Ruth, Jordan, Gretzky,....???

[Northern Star]

Who's the football player to complete the list of generally-regarded best players of all time?

[a700hitter]

I'd say that a good choice for the Football player would be Jim Brown, but I can't go along with Michael Jordan.

[iortiz]

I think we should add Maradona and Pele.

[iortiz]

My top sport players are Maradona (just because I didn't have the opportunity to watch Pele and would be so difficult to me to change my opinion), Jordan, Montana and Ruth. Edited February 13, 2015 by iortiz

[seabeachfred]

Who's the football player to complete the list of generally-regarded best players of all time?

 

You heard it from my pal 700Hitter.....JIM BROWN. I would put Jerry Rice up there as a fairly close second.

[Spudboy]

I'd say that a good choice for the Football player would be Jim Brown, but I can't go along with Michael Jordan.

 

Good choice Ted.

 

My guess is that some of the younger members of the board have no idea how great Jim Brown was.

 

The same goes for Bobby Orr who changed how hockey was played and viewed.

 

And Jordan was only the best player of all time if you have never used a rotary phone. And I do not care one whit what poles say.

[Spudboy]

You heard it from my pal 700Hitter.....JIM BROWN. I would put Jerry Rice up there as a fairly close second.

 

 

Rice is a cheater.

 

No way in hell he is the best FB player of all time regardless.

[a700hitter]

Good choice Ted.

 

My guess is that some of the younger members of the board have no idea how great Jim Brown was.

 

The same goes for Bobby Orr who changed how hockey was played and viewed.

 

And Jordan was only the best player of all time if you have never used a rotary phone. And I do not care one whit what poles say.

Yep, Orr did change hockey. He is at the top of a very short list.

[Spudboy]

Yep, Orr did change hockey. He is at the top of a very short list.

 

And I mean no disrespect of Gordy Howe!!!!

[Bellhorn04]

Ruth, Jordan, Orr and Jim Brown

 

Hockey is:

 

1 Orr

2 Howe

3 Gretzky

[mvp 78]

Russell, Ruth, Orr, Brown

[Spudboy]

Russell, Ruth, Orr, Brown

 

That sounds about right.

 

I'm sure people will argue "different eras man".

[User Name]

I'd argue Bonds over Ruth, roids or no roids. *Hides in corner*.

[Bellhorn04]

I'd argue Bonds over Ruth, roids or no roids. *Hides in corner*.

 

Now picture Ruth on roids.

[User Name]

Now picture Ruth on roids.

 

The fact that he played in a league that didn't allow black people or Latinos in it ARE his roids. Talent pool was significantly thinned out.

[Bellhorn04]

The fact that he played in a league that didn't allow black people or Latinos in it ARE his roids. Talent pool was significantly thinned out.

 

Fair point.

[cp176]

I think that that is a very fair point. I would probably still go with Ruth just from a historical perspective but there are other candidates. Mays? or maybe even the greatest hitter of all time.

Orr

 

Russell

 

My first thought is Jim Brown but I might also consider Lawrence Taylor. Without him, left tackles would not be making the $ they are today. He changed the game and redefined a position.

[Dojji]

The fact that he played in a league that didn't allow black people or Latinos in it ARE his roids. Talent pool was significantly thinned out.

 

 

True, but there were also fewer teams. So thinned out on one end, concentrated on the other. Which end of the balance you lean on is almost a matter of opinion, although considering the vast number of talented baseball playing hispanics in particular these days, it's hard to argue that it truly cancels out.

[User Name]

And African Americans, and Asians.

[Palodios]

True, but there were also fewer teams. So thinned out on one end, concentrated on the other. Which end of the balance you lean on is almost a matter of opinion, although considering the vast number of talented baseball playing hispanics in particular these days, it's hard to argue that it truly cancels out.

 

There was also only 100 million people in the US, versus 300 million -- plus you have a large population in Japan, DR, Cuba, etc.

[mvp 78]

Bonds wore body armor to the plate. He's vetoed.

[mvp 78]

Plus, Ruth was also a lights out pitcher.

[a700hitter]

There was also only 100 million people in the US, versus 300 million -- plus you have a large population in Japan, DR, Cuba, etc.

 

Life expectancies were about almost 20 years less in 1930 than today.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Wayne Gretzky holds more records in his sport than most of the great players in other sports COMBINED. Most of his records will likely never be broken. I can entertain 'best of all time' arguments in football and baseball (I don't give the tiniest s*** about basketball), but not hockey. Wayne Gretzky is THE hockey player. If you had a baseball player as good as Gretzky was at hockey, he would have a lifetime batting average of about .700 and be the HR king, RBI leader, walks leader, and also have thrown five perfect games.

[Youk Of The Nation]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_career_achievements_by_Wayne_Gretzky

 

This list is just mind-boggling.

[Bellhorn04]

Gretzky was a scoring machine, no doubt about it.

 

Orr gets the nod from most people because he was the greater all-around player. He was dominant at both ends of the rink. Orr led the NHL in points scored twice as a defenceman.

[mvp 78]

Gretzky also played in an era where scoring was out of control. His numbers are grossly inflated.

[a700hitter]

Different eras. Or transformed the game but his career was much too short. Gretzky wasn't a product of a scoring explosion. His numbers even in that context are in a different universe. He like Orr would do things that you just couldn't believe what you had seen. He had the best instincts of any player that I have seen. It was like he had eyes in the back of his head. Edited February 14, 2015 by a700hitter

[Spudboy]

I've been watching sports for nearly six decades.

 

I've seen all these athletes perform.

 

Not one of them could dominate and even CONTROL a game the way Bobby Orr did.

 

It's not even close.

[a700hitter]

I've been watching sports for nearly six decades.

 

I've seen all these athletes perform.

 

Not one of them could dominate and even CONTROL a game the way Bobby Orr did.

 

It's not even close.

Agreed. I don't think anyone goes above him on the list, but Gretzky is right there with him. He didn't skate like Orr and wasn't explosive like Orr, but he did control the game and he simply obliterated the record book.