I've ****ing Had It!!!

[love_that_reefer]

I am sick and ****ing tired of everyone calling Micheal Phelps the best athlete ever. Really? A swimmer is the best athlete of all time? Swimming is not a sport! Its a means of survival while in the water!! Phelps isn;t even close to being the best athlete ever. Guess what? Neither is Tiger Woods. Golfers are not athletes. Sorry Tiger. You might be the best golfer ever but no where near the best athlete. Jim Thorpe is far and away more of an athlete than Phelps. The best athlete ever IMO is Jackie Robinson. An All American in four different sports at UCLA and he played his worst sport professionally. Beat that Phelps!!!

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Dude, I can't agree more. He's amazing. And I do think swimming is a sport. But here's my beef:

all the announcers have annointed Michael Phelps the "Greatest Olympian Ever" because of how many medals he's won. However, that is bullshit. What about all the other sports that you can only win one medal in like volleyball or basketball? You can only win one medal. What if someone is just as good as what they do, but they only win one or two medals in their career? It's just not a fair comparison.

[DirtyKash]

Originally Posted by giantsfan5689 Dude, I can't agree more. He's amazing. And I do think swimming is a sport. But here's my beef: all the announcers have annointed Michael Phelps the "Greatest Olympian Ever" because of how many medals he's won. However, that is bullshit. What about all the other sports that you can only win one medal in like volleyball or basketball? You can only win one medal. What if someone is just as good as what they do, but they only win one or two medals in their career? It's just not a fair comparison.

It's not a fair comparison, true. But you also cannot discount the fact that he's actually going out there and winning everything he competes in. We'll definitely be saying that he's the most decorated Olympian ever, when his career is done. Whether he is the greatest ever is obviously arguable, as is any other argument in sports.

I'd also put Alexander Karelin up there with the best ever, just as a sidenote.

[HollywoodLeo]

In all seriousness, swimming isn't as easy as you might think.

I'd call competitive swimming a sport.

Golf, not so much.

[love_that_reefer]

Best Olympian is another story. Carl Lewis was a great Olympian who did tried everything in track and field. I am talking best athlete and Phelps isn't even close.

[HollywoodLeo]

Swimming requires the use of just about every muscle in your body.

Doing it competitively, and doing it at a world wide level at the Olympics, makes you an athlete IMO.

[love_that_reefer]

How many people take up swimming? Not too many. If Tigers an athlete, so is Phelps but not the best ever or even close. Shit, a guy who wins a decathlon is more of an athlete. Jerking off uses a lot of muscles too.

[HollywoodLeo]

How many people who take it up is irrelevant.

It's a competitive sport and it isn't something just anybody can do at the level Phelps does.

I never called Tiger an athlete because he isn't. I have trouble labeling someone who excels at a sport that 80 year olds can play an "athlete".

What makes someone an "athlete" in your book?

Difficulty of performing the task at hand? Check

Requires tremendous effort and physical endurance and/or strength to excel at? Check

Am I missing anything?

I don't think I'd call Phelps the "greatest athlete ever" (At least not seriously) but I'd still call him an athlete.

[love_that_reefer]

So you agree with me now shut up

[riverdunesrat]

I'm not following the Olympics but.....how many golds has the guy won? Mark Spitz won 7, is he gonna beat that? If not then how can they lay claim to the best athlete ever?

Just consider the source, nuff said.

[DirtyKash]

Originally Posted by HollywoodLeo I never called Tiger an athlete because he isn't. I have trouble labeling someone who excels at a sport that 80 year olds can play an "athlete".

Tiger is a great athlete. You can't lump all golfers together in the same group; John Daly plays golf, but he is not an athlete. Tiger Woods plays golf, but he is very athletic. And while golf isn't as physically demanding of a sport as say football or baseball, there is no doubt that Tiger could run faster or jump higher than a ton of other stars who play these sports. And just because Tiger doesn't have to do physically exert himself as much in golf doesn't mean that he's not a great athlete. Tiger is in far better shape than guys like Babe Ruth (fat), Larry Bird (slow), David Ortiz (fat and slow), CC Sabathia (fat), for example.

[HollywoodLeo]

Originally Posted by DirtyKash Tiger is a great athlete. You can't lump all golfers together in the same group; John Daly plays golf, but he is not an athlete. Tiger Woods plays golf, but he is very athletic. And while golf isn't as physically demanding of a sport as say football or baseball, there is no doubt that Tiger could run faster or jump higher than a ton of other stars who play these sports. And just because Tiger doesn't have to do physically exert himself as much in golf doesn't mean that he's not a great athlete. Tiger is in far better shape than guys like Babe Ruth (fat), Larry Bird (slow), David Ortiz (fat and slow), CC Sabathia (fat), for example.

Well, maybe he is athletic, but he doesn't prove it by excelling at his profession.