Top 25...

[lithera]

ESPN is 25 years old and they're polling to see who the top 25 athletes of that time period are. I can't seem to rank them but people who would have to be on my list are:

Wayne Gretzky
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Larry Bird
Carl Lewis
Lance Armstrong
Barry Sanders
Michael Jordan
Magic Johnson
Sugar Ray Leonard
Martina Navratilova
Alberto Tomba


If it weren't limited to 25 years I'd have to put Marc Spitz on there.

Comments

[lithera.livejournal.com]

I didn't see the limitation at all. I don't know enough about soccer to know who deserves to be on the list and who doesn't.

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

There are, of course, a bunch of American soccer players who people could argue about. But Maradona pretty much won a World Cup singlehandedly, scoring what are probably the two most famous goals ever in the process. Only his drug habits and busts later keep him from being universally praised as Pele's equal.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Keen. I'm looking total package so the drug busts do hurt him but he can be on my top 25.

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

Oh, duh! Michelle Akers and Mia Hamm.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Mia! I should have thought of Mia on my own. Especially since I just saw a picture of her. Michelle too.

I'm trying to think of any skaters or gymnasts who might be on here.

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

The big names were Mary Lou Retton and Kerri Strug. The former may actually deserve it, too. Oh, and Brian Boitano.

gamethyme and I will push for Brian Bosworth.

And Hulk Hogan.

[princessgeek.livejournal.com]

Scott Hamilton.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Ooooh. Is he within 25 years?

[princessgeek.livejournal.com]

Yeah, 1984 Olympics.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Keen.

Nadia Comaneci makes it for the 80 Olympics, though only just.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

*laughs*

I was thinking Boitano. There were the Brian wars for a few years. Mary Lou Retton perhaps. The 25 years is limiting for gymnasts.

Katerina Witt?

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

Witt is European.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

I'm ignoring that one, personally. I'd have to take Tomba off. Bah, I say.

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

It's a tricky thing. With the NHL, especially, so stacked with Europeans, do you let themin because they played in the U.S.? If so, does that clear the way for foreigners who played in other leagues, such as Ichiro and Etchverry? What about all the players in the 1994 World Cup?

If you're going to go worldwide, you can't ignore Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, and probably Paolo Maldini, and Peter Schmiechel, and Eric Cantona, and Luis Figo, and Carlos Valderrama and Marco Etcheverry and Jorge Luis Chilavert.

Also, within the North American sphere, Akebono. The first non-Japanese to make a splash in sumo wrestling, and he's one of ours. The other guy, Musashimaru?, was pretty cool too, but it was Akebono who was really The Man.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Akebono is a good call.

Maybe I will limit it, then but that seems such a shame, really.

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

And when I say "you" in the first one, I mean ESPN, since they're the one imposing the NA restriction, not you.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

I got it. Not me specific but.. Yeah, got it.

The world thing is all crazy, like. Hrm.

This is rough. I don't think I know enough about sports, really, to say. Though I think, for the NA restriction, if you move here to play and you're here over half the year for playing, you should count.

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

That would at least exclude people who were here for a month for the World Cup or Olympics and then left. I have an aversion to that rule for soccer reasons, though - Marco Etchverry owns a house here, his kids are in our schools, he lives here year-round pretty much... but he plays for Bolivia. That makes him South American in my head.

With hockey, the international competition isn't as important.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmm. I don't know. How would you rule it?

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

I guess on nationality, defined as national-team eligibility. If you would play for the United States or Canada, you're in.

Then you just have to worry about Hakeem Olajuwon, the big cheater, who has played for two different countries in the Olympics. (He played on Nigeria's soccer team and the U.S. basketball team.)

Oh, also, Jorge Campos, the Mexican goalkeeper. I'm guessing not a single Mexican will make the list.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

That works for me.

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

No, it's right theree on the voting page. Greatest North American athletes.

Which makes so much sense, since it's not like the fans voting have any idea about athletes not from here.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Bah, I say. I'm ignoring that, then, personally.

[thezzyzx.livejournal.com]

Ripken is on that list!?!?!


Outside of a stupid streak that cost his team a lot, he really wasn't all that special.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Yeah. He wouldn't be on mine, I'll tell you that.

[thezzyzx.livejournal.com]

the problem with that list is that there are too many people I hate (Shaq, Emmitt Smith, Cal "Drink your milk" Ripken) because of who they played for to make me want to choose them.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

My problems with those guys aren't teams, I can tell you that. I just don't think they have the all around package. I'm counting style and personality and... Well, maybe Emmitt.