Top 5 favourite athletes of your lifetime

[-james-]

Favourite, not best. Doesn't necessarily need to be related to ability.


I'll get back to you

[Giggles]

Maradona, Matthaeus, Vialli, Lombardo, Clayton Blackmore.

Reasons (for Magic): they're athletes that I like more than other athletes.



.

[Reg]

5 is too tricky so I'll be annoying:

Football
Ronaldinho - The unrivalled joy of watching him; the combination of skills and productivity; the goals against Real Madrid; his personality (shout out to his fellow smiler Dwight Yorke.)
Bruno - Bruuuuuno! The most likeable Brighton player of my time and by far the most flair from a full back that we could possibly expect to see. His combination play with Spanish Dave was a football highlight for me.
Totti - Part of my Roma team on Champ Man in, I think, 2001/02 and I've had a soft spot for him and them ever since. Great playing style and one of those whose ego was likeable rather than off-putting.
Messi - The greatest player I've ever seen.
Beckham - Role model when I was 6-9 ish, I had the curtains haircut and everything. (By no means as terrible as my friend's imitation of Cristiano Ronaldo's mostly-shaved-with-two-dangling-pieces-of-what-the-fuck. Which lasted one day before school made him get rid of it.)

Tennis
Djokovic - A lot of people don't like his personality, but I think part of that is resentment after he knocked Federer and Nadal off their perch, and I've always liked him. As an amatuer tennis player I find him incredible. Especially his flexibility and way of turning defense into attack, both unprecedented in their extremes - and at times surreal. His mental strength has been admirable, showcased best in the US Open 2015 final when he overcame a hugely bias and insulting crowd.
Hewitt - The ultimate fighter, and I liked his backwards cap as a kid.
Nadal - Not far off Hewitt for fight. I always preferred players who had to struggle for points. I found, and to a lesser degree still find, Federer too perfect. Everything is so effortless, neat and precise - which sometimes stuns and makes you laugh, but sometimes leaves you a little cold. Nadal pretty much invented a way of playing, was anti-establishment with his cool (and in retrospect funny) pirate pants and sleeveless T's, and to top it off seems a lovely guy.

[Lewis]

Roy Keane, Patrice Evra, [Sir] Kevin Sinfield, Lance Armstrong, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

[Offshore Toon]

Alan Shearer, Shola Ameobi, Gary Speed, Shay Given, Nolberto Solano.

[Shindig]

Valentino Rossi
Roger Federer
Zinedine Zidane
Usain Bolt
Andy Townsend

[Reg]

Is that you, Clive?

[-james-]

Ronaldinho
Thomas Müller
Kostas Katsouranis
David Beckham
Blanka Vlasic

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ruud Van Nistelrooy
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Pete Sampras
Paul Scholes
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

[Magic]

Put reasons to at least make it thread worthy.

[Spikey M]

Ronaldo (the proper one)
Freddie Eastwood
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Paul Gascoigne
Mark Kerr (Geezer won everything for my Southend side on CM 01/02)

[Kikó]

Pete Sampras - he was awesome for a long time. That serve and volley game, his personality on the court. Amazing to watch.

Roger Federer - then Roger came along and he's been unbelievable. Probably the greatest sportsman ever.

Usain Bolt - immense. His first gold was one of the most amazing spectacles and then to follow it up with the 200 and the years after.

Cristiano Ronaldo - or Messi - have managed to completely destroy records and set new norms. I don't want two footballers in this so I'm going for Ronaldo. He's worked incredibly hard to get from that young shite haired teenager at united to the God of football he is today.

Sachin Tendulkar - hard choice but arguably the best batsman in a long long time. It was between him and Lara.

Notable others- Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher, Peter Taylor and Paul Ince.

[Spikey M]

None of the United lot offering Paul Ince a nod. Racists.

[Lewis]

Have you seen the state of Zimbabwe?

[Offshore Toon]

Pete Sampras - he was awesome for a long time. That serve and volley game, his personally on the court . Amazing to watch.

Roger Federer - then Roger came along and he's been unbelievable. Probably the greatest sportsman ever.

Usain Bolt - immense. His first gold was one of the most amazing spectacles and then to follow it up with the 200 and the years after.

Cristiano Ronaldo - or Messi - have managed to completely destroy records and set new norms. I don't want two footballers in this so I'm going for Ronaldo. He's worked incredibly hard to get from that young shite haired teenager at united to the God of football he is today.

Sachin Tendulkar - hard choice but arguably the best batsman in a long long time. It was between him and Lara.

