who is the greatest sportsman ever?

[lovejoy]

He did win loads of fights before becoming World Champion though, including against Joe Louis.

Does being a "slugger" negate his achievements? Using a football analogy, the Dutch have often had a more elegant style of football than (West) Germany but there is no real debate as to which is the "greater" football nation.

Joe Louis was so far past it when he lost to Marciano he almost caught up with it again.

Being a slugger is no bad thing, but it does mean that he had no other way of fighting, and he also had a style that would have led him to being disqualified in more enlightened times. 

I'm not going to suggest Sonny Liston as the greatest ever boxer but without the external forces, I couldn't see Ali beating him in his prime.

[UK Redsox]

Also, if you look at any of the advanced metrics (PER, WS/48, box score plus-minus, VORP), MJ rates out better, both in regular season and playoffs.

Nope, not a word.

Worryingly, I understand this

I still go with Magic. However, give it a couple more years and Lebron may pass them both.

Magic and Lebron are the only two players I can think of who could be  All-Star calibre at all positions 1 thro' 5

I guess it comes down to stylistic preference in the end. For me, I just don't consider positional versatility to be the primary factor when it comes to deciding who's the greatest overall player in most sports. I just think Jordan's ability to play just the one position is phenomenal enough to beat out the advantage you get from Magic being able to play anywhere at a high level (again, only really an offensive advantage: I suspect he would have been exposed defensively by plenty of centers)

A case could also be made for Wilt and Oscar

[peter w]

Boxing : Tyson & Sugar Ray Leonard were streets above Ali
Cricket : viv Richards
Golf : Tiger
Tennis : Roger
F1 : Schumakker

That's the problem with these threads. Other than  being entirely subjective generational shifts mean we really cannot judge empirically or objectively. ali better than Sugar Ray Robinson or Joe Louis? Who knows? Richards better than Bradman? Nickalus better than Snead or Nelson? Schumacher (or Senna) better than Fangio? Federer better than, erm, yeah, probably give you that one (unless Djovokic fans put their man forward)

[DesBremner]

Interesting question
So far all answers appear to be based on winners

One (not definitive) definition of sportsman
a person who exhibits qualities especially esteemed in those who engage in sports, as fairness, courtesy, good temper, etc

For me it would be Jack Nicklaus.........conceding putt to Tony Jacklin, gracious in defeat and courteous when winning

[UK Redsox]

Sorry Des, it's all about winning.

[Comrade Blitz]

Not Serena Williams as the media would have us think.