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who is the biggest sports star in the world ever??

i just watched michael jordan get inducted into the hall of fame and it got me thinking who is the greatest in the world in any given sports.


there is federer,michael schumacher, pele, steven hendry, tiger woods and phil taylor are just to name afew

(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/2340/tigerrx.jpg) (http://img36.imageshack.us/i/tigerrx.jpg/)

/thread

lol @ Phil Taylor.

Woods by a way followed by Federer

federer>>>>>ali?

Biggest sports star ever is this guy, surely?

(http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/PYREU/GPP51002~Muhammad-Ali-Posters.jpg)

yeah sorry I was thinking current, not read OP properly

Woods probs.

Can't see Federer being far away.

Yeah I was reading current as well.

In 2008

Tiger Woods made an estimated 127.9 million, the 2nd on that list made 62.3million, be interesting to see if people could guess who was 2nd?

nh +1

phill taylor  pretty much pwnd in darts

i supose he isnt big but he dominated the sport
i think michael schumacher is prob the person who dominated the most in one ssport

lmao @ phil taylor being in this discussion - could name you probably 25 current golfers and 50+ footballers more famous, and that just for the present day...

He didn't ask, who is the most famous sportsperson.


And its Woods

biggest sports star = most famous sports person imo

ducy??

There is a difference between most dominant and biggest/greatest.

Ali is in my opinion the greatest - he is the most recognisable, most entertaining, most intelligent, most charismatic sportsman ever, who not only defined his generation, he had a profound impact on both boxing and history in general. But he certainly wasnt the most dominant, he got beat quite a few times and had to resort to playing silly buggers to beat Henry Cooper.

Now Roy Jones, in his prime, was unbeatable. He had speed, power, flair and ringcraft. But he never had any tough career defining fights, was in an uncompetative division during his reign, was barely known outside the states and had a huge question marks over his career with the steroid scandal that managed to get swept under the carpet. By no means the greatest (plus he never fought Collins/Benn/Eubank the wuss).

Usain Bolt is perhaps the most dominant and recognisable sportsman right now btw, include him.

Oh and Hellmuth obv, he has some bracelets n that

Edit: Dont forget Triple H either

A non googled effort at Beckham?

I bet Mickelson is not far off either, seems to be a lot of money in Golf at the mo...

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2327/2450730415_e4b8f4e968_o.jpg)

Titus Bramble

I believe Manny Pacquio is not far off that amount earned, and he is GOD in the Philippines.

Erm.....surely Jordan???

Created a dynasty in his sport in the years he played in his prime, is considered the greatest player in the history of his sport, quite possibly the pioneer of ridiculously big sponsorships, merchandising and commercials in all of sport, couldve made much more money with the bulls but took a pay cut every year so they could afford to bring in other stars and make the team better.  He also performed on a much more regular basis than golfers/boxers and players from most other sports.

Yeah Mickelson is 2nd, the advantages of golf being a rich mans sport, so you get a tonne from branding deals etc. Beckham was 3rd I believe.

bigdaddy

Can't argue with that. He's certainly got to be up there.

Problem with sportsmen in team sports is you've got to consider the team. George Weah was arguably the best striker in the game at one time, but he didn't get to a major final with his national team (yes Longy I know, he'd have been as well being Scottish).

Problem with sportsmen in individual sports is they then need a top opponent to be regarded as 'the best', Ali had big competition, Jack Nicklaus had big competiton, Tiger & Phil Taylor? Are they SO good that they make the rest look inferior or is the competition not as good?

It's all about opinions. I'd pick Borg in tennis (but Federer's running him close), Ali in boxing, Pele in football, Jordan in basketball, Bristow in darts (and that one hurts as I really didn't like him), Nicklaus in golf (again Tiger's running him close).

Overall though I can't decide who's the biggest in the world, if pushed it's Pele for me, because football's my favorite sport.

Giant Haystacks was bigger than him though.

i reraise andre the giant

Another side argument does have to involve the popularity of the sport. Yes Jordan is deffo up there as one of the most iconic figures in their chosen field, but basketball is not particularly big outside of the states. Boxing, footy, golf, tennis, F1 etc all have a much broader appeal across the world and the stars are not just icons in their homeland but across the globe (Regrettably boxing isnt as popular as it was).

Basketball is bigger than you give it credit for, it is big in China (the Yao Ming factor) and in a lot of European countries.

the comps taylor is crushing are a lot harder than the ones bristow won  the averages and stats show that

re-reraise the Big Show (but as Andre was in the Princess Bride he's my favourite).

the op is biggest sports stars the wwe isnt a sport

Fair enough. I think its just my natural haste to discount any American sports as 'not proper sports'

Another little aside, who would everyone say was the most dominant snooker player? To me, if you can forget the last 10-15 years, Steve Davis was one of the most dominant players in any sport. Not Ronnie though, he is a dousche

ban please

But as I see it, it's not that the average score etc is getting better - that's evolution of people & the equipment, it's conquring the opposition when there really is a competition.

and reraise the great khali (he is shit, but I think he might be bigger than the big show)

khali taller big show heavier imo

stephen hendry imo

I thought you were a wrestling fan?

Giant Gonzalez obv taller...

I ddin't think he was, but this list gives him as bigger... but this is the billed height. Having seen the Big Show in person, I don't want to meet anyone bigger tbh.

