Charles McGrath and Michael Sokolove debate if golf Tiger Woods is the greatest athlete ever. Tiger is impressive. My vote is for either Wayne Gretzky or Babe Ruth. Both athletes changed the way their sports were played and dominated statistically. They transcended their sports. Ruth made baseball the national past-time. People may not follow hockey, but they know who Wayne Gretzky is. Muhammad Ali has these qualities. Sadly, Ali lost the three best years of his career fighting the Vietnam draft.
Woods accomplishments will only become more staggering. He is easier to admire than like. It's hard to root for someone so devoid of charisma and lacking opponents with the same intensity. Does Phil Mickelson or Sergio Garcia scare anyone? Jack Nicklaus had Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson.
Readers, tell me if you agree or disagree.
Babe Ruth effected the play baseball was managed and how hitters were judged, but it could be argued that Cy Young had a bigger effect on the game -- pitchers like him changed the actual field. Before Young, the pitcher's mound was 50 someodd feet away from the plate. But because Young's fastball was so fast, the mound got moved back to 66 feet just to give hitters a chance. So they couldn't even manage against Young without literally changing the rules and the field -- he was that good.
ReplyDelete"Babe Ruth effected the WAY baseball was..." rather.
ReplyDeleteI love me some tiger woods. mainly because his dad was such a strong influence on him and because when they tried to race bait him and get him to jump on the racism train he told them to fuck off in so many words.
ReplyDeleteTiger for president.
I think he's a class act.
BUT. I have the video of gretzky performing (my best friend is canadian her mom was THERE dude!!!) and so I vote for that as the most amazing moment because I've seen it.
Other than that I think they're equal.
And what tas said because ... i bow to his baseball acumen and i like the babe and i like the candy bar and i like the legends to STICK.
For me, no matter what, arnold palmer will always be the king of golf.
Doesn't matter what tiger does.
Which I hope is somewhere in there a half assed answer to your question.
good question.