Notable others- Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher, Peter Taylor and Paul Ince.
Giggles has cursed the board.

[Spikey M]

Fucking Shakespeare.

[Reg]

Fair point from Magic so I've added reasons.

High five for Ronaldinho and Beckham, dino. How come the other three?

[randomlegend]

Lance Armstrong

Uwotmate?

[Lewis]

He won the Tour de France (fucking Tour de Lance mate) seven times in a row.

[Disco]

He had a weight advantage though.

[Reg]

But he didn't really win it 7 times, did he?

[Disco]

Of course he did, I watched it on telly.

[Lewis]

Who did win it from 1999-2005 then?

[Disco]

You could give them all to Jan Ullrich but he was on the same stuff as everyone else.

[Lewis]

https://s3.postimg.org/6kymyl11v/dope_2377780a.jpg

Well done Joseba Beloki, who was only implicated - but never charged - over his purely financial involvement with that Spanish bloke who was doping half of the world.

Lance Armstrong. :cool:

[Spikey M]

As with all professional sports - just let hem all take whatever gear they want. They all find loopholes and new drugs to get around the rules anyway.

[Shindig]

Ah, Cadel Evans. What an odd looking and odd sounding man.

[Magic]

Difficult one. I'm going to keep this to current ones or in my lifetime to prevent shit like JESSE OWENS LOLLOL.

I guess:

Andy Murray: Finally a Scotsman who isn't a complete bottling cunt. Seems to be a genuine bloke, the Wimbledon thing was awesome. Plus if bitter weirdos like Faghow hate him all the more reason to love him.

Gordon Shedden: Again another successful Scot. He is a wee bit of an arsehole having worked with him in a business capacity but he's entitled to be, I suppose. Still one of the most electrifying touring car drivers I've ever seen.

VR46: who can't admire him? He is simply beyond reproach. That age and still at the absolute top level is absolutely fucking incredible, to be honest. Domestically Shakey Byrne has to be in with a shout, a wee bit older and still as competitive as anyone.

Chris Hoy: Lol theme developing...but we have nothing else! What a beast of a man, how can you not respect someone who could generate enough electricity to power a small city for 3 weeks with their thighs.

Mo Farah: Another Olympian. I just think what he's done is simply awesome. The training, drive, and his age too. Yes he has the lolethopia genes but he had a rough time. Good lad. Plenty to admire, thought about Bolt but he's not BRITISH.

[Offshore Toon]

Difficult one. I'm going to keep this to current ones or in my lifetime to prevent shit like...

We cannae read either now. :nono:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Brian Lara - high backlift, could place the ball where the fuck he wanted, had both flair and temperament, every shot in the book, best batsman I've seen (sadly no Indians here to seethe at such a statement).

Shane Warne - is a total idiot/wanker/loon, but as a cricketer was the closest I've seen to genius in terms of being able to conceive of, and execute, things that other people simply could not have done.

Ayrton Senna - he died when I was six, but still counts for 'my lifetime' and as with Warne he was able to do things beyond perfection. I think Disco on here once described it as 'backing himself against the laws of physics' and that's exactly what it was.

Tiger Woods played the best golf that ever has been, or will be played. He didn't do it for as long as Jack Nicklaus so in my view loses that particular argument, but he revolutionised a sport which might otherwise have drifted into tartan-trousered irrelevance. He also had a unique presence and charisma on the course that probably won him half his majors.

Didier Drogba. The ultimate man for the big occasion. Such a massive personality and when he fancied it, he'd just take sole charge of the game and steamroller the opposition. Also seemed to be able to rally the whole squad at times and for long periods, I think, was pseudo-manager. Arsenal were always set up for this to happen which made it even more entertaining. How many goals in cup finals, 13 or something? And the equaliser in Munich which was the greatest header of all time, matching Pele's against Italy in 1970.

Honourable mentions to Ronnie O'Sullivan, Damon Hill, Mika Hakkinen, Michael Johnson (the runner, not the fat footballer), Rory McIlroy, Lewis Hamilton, Didier Drogba and Misbah-ul-Haq.

[Magic]

Interesting I've not picked any footballers, because they are all dense cunts. Also fuck Messi and Ronaldo for tax reasons.

[Offshore Toon]

That's a good list from Jimmy.

[Pepe]

Hard to make a list, I don't care much for athletes, but here it goes:

Cuauhtemoc Blanco: He is a fucking legend (did you know he is the mayor of Cuernavaca? Of course he fucking is.) He was such a great player and how much everyone hated on him made it all the better. Sure, he was an arse, but so what? The dude came from the most crime infested neighborhood in Mexico City and became the most popular player in the most hated club. What did you expect? Shat all over Ronaldinho, etc.

