbriggen and girardelli won often in all 5 disciplines which is quite remarkable as they are so different.

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

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


dare i mention bode in herr sachs honor??

:beer:

andy

[hoss]

Being an OH boy I have to agree with Dave, Edwin Moses was an amazing athlete. Bummed not to see him on the list. :confused:

I have to add Aleksander Karelin as well, another man among boys. This guy was just a beast and amazing to watch. Check his wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Karelin) listing.

"Nicknamed the "Russian Bear," he went undefeated in international competition, Greco-Roman wrestling, from 1987 until 2000. Karelin went the last six years of his unbeaten streak without giving up a point."

Oh ya, and he's a Ph.D.

[pjm]

Golfers? Athletes? Whats next, bowlers? ;)
Actually, I was watching a bass fishing tournament on TV one day, and the commentators refered to the fishermen as athletes. I thought that was pretty funny.

[JohnS]

Golfers? Athletes? Whats next, bowlers? ;)
Actually, I was watching a bass fishing tournament on TV one day, and the commentators refered to the fishermen as athletes. I thought that was pretty funny.Why not? There are people that consider poker players athletes... :crap:

[Sandy]

Sandy is a special athlete and perhaps the most versatile ever-

1. 25 professional fights- knocked out in all, twice by women in the over 80 age range.

2. Last place in all of the 255 crits and road races he entered. Did not finish 82.4% of those that he entered.

3. 100 meter butterfly (104 races) - never made it to the other end of the pool- always sunk midway and had to be resuscitated at pool side.

4. Marathon racer (one race)- Still trying to finish that one- Started back in June of 2001.

5. Fullback for the old Washington Redskins- Never had positive yardage- Set NFL record for negative yards in a game- 212

6. Golf- entered 45 pro tournaments. Never finished the first hole- Ball was too small for him to hit.

7. Pitcher for old Washington Senators (145 games)- Never got anyone out, never even pitched a strike, gave up 145 lead off homeruns in the first inning.

....and the list goes on.....

You get the idea...He dominated last place in every sport in which he participated. Never has been one like him and never will...


Simple Sandy

[Erik.Lazdins]

Pele gets my vote - this is a great thread but very hard to make a single choice.

In terms of dominance in their chosen profession - Ayrton Senna at pole qualifying has to be up there as well.



I will say I'm dissapointed in the increase of negative posts I'm seeing.

[J.Greene]

While not a person, the New York Yacht Club defended the Americas cup for 113 years. The longest winning streak in sports.

JG

[jspa]

Only one mention of Babe Ruth?

He hit more HR's than entire teams. He hit .340 something for an entire career. He stole bases, even home. And early in his career he pitched. I believe he held the record for most consecutive shutout innings in the World Series.

Maybe he wasn't the most dominant ever (how do you really measure that?), but it amazes me that he gets only one mention.

[Ti Designs]

There was this guy who won the biggest bike race in the world, then went and told the world he was going to try to win it again, 6 times. The best bike racers in the world could no keep him from winning it. Say what you will about Sandy - er, I mean Lance, but it shows domination of a sport.

To be honest, I've only seen 5 of those races, I quit watching bike racing. I think the question and the 4 pages of replies shows what's wrong with sports. There's a sharp focus on the very top of the sport - they want to dominate, nobody remembers who came in second. So now there are cheaters and losers...

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[fiamme red]

And while it is more of a power sport, I also liked Al Oerter in the discus. Can't argue with four Olympic golds over 12 years.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/01/sports/othersports/01cnd-oerter.html?hp

[mjb266]

I'm going to have to go with Lance Armstrong.....



......okay, I'm laughing on my end of the screen just like you. What? Not funny at this point of our discussion? How about E. Fuentes? Guy dominated the sport of cycling with a number of great riders. How about Tyler, Jan, Contador, Beloki, Herras...maybe we could nominate EPO as most dominate?

[manet]

steve rajeff

[merckx]

Most dominant coach:

Harry Parker, men's rowing coach Harvard University.

[paczki]

Jack Johnson

[tch]

This isn't quite the same as "dominant", but I remember well when sportswriters asked Olympic athletes what event had the best athletes. Tennis. Let me say that again: by a vote of their Olympic peers, tennis players were considered the best athletes. Consider: Eye/hand coordination - hitting a ball perfectly again and again that's travelling 100+ mph. Quickness/speed - running back and forth, side to side to catch up to said ball. Amd finally, endurance - 3/4 hour matches doing this.

I play tennis and had always considered it a "game", but when I read this and thought about it, I began to see people like Roger Federer in a new light.

[Fixed]

Babe Zaharias could do everything
merckx , style and class
my fav a hard fighter
marshall taylor raced trains and race horses i race buses and cabs every black messengers hero


cheers imho

[I Want Sachs?]

I wonder how the results would look on a non-cycling forum?

