Thought this would make for interesting talk.
IMHO I'd say Lance Armstrong :bowdown: How many other athletes can ride 2,000 miles in three weeks without a motor? After watching the team time trial yesterday and watching almost a whole team going out on a sweeping corner at 45mph with only a helmet on and sliding OMG I wanted to give them my moto jacket! People say it is a individual sport but it so is not. Watching the peloton how it just always seems to eat up the break away. How they form the Echelons it is just amazing how they do this going so fast with less than inches to each others wheel.
As they say this week you can't win the race but you sure as hell can lose it! I just wonder who is going to take Jan Ullrichs place as Lance's arch nemesis! Is going to be an awesome race this year!
Mary
Greatest Pure Athlete?
Without a doubt?
Me
:D
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson hasn't exercised his brain in years.
Quote from: Toogoofy317 on July 08, 2009, 05:57:58 PM
I just wonder who is going to take Jan Ullrichs place as Lance's arch nemesis! Is going to be an awesome race this year!
Christian Van Velde is a pretty tough opponent, hopefully he can stay clean unlike Jan in his fight.
It is going to be awesome watching that field of youngins get spanked by an old man.
I cannot wait for team Atana to put Columbia Highroad in their place. You tell the world you are the best in the world you better back that chit up! But, I think Lance, Levi, and Contador is going to make them eat their words and like it! As long as all of their Egos don't get in the way of the task at hand!
Also what is up with the Cavendish dude on Columbia thinks he is the best rider since Lance Armstrong. Oh wait Lance is there guess he aint' the best!
I truly love cycling that and Dolphin football and I'm a happy camper. Preseason starts next month YES!
Miami has the dolphin's the greatest football team. They run the ball like no one's ever seen! Their in the air their on the ground they're always in control. So, when your talking Miami your talking Super Bowl!
Lame aren't I?
Mary
its hard to put anyone else in Lance's category haha
maybe we need to split the category up a bit. So many sports are so different. I mean, biking requires huge endurance but Baseball and football are quick bursts of speed where endurance isn't as big of a necessity.
Kareem A Wheat
My wife, as she's humping my boner.
Oops.
I mean, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Osama Bin Laden, greatest hide and go seek player in the history of the world.
Quote from: SmartDrug on July 09, 2009, 12:26:50 AM
Osama Bin Laden, greatest hide and go seek player in the history of the world.
ROFLLMFAO, so wrong, yet so funny too
Current or out of all athletes?
I'm going to say Jim Thorpe
Quote from: brickerenator on July 09, 2009, 04:14:27 AM
Current or out of all athletes?
I'm going to say Jim Thorpe
yea, i would say some two/three sport athletes, Tony Gonzalez of the Chiefs or Terrell Owens
Yeah, going for all time athletes!
T.O? Really. Dan Marino is way better than him. Hell, the Mark's brothers were better than him!
Mary
Lance Armstrong has my vote. Without getting into the cancer stuff, he inspired quite a few people. Include the cancer, he inspried millions.
Cycling is a sport, not a game. An atheletic competition that requires facets most folks will never undersrtand. It hurts terribly, and the hurt is soooooo sweet a pain.
Go lance, GO !
Im sorry but I dont think any of the athletes mentioned are worthy, not even lance, because all of them are still, underneath it all 'still', driven by money, and fame. Even Lance has millions of dollars in sponsors and promotions... I think to find a PURE ATHLETE you would actually look somewhere you would never look. The Special olympics. Those kids are PURE.......
+1 chanse :cheers:
Crocop.. enough Said
Read everyone's suggestions. Nope.
Still me.
Pssshhh... Whatevs, home slice.
I do eleventy sets of kock push-ups as a warm-up excercise.
THIS guy? is teh greatest pure athlete ever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocV1MZVe-5U :icon_lol: :icon_lol: :icon_lol:
or this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOhBI9fw4G4&NR=1 :dunno_white: :confused:
Actually, the two reasons Lance came back to the spor was: "He missed it" and " To gain more awareness to cancer research". If that isn't pure motivation then what is? He could have lived off his accomplishments for the rest of his life and pretty well I might add.
