Author Topic: Most exciting athletes ever? (Read 4478 times)

soxfan · « **on:** August 24, 2013, 07:50:48 am »

Who made you jump out of your seat at a stadium or arena? Who made you refrain from leaving the room when they were on TV, for fear of missing them do something spectacular? Who were the most exciting athletes you've seen in your lifetime? They don't necessarily have to be "the best" players of all time, though most will be. Some might have been flawed, prone to underachievement, but capable of doing athletic things most of their peers couldn't do.

Here's a few to start it off (and these four were certainly "the best" as well as exciting in their prime).

Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/MSDw3tMa7ec?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/MSDw3tMa7ec?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0</a>

Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/rn3OSbr0fJc?hl=en_US&amp;version=3&amp;rel=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/rn3OSbr0fJc?hl=en_US&amp;version=3&amp;rel=0</a>

Mike Tyson

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/7agMuy63-50?hl=en_US&amp;version=3&amp;rel=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/7agMuy63-50?hl=en_US&amp;version=3&amp;rel=0</a>

Ronaldo

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Au7C_cwcuCU?hl=en_US&amp;version=3&amp;rel=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/Au7C_cwcuCU?hl=en_US&amp;version=3&amp;rel=0</a>

Mercer · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2013, 08:43:35 am »

Gazza; Nigel Benn and Martin Offiah (When he played for Wigan Warriors) spring immediately to mind.

Pheeny · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2013, 08:47:41 am »

Cram,Coe,Ovett and Daley Thomas

Millie · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2013, 09:20:00 am »

Mohammed Ali
Ovett and Coe
Pretty much any 100m runner at the top of their game

marko35s · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2013, 09:54:59 am »

Coe, Ovett, Daley Thompson and Eddie the Eagle.

planet-terror · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2013, 10:08:13 am »

THE BEAST OF BIRMINGHAM,,BENTEKE

elsewhere · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2013, 10:28:35 am »

Lebron James

Millie · « **Reply #7 on:** August 24, 2013, 12:20:47 pm »

oh and mustn't forget the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team

kaz1983 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 24, 2013, 12:50:46 pm »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNReN6hMmeQ

Kochevnik · « **Reply #9 on:** August 24, 2013, 04:28:47 pm »

For me it would have to be either the American football/baseball player Bo Jackson or Ronaldo.

No coincidence that both of them had major injury problems throughout their career; I honestly don't think that their tendons/joints could hold up to the amazing torque and fast-twitch speed their muscles could produce. Usually the limiting factor is in the capability of the muscles to react quickly enough to nervous signals, but at the very ragged end of the bell curve of athletic ability it can actually happen that a very few men are so quick and agile that they put more strain on the joints than they can handle.

There is a legendary story (no video evidence) that Bo Jackson actually broke his bat once while checking his swing; if you know anything about baseball, that is absolutely amazing if true. He also ran a 4.12 seconds in the 40 yard dash that is used by American football scouts to measure pace (for comparison, a player who runs a 4.4 is usually considered very pacy). At the top of two professional sports at the same time, if you can imagine. He had a combination of power, balance and pace that I thought would never be equaled.

Until, that is, Ronaldo burst onto the scene. Similarly an absolutely mesmerising player to watch. Just head and shoulders, athletically, above everyone else on the pitch with him.

RedInside · « **Reply #10 on:** August 24, 2013, 04:40:45 pm »

Andre Agassi, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Wilt Chamberlain, Usain Bolt, Mike Tayson...

And obviously Michael Jordan

Lynndenberries · « **Reply #11 on:** August 24, 2013, 05:10:46 pm »

Bo Jackson

Macphisto80 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 24, 2013, 05:14:51 pm »

Carlton Palmer.

J_Kopite · « **Reply #13 on:** August 24, 2013, 05:24:40 pm »

Ronaldinho from 2004-2007 has got to be up there for me

Zlen · « **Reply #14 on:** August 24, 2013, 05:25:39 pm »

Quote from: J_Kopite on August 24, 2013, 05:24:40 pm

Ronaldinho's got to be up there for me

Really was something else for a while.

rafathegaffa83 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 24, 2013, 05:27:04 pm »

In terms of hockey, Gretzky, Lemieux, Fedorov in his Red Wings days, Bure in his Vancouver pomp. Ken Griffey Jr when he was with the Mariners. John Barnes.

child-in-time · « **Reply #16 on:** August 24, 2013, 06:05:24 pm »

Senna and Phelps definitely. I have a soft spot for Bode Miller, Jeremy Wariner and Allyson Felix as well.

please, I have my reasons for it but... · « **Reply #17 on:** August 24, 2013, 06:21:08 pm »

Roger during his pomp, nothing he can't do.

astowell1 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 24, 2013, 06:40:34 pm »

Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, Ronaldo and Usain Bolt all take some beating.

Earl of Dingleberry · « **Reply #19 on:** August 24, 2013, 07:10:39 pm »

Joe Cole, the English Messi.

Hazell · « **Reply #20 on:** August 24, 2013, 07:31:57 pm »

Non footballing wise, I remember watching Michael Johnson annihilate everyone in the 1996 Olympics, in both the 200m and 400m:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/v2W_T77vwfQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/v2W_T77vwfQ</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/6FEh7hDpGp0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/6FEh7hDpGp0</a>

StrikingMidfield · « **Reply #21 on:** August 24, 2013, 08:01:02 pm »

Ronaldinho in his prime for sure. Ronaldo (he who fannies about and dives around or the "original" honestly, both world class players). Sure there's some others that I'm not remembering at the moment, but those are the ones that spring to mind. Good idea for a thread.

Crosby Nick · « **Reply #22 on:** August 24, 2013, 08:01:28 pm »

Ben Johnson would be a controversial shout! Remember his World Title and Olympic Golds shocking me for their times, soon to be revealed why! That's the first time I remember being stunnned watching someone though.

In terms of real athletes have to be impressed by some of the battles between the recent top 4 tennis players.

I'm not a boxing guru but again childhood memories are the wars between Eubank, Benn and Watson. Great era.

Michael Johnson is a great shout above. New enough unbeatable in his pomp.

B_I_F · « **Reply #23 on:** August 24, 2013, 09:01:08 pm »

I watched Alexander Karelin live in his prime, and oh my god, what an athlete he was!

Kingstopic · « **Reply #24 on:** August 24, 2013, 09:07:39 pm »

Steven Gerrard?

.

Kingstopic · « **Reply #25 on:** August 24, 2013, 09:09:09 pm »

Jonah Lomu got me on the edge of my seat everytime i watched the all blacks.

Max_powers · « **Reply #26 on:** August 24, 2013, 09:10:49 pm »

Sometimes for the wrong reasons but Luis Suarez is probably the most entertaining striker to play for us in 20 years.

armchair-fan · « **Reply #27 on:** August 24, 2013, 11:26:27 pm »

Quote from: Crosby Nick on August 24, 2013, 08:01:28 pm

Ben Johnson would be a controversial shout! Remember his World Title and Olympic Golds shocking me for their times, soon to be revealed why! That's the first time I remember being stunnned watching someone though.

In terms of real athletes have to be impressed by some of the battles between the recent top 4 tennis players.

I'm not a boxing guru but again childhood memories are the wars between Eubank, Benn and Watson. Great era.

Michael Johnson is a great shout above. New enough unbeatable in his pomp.

Would agree with all of that, Ben Johnson - Carl Lewis was a massive rivalry at the time, remember running around the playground trying to recreate it, and amazing to think of all those British middleweights around in the 90s - not to mention getting to watch them all for free on terrestrial TV. And for me, Federer is (almost) always cool as fuck, although I know the absurd 1920s style outfits annoy some people.

However, the only time I recall being literally open mouthed in shock, was watching the 100m final from Beijing in 2008. I thought Powell would win, then to see Bolt do all that pissing around at the start line (I was used to 100m contenders trying to look all hard and scary "focused" at the start), then surging away from the field, starting to celebrate so far from the line, then you see the time he ran - I was stunned. And that was before I'd seen the replay showing his laces were undone.

StrikingMidfield · « **Reply #28 on:** August 24, 2013, 11:32:52 pm »

Quote from: Max_powers on August 24, 2013, 09:10:49 pm

Sometimes for the wrong reasons but Luis Suarez is probably the most entertaining striker to play for us in 20 years.

Very true, it's hard to keep the bum on the couch when he's weaving between defenders like they're standing still.

۩ Imperator ۩ · « **Reply #29 on:** August 24, 2013, 11:42:59 pm »

Now I hate saying this, but...

Michael Owen. 1998-2001 he was electric to watch.

Severely · « **Reply #30 on:** August 25, 2013, 07:15:11 am »

In recent years, Usain Bolt must be up there. Never seen anything like what he accomplished at the Olympics, by anyone, in any sport, at any level. Ridiculous.

Juan Loco · « **Reply #31 on:** August 25, 2013, 07:23:02 am »

Jonah Lomu and Ronaldo, at roughly the same time, playing as similar as two players could in two different sports. Both of them were fucking rapid and players would just bounce off them.

Juan Loco · « **Reply #32 on:** August 25, 2013, 07:32:43 am »

Oh, and Anderson Silva.

Something Awful · « **Reply #33 on:** August 25, 2013, 07:35:01 am »

Quote from: Juan Loco on August 25, 2013, 07:32:43 am

Oh, and Anderson Silva.

Damn you beat me to it.

Bo Jangles · « **Reply #34 on:** August 25, 2013, 08:48:42 am »

Michael Jordan and Shane Warne.

goalrushatgoodison · « **Reply #35 on:** August 25, 2013, 08:57:54 am »

Soon as it saw the thread only one man came to mind - Alf Tupper, the tough of the track.

Banquo's Ghost · « **Reply #36 on:** August 25, 2013, 10:12:58 am »

Without doubt, for me it was Jack Lambert, linebacker for the great Pittsburgh Steeler team of the seventies and eighties. One of the hardest tacklers in the game, and if some of you think Suarez is a crazy genius, you should have seen Jack in his prime. (The only reason he didn't bite opponents was that he had no front teeth, and just his trademark snarl used to ensure widespread soiling of the opposition uniforms). In my view, the best linebacker of all time (I was just too young to really appreciate Butkus in his prime).

Barely missed a game, despite being considered small for a linebacker, mad as hell and an immensely passionate leader. Strong as hell and tackled so hard your fillings came out in the stands, let alone on the field. Some of you oldies might remember the Coke advert where Mean Joe Green gave his shirt to a starstruck young fan - well, Jack once gave me a personal snarl as a young one at Three Rivers and I still treasure the memory.

Aristotle · « **Reply #37 on:** August 25, 2013, 12:50:57 pm »

Pavel Datsyuk.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wQek_SUBNw0?hl=en_US&amp;version=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/wQek_SUBNw0?hl=en_US&amp;version=3</a>

He isn't what you'd normally expect from a top class hockey player. But if there's one player whose highlights I would show to someone to explain why hockey is fun, he's that player.

ALPH1217 · « **Reply #38 on:** August 25, 2013, 12:57:36 pm »

Quote from: The Repeated Meme on August 25, 2013, 10:12:58 am

Without doubt, for me it was Jack Lambert, linebacker for the great Pittsburgh Steeler team of the seventies and eighties. One of the hardest tacklers in the game, and if some of you think Suarez is a crazy genius, you should have seen Jack in his prime. (The only reason he didn't bite opponents was that he had no front teeth, and just his trademark snarl used to ensure widespread soiling of the opposition uniforms). In my view, the best linebacker of all time (I was just too young to really appreciate Butkus in his prime).

Barely missed a game, despite being considered small for a linebacker, mad as hell and an immensely passionate leader. Strong as hell and tackled so hard your fillings came out in the stands, let alone on the field. Some of you oldies might remember the Coke advert where Mean Joe Green gave his shirt to a starstruck young fan - well, Jack once gave me a personal snarl as a young one at Three Rivers and I still treasure the memory.

Great player but not nearly as exciting a linebacker as Lawrence Taylor in his prime.

Danyaals Kop · « **Reply #39 on:** August 25, 2013, 01:38:23 pm »

Shahid Afridi.

Author Topic: Most exciting athletes ever? (Read 4478 times)

Pheeny