Top 10 tallest men in WWE (billed)
1. Paul Bunyan - 8ft 2in
2. Giant Gonzalez - 8ft
3. Andre The Giant - 7ft 4in
4. The Great Khali - 7ft 3in
5. The Big Show - 7ft 2in
6. Kane - 7ft
7. Kevin Nash - 6ft 11in
8. The Undertaker - 6ft 10.5in
9. Big John Studd - 6ft 10in
10. Big Daddy V - 6ft 9.5in

he was shite so bad having to watch undertaker lose to him

Joe Davis obv.

Nicklaus >>> Woods

More majors, against more competition (Palmer, Player, Trevino, Watson to name four). oldest winner of a major at Augusta in '87, and a likeable personality.

Not necessarily the greatest sportsman ever, but for me he's the greatest golfer.

Disagree the depth of fields back when Nicklaus played is nothing compared to the modern era, the reason there were so many "greats" in that era is that everyone else was relatively rubbish.

Woods >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>*10000000000000> Nicklaus.

Is that not a contradiction though??? The other 4 David named were great golfers, doubt that the competition was less back then (in fact I think it was more).

Greats was put in inverted commas for a reason, they considered great because of what they won relative to other eras. It just simply wasn't as hard to win majors in that era imo.

Ah, I get you, I don't agree, but I get you. This gets down to the competition argument though, is a great someone who outclasses a lesser feild, or someone who wins most in a time of fierce competition? For instance I think Steve Davis, then Stephen Hendry took snooker to new levels, hence dominated for a while. I'm just not sure that Woods has taken his sport to a new level... and as far as I'm concerned, Trevino &  Watson were greats.

editted cause I missed a bit - d'oh!

Loads of the players say Tiger completely changed the standard that was necessary to be competitive. If he plays for as long as Nicklaus did it is highly likely that he will win >30 majors. He has to be the leading golfer in this competition.

I've got a lot of time for Seve as well, he genuinely was a star.

But if Watson can come so close to winning the open this year is the standard that much higher? BTW this debate is pointless without pints  :cheers: - i.e. it's unwinnable as it's all about opinions, but it's a fun one to pass the time in the boozer ;D

Hasn't Nicklaus stated that Woods if far and away the best ever?  Can we not go off that judgement?

Yes lets declare me and everyone else who said Tiger the winners, wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

Fwiw I am not a massive Tiger fan and have a lot more time for someone like Federer who just oozes pure class.

It's biggest star rather than best at their sport - every sport evolves and the performances get better.

Tiger woods is way more recognisable than Jack Nicklaus throughout the world. For golfers it's maybe even but outside golf it's not close.

We live in a world of better/faster/easier communication now and any massive start now is a bigger star than those from eras gone by.

Ali a big star ? Survey sports fans and over 35 with a pic and a high % will recognise but go for under 35 and it'll be a low rate of recognition.

Sandy

TBF, he does have the whole "Black thing" working for him.

Taker always has to take a fall to a big guy when they first come out, to get them over as a big guy. Love taker but always tilts me so hard when he tries to set up a chokeslam on someone like Big Show or Great Khali, when everyone knows he could never do it.

Wrestling is for Gays

Chuck iddell TW!

who is ufc heavyweight champ what did he used to do

Sorry, I meant in the 'golf only' debate, not as such the main thread topic

Wrestling is for Gays

Chuck iddell TW!
[/quote]

Anytime i see UFC they seem to be just dry humping on the ground!

As for what the OP says, it has to be Woods followed very closely by Harrington! (Padraig)

I think woods would be recognised everywhere in the world,you would have to have been in a coma for years to not be able to pick him out of a crowd

Happy Gilmore.

Today? Tiger Woods

BTW, Yoko in the weight class please!

i am more hetro then you will ever be and wrestling is great fun
where ufc is boring as hell

Really?  Its only the 2nd biggest sport in Argentina and Spain, the top sport in lots of eastern European countries like Lithuania and in the top 5 in many countries.  Id say its easily more widespread in Europe than boxing and F1 and probably Tennis.

This is their billed height.  Very few o them are that height.  I can guarantee Giant Gonzalez, Andre the Giant and the Big show are not those heights.  Kane isnt 7ft but not far off

And yet everybody knows him.

Could be a + for Jordan that he's managed to become so ridiculously famous despite his sport not being as popular as some of the others.

using those criteria I nominate o j simpson

I only know him through Space Jam.

I love both wrestling and UFC.

I think to enjoy UFC you have to have a bit of an understanding about MMA.

Transcended sport.  Might not be as universally recognisable as he was when he was fighting, but still massive.

Woods, Jordan, Pele, Maradona, Federer all huge names, as is David Beckham -  and what about Martina Navratilova as the biggest female sports star?

Yoko Ono?
 :dontask:

*Kinboshi in 'non Paula Radcliffe' promotion shocker*  ;)

lol WP!

Pele?

He was ok at footy I believe.  Not sure if he was mentioned or not.

;)

A great sports woman, but hardly the biggest athletics star.  Bolt is easily that at the moment, possibly of all time?  It's bound to be a sprinter as that's the showcase event - much the same as heavyweight boxing.

I very nearly spat my drink out at that ! LOL!!!!