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Posted

I really like to watch Tiger Woods play golf. When he's on his game, everyone else is playing for second place. His physical condition clearly shows that he is athletic and he undoubtedly will go down in history as the greatest golfer of all time, BUT I don't consider him to be the greatest athlete of all time by any means. Jim Thorpe, Jim Brown, Babe Ruth, Lance Armstrong, Ali, Kareem, Wilt Chamberlan, Eddie Merx, Carl Lewis, and a whole lot of other phenomenal athletes vie for that title and a case can be made for each and every one of them to be considered the best of all time. Just my thoughts on the subject.

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Posted

Saw this morning the betting line this week for Tiger is 10/11.  You have to bet $11.00 to win $10.00.  Vegas bookies really don't like him playing in tournaments.

Posted
Saw this morning the betting line this week for Tiger is 10/11. You have to bet $11.00 to win $10.00. Vegas bookies really don't like him playing in tournaments.

That's ridiculous.  No way any other golfer has had anywhere near those odds  :o

With those odds I'd definitely bet against Tiger.

  • Super User
Posted
It's all so relative.

I would say Tiger is climbing up the charts of "The Most Dominating Athlete of All Time"

That title would consider all athletes in their own element

X2

Posted
It's all so relative.

I would say Tiger is climbing up the charts of "The Most Dominating Athlete of All Time"

That title would consider all athletes in their own element

X2

IMO, "most dominating athlete of all time" is essentially the same as "best athlete of all time".  If you're the most dominating athlete of all time, it means that you're better than any other athletes who play your sport by a larger margin than any other dominating athlete in his respective sport, ever.

Saying that those two titles are different implies either that one sport has more competition than another sport, or that one sport takes more athletic skill than another.  I don't think you could argue that either is true.

Granted, golf doesn't require as much strength or endurance as football, for example.  However, it at least makes up for that in that it requires more mental strength and hand-eye coordination as opposed to brute strength and speed, for example.  That's not to say football doesn't require those things, but IMO golf requires them to a higher degree, just as football requires more strength even though golf requires strength.

All I'm saying is that we could argue all day what sports are "tougher" or require more athletic prowess, but we'll get nowhere.  I don't think anyone could say that one sport has more competition than another either.

Therefore, if you say Tiger is the most dominating athlete of all time, or is on his way there, you're also saying he's the best athlete of all time, or that he's on his way there, no?

  • Super User
Posted

Got me on that one Tony.  ;D

I would say that there is a need for a different title.

Posted

The guy is phenomonal at what he does. Whether or not he's as athletic as other pro sports players is debatable but he's doesn't look like a couch potato to me. Hitting a golf ball off a tee certainly doesn't require as much skill as hitting a 90mph ball that could break at any second but hitting that tiny ball 200+ yards with a crooked stick to within 6 feet of a 4.25 inch diameter hole is not easy...trust me! And if you want to see how athletic pro golfers are compared to other athletes watch some of the invitationals or pro-ams where ball players who are twice as muscular as even the most fit player on tour can't drive a ball more than 250 yards while even has been's go 300+.

Guest muddy
Posted

Baseball is my favorite game. One of the things that intriges me about it, that having played it when i was young, the difficulty of hitting a curve ball! Anyway I know how good the pros are based on how hard the game is actually to play ON THE PRO LEVEL.

I have never golfed, but my friends who do will frequently get together and watch on TV or when the pros come this way they go out and watch them. When I listen to them, you gotta have a feeling how hard that game actually is, I do not think we non golfers have any idea of what it actually takes to play on that level.

  As an aside the most insane list I ever saw for Best Athlete Of All Time was on ESPN Classic in the top 10 they had SECRATERIAT, a freaking horse on a list of humans!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted

AMEN muddy - if you haven't played golf it's really tough to understand the skill it takes to play at the pro level, and it's tough (or impossible) for anyone to understand exactly what it takes to play at Tiger's level.

I played a little baseball when I was younger, but wasn't at the age or level where we had to deal with curve balls or other tough pitches, so I admit I don't really understand the skill it takes to hit a pro-ball pitch.  

True, anyone can make contact with a golf ball on a tee, but that's not all Tiger is doing.  He factors in the wind, weather, altitude of the golf course (the higher the elevation, the farther the ball travels), the lie (how the ball is sitting in the grass - down-grain or into the grain), how the ball is going to spin (less from the rough, more from the fairway), how much spin he chooses to put on the ball (does he want to cut it, draw it, etc.), what type of trajectory he wants for the shot (high, low, middle, under the tree, over the tree...), the firmness of the greens, the slope of the green, slope of the course (is the green uphill or downhill from where he is?), which side of the pin he wants to be on after the shot (to leave himself an easier putt), what side of the green is more forgiving if he does happen to miss the green, and I could go on and on.  Tiger does all of this better than anyone has ever done.

Point is, there's a lot more to this game/sport than meets the eye, and if I didn't play it myself, I'd probably think it's a stupid game for sissies  :)

Posted
No doubt, Tiger Woods is a stud. On the other extreme you have

"The Walrus" (Craig Stadler) and John Daley for examples of golf's

less than "ripped". Even old men can play golf and some play very

well!

