GQ's Top 25 Coolest Athletes

Feb issue of GQ has a list of what they term the "Top 25 Coolest Athletes" of all time. Hard to argue with most but also some that jump out. Don't see Iverson, Knieval , Turner at the expense of Rivera, Koufax, Lefleur.

Might have also considered Bill Russell, Hank Aaron.

Sanderson is interesting choice but I would have gone Lefleur.
Also would have considered Jack Lambert for football.

It's interesting that most of list seems like they had their heyday from late 60's/ early 70's.

Here is list by sport:

Football: Brady, Jim Brown, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler

Baseball: Bob Gibson, Tim Lincecum

Football and baseball: Bo Jackson

Basketball: Julius Erving, Walt Frazier, Allan Iverson, Michael Jordan, Pete Maravich

Tennis: Arthur Ashe, Bjorn Borg

Auto racing: Mario Andretti

Boxing: Muhammad Ali

Golf: Arnold Palmer, Gary Player

Hockey: Derek Sanderson

Soccer: George Best, Pele

Skiing: Jean-Claude Killy

Surfing: Kelly Slater

Yachting/Media moguling: Ted Turner

Crashing while trying to jump over stuff on a motorcycle: Evel Knievel

 

What?

This is the definition of cool, my friend:

 

I'd have to agree. Also, the '60s and '70s were just a cooler time. Basically when lapels started to get narrow, so did society and so did sports.

Lincecum? Is that really felt nationwide? I know he's a rock star out here but I guess I wasn't sure he had that kind of following. Figured they'd have Jeter as the modern-day guy.

 

I never heard of the skiing guy, so Lincecum, Turner & Iverson are the ones that seem off.

 

Cool Papa Bell.

 

Joe Montana = Joe Cool

 

If beating up women is cool, Jim Brown is Miles Davis.

 

You've never heard of Jean-Claude Killy?

I'm feeling old.

 

I'm no kid, so if you're saying that to me, you might be.

 

How the hell can you leave The Cannibal, Eddy Merckx, off the list?

 

I was slightly stunned too you'd never heard of Killy. The guy was the Tiger Woods (the good version) of his sport, and though it was many years ago, he's been involved in the Olympics and the IOC since then. Any self-respecting sports journalist should at least be aware of the guy.

 

If by cool you mean drunken bumbling fool with more money than sense, Ted Turner fits the bill.