A little different spin today. I would love to discuss not the best athlete of all time but the most memorable. The word memorable could mean a lot of different things.
- It could mean they changed their sport like Jackie Robinson, Bill Russell or Joe Montana
- It could mean he did different things on the field or court like Mark Fidrych
- It could mean they were very flamboyant like Hector Camacho
- It could mean they were very confident or over confident like Larry Bird
- It could mean they had an ugly temper like John McEnroe
- It could mean they were soft spoken and just were great like Walter Payton
- It could mean they had amazing celebrations on the field like Chad Ochocinco
Not sure what it means to you so I will let you pick whatever definition you would like.
For me here are a few of my most memorable:
- Arthur Ashe
- Dennis Rodman
- Jimmy Connors
Now your turn:
- Who is the most memorable athlete of all time?
- What do you think of my choices?
- What is your definition?
I look forward to reading your comments.
Rhonda Ellis says:
In my opinion, it is Babe Ruth. I believe you would be hard pressed to find even someone outside of the US or even someone who did not follow baseball who did NOT recognize the name Babe Ruth and know who he was.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Rhonda,
babe Ruth is a great choice. Thanks for responding.
Merrill
Tracy Sanders says:
Without a doubt, even people who do not watch sports, the first name that comes to mind is OJ Simpson for obvious reasons. Some people may not even know he played football, but they know he was an athlete.
Michael Braunberg says:
Bo Jackson. I never saw him live as a football player, but did see him play baseball. He was an improbable hybrid of speed, grace and brawn. A day when I watched him play center field in Yankee stadium may be my most indelible ballpark memory. In the outfield he was The Hulk running like a gazelle. Striking out, he easily snapped his bat over his leg more in annoyance than actual anger (not that I approve of destroying a perfectly good bat). Seeing Jackson play exemplary football on television only added to his surreal mystique. Michael Jordan was amazing, but his failed foray into baseball only underscored Jackson’s place alongside mythical renaissance figures like Babe Ruth, Jim Thorpe, Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson and Jim Brown.
Pele must have been awfully good. Even people who do not know soccer recognize his name.
Muhammad Ali. “Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.”
Merrill Dubrow says:
Michael,
I love your Ali addition – he has to be on the list!
Merrill
howard burack says:
In my opinion there are two people: Jackie Robinson & Muhammad Ali. Even though I never saw Jackie Robinson play, his impact on sport will be eternal. Muhammad Ali was larger than life both in the ring and outside of it as well.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Howard,
You are right Jackie Robinson and Ali for sure make the list.
Thanks.
Merrill
Ed Sugar says:
Growing up in Los Angeles, no athlete (and this includes Fernando Valenzuela, Jerry West, O.J., Magic Johnson, Kobe, Gretzky, Shaq & Kareem) had a more memorable run than Sandy Koufax. From 1962 to 1966 he owned this town. I remember summer weekend games, one would always know if Koufax was starting as you could hear Vin Scully’s radio broadcast reverberate throughout the neighborhood as lawns were being mowed and cars being washed.
But if we are talking about sports overall, I think the late Coach John Wooden proved this past week that he must be considered one of the most memorable and impactful people ever in sports history.
Michael Braunberg says:
Koufax! You probably know that Hank Aaron and Willie Mays were pretty-much nemesis one and two for Koufax, but did you know that Bill Virdon specialized in driving Koufax crazy? Check it out:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/pvb.cgi?n2=virdobi01&n1=koufasa01
Merrill Dubrow says:
Michael,
I checked out those stats – pretty amazing!
Merrill
Rick Johnson says:
I can always remember watching the Steelers play the Oilers back in the 70′s and my Dad always liked Billy “White Shoes” Johnson and his end zone dance. As long as the Steelers were ahead of course!
John Sadler says:
There are many ways to respond to this blog. I remember seeing Walter Payton sitting on the bench after the Bears lost a playoff game against Washington knowing it was his last game. He could run, block, catch, and throw. He was a complete football player.
Then, there are athletes remembered for different reasons – OJ, Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Floyd Landis, and etc.
Bob Graham says:
Tony Conigliaro, Roy Campanella and Lou Gehrig for the way that each faced debilitating health situations with poise, grace and class.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Bob,
Interesting choices – not sure Tony C makes my list (I think most people outside of Boston have NO IDEA who he is) but I think roy and Lou would for sure.
Thanks.
Merrill
Eric Brall says:
How about kobe? I think he’s definitely polarizing – everyone seems to have a strong opinion about the guy, whether they love him or hate him. Between his on-court and off-court stories over the past 13 years, stellar play, records, legal things, 81 point game, shaq drama, phil drama, etc…i think he’s got to crack the list.
Fee Sepahi says:
Hi Merrill,
Though he went in all the wrong directions during his career, I think Michael Gerard “Mike” Tyson deserves a nod. The string of matches he had, where it was over within minutes of beginning are a testament to the force the man produced.
If you ever watched him box, the man was raw power never seen before. Sure, Ali was graceful, skilled and a tactician but Tyson was sheer power and I’m sorry to say memorable for all the nutty stuff he did, after he was banned!
Will Morris says:
I agree with Michael. Bo Jackson was an incredible talent. Had he not suffered a freak injury to his hip, there is no telling what he would have accomplished. He was an All Star in baseball and an All Pro in football. He had world class sprinters speed and was incredibly strong. I remember two plays very clearly. He ran over Brian Bosworth making the Boz look like a weak cornerback. He caught a fly ball in left field and through out the running tagging from third and the ball never bounced. His home runs were pure power.
Louis Ygartua says:
Leroy “Satchel” Paige hands down. There is a great new biography out by Larry Tye. Read it if you want to know more about this American legend, “an overlooked pioneer in the integration of baseball, and of America itself!” Yogi Berra in his own inimical way put it thus: “Knowing Satchel Paige is knowing nobody like him.”