Greatest clutch athlete?

Jimmy Connors. He could be down two sets and a match point, but he'd battle back. Nerves of steel.

Ancient History: Maurice 'the rocket' Richard, Montreal Canadiens of the 1950's, back in the days of the 6-team NHL.

He was the most feared big-game, clutch goal scorer of his time, some say of ALL time.

He was suspended (Unfairly some still say) for whacking an official during an on-ice fight. It cost him the NHL scoring title as he was suspended for the balance of that year's regular season PLUS the playoffs.

A short time after that NHL President Clarence Campbell (who suspended Richard, and was accused of anti-French bias) attended a late-season Montreal home game, at which there was a riot on behalf of Richard and in which Campbell was assaulted by an outraged Montreal fan and a tear gas bomb set off inside the Montreal Forum where the game was played.

The riot resulted in property damage, injuries and arrests as the enraged Hab fans went berserk on St. Catherine's Street in Montreal.

Richard was elected to the Hall of Fame the year after he retired, his jersey #9 also placed in the rafters, never to be worn by anyone else. Normally there is a 4-5 year waiting period to get into the Hall of Fame, this shows the high regard in which he was held by his peers and the sportswriters of the day.

The ROCKET, wow that is an ancient hero. That's a name I have not heard in a long time.

haile gebresalassie is the greatest clutch runner...when he won in sydeny and wasn't even close to the fittest competitor

Damn, I was going to say Peyton Manning too. I'd also add Patrick Ewing, Nick Anderson, Chris Webber, Jean Van de Velde, Rick Adelman (as a coach) and of course, Grady Little.

But my real list would be something like:

1. MJ

2. Tiger

3. Reggie Jackson

4. The Great One

5. John Havlicek

6. Joe Montana

7. Mariano Rivera

8. Adam Vinatieri

9. Larry Bird

10. Reggie Miller

Doug Flutie

Reggie #10 has had great moments but over-all belongs in your facetious first list. Maybe somewhere in between the two lists. Had clutch moments but never able to win it all. I particularly liked your inclusion of Van de Velde. Probably the worst I've felt for an athlete ever.

On the flip side of this is Greg Norman. Knock on wood.

Ray Allen

But you wouldn't know anything about that.

You might have heard of The Rocket recently since he just died a few years ago. Certainly in Canada and within hockey circles his name and legend is never far away.

Undoubtedly the greatest clutch athlete of all time was Salamo Arouch.

None of the other athletes named so far is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as him.

He was a Jewish Greek boxer (middle weight champion of the Balkans) whom the Nazi's arrested and sent to Auschwitz. He was forced to fight other prisoners for the amusement of the Nazi guards. The winner of the fight got extra food and was allowed to live. The loser of the fight was sent to the gas chambers and killed. Salamo Arouch won over 200 fights in a row to make it to liberation day.

But at what cost? His family, whom he gave the extra food to and tried to protect, were killed anyway, and by his own hand he sent several hundred men, including many of his own countrymen, to their deaths.

Guys who hit little white balls into holes in the ground (or try to throw an inflated ball through a hoop or try to out run or out jump someone else) don't know what pressure is and haven't got a clue what the word clutch means.

Spike Lee wrote:

REGGIE MILLER

Maybe not the best ever....But definately belongs in the conversation.

Orr.................Bobby Orr.

Clemente in the 71' Series. What didn't he do?

Bill Russell. Never lost a game where he could clinch a championship. Won in college, the Olympics, and numerous nba titles. All the names listed so far are great athletes but Mike Bibby and Steve Nash? Come on, have a little sense of history.

For T&F purposes i like the Zatopek pick.

Jordan was always the best so that he could perform at his regular level at the end of a game or in a big game and still dominate. I'd rate top guys in the clutch as guys who played much better at the end of a game or in a big game than they usually did even if that means the rest of the time they should've done better. Under that criteria I'd say Isiah Thomas was one of the best and Reggie Miller was pretty darn good too. Isiah once had 16 points in the final 94 seconds of a playoff game and never seemed to miss a clutch shot.

Greatest all time clutch moment's gotta be Kirk Gibson's homer in the bottom of the 9th in game one of the world series.

Why did he kill his own countrymen?

So you for one know whereof I speak.

"Les Canadiens sont la."

Not easy for a former Bruins' season ticket holder to type that. LOL.

Peace.

Golfers are not athletes. Tiger is out of the running.

Jesse Owens and Cassius Clay delivered the goods under pressure. They both deservers top five consideration.