Alex Zanardi: He was one of the best drivers of the CART era. But that's not why he is on the list. He is on the list because on his last year of racing, when he was preparing to retire and sail his boat around the world with his family, he crashed and lost his fucking legs. Did he cry himself to death? No he didn't. On the anniversary of the crash he got back on that car and completed the laps he had missed. Not a parade either, his best lap would have earned him 7th or so during qualification. Now he wins gold medals in the Paralympics pushing his hand-bike around. That's how you face a tragedy.

Valentino Rossi: Not much to say here, really. He basically made what MotoGP is now. Watching him race was genuinely the most exciting racing you could ever witness.

Now it gets tough...

Angel Reyna: He was really good for two (non-consecutive) seasons. Average to good the rest of his career. A total wanker. I don't know, I enjoyed watching him play, plus that season were he was top goalscorer was enjoyable.

Now it gets really tough...

Julio Cesar Chavez I guess. I was a bit too young when he was at his best, but I remember what an event it was whenever he fought. Proper warrior. If not, maybe Jose Saturnino Cardozo. He is the only football player that genuinely made me scared (lol) whenever America played Toluca. I just knew he would don us, and he always did. Worst was that time during the playoffs. Cunt had been injured but came on with twenty minutes to go during the second leg. Of course he scored. Not many strikers finer than him out there.

[Giggles]

And there was me leaving off no mark ones from here you'd never have heard of, and then two of you go and put in a motorbiker.

[GS]

Who did win it from 1999-2005 then?

I broadly take a view on this that the rest of them were almost certainly on the gear at the same time, ergo he still won on a reasonably level playing field. I'm sure you'd find a few nobodies who weren't on the gear and now periodically haunt various news publications to talk about it the pressure they were put under, but who cares.

[Magic]

Valentino Rossi: Not much to say here, really. He basically made what MotoGP is now. Watching him race was genuinely the most exciting racing you could ever witness.

It is though, isn't it. Generally once you are passed by a faster bike that's it unless you've been fucking about or trying to control the race and fail miserably, but with Rossi he doesn't know when he's beaten. Stunning stuff.

'snap straight back'

[Pen]

I don't really care enough about other sports to include anyone else than footballers, so here's my list of five with only footballers.

1. Jari Litmanen: Absolutely uncontested at the top. By far the best footballer we've ever had and really the only one from Finland who was truly WORLD CLASS.

2. Ruud van Nistelrooy: Don't think I would have him as high as I do if it wasn't for the fact that his time at United collided with the time when I was probably the most into football. Absolutely loved him at United.

3. Ronaldinho: Pretty much for the reasons Reg listed. He just made football look fun.

4. Francesco Totti: Always loved the fact he never left Rome even though he could've gone anywhere he wanted in his prime. Brilliant to watch and again it helps that his heyday was during the time where football was the best for me.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo: The last player who's fanboy I was. Came to United when I was sixteen and ever since his debut against Bolton I thought he was the best thing ever since Litmanen. Should probably be higher on the list really, but the others aside from Ronaldinho we're playing during an era when football just was much more exciting.

edit: Should really have Ronaldinho in fifth and Totti and Cristiano Ronaldo one place higher.

[Pepe]

It is though, isn't it. Generally once you are passed by a faster bike that's it unless you've been fucking about or trying to control the race and fail miserably, but with Rossi he doesn't know when he's beaten. Stunning stuff.

'snap straight back'

That pass on the corkscrew. :drool:

Regarding Lance Armstrong: I didn't follow cycling at the time so I don't give a shit about him. I love the reactions he causes over here though. It is either 'he is the anti-christ, he betrayed us!' or 'he is the best there has ever been. I don't care what anyone says, I saw him win those Tours!' *kisses Livestrong bracelet*

[Jimmy Floyd]

Winning the cycle races on drugs doesn't make Lance a twat, as everyone did, but forming a Christ image around himself in the process does.

[Pepe]

And the whole suing people and ruining LeMond and whatever. I still don't give a shit.

[Ian]

I'm going to have to try and think up some rules for myself here, or maybe do more than one list, because I keep trying to write one and then go "But... ugh, he's such a dreadful person" or whatever.

[Shindig]

Oh, I forgot about Alex Zanardi. That man's an inspiration. Back to Rossi, I remember when Marquez burst onto the scene and I thought he could eclipse Valentino. I look at him now and, there's such a gulf between them this season. Like his bubble burst or something. I was expecting Rossi's return to Yamaha to be some kind of swansong where he'd play second fiddle to someone before bowing out. He's still going. He's still challenging for race wins and pushing records further out of reach.

On top of that, he makes the rivalries he's had what they are. The Gibernau curse, the way he broke Casey Stoner and Max Biaggi. It's something you may only get to see once in a lifetime.

[Lewis]

He was obviously a sociopath, but he won those races fair and square.

[Reg]

Whether everybody else was on drugs is immaterial, it's a list of your favourite athletes - so why include a cheater?

I can understand the experiences were enjoyable at the time, but if one of my favourite all-time athletes was proven to have cheated those memories would be completely tainted for me.

[Lewis]

If everyone was cheating, nobody was cheating, so you're just left with the donnage.

[Kikó]

Read Tyler Hamilton's book. It's not as simple as everyone cheats= everyone equal. Lance is a bully and a twat.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Mine with reasons:

Ruud Van Nistelrooy - He's my favourite ever player to don the red shirt. He was just great to watch and just seemed to score for fun. His tenure was also when my enthusiasm for the sport was at it's peak.

Stone Cold Steve Austin - He was the WWE during the Attitude Era, he was almost the perfect embodiment of a wrestler. I was hooked on wrestling at that time and it was pretty much completely down to the Stone Cold.

Pete Sampras - Pistol Pete had a leg up being Greek but his style of play fully cemented himself as my favourite tennis player.

Paul Scholes - A close second to Ruud for my favourite united player. He's on the list because on the playground I would always say I was Scholes as I loved the ginger wizard and because I felt I had a shot that was similar to his. The goals he scored were almost always incredible to watch.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - The greatest ever super sub ever. He deserved more starts really because of everything he did, especially for completing the 1999 Champions League comeback.

Honourable mentions go to: Ed Reed (had I gotten into the NFL a season or two before I did he'd be in the top 5), Usain Bolt (what he did in 2008 and 2009 was incredible), The Rock (he was incredible but Stone Cold always edged it for me), Mariusz Pudzianowski (what a don) and to end something left field, Jan Zelezny and Steve Backley (I was MASSIVELY into the Javelin in the 90s and the rivalry they had was great to watch).

[Offshore Toon]

Are we really including wrestlers? Stone WHAT Cold WHAT was incredible, but The Rock was the man. Finally, The Rock, is back in Porrrrrtlaaaand! It's difficult to pick favourites because almost everybody was a don at some stage. Triple H seems a tad underrated, if such a thing is possible in wrestling.

[Disco]

Alex Zanardi also won a Touring Car race with (obviously) just hand controls. Amazing chap. Mine would be:


NIgel Mansell - El Lione, last driver to be picked by Enzo Ferrari. Trolled Nelson Piquet to death in the same car, as good as Senna on his day but with a moustache and many midland cardigans. Hungary 1990(?) was the most dominant performance I've ever seen.

Keith Wood - An absolute fucking warrior who made everyone else better, watch him in the 97 Lions documentary.

Richard Hill - Used to be called God because he was everywhere all the time even back in the day when, unless you were declared clinically dead, you played 80 minutes .

Ayrton Senna - Genius is lobbed around a bit much but the man transcended what the machinery appeared capable of. Survived being a teammate of Gerhard Berger too, even though his briefcase didn't.

Jorge Lorenzo - Not my favourite rider or the best but a complete badass nonetheless. Has won races despite smashing his legs to bits and having to be lifted onto/off his bike. Also rode days after having a metal plate put into his collarbone, got flicked off his bike and landing on it then proceeded to qualify on the first couple of rows.

[Disco]

If you're putting a wrestler in and it isn't Kurt Angle then you're doing something very wrong.

[Lewis]

Read Tyler Hamilton's book. It's not as simple as everyone cheats= everyone equal. Lance is a bully and a twat.

I have. He obviously had more cover, and he was a bully and a twat (like Michael Schumacher who you named), but on the actual bike[s] it was equal.

[niko_cee]

Not really.

Floyd though, what a legend.

[mugbull]

I don't think i've ever met anyone who actually watches or enjoys the fake wrestling, and if I have they hide and repress it

[Lewis]

Meet some non-dweebs, dweeb.

[Mellberg]

That's a good list from Jimmy.

I almost want to put Drogba in because of it. That header he talks of was so inevitable. I'd have been about £300 richer if it wasn't for Bet365's site going tits (went to back him with a couppe of minutes left). Such drive.

