Best Athlete

Wasn't the winner of the gold medal in the decathlon supposed to be considered the best athlete on the planet?

I'm probably the only one who will vote hockey, but I did so with good reason Every atribute you could name to make a top athlete is recquired in hockey. Plus they do it on two blades an eighth of an inch thick. The season also lasts eight months of the year and playing three games in four nights is not uncommon. No six or seven days in between games.

 

Very tough sport. I respect the athletes and I really learned to appreciate it. But it just doesn't test athletic ability in nearly as many areas as soccer, football, basketball, boxing, hockey and I'm sure I could come up with a few others if I took the time.

But I'll give wrestling one thing. It belongs above golf.

 

I agree that it's tough to settle it...impossible, really. I will say this. If you took Bolt and LeBron and tested them head-to-head on a variety of sports that require various athletic abilities, I'm putting my money on LeBron winning all of them except the sprint. Then again, I've never seen Bolt do anything else but run, so maybe it's not a fair comparison

 

I'd like to see Rafael Nadal in that competition, as well. Tennis has never had an athlete like him.

 

First of all, there is no answer to this because each sport requires different skills.
Second, great athletes -- LeBron, Bo Jackson, et al ... are great athletes regradless of their sport.
Third, anyone who says footbal players in just insane. I see a bunch of 350-pound offensive lineman with flab hanging over their waist. They're great athletes?
Fourth, the best athletes in track and field are pole vaulters and decathletes. Do we know that Usain Bolt can do anything but run fast?
Fifht: Golfers don't have to be athletes. Is Phil Mickelson an athlete?

 

I love you. There, I said it.

 

On the list provided, (1) boxers and (2) basketball players.

 

Hockey. Ain't even close.

Requires the hand-eye of baseball, the stamina of basketball and the physicality of football.

Oh, and you have to do it on skates where the players are travelling around 25 mph.

 

I am not a big hockey fan, but I think JR nailed it.

 

I'll add that hitting a baseball is the most difficult challenge in all sports, bar none. .

 

Boxing, and amateur wrestling would be right there.

 

Except the golf ball is stationary.

What's that old cliche about baseball? If you're successful 3 times out of 10, you're a star.