I mean come on look how much money the guy got for LiveStrong! Then well there is the inspiration part. I consider him one of my top five Heros. The only athlete I might add. My number one earthly hero: Stephen Hawkings. He demonstrates one is never disabled.
Mary
WELL, theres that and the other reason.......
JUST TO PISS OFF THE FRENCH... LOL
as a cyclist i admire lance greatly, and rode with him briefly in south tn/n ga, yes i got WTFPWNED
Quote from: wladziu on July 11, 2009, 12:58:10 AM
Pssshhh... Whatevs, home slice.
I do eleventy sets of kock push-ups as a warm-up excercise.
Everyone knows eleventy isn't a number. You're just trying to hide the (sad) fact that the most kock push-ups you can do is 20 or so.
Well, last Thursday, I outran a squirrel.
I bet you can only outrun Democrats. Burn! In your face! Xealot runs from Democrats!
I admire John Britten WAAAAAY more than any athlete.
Which brings up an interesting point:
How does one remain humble while still engaged in serious competition? Is it really possible, or just a mask? Why would a truly humble person need to compete?
If humility is an admired trait in athletes, why doesn't Jesus play for the Celtics?
Deion Sanders =)
Aron Ralston > Lance Armstrong or John Britten
For the record, I can outrun Democrats, Tories, Mormons, and Cheetahs.
A "truly" humble person might compete if they knew that competition provided a better circumstance than the alternative. If your father was a coal miner, and his father was a coal miner, and his father's father was a coal miner--but you could hit a fastball a long ways with a wooden stick--then you might manage to stay humble.
Michael Jordan FTW
Pure athlete to me means a mixture of endurance, and power, upper body and lower body, coordination and physical prowess. Because of that, I think basketball players as a class are the greatest pure athletes. With that said, the greatest pure athlete that I've ever seen is Bo Jackson. Lance is too one dimensional for me to call him the greatest pure athlete.
Quote from: Juan1 on July 13, 2009, 12:53:11 AM
Pure athlete to me means a mixture of endurance, and power, upper body and lower body, coordination and physical prowess. Because of that, I think basketball players as a class are the greatest pure athletes. With that said, the greatest pure athlete that I've ever seen is Bo Jackson. Lance is too one dimensional for me to call him the greatest pure athlete.
Then pick someone in the NHL.
pro basketball is such a pansy sport nowadays.
And have you ever looked at Lance's biceps?
Yama..... ?HUH? WTF................ED What the hell is all that? :dunno_white:
Greatest Pure Athlete means something different to everyone, like fairness. Who would it be? A baseball player? Good suggestion. Baseball players have to do many athletic things well. But what about gymnasts? They are unbelievable athletes but they don't have to throw and catch. Neither do soccer players who play the most physically demanding sport there is, followed by motocross. Decatheletes like Bruce Jenner would have to be in the discussion too.
Due to the varied demands of sports there is no clear answer unless there's someone I don't know about who was an Olympic gymnast who later played professional baseball and either soccer or raced motocross. He's your guy, if he exists.
I believe it has been proven by many studies that the best athletes are professional Motocross riders. They use every muscle in their entire body during a race to include awesome balance and endurance.
Quote from: JB848 on July 15, 2009, 10:24:12 AM
I believe it has been proven by many studies that the best athletes are professional Motocross riders. They use every muscle in their entire body during a race to include awesome balance and endurance.
I have also heard this
Quote from: dohabee on July 15, 2009, 01:04:34 PM
Quote from: JB848 on July 15, 2009, 10:24:12 AM
I believe it has been proven by many studies that the best athletes are professional Motocross riders. They use every muscle in their entire body during a race to include awesome balance and endurance.
I have also heard this
And to add to this. It was determined that baseball players (professional) were the worst athletes!