8-)

There are "fatties" in many sports. ;)

My point wasn't to say that Tiger was an amazing athlete, just that the statement that we can also play golf doesn't really mean much. I can play basketball, baseball, and football too, but I'm not all that good at them either. ;)

Tony Gwyn comes to mind.  Arguably one of the greatest hitters of all times.  I don't think you can have a greatest "athlete". It's apples and oranges.  Tiger will be one day the greatest golfer to ever play.  Based on some of your definitions the only people who should be "athletes" would be decatheletes.

Guest muddy
Posted

Kirby Puckett had the Mama Cass thing goin on also ;D

  • Super User
Posted

Tiger is one of the best at what he does.    And thats golf.

Only way to find the best Athlete is to have them all compete in losts of different events.

Testing ones agility, strength, speed, stamina, hand and eye coordination through a bunch of events.

Pete Sampras dominated tennis, owns most of all records, and no body touched him either in his sport.   Best athlete ever?    Don't think so, but was and is currently the best ever to play on the men side.

How about Brett Farve's record of consecutive starts.      Tigers body don't take the abuse Bretts did.

Tiger is good, but I don't think you can call a golfer best Athlete ever!!!

Posted

I understand both opinions - mine is that Tiger is the best athlete ever, but I totally understand how someone could disagree.

However, Matt Fly, something that is not a matter of opinion: Tiger is not "good".  He's at least very very very good.  Other apt descriptions include: unbelievable, ridiculously unbelievable, super human, amazing, phenomenal, ridiculously phenomenal, etc.   ;D

  • Super User
Posted
Tiger is one of the best at what he does. And thats golf.

Only way to find the best Athlete is to have them all compete in losts of different events.

Testing ones agility, strength, speed, stamina, hand and eye coordination through a bunch of events.

Pete Sampras dominated tennis, owns most of all records, and no body touched him either in his sport. Best athlete ever? Don't think so, but was and is currently the best ever to play on the men side.

How about Brett Farve's record of consecutive starts.      Tigers body don't take the abuse Bretts did.

Tiger is good, but I don't think you can call a golfer best Athlete ever!!!

I agree 100 %.

Right now I believe that honor would have to go to Jim Thorpe. He was a pro player in football , baseball , and he's track and field legacey in the olympics are legendary.

I think Bo Jackson falls in that catagory also.

Dave Winfield was drafted by all three professional leagues and Jim Brown was an all american in two sports.

Now I'll put any of the above mentioned athletes against Tiger any time.

  • Super User
Posted

By definition an athlete is a person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.

The definition does not say the person has to participate in a particular sport to be considered an athlete.

Is he the best golfer ever?

Not yet

Sam Snead: 82 tour wins/7 majors

Jack Nicklaus: 73 tour wins/18 majors

Tiger Woods: 64 tour wins/13 majors

Guest muddy
Posted

Dave Winefield was also the last pro Baseball player never to play one at bat in the minors , he came right up into the pros!

Guest muddy
Posted

The other thing here to consider greatest pro athlets is that for many years black athletes were locked out of a olt of pro sports due to segragation. Josh Gibson , by many accounts was one of the greaest hitters of all time, but was never called up.

Guest muddy
Posted

I can't decide between Ali, Jordan or Armstrong, thats a hard pick, followed closely by Ripken and Kareem: he may have been Taller than most but he was a great player and took a lot of physical abuse. It is really a hard choice qand as stated before it would probably be better to go sport for sport, Gretsky was no slouch either, and I dont even watch hockey! Oh and lets not forget Pele, my dad and grandfather loved soccer, he Awed both of them

Guest muddy
Posted
I think Rocky Marciano was the greatest boxer never lost a fight

49 in a row , 43 by KO ( 90%) as far as best boxer, no doubt I agree as far as best all time Athlete i give Ali the heads up, but i have to say I saw Ali fight at the Garden and TV I never saw Rocky. You older Boston guys wanna chime in about now, or Brockton natives if any 8-)

Posted

i persoanlly think we should judge them by thier sport not all together.

my list would be:

MLB - Cal Ripken Jr

NHL - Mario Lemieux

NFL - Bret Favre

Golf - Tiger Woods

Bike - Armstrong

NBA - Jordan

:)

Guest muddy
Posted

Just a little Devil's Advocate here i know he was not the greatest pitcher of all time and certainly not an every day player but I am always surprised when people talk about Athletisism in baseball they hardly mention Nolan Ryan, what he accomplished , and his longevity as hard as he threw certainly qualifies him in these discussions . As well as Sacthel Paige, who did not throw as hard but did throw for a longer period of time, again he was shut out of the majors for a long time.

  • Super User
Posted

You're all getting side tracked. This isn't about who's the greatest boxer , golfer , hockey player , basketball player, baseball player, or football player. We're talking about the best all around athlete that could excell in other events other then his own.

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