Greatest athlete of all-time?

Question

1. Walter Payton
2. Pele
3. Michael Jordan
4. Diego Maradonna
5. John McEnroe

Answer 1

Pele and Michael Jordan. They leave us inspired and make the world seem without boundaries.

Answer 2

I always go with Jim Thorpe for this one. Though, his legend has been hurt due to the time period that he lived in. The guy is the only person ever to win the decathalon and pentathalon at the Olympics (1912 - Stockholm). Oddly enough, from what I understand, he was also the 1912 Collegiate Ballroom Dancing Champion. He also played professional baseball and was one of the first stars of the NFL.

Those others were great athletes also, with Sweetness, Pele, and Jordan leading the list. Though, not everyone is in agreement that Payton was the best RB in the history of the NFL, he was a great athlete and an even greater man. Pele's goals record has been broken, he was a legend and has upheld what it means to be a class act. I don't think I even need to talk about Jordan's talent on the court, though his baseball and golfing don't really stack-up to what he could do on the hardwood.

My vote goes to the "write-in."

Answer 3

Among those choices, I would give Michael Jordan a slight edge over Walter Payton.

But, if permitted, I would write in Babe Didrikson-Zaharias. She was an exceptional Olympic track athlete and, later, was a founding force in the LPGA - before dying much too young from cancer. Many publications list her as the greatest female athlete of the first half of the 20th century - and justifiably so. She accomplished her feats when there was literally no funding and other general support for her sports.

Answer 4

The late Abebe Bikila - marathon runner from Ethiopia

In the '56 Olympics he ran the anchor leg of the 4x400 m relay. That was the event the coach put him in.
Four years later - in Rome - running barefooted over cobblestones he took the Olympic gold medal in a world record.

Four years later - in Tokyo - running only two weeks after having his appendix removed he successfully defended his marathon title.
No athlete in any discipline has ever shown such fortitude...

Answer 5

Jesse Owen and Muhammad Ali should be in that list. Owen for singlehandly silencing Hitler by his skills and Olympic god medal winning performance and sticking out for his beliefs. Ali for his attitude to war and his humilty over his illness, oh and he was the greatest boxer of all time (voted No.1 athlete of the 20th Century,)

Answer 6

Based on the List Provided

Michael Jordan

Answer 7

Jim Thorpe

Answer 8

1) Kurt Angle (yes pro wrestling isnt a sport but i defy you to say they are not atheletes)
2) Mohammad Ali
3) Gareth Edwards
4) John Charles
5) Joe Naymeth

Answer 9

6. Muhammad Ali

Answer 10

Zadopek.[Olympian athlete]