Athleticism is a relative term. Most athleticism is specific sport oriented. Its hard to determine what any one athlete can acomplish if they arent tested. Most athletes have a concentration, and soem cross train. Does that make them any better an athlete? Some say speed is more athletic, soem say its power, some say its endurance, some say its agility, others would say its skill. I know olympic power lifters are amzing athletes as are olympic sprinters. As for pure athletes( if by pure you mean performance boostign substance free) thats questionable. Power lifters have posted 40+" verticle leaps some like tilt henry approachign 50". Now consider thier build and thier weight and you get the picture. Alot of power lifters were clocked with 10 second 100 meter dash times keepign up with some of the leaner and obviously faster people of the world. An amazing feet. Now how long can they keep those speeds. not very. All that muscle needs fuel. Often time way more than thier bodies have in store.
Now lets takea look at the world record mile time. 3 minutes and 43 seconds. Thats blistering fast. And over a long distance. lets do the math. That about 7.17 meters a second. An average of 13 seconds per 100 meters traveled. Most people will never touch that time in thier life let alone actually be able to sprint as hard as they can for 100 meters without stopping. Crazy endurance to keep that pace up.
Now the world record 100 meter time. 9.69 second. Thats roughly 10.3 meters a second.
Another great feet. world record marathon(25 miles) 2hours, 3 minutes, 59 seconds. Thats at a 5.377 meters a second pace. An average of 18.59 seconds per 100 meters. Yeah thats half the speed of the fastest mans (usan bolt) speed but its for 25 miles! And again....a lot of people wont touch even 18seconds in thier 100 meter time.
Now this all means nothing to alot.
Im not even doing the math on the cross country runners or the guys who do the mountain runs. That stuff takes a combo of all four qualities, speed, endurance, power, and agility. They are human mountian goats up there.
hell what about these guys? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tniov3LjCwg
Like I said, a question such as this will always bring abotu ones personal opinions as to the definition of athleticism and who emcompasses what they believe to be the total package. With no set test in place, we'll never know. I bet there are soem really amazign athletes in our military. Try humping all that gear while sprinting for cover, providing cover fire while on the move, ducking and hurtling obstacles and tryign to keep your battle buddies and yourself alive through an ambush in the crowded, demolished city streets of the third world countries that play host theater to our modern day warfare. You have to be sharp both physically, and mentally, or the worst could happen. My hat's off to all those who have and will serve on the battlefield. Thats REAL stress.
A marathon is 26.2 miles, that might make your numbers look a little better
And I definitely agree with your last point. I've read countless stories of Seals and Rangers performing acts that NONE of the professional athletes could come close to doing.
Quote from: brickerenator on July 15, 2009, 04:30:42 PM
A marathon is 26.2 miles, that might make your numbers look a little better
And I definitely agree with your last point. I've read countless stories of Seals and Rangers performing acts that NONE of the professional athletes could come close to doing.
Well shaZam! yeah. lol. damn, i knew that too, i was ridign to work abtou 2 hours ago and said wait a minute.....i feel stupid. ehh. But yeah. very very marginal but yeah. lol.
Lance Ran a Marathon :flipoff:
Mary
i like lance, really i do. but i think if we are talking about all around athleticism, MMA fighters(the top level guys) need to be mentioned as well. just my .02
So did I sooo! Maintained a 6:30 minute mile so what. We were talking a pure athlete!
Alright JB now go ride 2,000 miles in three weeks oh and WIN the race 7 times!
:D Mary
Riding a bicycle 2,000 miles in three weeks isn't that big a deal. I'll grant you the number of wins though.
Quote from: Toogoofy317 on July 17, 2009, 01:57:52 PM
Alright JB now go ride 2,000 miles in three weeks oh and WIN the race 7 times!
:D Mary
Gets on my last nerve she does :cookoo: :D :thumb: LOL
It's futile to try to compare across sports. But to me, a pure athlete is someone who has a combination of many factors - unusual physical ability (I count proprioception in there), the dedication to train and increase that natural ability to its height, the competitive instinct that pushes that person past their already-high physical barriers, and an ability to analyze, strategize, and to adapt to rapidly changing situations.
Anyone who has all of that is a great athlete, and to try to pin 'the greatest' is mental masturbation (not that there's anything wrong with that).
I don't know if I'd call it that Roaster But yeah I like to give my brain a good work out. I come here to turn it to mush! Um giggity!
Mary
giggity giggity gooo-oooooooooooo!!! :laugh: