Sports GOATS

[MuggsyB]

Wasn't Jackie Joyner Kersee up there in human track & field?

[MuggsyB]

I would think most would consider Bo Jackson the best overall human athlete.

[forgetful]

I probably shouldn’t have made picks on track and field (and others). Like soccer, I don’t follow it closely enough. Usain is just the athlete that got me interested in anything T&F, and he made it look so easy.

You could cut Tom’s career into first half and second half and he’d have 2 HOF careers. He always had great defenses and Bellichick, but some of the numbers he was putting up with the receivers he had are absurd.

I’d stick with Tiger as the GOAT. Injuries hurt his chance to pass Jack, but he’s the most dominant golfer.

It's good that you did. Gets the ball rolling for some fun, offseason discussion.

I find it interesting if someone picks Tom Brady and Tiger Woods. Tom is the most accomplished football player, Jack is the most accomplished golfer. Tiger has good arguments for GOAT, except for winning the majors, and most people would not call Tom the best QB of his own generation, much less all time player. So does winning matta or no matta?

I'm realizing that I give Nicklaus the nod because of his accomplishments. But I wouldn't give Brady the nod. So maybe not treating everything equally. Nah, I'm going to double down and rationalize it as Football is a team sport, and Brady wasn't even the best QB of his generation.

[WhiteTrash]

I probably shouldn’t have made picks on track and field (and others). Like soccer, I don’t follow it closely enough. Usain is just the athlete that got me interested in anything T&F, and he made it look so easy.

You could cut Tom’s career into first half and second half and he’d have 2 HOF careers. He always had great defenses and Bellichick, but some of the numbers he was putting up with the receivers he had are absurd.

I’d stick with Tiger as the GOAT. Injuries hurt his chance to pass Jack, but he’s the most dominant golfer.

Agree on Tom. but it is interesting because you can make a legit argument he was never the best QB in the NFL at any point in his career.

[WhiteTrash]

I would think most would consider Bo Jackson the best overall human athlete.

I agree with this.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

These are fun discussions. Great for the dog days of summer.

I find it interesting if someone picks Tom Brady and Tiger Woods. Tom is the most accomplished football player, Jack is the most accomplished golfer. Tiger has good arguments for GOAT, except for winning the majors, and most people would not call Tom the best QB of his own generation, much less all time player. So does winning matta or no matta?

My vote is Tom and Jack. 

Most people would not call Tom Brady the best quarterback of his own generation???

[shoothoops]

Wasn't Jackie Joyner Kersee up there in human track & field?

She still has the top 6 performances ever in the Women's heptathlon, with the closest to it being 200 points away.

2nd all time long jump record.

Recently honored as a top 15 basketball players in UCLA history by the school.

High up on all time list for 100 and 200 in hurdles too.

6 Olympic medals, 3 gold. 4 WC gold..4 GW games gold..1 Pan Am gold.

[WhiteTrash]

Most people would not call Tom Brady the best quarterback of his own generation???

That was poorly written. I meant to say that most people would say he was never the best QB in the league in any given year.

[brewcity77]

I think the most difficult question is always the era comparison. There are arguments made for players after Babe Ruth in baseball, for instance. Shohei or Bonds or whomever else. But it's amazing that Babe Ruth broke the home run record at the age of 26, in just his eighth season. It was home run #139 that unquestionably broke Roger Conner's record, and Ruth hit more than 5 times that total by the time he was done.

Would he hold up to current pitching or succeed against modern athletes and technology? Who knows, but in terms of the gap between him and everyone who came before him, there was no comparison.

Competitors like Ruth, Secretariat, Gretzky, and others that just redefined what was possible seem to shine above the rest. I love Jordan, he's always been my idea of a GOAT, but I'm not sure I'd put even him on that level.

[WhiteTrash]

Good post Brew.

[Uncle Rico]

I think the most difficult question is always the era comparison. There are arguments made for players after Babe Ruth in baseball, for instance. Shohei or Bonds or whomever else. But it's amazing that Babe Ruth broke the home run record at the age of 26, in just his eighth season. It was home run #139 that unquestionably broke Roger Conner's record, and Ruth hit more than 5 times that total by the time he was done.

Would he hold up to current pitching or succeed against modern athletes and technology? Who knows, but in terms of the gap between him and everyone who came before him, there was no comparison.

Competitors like Ruth, Secretariat, Gretzky, and others that just redefined what was possible seem to shine above the rest. I love Jordan, he's always been my idea of a GOAT, but I'm not sure I'd put even him on that level.

I say Kareem for hoops because of how dominant he was on each level

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

That was poorly written. I meant to say that most people would say he was never the best QB in the league in any given year.

Yeah I never realized he only won 3 MVPs. Not a lot considering…

[Not A Serious Person]

Men's Cycling - Eddy Merykx (The Canibal)
Women's Cycling = Jeannie Longo

Men's Tennis = Rod Laver/Djokovic (tie, but Novak should move past him soon)
Women's tennis = Serena

Men's Athletics = Ashton Eaton
Women's Athletics = Jackie Joiner Kersey

Men's Marathon = Kipchoge
Women's Maraton = Paula Radcliffe

Men's Swimming = Michael Phelps
Women's Swimmer = Katie Ledecky

[Not A Serious Person]

How about an oddball category for you?

