ESPN.com asks its readers to rank the top 25 athletes of the last 25 years. It offers 35 athletes from which to choose. Personally, I find ESPN's choices woefully lacking, so I'm making my own. Here are the rules:
1. Anyone from anywhere in any sport is eligible. ESPN's list includes North American athletes from the four major sports, plus track & field, Lance Armstrong and Mia Hamm. It's too underinclusive.2. No golfers. Golf isn't a sport, and its participants are not athletes. It's a game of skill that involves a modicum of physical activity. Like darts. And bowling. Any game at which one can excel even while smoking and drinking is not a sport. When luminaries of the game need a Bro (it's the Manssiere!) (read: Mickelson, Phil; Montgomery, Colin), its participants are not athletes. I don't care how good of shape Tiger Woods is in; he's the exception that proves the rule.
3. Career longevity is not necessarily a factor.
Now then. The list:
25. Ken Griffey, Jr. -- Used to be called "The Natural." Ten Gold Gloves, 481 home runs.
24. Lawrence Taylor -- Revolutionized the outside linebacker position.
23. Magic Johnson -- Had size, quickness, and great vision. Played bigger and smaller than he was.
22. Mario Lemieux -- Hockey's best player not named Gretzky.
21. Sugar Ray Leonard -- Five world titles; beat Hearns, Hagler and Duran.
20. Alex Rodriguez -- Career .308 hitter with a .963 OPS. Hits for power and average like no other shortstop in history. Member of the 40/40 club. Routinely snubbed for MVP.
19. Pete Sampras -- Fourteen Grand Slam titles, including seven at Wimbeldon.
18. Michael Vick -- Short career notwithstanding, the guy's unbelievable. As a freshman, he took over the '99 Sugar Bowl and hasn't stopped since. See, e.g., 2002 Divisional Playoff versus the Packers. Barring catastrophic injury, will be top five on this list in ten years.
17. Roy Jones, Jr. -- Won titles at middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight without ever being in danger of losing a fight. Also holds the WBA heavyweight title. Has been called "Boxing's Jordan."
16. Martina Navratilova -- Eighteen Grand Slam titles, including nine at Wimbledon.
15. Jerry Rice -- The best ever at his position.
14. Rickey Henderson -- Only player on the list to have played a professional sport since 1979, the cutoff for the list. Probably the best baseball player of the '80s. 3,588 total bases, 1406 stolen bases. Career OBP of .401. Invented his own language.
13. Eric Heiden -- Won Olympic gold in every speedskating event between the 500 and 10,000m. Only guy to ever do it.
12. John Elway -- As a lifelong Browns fan, I think Elway's a horse-toothed bastard. But he could beat you with his arm and his legs. Carried the Broncos for more than a decade. Arguably the greatest quarterback of all time.
11. Barry Sanders -- Were it not for his bizarre retirement, he'd have the career rushing record. Emmit Smith (among ESPN's choices) couldn't carry Barry's jockstrap in a suitcase. Managed to gain 15,269 yards in just 10 years, most of those without a fullback and no other offensive weapon. To my mind, he's second only to Jim Brown, and that's arguable.
10. Miguel Indurain -- Won the Tour de France five times in a row. Then got fat.
9. Bo Jackson -- Put simply, Bo was one of those guys that you stopped doing whatever you were doing to watch him every time he got the football or stepped to the plate. You might just see something you'd never seen before, and might never see again.
8. Carl Lewis -- Dominated the 100m, 200m and long jump for about 15 years. Has 9 Olympic golds. Can't sing worth a damn.
7. Ronaldo -- Hey, I don't even like soccer. As far as I'm concerned, it's not a sport for boys. But this guy is the consensus best player on the planet in the planet's most popular sport. He's unbelievably fast and agile, a brilliant scorer. Scored eight goals, including two in the finals against Germany, to lead Brazil to the 2002 World Cup. Not even included among ESPN's choices.
6. Mark Allen -- Won the Ironman Triathlon six times in seven years. That's enough for me. Also not included among ESPN's choices.
5. Jackie Joyner-Kersee -- Has won three gold, one silver and one bronze Olympic medals, and holds the American record for the long jump (23' 9"). The first woman to earn more than 7,000 points in the heptathlon, and has held the heptathlon world record since 1986. Finest female all-around athlete since the immortal Babe Didriksen.
4. Barry Bonds -- When debating the best baseball players ever, anyone who doesn't mention Barry along with Ruth, Cobb, Williams, et al. is in denial. 658 home runs and 500 stolen bases (and counting). Career OPS of 1.035. Eight Gold Gloves; six MVPs. Single season home run record.
3. Wayne Gretzky -- Owns every meaningful scoring record. So far ahead of his peers, it's laughable. So far ahead of everybody, it's laughable.
2. Michael Jordan -- Greatest basketball player ever. Right fielder? Not so much.
1. Lance Armstrong -- Won a record-tying five straight Tours de France. Should have been dead before winning his first.
Honestly, Armstrong, Jordan, Gretzky and Bonds are probably 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d. I'm sure I missed the odd swimmer or two, and I'm probably giving the NBA short shrift. But it's my list, so I'll do what I want.
What's your list?
Pele is the greatest ever, then jordan, woods, ali, Diego M., etc. Forget Bonds.
Posted by: Raage B. | June 10, 2006 at 05:48 PM
Yeha i agree with the comment Jesss placed, as she is sitting next to me hahaha..Mah ha ha ha ha...I think that americans and china men should learn to bond better, rather then fight about whos chopstyicks hit who in the head.I also vote for world peace, and i would like to thank my mum fofr giving birth to me and all the pain she suffered.I also thank thre ice cream parlour for the good ice cream i just ate. ROCK ON AND SWING YOUR PANTS!!!!!
