Best All-Around Athlete of All Time

Deion Sanders was a stud athlete... one of the best shutdown corners ever.

Offensive, defensive, and special teams threat... what more can you ask?

Takahiro Kobayashi.

Congrats on a good thread.

Although I love the Jim Thorpe idea, I assume he falls into the category of best in his day, if not the best in the first 50 years of the last century, not best of all time. Athletics and athletes are overall better today than a century ago. We don't have the ability to evaluate other than via legend.

I can evaluate Gene Conley however. Although Conley was a 2 sport Boston fave, John Havlicek, drafted by the Browns, was a far superior "athlete". My 2 cents.

Thanks again for a thoughful read.

Jackie Robinson

Duke Kahanamoku.

Carl Crawford. Kenny Lofton. Danny Ainge (yes, Danny Ainge). Brian Jordan. Tony Gonzalez. Antonio Gates. Adam Dunn. Todd Helton. Allen Iverson. I know I'm missing some...

What about free runners?

MrChocolateShakes wrote:

I just watched the episode of "Shaq Vs" featuring Tyson Gay and pondered, "Why Shaquille O'Neill?" Why not a better all-around athlete?

I give you my Top All-Around Athletes of All Time:

1. Deion Sanders

2. Jim Thorpe

3. Bo Jackson

4. Bob Hayes

5. Jim Brown

6. Carl Lewis

7. Willie Gault

8. Kirk Gibson

9. Michael Jordan

10. John Elway

Honorable Mentions:

Charlie Ward; Wilt Chamberlain; Jackie Robinson; Gene Conley

Deion #1 and Wilt only gets an honorable mention? Wow. Just...wow.

Good list. I'd replace Jordan with Wilt though. Jordan hit .202 in Double AA. I'd bet a lot of not-baseball athletes could accomplish that with the amount of practice/training Michael Jordan had access to. Regarding Wilt - from Wikipedia:

"Chamberlain was not interested in basketball, because he thought it was "a game for sissies".[10] Instead, he was an avid track and field athlete: as a youth, he high jumped 6 feet, 6 inches, ran the 440 yards in 49.0 seconds and the 880 yards in 1:58.3, put the shot 53 feet, 4 inches, and broad jumped 22 feet"

"As he did at Overbrook, Chamberlain again showcased his diverse athletic talent. He ran the 100-yard dash in 10.9 seconds, put the shot 56 feet, triple jumped more than 50 feet, and won the high jump in the Big Eight track and field championships three straight years"

As far as athletic QBs, you have to include Diamond Joe Namath. Was dunking basketballs in high school games back in the 60s, got offered to play professional baseball at age 18, and of course won Super Bowl III with a bum knee.

An idiot, yes. A drunk, you bet. But naturally gifted athlete no doubt.

I see where you're coming from... but it's really unfair to compare across generations. It's true that athletes today are more capable than those of yesterday, but Jim Thorpe dominated his era better than anyone today can claim. Also, Deion Sanders was a much better athlete than Wilt Chamberlain. Deion was a phenom in football, good baseball player, and quite the track athlete (better than Wilt).

Nobody has mentioned HERSCHEL WALKER yet?! Obviously he's best known as a football player, having won the 1982 Heisman and being regarded by many as the best college running back of all time. He was also EXTREMELY fast on the track, with a PR of 10.22 with all his football weight. He is s fifth-degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do. He made the 1992 Winter Olympics in the two-man bobsled, finishing seventh. Oh and he's competed in MMA.

Other obvious ones left off the list: Allen Iverson, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson.

And to the guy who didn't even have Brett Favre on his top ten QB list: ARE YOU MENTALLY ILL?!

Best All-Around Athlete

Have you seen Carl Lewis throw a baseball?

I haven't read the whole thread, but the guy who began by naming Gene Conley and honorable mention should know that Dave DeBusschere was a much better combo pro/basketball/baseball guy.

And for a long time Sandy Koufax's top sport was basketball.

Did anyone mention James Lofton?

Obvious Misses wrote:

Nobody has mentioned HERSCHEL WALKER yet?! Obviously he's best known as a football player, having won the 1982 Heisman and being regarded by many as the best college running back of all time. He was also EXTREMELY fast on the track, with a PR of 10.22 with all his football weight. He is s fifth-degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do. He made the 1992 Winter Olympics in the two-man bobsled, finishing seventh. Oh and he's competed in MMA.

Other obvious ones left off the list: Allen Iverson, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson.

And to the guy who didn't even have Brett Favre on his top ten QB list: ARE YOU MENTALLY ILL?!

You're right on with Hershcel Walker. He's one of my favorite running backs of all time. I definitely made an error in not mentioning Herschel, but I can't really agree that AI, Hakeem, and David Robinson contend as top 10. Undoubtedly, AI is one of the quickest and most agile players to play the game, but I believe if Deion were to develop himself in the NBA, he would have been better. Hakeem was quite the athlete, considering his height (7'0"). He is certainly one of the best to play center, but not really considered an elite all-around athlete. David Robinson, THE ADMIRAL, was yet another elite NBA center. Graduating from the United States Naval Academy, Robinson was the all-American boy. He was a great all-around athlete. The question here is, "Has he proven himself as one of the best of all time?" I believe that he has not. Speaking of service academy graduates, there is Roger Staubach (USNA) on my top 10 QB list. You honestly believe that there is a QB on this list that should be displaced by Brett Favre? I understand his accomplishments, but did you notice that not even Fran Tarkenton made the top 10. Favre has won just one Super Bowl. Tell me, WHO SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST?

MrChocolateShakes wrote:

Tell me, WHO SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST?

Steve Young.

psychobilly cadillac wrote:

MrChocolateShakes wrote:

Tell me, WHO SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST?

Steve Young.

Steve Young has 3 Super Bowl rings. I know a lot of Young's success was due to Jerry Rice, but his success cannot be ignored. Believe me, I had a difficult time putting him on my top 10 list.

Steffi Graf was a world class (or near) calibre 800m runner and also one of the top few tennis players of all time.

If we are looking at best athletes, I'd take a top middle distance type runner combined with a skill sport like soccer, tennis or basketball.

Do we not like decathletes or heptathletes?

Mission Accomplished Banner wrote:

Another Option wrote:

If Nash was paid and made an executive producer, he sold his idea. It wasn't stolen.

you don't have any reading comprehension do you?

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