who is the greatest sportsman ever?

[Dave Cooper please]

Shorty Krantz

[Villafirst]

Sebastian Coe - 4 Olympic medals (2 gold, 2 silver) 12 outdoor world records (3 in 41 days in 1979) - a great athlete.

[Chris Jameson]

Sebastian Coe - 4 Olympic medals (2 gold, 2 silver) 12 outdoor world records (3 in 41 days in 1979) - a great athlete.

His London Olympic legacy needs to be taken into consideration and the fact he's a close friend of William Hague. He's disqualified.

[andyaston]

To have an international batting average of over 99 is just so unreal, my word it just have to be Donald Bradman.

[ADVILLAFAN]

To have an international batting average of over 99 is just so unreal, my word it just have to be Donald Bradman.

Yes, but could he bowl? ;-)

[Ron Manager]

Ali by a mile

I will make that a thousand miles!

[UK Redsox]

To have an international batting average of over 99 is just so unreal, my word it just have to be Donald Bradman.

Yes, but could he bowl? ;-)

That's why Babe Ruth will never be surpassed as the greatest Baseball player of all time. He was the best hitter and he was one of the best pitchers.


With regard to The Don v Ali v Golden Bear, i think that Bradman is better than the next best batsman by a greater margin than Ali is from the next boxer (no idea who that would be) and than Nicklaus is from the next golfer (Eldrick)

[Chris Jameson]

My dad watched an awful lot of cricket and the closest he had to a hero was Don Bradman, said he was by far the greatest batsman he ever saw. Len Hutton was second!

[dcdavecollett]

Ali, by the proverbial.

Gary Sobers for his all-round skills.

Bradman, of course, wouldn't even have had a career if Eric Hollies had been twenty years younger...

[Brazilian Villain]

Michael Jordan

[UK Redsox]

Ali, by the proverbial.

Gary Sobers for his all-round skills.

Bradman, of course, wouldn't even have had a career if Eric Hollies had been twenty years younger...

a group of Hollies' relatives were due to be at Edgbaston tomorrow

[UK Redsox]

Michael Jordan

not even the best basketball player.

Magic was better

[UK Redsox]

Best ever players in the sports I'm interested in......

Baseball - Babe Ruth
NFL - Jim Brown
Football - Lionel Messi
Rugby Union - Gareth Edwards
Ice Hockey - Wayne Gretsky
Basketball - Magic Johnson
Golf - Jack Nicklaus
Cricket - Don Bradman
Cycling - Miguel Indurain

[Jon Crofts]

British- Daley Thompson, Chris Hoy, Martin Johnson

World- Ali, Bolt, Carl Lewis, Nicklaus, Weissmuller, Merckx

[Rotterdam]

Teaching A Level PE, the kids and I have this discussion every year. Interesting they used to vote on mass for Lance Armstrong, mainly based on the LiveStrong appeal I think...

Personally I'd go The Don, Ali, Jack as icons of their sports and throw in Daley Thompson, Ed Moses, CB Fry (his story is brill), Maradona, Schumacher, Warne AP McCoy and Lester Piggott. It's difficult to define as Phil Taylor could be added as well as Ronnie O'Sullivan.