Dwight Yorke - Yeah, John Gregory wanted to shoot him, but he went off and won the treble, so fair play to him. I loved him and was devestated when he left, but a brillant player who lit up my childhood. The man knew how to score a goal.

Martin Laursen - I've said it before and I'll repeat it until the day I die, the best centre half in the league at one stage...and that was with Terry, Ferdinand and Vidic in their prime. A complete collosus who would've won some serious trophies at Milan rather than fucking about at the Villa if it weren't for his injuries. His early retirement was devestating and the injury which lead to it probably cost us a place in the Champions League.

Paul McGrath - Centre half who won Player of the Season whilst at Aston Villa. That's how good he was.

Juan Pablo Angel - Worst thing he ever did was move to England. Completely and utterly unsuited to the game and if he'd joined Valencia or someone I'm sure he'd have amounted to more. That year he bagged 23 was an absolute masterclass in cultured football.

Paul Merson - As this list shows, I love a flawed genius, and he was definitely both flawed and a genius. The fucking ability :drool:

Honourable mentions to Mellberg, Savo, Bozzie, Taylor and Saunders. Wanted to name 4 non-Villa players and just have Yorke in there, but it would've been bollocks tbh. No chance I care for anyone outside of football as much as these boys.

[Spoonsky]

Angel was a don in the MLS as well. :cool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Angel's move to Villa was the most on point transfer ever. Hit the absolute sweet spot in the late 90s transition between mysterious foreigners you'd never heard of arriving on our shores and either being mercurially brilliant or crap; and the flood of workaday ready-made players arriving from the continent and forcing the number of English players in the league well below 50% as it remains today. Even now I'm not sure which camp he fell into.

[McAvennie]

Walter Payton - the legend, not just for his awesome rushing yards production but for the sheer grace of his running style, his commitment to being the best, and his genuinely humble nature. And also for being the coolest guy ever on A question of Sport

Derrick Thomas - for me the best pass rusher the NFL has ever seen, helped that he played for the mighty Chiefs

Sebastian Coe - I grew up in the great era of British middle distance running, and Coe was such a fun athlete to watch.

Steve Redgrave - rower, hero, legend

Thierry Henry - always thought he was a phenomenal player and then I got to see him play from close up and he was just amazing - speed, grace, skill.

[John Arne]

Jonathan Edwards

Tiger Woods

Pete Sampras

Michael Schumacher

Lionel Messi

[hfswjyr]

Dan Carter - followed his career from his first test to his last. Anybody who ever watched him knew he was going to be something special. And he was.

Ryan Giggs - my favourite kind of player. Doesn't have to be spectacular. A professional who gave the game his all.

Brendon McCullum - I was very much doubtful when he took over the NZ captaincy, but he somehow changed how we (and arguably the world?) played the game. Aggressive, and unapologetic. NZ became an exciting cricket side, for perhaps the first time ever.

Stacey Jones - grew up watching the little general on TV. The Warriors have never gone anywhere, but for nostalgia sake he was the best of them.

Honestly can't think of a 5th.

[-james-]

Fair point from Magic so I've added reasons.

High five for Ronaldinho and Beckham, dino. How come the other three?

I nearly went for Zidane or someone over Muller as someone who's just pleasing to watch but Muller seems like a nice chap to boot. I'm not sure there's anyone I'd rather have on my team.

Katsouranis as the token Euro 2004 member and because he was the last of that lot to retire and probably the last good player Greece will ever have.

Blanka Vlasic for being the finest female specimen ever spawned and because I don't know enough about tennis or darts or whatever to have an actual entry from a different sport.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why won't Greece have a good player again?

[SincereTheRebel]

Wladimir Klitschko
Manny Pacquioa
Floyd Mayweather
Tony Hawk
Ronaldinho

[Magic]

Oh Lordy, Totti, Zidane, Maldini, Bergkamp are all contenders for THE LIST.

[-james-]

Why won't Greece have a good player again?

Goalpost tax.

[ItalAussie]

The football list:

Pavel Nedved
Alessandro Del Piero
Gianluigi Buffon
Dennis Bergkamp
Andrea Pirlo

The non-football list:

Adam Gilchrist
Mike Hussey
Ian Thorpe
Sally Pearson
Tim Duncan

No particular order implied in either case.

[Adramelch]

Tim Duncan is such a great call. Great player and from the looks of it a great person too.

[ItalAussie]

Tim Duncan is such a great call. Great player and from the looks of it a great person too.

Probably my favourite sportsperson of any stripe in the world outside of those played for Juventus.