Top athlete/memory of London Olympics

Hey Poin, did Manky steal your log-in?

 

Who wins sportsperson of the year?

 

Jetes will be the first woman in Cooperstown

 

Phelps, and maybe Bolt.

Of course, it won't sell a lot of mags. Federer could work.

And then there is LeBron.

 

LeBron wins. Sheds the choker/loser label. Makes good on his championship promise (well, at least one of them). Is the undisputed leader of the U.S. gold medal team and takes charge down the stretch in a tight game to do it. Reconstructs his image to the point people actually like him again.

I cannot imagine anyone beating him. I guess maybe Phelps because he's called it a career, but I'd guess it's James.

 

1. Bolt
2. The final two controversial (to say the least) U.S. women's soccer matches.
3. Phelps
4. Mo Farrah and David Rudisah in the distance events.
5. U.S. vs. Italy in team archery to kick off the games was awesome.
6. Jordan Burroughs in wrestling. Is on a crazy winning streak and has something like 1 loss in three years.
7. Kim Rhode, first American to win medals in 5 straight Olympics.
8. Ryan Lochte as the most over-hyped athlete at the games.

 

U.S. vs. Italy in team archery to kick off the games was awesome.

I caught that. Fantastic.

 

I think you have to give it to an Olympian in an Olympic year and while I know LeBron won a Gold, let's not pretend that was as tough to come by as some of the other Olympic medals

It would not surprise me if James is the pick. He'll magazines and as you mentioned, he won the title, he won the gold.

I would vote for Douglas or Pistorious.

 

Your premise -- that an Olympian must win in an Olympic year -- is flawed.

Phelps won in 2008, but before that? 2004: Boston Red Sox. 2000: Tiger Woods. 1996: Tiger Woods. 1992: Arthur Ashe. 1988: Orel Hershiser.

You have to go back to '84 to get to another Olympic pick in a Summer Olympic year -- Edwin Moses and Mary Lou Retton. The only other one in SI's history was the U.S. 1980 hockey team.

I'm sticking with my prediction: LeBron James.

 

Pistorious. And it shouldn't be close. If he were American he'd be Senator in November.

 

Hell, Pistorious could probably be elected POTUS.

 

He's probably too smart for that.