Sports GOATS

[tower912]

There is never a wrong spot for a Caddyshack reference.

[WhiteTrash]

Then I put Bill Russell above MJ and Otto Graham ahead of Tom Brady.

Zing!

(But he did say winning was 'the highest', not 'the only' metric.)
Will Purdue > Charles Barkley?

[Uncle Rico]

Zing!

(But he did say winning was 'the highest', not 'the only' metric.)
Will Purdue > Charles Barkley?

Unlike that comparison, an argument can be made for Graham and Russell.  Russell was the best player at all levels in his life.  He dominated in college, too.  Graham still
holds the record for most yards averaged per attempt from an era where passing wasn't exactly an art form

[Hards Alumni]

Exactly. Winning the most at the highest level is the only metric that matters.

It is why MJ gets the nod over LeBron.

I am a huge Tiger fan, and I love what he brought to the game. He had a chance to be the GOAT, and maybe still does (?), but as of right now, he is not.

By your metric the best NFL players of all time:

Tom Brady
Fuzzy Thurston
Forrest Gregg
Herb Adderly

And then about 10 Green Bay Packers.

Great criteria. 

[wadesworld]

Exactly. Winning the most at the highest level is the only metric that matters.

It is why MJ gets the nod over LeBron.

I am a huge Tiger fan, and I love what he brought to the game. He had a chance to be the GOAT, and maybe still does (?), but as of right now, he is not.

Then there are a minimum of 9 basketball players who were better than MJ, and 26 who are better than LBJ.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

this isn't the dad joke thread

Ban dis guy^^^^

[Coleman]

You obviously have to be one of the best of your era to be considered a GOAT. Standard metrics can apply for that qualifying level.

But to be a GOAT, you have to win.

[The Sultan]

You obviously have to be one of the best of your era to be considered a GOAT. Standard metrics can apply for that qualifying level.

But to be a GOAT, you have to win.

Tiger Woods won 13 of the 35 majors played between the 1999 PGA and the 2008 US Open. Nicklaus never came close to a stretch like that.

Tiger won about one in every six majors he has entered.  Jack is one of every nine.

Just simply counting things and saying "yep, he's the best" without putting things in context is pretty simplistic. 

[MuggsyB]

As opposed to manatee track and field?

I make the proper distinction between human speed/vert/agility to various animals that are superior athletes and  way, way, way, faster. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I make the proper distinction between human speed/vert/agility to various animals that are superior athletes and  way, way, way, faster. 

Humans are better at sports than animals.  Animals aren't smart enough to follow the rules and would be DQed

[The Lens]

Humans are better at sports than animals.  Animals aren't smart enough to follow the rules and would be DQed

But the thing is every dog has that dog in them.

[Hards Alumni]

I make the proper distinction between human speed/vert/agility to various animals that are superior athletes and  way, way, way, faster. 

We're better distance runners, and would excel in any sport that requires a ball.

reconsider the animal worship!

[Coleman]

Tiger Woods won 13 of the 35 majors played between the 1999 PGA and the 2008 US Open. Nicklaus never came close to a stretch like that.

Tiger won about one in every six majors he has entered.  Jack is one of every nine.

Just simply counting things and saying "yep, he's the best" without putting things in context is pretty simplistic.

All fair points. If the argument was, who had a better 10 year stretch, Tiger would definitely win.

[MuggsyB]

We're better distance runners, and would excel in any sport that requires a ball.

reconsider the animal worship!

We're not "better distance runners" and by a longshot.  Do you have any idea what Pronghorn would run a marathon in?  And why does it have to be on a human circular track?  Pronghorns can run about 47mph for several hours.  Case closed. 

[The Sultan]

We're not "better distance runners" and by a longshot.  Do you have any idea what Pronghorn would run a marathon in?  And why does it have to be on a human circular track?  Pronghorns can run about 47mph for several hours.  Case closed. 

They wouldn't stick to the course. Because they are dumb.

[MuggsyB]

They wouldn't stick to the course. Because they are dumb.

They are not dumb.  Stop attacking our tremendous members of the animal kingdom. 

[lawdog77]

They are not dumb.  Stop attacking our tremendous members of the animal kingdom.

They are dumb if they cannot make a coherent argument on why they are not dumb.

[MuggsyB]

They are dumb if they cannot make a coherent argument on why they are not dumb.

Uhhh....no.  This is beyond ridiculous and prejudicial.  Do you really think Chimpanzees and other primates, elephants, whales, octopuses, dogs, cats, etc, are dumb?  This is literally the stupidest thing I've ever read. 

[The Sultan]

Uhhh....no.  This is beyond ridiculous and prejudicial.  Do you really think Chimpanzees and other primates, elephants, whales, octopuses, dogs, cats, etc, are dumb?  This is literally the stupidest thing I've ever read. 

I'm sitting in my air conditioned house. They sit outside on hot days like this.

Therefore they are dumb.

[MuggsyB]

I'm sitting in my air conditioned house. They sit outside on hot days like this.

Therefore they are dumb.

What a fking inane argument.  Our species is the absolute worst and btw the world is 71% water. 

[The Sultan]

What a fking inane argument.  Our species is the absolute worst and btw the world is 71% water. 

We evolved and can walk on land. They didn't.

They are dumb.

[brewcity77]

Uhhh....no.  This is beyond ridiculous and prejudicial.  Do you really think Chimpanzees and other primates, elephants, whales, octopuses, dogs, cats, etc, are dumb?  This is literally the stupidest thing I've ever read.

Compared intellectually to a human? Yes. There's no counter argument. The only species on the planet smarter than humans are dolphins and mice.

[MuggsyB]

Compared intellectually to a human? Yes. There's no counter argument. The only species on the planet smarter than humans are dolphins and mice.

Smarter than humans?  No.  But these other species are not dumb at all.  And you have indirectly disparaged most of our marine mammals, primates, elephants, octopuses, and a plethora of other species.  Anyone who thinks 🐙 are dumb have no fking idea what they're talking about. 

[TSmith34, Inc.]

We're not "better distance runners" and by a longshot.  Do you have any idea what Pronghorn would run a marathon in?  And why does it have to be on a human circular track?  Pronghorns can run about 47mph for several hours.  Case closed.

Can't outrun our bullets, now can they?

[muwarrior69]

Not really.  The wave of international participation started as a trickle when Jack racked up his early majors.  Gary Player and Tony Jacklin come to mind.  Peter Thomson didn't play the PGA and only played the US Open once.

By the end of Jack's prime, the fields became much deeper as more international players began playing more on the tour and in all majors.  But even then, it wasn't as global as it was in the Tiger era.

Tiger's advantages were neutralized by equipment changes as well.  Jack's greatest advantage was length and accuracy with the driver.  Tiger had that but lost it when drivers became frying pans and the ball quit spinning.  Today's best ball strikers are at a disadvantage as well. 

Also, Tiger won 3 US Junior Amateurs and 3 Amateurs.  You'll never see that again

Well if Tiger is the GOAT in golf, then Yogi Berra is the GOAT in baseball as the only player to play in 73 World Series games. That record I am safe to say will never be broken.