High School GOAT (any sport) = Lukas Verzbicas, Carl Sandberg High School, Orland Park IL

High school Cross Country has/had two national championships, Foot Locker and the Nike Invitational National Championship. He is the only person to win BOTH

He ran a sub-four-minute mile

Holds the national high school record in the 2-mile at 8:29

AND ...

Broke the Illinois state record in the 800-meter swim (not in a high school meet, so it is not official)

AND ...

He was offered a professional cycling contract in Europe before graduating high school.

AND...

Won the ITU World Junior Championship in the Triathlon while still in high school full-time.

He was widely considered world-class in three sports (track, swimming, and cycling) and was on his way to doing something special in the triathlon. However, he was hit by a car during a training ride in July 2012, and after spending weeks in the hospital, he suffered from partial paralysis.

He recovered enough to compete again but never regained the form or promise he showed before the accident.

[MurphysTillClose]

How about an oddball category for you?

High School GOAT (any sport) = Lukas Verzbicas, Carl Sandberg High School, Orland Park IL

High school Cross Country has/had two national championships, Foot Locker and the Nike Invitational National Championship. He is the only person to win BOTH

He ran a sub-four-minute mile

Holds the national high school record in the 2-mile at 8:29

AND ...

Broke the Illinois state record in the 800-meter swim (not in a high school meet, so it is not official)

AND ...

He was offered a professional cycling contract in Europe before graduating high school.

AND...

Won the ITU World Junior Championship in the Triathlon while still in high school full-time.

He was widely considered world-class in three sports (track, swimming, and cycling) and was on his way to doing something special in the triathlon. However, he was hit by a car during a training ride in July 2012, and after spending weeks in the hospital, he suffered from partial paralysis.

He recovered enough to compete again but never regained the form or promise he showed before the accident.

Sandburg sucks

[4everwarriors]

Ron Jeremy

Marilyn Chambers

hey?

[Uncle Rico]

Ron Jeremy

Marilyn Chambers

hey?

Ron Jeremy is going to jail

[🏀]

In the last 60 years, there are 3 instances of a player winning 5 (or more) PGA Tour starts in a row.

They belong to: Tiger Woods (7), Tiger Woods (6) and Tiger Woods (5).

Tiger is the only player since 1950 to win the same PGA Tour event four years in a row.

He’s done it twice (Buick Invitational 2005-08, Bay Hill 2000-03).

Tiger Woods has won 7 majors by 3 shots or more (most all-time).

From 2004-06, Tiger had 1,466 putts from 3 feet and in measured by ShotLink.

He missed three of them.

Tiger Woods is credited with 41 career European Tour wins, third-most all-time. He has never played full-time on that tour.

Tiger Woods is the only player currently under the age of 50 with 25 or more PGA Tour wins.

Woods won his 25th PGA Tour title more than 20 years ago (2001 at Bay Hill).

A few ridiculous Tiger stats from Justin Ray. Jack may have more majors, but he can’t touch Tiger’s dominance.

It’s not really even close.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Heather Harmon is the Throat GOAT.

[Hards Alumni]

Heather Harmon is the Throat GOAT.

That's Nancy Reagan.

[JWags85]

That's Nancy Reagan.

Nancy walked so Heather could kneel

[The Lens]

I think you could argue that Tom Brady was not always the best QB but he was always the best football player.  Aaron Rodgers IMO is the greatest QB of all time but I want Tom Brady in a championship game. 

Rodgers can make every throw, is brilliant and a great runner, from a technical standpoint, he's the best.  Tom just kept winning.

[MuggsyB]

I think you could argue that Tom Brady was not always the best QB but he was always the best football player.  Aaron Rodgers IMO is the greatest QB of all time but I want Tom Brady in a championship game. 

Rodgers can make every throw, is brilliant and a great runner, from a technical standpoint, he's the best.  Tom just kept winning.

With all due respect this is just silly.  It's not about who's the most talented or who can make every throw.  That's not how you measure who's the best at the QB position.  It's more about who makes the fewest mistakes and is the most succressful under pressure.  It's analogous to a guy having better stuff than Maddux.  That doesn't mean that person is better than Maddux. 

[The Lens]

With all due respect this is just silly.  It's not about who's the most talented or who can make every throw.  That's not how you measure who's the best at the QB position.  It's more about who makes the fewest mistakes and is the most succressful under pressure.  It's analogous to a guy having better stuff than Maddux.  That doesn't mean that person is better than Maddux.

I actually agree with most of what you're saying.  I qualified my assessment from "technical standpoint" and I get that there is a lot more that goes into it than just the technical part. 

[Uncle Rico]

I actually agree with most of what you're saying.  I qualified my assessment from "technical standpoint" and I get that there is a lot more that goes into it than just the technical part.

Brady’s ability to process information faster than other QBs was a strength and is an important part of being a QB.

While we can’t compare his arm to the great throwers, it’s an interesting comparison as to what is more important.  Arm strength or decision making and decision making is more than just not forcing throws.

Also, Brady’s arm strength was more than good enough