Posted by: Shinae Bailey | September 06, 2005 at 03:05 AM
MUHAMMAD ALI for sure should be on this list u dum fat american
Posted by: JESSS | September 06, 2005 at 02:59 AM
There is no way that Walter Payton, Larry Bird, Joe Montana and Abdul Jabbar should not be on this list. Michael Vick , Roy Jones Jr. should clearly be removed
Posted by: henry colquitt | August 19, 2005 at 11:32 PM
Have you guys ever heard of someone named Michelle Kwan? Why don't you look up her stats and compare them with those of the athletes on your list? And then think about the relative difficulty of her sport vs. baseball, football, etc. She belongs very high on your list. It's meaningless without her.
Posted by: Barbara | January 01, 2005 at 12:48 PM
Golf is def. not a sport but Tiger is the exception to the rule. Take out Vick and put MJ @ #1. Slash Barry because he admitted to juicing. Joe Montana had a great team, he was NOT a great athlete, Marino was better the Montana, we just can't name any of the past receivers he played with. Way to give a credit to athletes like ironmen and cycling. Scrap Griffy Jr., he to soft to be great. Oh yeah, women do have talent also so don't forget about them. The overall list was fair though.
Posted by: J Harp | December 07, 2004 at 04:50 PM
Hey, I like your list, but I'd just like to point out that you mention only sports popular in America...also, you didn't mention one of the greatest runners of our time, Hicham El Guerrouj, who, since 1996, has only lost four times on 1500 or mile events...he also had a 29 race winning streak which was broken nearing Athens....The guys holds the world record mile, and he is a four time world champion.........I just say this because you did not mention any runners...(aside from Lewis..)
Posted by: Julio | August 14, 2004 at 04:38 PM
Im surprised that Barry Bonds is ranked so high. Considering that he's never won a World series ring.
Posted by: Colin | July 23, 2004 at 09:36 PM
I would strike Vick because of the short career at this point, remove Bonds for steroids.
I would consider adding Kjetil Aamondt or one of a host of outstanding skiiers, Ian Thorpe or Michael Phelps from swimming.
And I would leave Lance Armstrong at #1.
Posted by: | July 07, 2004 at 03:06 PM
Where is 200 and 400 meter WR holder Michael Johnson?
Posted by: Tbone | July 06, 2004 at 01:42 PM
Joe Montana is the best football player ever.
Posted by: Chris | June 09, 2004 at 02:02 AM
I do think that leonard was a great boxer, but simply put--muhommad ali was the greatest boxer to ever live. no other athelete in history achieved a level as he. He was an icon w/ in the world of boxing, as well as a political icon around the globe...and would have been even greater, had he not missed a number of years of his prime.
Posted by: Todd | May 13, 2004 at 05:43 AM
An American list that is full of american sports. How the hell can the person say that soccer isn't a boys game when in american football all these big tought men wear loads of padding and helmets....ever watched rugby??
Lance Armstrong, Navratilova and Carl Lewis are the only ones that would have made mine. Michael Jordan plays a minority sport in global terms. Americans need to learn there is a whole world outside America. By the way Ronaldo is no where nar the greatest footballer of the past 25 years.
Posted by: Nicky | March 27, 2004 at 05:54 PM
jordan no 1 without a shadow of a doubt. also where are pele and muhommad ali(def 2 of the greatest).
Posted by: john caulfield | March 15, 2004 at 03:31 PM
Not a bad list...here are my opinions. If this is truly a worldwide list, Graf has to be included (I would put her above Martina). Ronaldo is awesome but Maradona's had a greater career and deserves a higher ranking. Good seeing Roy Jones & Mark Allen but where is Larry Bird, Michael Johnson & Karch Kiraly. Also, on the international scene - Karelin, Bubka & Jonah Lomu should be included. I wouldn't include Vick at this time and I would also take off Leonard & Griffey..great but not top 25. Finally, Elway is awesome but Joe Montana deserves a higher ranking! Seeing JJK so high and Bo Jackson are great! Overall, a pretty solid list!
Posted by: Clay Parker | January 24, 2004 at 03:02 PM
Why the hell is Steve Redgrave not on your list. He is arguably the greatest Olympian ever to grace this planet.
Posted by: Nick | January 23, 2004 at 07:27 AM
Personally, I think the rules of baseball (and the fact that they permit overweight specialists to play) should prohibit baseball players from the top ten.
Let me second the vote for Montana over Elway, and where the heck is Pele?
Posted by: Darren | January 21, 2004 at 01:28 PM
great list.
saw some really deserving names on there - i loved the Elway entry.
cheers.
Posted by: jcrue | January 21, 2004 at 12:07 PM
Give golf some respect! If having fat players needing to wear a 'Bro' disqualifies something as a sport, then baseball is out, too. The list of fat pitchers is endless. Fernando Valenzuela? David Wells? Clemens?
Not that you asked for my opinion, but I think that all games sit somewhere on a sliding scale between 'athletic activity' and 'game of skill'. A sport like the triathlon would be far on the 'athletic activity' side, whereas something like golf would be towards the 'skill' side. Where you draw the line that separates 'sport' from 'game' is pretty arbitrary and personal.
Posted by: Will | January 21, 2004 at 07:18 AM
23/2, interesting m/f ratio.
Posted by: | January 21, 2004 at 05:56 AM
Joe Montana? No way he is behind Elway.
Bonds is a big-game chocker and his records are likely steriod assisted, therefore, he should not be on any "top" lists.
Posted by: Horst Graben | January 20, 2004 at 09:40 PM
Graf, Steffi Graf.
Posted by: Glen | January 20, 2004 at 09:05 PM