O.T. for Lull Period. Greatest U.S. athlete in World history

[DCdawg]

If this is sport specific, Michael Phelps has to be on the list.

[BeastMan]

To me, greatest U.S. Athlete means they'd have a chance to compete at a high level across a multitude of sports. So two sport professional athletes like Bo and Deion should be high on the list. Obviously Michael Jordan and Lebron are high up there.

But I think Michael Jordan has to be in the pole position. He was the best basketball player, was an ok minor league baseball player after not playing since high school, and I find it hard to believe he wouldn't have been a serviceable NFL WR right out of the gate. The only other question is how he would do at sports of pure athleticism. Looking at track and field, he'd presumably be a good long jumper and high jumper and while I assume not a professional sprinter or long distance runner, I suspect he'd be ok at both.

That?s my argument for Deon. Best cover CB all-time and was a good MLB player..... AT THE SAME TIME!

[Dawg61]

Muhammad Ali is my 1st choice. Thank you Dad for allowing me to be the only white kid in the Delta to be a fan of the Greatest of all time .

Your dad decides who you're a fan of? Everyone everywhere loves Muhammed Ali.

[Todd4State]

And Bully, Babe Ruth is nowhere near the best athlete all-time. He?s arguably the worst athlete that was great at his sport. If we?re throwing out guys who dominated their sport Usain Bolt would be a good pick.

The fact that Ruth didn't look like an athlete and did what he did makes him even more impressive as an athlete. He changed the game of baseball and was the first true tape measure home run hitter. Never struck out more than 100 times in a season. Out homered entire TEAMS. And a couple of years he had twice as many home runs as the second place home run hitter. He was also good enough to be a HOF caliber pitcher had he stayed at that position- which was probably his best position defensively. He was a pretty good baserunner in the early 1920's before he got overweight in an era when sports nutrition and strength training was pretty much non-existent.

[Johnson85]

The fact that Ruth didn't look like an athlete and did what he did makes him even more impressive as an athlete. He changed the game of baseball and was the first true tape measure home run hitter. Never struck out more than 100 times in a season. Out homered entire TEAMS. And a couple of years he had twice as many home runs as the second place home run hitter. He was also good enough to be a HOF caliber pitcher had he stayed at that position- which was probably his best position defensively. He was a pretty good baserunner in the early 1920's before he got overweight in an era when sports nutrition and strength training was pretty much non-existent.

I assume Babe was one of the all time freaks as far as coordination.

Would have been interesting to see him pick up something like golf to see how good he got and how quickly he got there.

[Johnson85]

That?s my argument for Deon. Best cover CB all-time and was a good MLB player..... AT THE SAME TIME!

That might be a winning argument. He could obviously play both ways in football. Not sure what Jordan's defensive position would be. Safety? Outside LB at 6'6", ~220lbs? Lebron I guess could be a LB or rush end?

He also was a MLB player, which Jordan wasn't. I guess the question is whether Deion could have been a minor league equivalent basketball player. He was all state in basketball in high school; I'm guessing with his athleticism he could have played college basketball if he'd focused on it. I'm guessing he could have played defense at an NBA level pretty quickly, so it's just whether he could run the point or shoot well enough to be an undersized two.

Also, Deion would have been a better build for soccer than Jordan and I assume would be a near world class sprinter.

Deion might be the right answer.

[Lord McBuckethead]

I can agree with that, but I believe LBJ would have been better if figuring other sports.
Basketball - Jordan
Baseball - hmmm not sure, but give it to Jordan
Track and Field - LBJ
Football - LBJ
Soccer - LBJ

Some can argue that maybe LBJ is better at basketball. I say different era and all that.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Dave Winfield is also another candidate.
Dude got drafted in the NFL and NBA without even playing their sports competitively.

That's how good that guy was.

[parabrave]

Jackie Robinson gets my vote. People forget what he did while at UCLA. He was the BO Jackson of his time

[tcdog70]

Two of the best-Hershel Walker and Jimmy Brown--they 2 of the top 5 running backs of all-time.. one was also an all-american-lacrosse player and the the other was on the USA bob-sled team. Plus the were excellent track stars.

[Bothrops]

Bo, and I don't mean Bounds.

[HotMop]

Bruce Jenner

[BhamFour]

Mat Fraser, guy can do anything.

[BeastMan]

Bruce Jenner

Try-athlete as a man and the ESPY courage award as a women. Who else can claim that?**

[BrunswickDawg]

That?s my argument for Deon. Best cover CB all-time and was a good MLB player..... AT THE SAME TIME!

A couple of 2 sport athletes that I always thought were under rated (they were by no means in a "best ever category")-
Brian Jordan and Danny Ainge

Jordan was a very good baseball player, and could have been a very good Strong Safety if he had stuck with it. He had 5 career INTS and played MLB for 15 years.

[NWADAWG]

Jesse Owens.

Won 4 golds in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin in front of Hitler. Must have taken amazing courage to accomplish such a feat.

If we're talking gold medals, Michael Phelps would have to be in the conversation.

Just for fun, I will also throw Tebow into the conversation.

But in reality, I would have to go with Bo. To dominate, not just compete, in 2 professional sports the way he did was pretty amazing. It also shows that he was a great overall athlete, not just great at a particular sport.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

Everyone everywhere loves Muhammed Ali.

Everyone my ass. Don't you dare speak for me when it comes to the draft dodging hater of America. I mean don't you freaking dare.

[BeardoMSU]

Everyone my ass. Don't you dare speak for me when it comes to the draft dodging hater of America. I mean don't you freaking dare.

oh boy...

[BeardoMSU]

Everyone my ass. Don't you dare speak for me when it comes to the draft dodging hater of America. I mean don't you freaking dare.

Does the draft dodging-hate apply to everyone, btw?

[Dawg61]

Since it's 2018 and we let men in the women's bathroom, maybe it should be Bruce Jenner.

Everyone my ass. Don't you dare speak for me when it comes to the draft dodging hater of America. I mean don't you freaking dare.

Chill out paw it ain't that serious