Greatest Marquette Olympic Athlete of all time

[MU Chi_IL]

Since the relay last night completely sucked me into Olympic madness, I thought I would toss a question out there to the group.  If the redeem team wins gold, does wade enter into the greatest Marquette Olympic athlete of all time conversation (not sure who is having this conversation outside the folks who respond below, but let's assume people are talking about this out in the real world).  In my mind Ralph Metcalf still has the spot by a long way, but if Wade notches a gold (and maybe one more Olympics he might be right there)?

Wade

Bronze	2004 Athens	hoops
Medal ?	2008 Beijing	hoops

Metcalf

Medal	Games	Event
Gold	1936 Berlin	4x100m relay
Silver	1932 Los Angeles	100 metre
Silver	1936 Berlin	100 metre
Bronze	1932 Los Angeles	200 metre

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Metcalfe

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/track_field/start#ralph_metcalf

Also, what is the proper spelling of Ralph's last name:
Ralph_Metcalfe or Ralph_Metcalf

[tower912]

Murf.   Hands down.

[muhoosier260]

although wade is at a disadvantage playing on a team sport, and only capable of winning one medal per olympics, he is also playing for a team which should definitely win gold at least this olympics. i think he needs to win two golds in addition to the bronze he already has  in order to have title of greatest Marquette olympian

[Sir Lawrence]

Also, what is the proper spelling of Ralph's last name:
Ralph_Metcalfe or Ralph_Metcalf

Metcalfe:  http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0114531.html

and:  http://digitalmarquette.cdmhost.com/RM/index.html

[MU Chi_IL]

Also, what is the proper spelling of Ralph's last name:
Ralph_Metcalfe or Ralph_Metcalf

Metcalfe:  http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0114531.html

Can one of the mods change the MU Scoop wiki page title,
http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/track_field/start#ralph_metcalf

[Mayor McCheese]

I think Metcalfe takes it for the simple fact that he is in individual sports.  Wade winning gold in basketball... besides the fact that it should be expected... is not as impressive as winning an individual gold in my opinion.

[77ncaachamps]

I think Metcalfe takes it for the simple fact that he is in individual sports.  Wade winning gold in basketball... besides the fact that it should be expected... is not as impressive as winning an individual gold in my opinion.

DING DING DING!

[MU Chi_IL]

Let's takes this in a different direction, who is the greatest Olympic athlete of all time (or Favorite).  At this point, I am putting Phelps in the number 1 spot, what he is doing in unreal, second would be Jessie Owens.  I think my favorite would have to be my childhood love, brought to me by the Red, White and Blue triple cast from 1992, Summer Sanders!

[Tugg Speedman]

Let's takes this in a different direction, who is the greatest Olympic athlete of all time (or Favorite).  At this point, I am putting Phelps in the number 1 spot, what he is doing in unreal, second would be Jessie Owens.  I think my favorite would have to be my childhood love, brought to me by the Red, White and Blue triple cast from 1992, Summer Sanders!

Swimming has too many events and it makes it too easy to pile up medals.  What other sport has someone in 8 events?  Therefore I tend to discount swimmers.  If track and field was like swimming and had the 100 meter dash, 100 meters backwards, 100 meters skipping and 100 meters walking, plus more relays and Individual Medleys, Carl Lewis would have 25 gold medals.

Spitz won seven gold medals in seven world records in 1972.  Phelps is 5 for 5.  How can you put him over Spitz until he at least goes 7 for 7?  As of this moment he is at best #2 in swimming all-time.


Greatest ever in order
1. Steven Redgrave - 5 rowing gold medals in five consecutive Olympics - at the top of his game for 16 years!
2. Paavo Nurmi  - the flying Fin won gold in 9 distance events between 1920 and 1928.  We may never see another distance runner like him again - have not in almost 100 years.
3. Carl Lewis, 9 golds, tied Jessie Owens with 4 in 1984 - at the top of his game for 12 years.
4. Jackie Joyner Keresy - Heptalon and long jump 1984 to 1996, possibly the greatest woman athlete of all-time
5. Al Orter, 4 consecutive Gold in the Shot Put - at the top of his game for 12 years.
6. Eric Heiden, won all five speedsakting gold medals in the 1980 Olympics.
7. Emil Zatopek, won the 5000, 10000 and marathon in the 1956 Olympics, a feat which may never be duplicated
8. Mark Spitz - 7 golds and seven world records in 1972.
9. Nadia Comaneci - 4 perfect scores in 1976
10. Jesse Owens - 4 golds in 1936

*** If Phelps goes 8 for 8 WR, I'll put him as #8 and move Spitz and the rest down.  If he comes back in 2012 in London and wins another 8 gold medals (he'll be 27), he goes to #1.  Again swimming has way too many events and makes it easy to pile up hardware.  You cannot duplicate Spitz and be #1 if Spitz is not #1.

Two special mentions - even though they won only one gold, what they did was very special

Bob Beamon - 1968 gold in the long jump at 29 feet 2 inches, still the third longest jump ever (behind Mike Conley, father of Ohio State basketball player Mike Conley Jr., and Carl Lewis).  This year will mark the 40th anniversay of this Olympic Record.  It might last another 40 years.

Dick Fosbury - 1968 gold medal in the high jump.  The inventor of the Fosbury flop not only won gold, but forever changed the high jump.