"Merckx who?"
"I thought Mercks makes drugs!"
"Yeah! Don't they make steroid?"

The initial poster mentioned about development. I have to say Tiger Woods has done a lot for promotion of golf to many in the US. I am not sure Merckx had anywhere near his impact in US. If the question is about the world, then maybe Merckx reached out to a certain percentage, but probably not quite like Tiger has.

[e-RICHIE]

supreme dominator (http://serotta.com/forum/member.php?find=lastposter&t=6371) atmo.

[rounder]

I think D. Kirk makes a compelling case for Moses, but I think if you are going to argue about the most dominant ever it should be about a major sport. Based on that I would go with Jordan or Babe Ruth, except that Tiger has already accomplished so much and is still doing it (im notta golf fan). I vote for Tiger.

[slowgoing]

I have to add Aleksander Karelin as well, another man among boys. This guy was just a beast and amazing to watch. Check his wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Karelin) listing.

Agreed.

I also liked Dan Gable, freestyle wrestler. 182-1 in high school and college, won the 1972 Olympics without giving up a single point. I remember watching a segment on his training - basically, 8 hours a day. He'd also work out if he woke up sleepless in the middle of the night.

http://www.dangable.com/aboutdg.html

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[Bud_E]

Slaviša Žungul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Zungul)

[handsomerob]

Tiger Woods, hands down IMO.
At only 28, and has won 12 majors, and 58 tour wins
$100 million last year......winnings and ednorsments (amazing since the next highest is half that amount.....I think that says a lot!!)
AP Male Athelete of the year 4x (along with Mr. Armstrong)
married to one of the most beautiful women in the world
Tiger Woods Foundation.....benefits millions of children throughout the world, every year
Personally, he transcends his sport, and is a public icon....worldwide!

I remember in the beginning of his career commentators use to say that he might be bad for the sport, because he was so dominant......I've never heard that about any other athelete.....

I think Moses's record is amazing, but very focused, in a certain event. IMO golf is one of the most difficult sports, sure it doesn't take the cardio of track/field events, but I would challenge anyone to go out and walk 18 holes in 90-100 degrees, on a PGA course....believe me it's not a walk in the park, especially if your trying to hit that little white ball!

Overall, the only rival Woods has, IMO, would be Michael Schumacher.

I am a huge F1 fan, but the more I learn about the sport the less I can agree with you about Schumi... and I have been a serious Ferrari fan for years.

Unfortunately, IMHO the competitive advantage of a superior constructor is too much to give enough credit to Schumi to be considered on this list.

[RIHans]

Edwin Moses.........hands down. No contest. Winning every event he entered for 12 years as I recall.

That's pretty good I think.

Dave


Best record Ever. Not even close.

[keno]

is the beer that usully goes with this kind of discussion. Only wish I had had the chance to watch them all compete.

keno

[victoryfactory]

LT

(the one who played for the giants)

[nick0137]

Aladár Gerevich (born 16 March 1910 in Jászberény – died 14 May 1991 in Budapest) was a fencer from Hungary, who won medals in sabre in six Olympics. He's one of two athlets to do so (see Birgit Fischer), he's the only athlete to win the same event six times (despite two games passed because of the Second World War). The War could not interfere with perhaps his most impressive record, however; he won gold medals in 1932 and 1960, 28 years apart. No other athlete has won even bronze medals separated by 28 years.

Anyone better that 28 year dominance? 28 years...? [Shakes head]

[Birddog]

Oerter should at least be mentioned. Here's his Wiki, interestingly enough, he died yesterday according to the article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Oerter


Moses is the hands down winner though.


Birddog

[Russell]

Secretariat

[Birddog]

The Horse breeders don't even rank Secretariat 1st, they have Man O war there.
When rating horses I would pick Kelso and Cigar above Secretariat, but I'm not much of a horsey guy, so my opinion is not worth much.

Birddog

[crf]

Allison Fisher.

[keno]

she ain't no Babe Didrikson Zaharias let alone an Efren Reyes.

keno

[Buzz]

More on golf:

Don't get me wrong, Tiger Woods will likely go down as having the most major wins. But most dominant? No, that belongs to Jack Nicklaus. 18 major wins. Yes. We all know Tiger is chasing that mark. But it is the next stat that Tiger will never acheive: Jack Nicklaus was the runner up in 18 majors. I think Tiger has only finished 2nd a few times. So that means in 36 major championships Nicklaus was either first or second. That is total domination. The guys he was playing against could never shake him.

[MassBiker]

With a nickname like "The Great One" I gotta go for Gretzky.
He was the major factor in his team being one of the best ever, he made those around him better and he broke almost every record there was......and he also helped hockey grow in the US, although it is dying there now.

I am biased because I think hockey is the king of sports: tough, physically challenging, and it requires a lot of skill.....and you have beer leagues for the weekend warriors.

:beer: