Poll: The Most Respected Athlete of All Time
After seeing the nearly unanimous reaction of sadness to the news of Mariano Rivera’s injury, I began to wonder what other athletes in history had this kind of widespread affection at the time they were playing. There are certainly people who are looked back on now with great fondness and respect, but it is human nature to emphasize the good qualities of the past, and people are rarely seen in such a positive light at the time they are in the spotlight.
Rivera’s stature is that of a beloved living legend, and I don’t know a single person who responded in any way besides sadness when they heard that he had a torn ACL. This is not something I’ve ever experienced before in watching sports. So, I’m curious about the larger perspective. How do you perceive Rivera now relative to some of the other players during their playing days who were often talked about with reverence and widespread respect?
Poll after the jump.
How in god’s name is Jackie Robinson not an option?
Yes, Robinson is widely respected now. At the time he played, though? There were a lot of people openly rooting against him. A significant injury to Robinson during his career wouldn’t have drawn widespread sadness. In fact, a significant portion of the population likely would have cheered. That says something awful about America at the time, of course, but I don’t think we can say that if the same thing had happened to him, the reaction would have been similar.
True, but you could say the same thing about Ali, maybe even more so.
Also, I just became too young to answer this question.
A good point and I missed the “during their playing days” language. As you state there was definite vitriol towards Robinson during his career, but I have a hard time believing he was not immensely respected by many people (including some of those who did not “like” him, but probably still respected him), especially towards the end of his career when integration became more prominent. Plenty of the athletes on this list have periods of this sort of sentiment from others, i.e. garnering no respect from others, most notably Ali’s refusal to go to Vietnam. Total nitpick on my part but thanks for the response.
letting a bunch of racists dictate the standard for respect is nonsense
Maybe that was true for white America, but I’m guessing for the rest of the country a lot of respect existed for Robinson. That Robinson transcended the sport probably means he was both respected and reviled by more people than most people on that list.
I do not know the specific age demographics of Fangraphs, but how many people actually remember the peak or even most of the careers of some of these players? I was only alive for six of those players career, let alone remembering how well the public perceived their greatness.
You are asking people to postulate as to the beloved nature of athletes at their time to people who predominately are going to be basing those opinions on modern interpretations of their careers. No one NOW will admit to being a giant racist and hoping Jackie Robinson got hurt, but people did back when he played. Ali was an incredibly divisive athlete.
Jackie Robinson is the correct answer, followed by Muhammad Ali. Note, the poll question is who was “most respected,” not who was “least disrespected.”
Your poll results are prejudiced by the facts that it comes right after Rivera’s injury and is in a baseball column.
Also, reducing the correct answer to a write-in distorts everything.
It is no surprise non-mlb athletes are not vote getters here with baseball nerds voting…I’m glad to see Clemente on top
If you didn’t see any negative, mean-spirited comments in response to Mariano’s injury, you didn’t spend much time skimming the message thread below the story on MLB’s site. Inevitably, there were jerks cheering it, albeit jerks in the minority.
There are always people who hate great people, be they athletes, statesmen, or whatever. Martin Luther King, Jr. was loathed by many when he was alive and is still hated by racists who say he was a Communist. That doesn’t detract from the widespread respect he engendered in his lifetime (crowned by a Nobel Prize) and after his death. The same goes for Jackie Robinson.
“There are always people who hate great people,”
Great people don’t electrocute people in their pools.
Similarly, in his day, Joe Dimaggio was literally god across the US. His personal life only lifted him to infamy
Literally does not mean figuratively.
And someone doesn’t get “lifted” to “infamy.”
Don’t argue theology with marilyn — she may have insider information.
prescriptivist vs descriptivism. The argument rolls on.
Robinson was my first instinct
Did not read the part about at the time they were playing.
To my mind this list is missing
MLB
Lou Gehrig
Stan Musial
Jackie Robinson
Sandy Koufax
Cal Ripken Jr.
Ken Griffey Jr.
Nolan Ryan
Greg Maddux
Tony Gwynn
NFL
Walter Payton
Reggie White
Johnny Unitas
Fran Tarkenton
NBA
Larry Bird
Michael Jordan
NHL
Bobby Orr
Gordie Howe
Mario Lemiuex
Ray Borque
Boxing
Joe Louis
Joe Frazier
Those were the glaring ones for me
Fran Tarkenton? What about Staubach?
I’m sure Dave just wanted to present a manageable poll, but I like this longer list.
It’s hard to transcend both the present and your own perspective in figuring out who the most universally loved athletes were. I nearly voted for Magic Johnson, but then I remembered the prime of his playing career. As neither an L.A., Boston or Chicago fan, I would often root for Bird or Jordan against Magic. This was especially true when I perceived them as underdogs – and just about everyone was an underdog against the Lakers in those days. This suggests to me that there wasn’t a widespread feeling that Magic’s charisma and dedication lifted his persona above that of the other stars of the 80′s.
Walter Payton was my instinctual pick before I even read the names attached-
Not sure I can agree with Jordan. Talented, yes. Respected, …. no. He is/was a jerk (maybe an outgrowth of his competiveness). Frankly, of Jordan, Pip, and Rodman (basically, the core of those teams, Jordan is easily the jerk (aka, not respected) of the bunch.
Pele!
Joe Dimaggio as mentioned above was easily the most popular athelete in mid-century America, inside and outside the game. Try finding negative quotes on him from other players in his day: not there. To me, he would head any list of baseball players.
But as Matt says below, it’s inconceivable that Pele doesn’t win a ‘most respected athlete’ poll of any kind. He didn’t have an enemy in the sport. His attitude was the gold standard for positive. He shed poverty and rascism like drizzle and wowed everybody who me him personally. He was the best player in his sport to that time, and arguably the most dominant player in the history of his sport still. That sport is worldwide, seen and played by billions.
Pele is the most respected. Bobby Moore would like place ahead of most of the baseball players mentioned also, the epitome of a ‘play the game right to win’ guy, and deeply respected throughout the game in his time.
Joe Louis really stood out amongst the boxers also.
Someone not known widely enough perhaps to qualify but who would from the standard of respect within his own area of competion would be Bjorn Dahle, the distance skier. There was a Scandinavian middle distance runner whose name is escaping me—Paavo Nuomi, got it Yes, he’s forgotten now, but he was simply the best in him time, a terrific competitor, and universally respected.
Those are the six I’d start with . . . .
To round out that list, Margaret Smith Court was surely the most respected tennis player an likely female athlete to her time. She’s tarnished her personal reputation over the last decade, but speaking to her playing days her standing was undeniable. I’d not be surprised if Kim Clijsters isn’t the most universally respected player in her sport by the time she’s finally done playing. Her record stands with anybody of this time, while her fitness and all-around game are top notch. A very real person, unlike many in athletics, and you have to love her kids. Who wouldn’t want Kim Clijsters’ life?
And a final mention would be Jahangir Khan. If you don’t know squash, you don’t know him: he didn’t lose a match for almost five years. He was an innovator in technique. His fitness was second to none in an era crazed over fitness. Everyone respected and respects him; all wanted to beat him, but no one could, and even after the streak he was a formidable big game player. Ask any squash player who they’d want to be, and they’d say “Jahangir”—except Jansher Khan, who’d find a bottom five on least respected players, magnificent talent nothwithstanding.
So Nine, going alphabetically:
Kim Clijsters
Margaret Smith Court
Bjor Dahle
Joe Dimaggio
Jahangir Khan
Joe Louis
Bobby Moore
Paavo Nuomi
Pele
with a shout out to Johan Cruyff.
Some great remarks below in Ayrton Senna and Steve Prefontaine. And not just because they died tragically young. They were both universally respected by competitors, fans, and the media.
And to come back to Lou Gehrig, yes, to me too he’d be the second baseball player on a list. Ruth was a massive impact and celebrity, but Gehrig was just flat out liked and respected by everyone.
Isn’t it something that perhaps the three most widely respected baseball players in the sport’s history—Dimaggio, Gehrig, and Rivera—have ALL been Yankees. I dislike the franchise as much as anyone, but this is something to put on the other side of the scale. Personally, I’d notch Gred Maddux for the first pitcher chosen, but it’s hard to see that he had the scope of appreciation, even in his time, as Dimag and Gehrig do still.
An interesting topic . . . .
Jesse Owens?
Just click OTHER and type in his name. Got it champ?
Jackie Robinson seems like a pretty glaring omission here. He’s probably the only athlete deified in everyone’s elementary school social studies book.
He’s certainly deified now. He didn’t get to enjoy much deification during his playing career. In 1947, Dixie Walker requested a trade rather than have to play with him, and he endured vicious race baiting from most clubhouses in the National League.
He died at age 53. If he had been treated the way he is now while he was still playing, he might have lived longer.
Understood, but I think this underestimates the tremendous levels of respect and admiration Robinson got from blacks and whites. I would imagine that Robinson was more respected by a wide cross-section of the population than someone like Joe Montana or Mo. The question becomes how many detractors he had, and whether that sinks his “respect” score below someone like Mo. I think it would be very close.
And in 1949 he won the NL MVP and was voted as the starting second baseman of the All Star Game. So some substantial amount of writers and fans must have respected him.
Diabetes probably had something to do with him dying young as well. I’m not sure I buy the argument he let the racist thoughts of ignorant men wear him down. I think he was too good a person to let others tear him down mentally or physically.
Ha, did everyone write Jackie Robinson for “other”?
Michael Jordan?
Also, David Robinson.
With his gambling problems? Any who is sane respected him as a player, but not as a person. Like the David Robinson mention.
Wow no Barry Bonds?
After Barry Sanders retired I saw a picture of him in an airport ticket line. He was buying a ticket to Italy, and when the reporter asked him about it he said, “Well, I’ve never been to Europe and now I have time to go.” And that was it; he didn’t say anything else, just got on a plane to Europe and traveled alone for a few months.
After all of his runs, all his suffering silence on semi-mediocre Lions teams, that made him my favorite professional athlete of all time.
No Ripken?
That’s a good one. He had the same sort of bland, metronomic excellence that Rivera does.
Check out the graph on his seasonal WAR by age.
Yes, Ripken would be an excellent choice.
(I assume you mean Billy, of course. My goodness, but that man could bunt.)
He won his respect on the knob of a bat.
Ripken? It was clear to many people that he was hurting his team to satisfy this lust after a record. Yesterday morning, Riviera was still considered to be one of the best closers in the game.
How so?
Ripken ended his streak in 1999, so you seem to be referring to the years before that. 1995-1998, Ripken was worth 12.3 WAR, making him the 10th best 3B in baseball in that span. In what world is the 10th best at his position bringing the team down? Also, who could they have replaced him with? Ryan Minor?
It wasn’t until his final season that he had his first season below replacement (or even close to below replacement), which I was the signal to Ripken to hang his boots up. He didn’t drag it out like guys like Vlad Guerrero or Ivan Rodriguez recently have.
Everyday starters are not, generally speaking, replacement level players. They are better than that. In 1997 and 1998 Ripken played through nagging injuries to keep the streak alive and put up numbers that were not good for an everyday starter. Lumping those years together with 1995 and 96 to get a good average WAR for a starter is disingenuous.
Right. Ripken refusing to take a day off in ’97 or ’98 took away precious at bats that would have gone to Hall of Famer Jeff Reboulet.
The argument that Ripken hurt his team by playing every day is beyond specious. The Orioles had no shortstop/third baseman on their bench or in their minor leagues who was better than Ripken on his absolute worst day. Ripken could have shown up to every game hung over and he still would have brought more potential WAR to the lineup than any possible replacement.
What part of “nagging injuries” do you not understand? Ripken not taking days off in 1997 and 1998 hurt his team by hurting his own performance when he played, not by keeping some better player from getting at bats.
There’s a reason players take days off. even the best players in the game rarely play 162 a season because it would hurt their performance and everybody knows it.
If he wasn’t keeping better players from getting at-bats, then he wasn’t hurting his team. You are only hurting your team if your replacement would be better for you (even for that day). The argument is pointless anyway. The Streak pumped such an insane revenue stream into Baltimore that it allowed the team to pump more money into payroll and field a much more competitive squad. Any incredibly marginal difference between a Cal Ripken with a nagging injury and a healthy Ryan Minor or Jeff Reboulet was easily offset in the actual monetary value of the Streak. It’s just implausible to argue that it hurt the game.
Regardless, this is all besides the point. Just because we have identified one person who apparently had some odd, probably illegitimate problem with Ripken does not mean the general population did. Cal Ripken is one of those few athletes that transcended sports and was universally respected by fans, rivals, and non-fans alike, which seems to be the whole point of this poll. I know very few people who disliked Cal Ripken. I would easily place him ahead of Mariano Rivera on a poll like this. Robinson, Dimaggio, Gehrig, and Clemente are the only MLB players I think can give him a real run for his money.
The first name I thought of was Jackie Robinson. Should be on the list for sure.
My first thought was to read the comments and see that this question was addressed. I guess I’m not getting any votes for classy commenter.
Any F1 fans for Senna?
I like the nod to Ayrton Senna (extremely important figure in Brazil). Reminded me of Steve Prefontaine.
I’d say, during his career and not looking only at Brazil (that’s like judging Mariano Rivera only by the opinion of Yankee fans), there were other higher respected F1 drivers. Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss come to mind. Senna had his share of critics outside of Brazil.
Wilt Chamberlain, respek.
Michael Jordan? Pele?
Lance Armstrong? Or maybe just Americans revered him?
Lou Gehrig!
My personal all time favorite – Gehrig should probably be included here. I wouldn’t blame Dave though as the list would probably keep growing.
Lance Armstrong was generally despised in Europe for his approach to cycling: solely focusing on the Tour de France, the use of his team during that race, his unforgiving nature to anyone who criticised him, the way he threw his teammate Contador under the bus.
I think in cycling atm Cancellara and Gilbert are the most widely respected, and in history it’s got to be Eddy Merckx. That man was a beast.
pele! i was just going to mention him.
I voted for Muhammad Ali since he was the only athlete on the list whose respect transcended sports – globally. Less respected in the US (for the same reasons as Jackie Robinson) precisely because they transcended sports. Within sports I’d have to say Pele.
Koufax?
As my favorite athlete, I should know this, but didn’t Koufax get some vitrol over being Jewish and not pitching on Yom Kippur? (Too young to sure.)
I’m sure I’m one of the many who wrote in Jackie Robinson. Even if you correctly reason that Robinson was reviled by a large segment of the public when he initially started playing for the dodgers, he eventually won over the entire country by the time he led the dodgers to the pennant. I remember reading that by the late 40′s he was the second most popular man in America to only Bing Crosby. I’m a Yankees fan and an enormous Rivera fan but Jackie Robinson was eventually respected during his career partially because of the social change he brought about that initially caused people to hate him.
In my lifetime it’s Ripken or Gretzky.
On a baseball website, we can expect some bias answers.
For most people in Canada, it’s Gretzky. I voted for him, then I thought about the athlete I respect most of any sport, any time, and that’s Roger Federer. If you say, “Who?”, or even “Why?”, well, I guess you have some research to do. Federer is, to me, bar none the best possible representation of any athlete for his or her sport.
Personally, I think that Mario Lemieux should eclipse Gretsky (and Howe, and anyone else) for hockey’s representative. Sure there were better players, but when you consider the cancer comeback PLUS saving the franchise from bankruptcy/moving from Pitt. PLUS winning the league’s championship as both player and owner… I don’t know how anyone can top that.
Plus his “Hrmph! I’ll take my puck and go home!” attitude during the “clutch and grab” era? Plus the fact that a lockout and winning the Crosby draft lottery was as much a factor as saving the Pens from moving as Lemieux was.
Lemieux did a lot for the game, but most respected athlete of all time, let alone most respected hockey player? How about Orr? Or someone like Salming or Kurri for trailblazing a path for the other half of the world’s hockey talent to play on the brightest stage? Or Ted Lindsay for giving the players the organization they desperately needed and deserved?
Or Tim Horton, for founding the worlds best donut chain. Without Timmies, there’d be no Roll Up The Rim!
Gretzky was a whiner, he was an incredible player and no one will ever be close to him, but he definitely had a large portion that disliked him.
sampras, agassi, mcenroe…?
McEnroe universally respected during his playing days? Were you around then? He was incredibly polarizing.
Gretzky? Nah. I’d say more people would still tell you Bobby Orr was better in every way on and off the ice.
Federer? He was a singularly great tennis player, but I never felt he displayed enough personality to give people something to focus on. If you ask how people feel about Federer, sure, people respect him, but I’m not sure how many people would come up with Federer on their own.
I actually can’t think of a tennis player that fits the bill better than Ashe, and I don’t know how much of that was after he became ill. Most of the tennis players I respected the most were widely known to be jerks.
Considering what he meant to the Pirates, the Dominican Republic, and the type of person he was I think it has to be Roberto Clemente.
I agree Lou Gehrig is the largest omission. Looking at the fawning press coverage he received in his time, I would believe Columbia Lou would have to be among the all time respected athletes of all time. Even Ruth was jealous of him.
*Puerto Rico
Clemente was Puerto Rican, just FYI (not Dominican).
Come on, where is Michael Vick? Terrell Owens? Ron Artest/World Peace? Roger Clemens? Ty Cobb? Jose Canseco?
Chen?
+ 6.02 x 10^23 likes in the Sino Panamanian community.
the use of Avogadro’s number did not go unnoticed. A+
magic was/is HIV+. there were tons of players that objected to playing with him.
my vote is for hakeem olajuwon.
I went Clemente. Rivera would’ve been second.
Respected/revered/legendary get intertwined. Good list though. Holy wow I love sports.
Somewhat surprised that Arthur Ashe is not receiving a higher % of votes.
I honestly don’t think most people here remember Arthur Ashe.
I’m hoping Arthur Ashe was everyone’s second choice.
I’m scared Arthur Ashe has been forgotten.
A great man.
I had Ashe as one of my final three among those listed, with Mariano and Roberto. I opted for Clemente over Ashe because, while Ashe was a paragon of virtue and respect, he fell short in championships in a lesser and individual sport. Clemente, I thought, had both championships and virtues that demanded respect. That said, if you read his excellent biography, he dealt with quite a bit of racism over his career also, so if Jackie is diqualified from being “universally respected” by racists, “Bobby” Clemente probably should be also. I like Mathewson and Gehrig.
The OP qualifies this by saying, ‘during their playing days’, so I have to say Michael Jordan. Jordan was the 1st “superstar athlete” was he not? The first one to get mega millions in endorsements? Media loved him too.
As did his bookies!
C’mon man, Bill Russell. The greatest team player of all-time has my vote.
This is just wrong.
Your “greatest team player of all time” didn’t even run down the court when the ball changed hands a lot of the time.
where is LeBron?
No Tyrus Cobb?
No Macho Man Randy Savage?
Agreed… Savage wouldn’t have earned the Slim Jim endorsement if he wasn’t so universally respected.
Pele? Cease fire?
Pele is the easy choice here. Nobody else is close. Gretzky, Jordan, Ruth were good too.
why is this on fangraphs and not notgraphs?
Because we’re having a community wide meta-moment? Also, Carson wouldn’t give Dave the keys to notgraphs.
Jesus Christ, who the hell cares? Shut up about this crap already. Holy crap what is wrong with you people?
Seriously. I do not understand how people like you can even tie your shoes. These types of comments are the reason that Fangraph commenters are referred to as morons most of the time despite this website utilizing more abstract and complex concepts than one would typically see in the baseball community. This should be a place where smart people engage in some type of useful and intelligent discourse, and yet somehow there are people like you that complain about by far the dumbest crap known to man. No one should care if this is on NotGraphs or not, and anyone that does should take a moment and reflect on how they became such raging tools. You people ruin the Internet.
If only there was a thumbs up or thumbs down sort of feature that would let you express that sentiment constructively and politely.
No Ripken on this poll?
Gehrig, for sure. Suffered the unkindest cut with unimaginable grace.
God, I hate the Yankees…but Rivera (and even more so, Gehrig)…nothing but class.
save space on fangraphs for the serious posts, put the non saber content on notgraphs?
Yes, because we are horribly starved for space on this webpage. There are only so many electrons at this website and only so many lines of text that will fit. In some fabulous future world we’ll be able to do this thing called “scrolling” but for now, well, we have to prioritize; fortunately we have random commenters to tell the people who run the site what is sufficiently “serious” and what topics belong where.
That’s an original comment. It’s too bad someone, maybe even you, didn’t suggest it just 5 minutes earlier.
The respect for Mariano Rivera isn’t universal. Just ask Paul Priore.
I did just a quick scroll-through, but it looks like nobody mentioned Derek Jeter. He is the name I think of in sports when I think of the word “respect.” I am 27 and so cannot speak to how people really felt about Roberto Clemente in his time, though I know enough to say Muhammad Ali, for one, was vehemently despised by much of America.
Jeter gets a lot of ire for the success he’s had and hyperbolic things that have been said and thrust upon him, but even the Boston fans I talk to have to give him props and respect as an athlete when they are being honest.
Jeter scores starlets, Clemente died bringing hurricane relief to a third world country. Jeter isn’t fit to carry Clemente’s bags up to his hotel room.
Perhaps you are unaware of Jeter’s foundation to help children: http://derekjeter.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/index.jsp
how did this land a few thumbs ups? clemente is extremely respected, nobody denied that or said otherwise. your argument against jeter being included on the list is “he scored scarlets”?? its as if you think everyone else on the list didnt score scarlets….?
Jeter had his one big chance to show *real* leadership when the Yankees traded for a 2-time Gold Glove shortstop several years ago. Jeter Christ could’ve stepped aside and relinquished his beloved spot on the diamond to a vastly superior defender.
His ego did not permit that.
I have a hard time believing Arod was ever a better shortstop than Jeter. He’s been a statue at third base his entire Yankees career. Regardless, with the benefit of hindsight it is clear that the Yankees made the right decision moving Arod to third and keeping Jeter at short. Arod hasn’t been physically capable of playing shortstop in a long time. Jeter has aged much better. If the Yankees had made Arod SS and Jeter 3B would they have then had to switch them back after Arod’s body gave out?
It is really unfair to criticize Jeter for playing shortstop. He’s only been the best shortstop in baseball since 2004.
And Derek Jeter has five gold gloves. Using Gold Gloves as your sole argument is flawed.
While I don’t like Golden Gloves as a measurement, at the time, from the Yankees perspective, it would be the best measurement? And surely from the players perspective. And at that point, did Jeter have any Gold Gloves? I don’t know.
his ego has little to do with anything. everyone on that list has an ego of some sort, they wouldnt be legendary competitors if they didnt. the poll is about “respected athletes”. jeters name has to be on there.
Tons of fans dislike Jeter. In fact, aside from Arod, he might be the most disliked player in baseball. Sure, he’s probably the most-liked, too. He shouldn’t be on the list, and apparently he doesn’t “have to be” because he isn’t.
TKDC, you can say that about everyone on the list. im a bears fan, i hated barry sanders, doesnt mean i didnt respect him. you think celtics fans liked magic johnson? millions hated ali. i dont know many cowboys fans but im guessing they didnt like montana.
of course people that hate the yankees arent going to like him… but like just about everyone on the poll, hes regarded as the face of the sport and respected by the vast majority of baseball fans. (guys that say “omg uzr!!1!!!1!” not withstanding)
Anyone but Gretzky.
Billie Jean King was probably the most respected in the 1970s. She deserves some mention as the only Woman to beat the Men’s champion at Wimbledon.
nice try, remington
thumbs up’d. well done.
Pat Tillman?
Eiji Sawamura
Stan Musial. Obviously everyone’s opinion will be completely different. But for any current and active athlete, I think there’s no debate of who’s most respected for the big four American sports — it’s Mariano Rivera. I say American big four because if Messi or Rooney had an injury like this I think as a soccer fan it would be equally as devastating.
Messi yes, but Rooney not so much. Messi is an alltime great. Rooney is the very stereotype of an English footballer (mediocre skills, works hard, tough, gets caught with prostitutes, etc.).
Rooney actually has much better skills than the typical English footballer, though his physical strength is a large part of his game. He’s not loved by the average fan, though. Respected… yes, but with reservations. I don’t see him being in the running.
In Greece, its definitely Spyridon Louis.
Quickly coming to mind from a different world are:
Jesse Owens, Joe Louis, and Roger Bannister.
Jesse Owens…good call.
Everyone who voted other are high jumpers and voted for Dick Fosbury.
Sorry, that joke flopped.
Did it fall flat?
Maybe he had more regional than national appeal, but given the moment, I just have to vote for a man both immensely respected for his work on the field and immensely beloved for his work in the community… Junior Seau.
The Iron Horse.
alas, poor Barbaro…
there’s some guy with a name close to a candy bar, basically changed the entire offensive outlook of a sport, was also the best player in that sport’s history… gosh, what was his name…
Mounds McAlmondjoy
Also was a serial womanizer and sexist. Oh, and drunk.
what does that have to do with anything? its about being respected. babe ruth wasnt highly respected both while he was playing and after his passing?
whats next? benjamin franklin isnt respected cuz he played the field? ::rolls eyes::
Jamaul Snickers?
I don’t know how Barry Sanders isn’t getting more votes. He was arguably the greatest RB of all time(If you factor in his line, he is in my book) yet you would never know by his demeanor. Being from Detroit I had the luxury of meeting him before and I could honestly say outside of maybe Curtis Granderson he was the most down to earth and polite athlete I’ve ever met. When I shook his hand he looked me right in the eye the entire time and called me by my name the whole time we talked. He genuinely acted like he was a friend of mine and somebody he knew for a long time.
On top of that he commanded respect on the field, he was probably the flashiest player of all time in terms of on the field moves yet every time he scored he handed the ball to the ref and did no celebration. Total class. So in my eyes he should be the most respected athlete of all time.
If you’re going with running backs, although he’s older and may not be remembered as well by many of the commenters here, Walter Payton has to be the man.
Sanders was all class but a bit of a recluse and retired early because he was tired of playing on losing teams, which didn’t sit well with a lot of fans in Detroit, although his image has improved substantially in years since.
At the time of retirement, I think you’d be hard pressed to outdo either Al Kaline or Steve Yzerman for universal respect in Detroit. I think they would both beat out Sanders, at the local level anyway.
Unfortunately, by including the part about “in their playing days,” Clemente, Mays and Ashe get pretty well disqualified. We know at least there was still racism in baseball in 1974 by the death threats to Hammerin’ Hank, by which point Clemente was dead, Mays was done playing and Ashe was in decline. All that said, I voted for Clemente.
Clemente was quite respected as a player, but I also remember stories hinting that he was a hypochondriac, a showboat, a difficult interview and a bit of a malcontent.
Not suggesting any of that was justified, or necessarily the prevailing perception, but fair or not, that was at least a part of his public image when alive, courtesy of the era’s press.
clemente was a bit of a showboat, that’s true.
Stan Musial
No European sports or athletes included whatsoever. What gives?
Do you think maybe that non-American athletes have existed over time…
It’s gotta be federer for me. Happens to be playing at the same time as the second best player ever which has allowed us to see him be both a dominant champion and a gracious loser.
What a dumb fanboy poll.
When “other” is in third place, you made a poor list.
I’m not totally buying that Dave. Unless there is a strong vote for another number 3 it just means there is a pretty clear top 2 and very unclear rest of the group. I do see Jackie Robinson with a lot of support. There seems to be a really diverse bunch of “other” votes out there based on the reading above. Absent Robinson that is.
I disagree entirely. He mentioned 8 or so names in the history of sport so “other” encompasses every other athlete who ever lived. Given that, 8 names or “the field”, “the field”‘s going to get a lot of votes.
Very good Dave. I voted Ali. However, I really never liked him back in the 60′s and 70′s. Really never had an appreciation for him until he was gone from the sport. But in the end he stood up for…and against many of the right things. With respect to Mariano, I do appreciate him more now than I did Casius…Ha.Ha. Clay back then. I’m a huge Yankee hater but have a great respect for Rivera. I guess I’d agree with Jackie Robinson in the top three too.
Good job as always.
Ps. I didn’t know he actually wanted to play in the outfield one game. Do you think he would have batted him second for the lineup protection? :)
Ali stood up for the right things? Like belittling Joe Frazier – racially? Ali was not a great person and his spin machine is the only reason many think he was. So Mark, unlike you I loved Ali in the 60s, but have learned better since.
As a society we are much kinder to people either after death or after a significant trauma like Ali’s Parkinson’s.
Certainly, it’s fair to feel sadness on behalf of Ali and his family for the difficult condition he’s had to endure, but it doesn’t change the fact that, as you point out, he did some asshole-ish things.
Babe Didrickson, obviously.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson
I think if we’re going to have a modern day hockey representative nobody beats Mario Lemieux, not even Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Walter Payton…Jackie Robinson…Tony Gwynn…Cal Ripken…Come on! Your list stinks. Mohammed Ali was despised by as many people as those who liked him. Jordan was considered the greatest ever while he was still playing. I would vote for Addie Joss. He was so well loved that when he died, the players refused to play their regularly scheduled games, and played a benefit game for his widow and family. He ended his career with an ERA of 1.89.
Why is Ali even on this list? First of all he was cruel and narcissistic. Secondly, although a great boxer, I’m old enough to remember that while in his prime, the widely held consensus was that Joe Louis was the greatest boxer ever – how did this self-serving narcissist ever survive the court of public opinion?
Agreed, people generally didn’t like Ali when he was boxing, he was rude, arrogant and generally a big mouth.
If, by “people”, you mean “white American people,” that may be relatively accurate. The people who thought he had the right to change his religion and his name and to follow his religious principles instead of fighting a terrible war may have felt differently. Around the world, there were a lot more of them. And, yes, this was true while he was an active boxer; it has nothing to do with his Parkinson’s.
John Rocker????
Concur on Musial – everyone seemed to go out of their way to say how much the respected Musial. Bill Russell should also be included.
Hank Aaron?
This! This 755 times.
Yeah I thought Hank Aaron should be up there, he fought outright racism and death threats on his way to breaking Babe’s record. He has always handled himself with class.
Hank Aaron.
Walter Payton.
Walter Payton, Stan Musial, Larry Bird
Joe Louis has to be up there for respect among his contemporaries. Dude beat up Nazis
Max Schmeling (the only German that Louis fought) was not a nazi. Louis and Schmeling became friends after the war.
Yeah, I was trying to be funny, I shouldn’t have called him a Nazi. He was a good guy in retrospect and it’s a shame that he was cast as the Aryan superman.
But the politics of the times made Louis a living legend. He was a national hero; he transcended sports. I don’t know how an athlete could be more revered than Joe Louis in the late 1930’s.
Yup, only the US exists in the history of the world.
Considering that 95% of the world watches soccer, it has to be Pele.
What is soccer??
It’s like HandEgg, but with with foots and balls kicked by those foots.
RUGby football = “rugger”
and similarly
asSOCiation football = “soccer”
but mostly only to Americans, and posh people from England.
It’s either Ali or Pele. Everyone else is too US-centric.
Yeah, damn that Dave Cameron…he should know *precisely* who the nine most respected athletes in Mozambique are. What a lame poll. Everything is lame. LAME!
ill thumbs up any comment that mentions mozambique and stays in context and on topic
Walter Payton. After Walter announced his retirement, when he was announced in Green Bay he recieved the longest standing ovation I have ever seen for an opposing player. The respect shown by his teams greatest rival is not something seen very often.
How is Magic on this list and not Michael Jordan?
Where is Pete Rose?
Selling his signature somewhere, I’d wager.
I understand the omission of Jackie Robinson, but I think putting the restriction on them that the must have been universally respected during their career forces us to eliminate the players who show the most class. We see people’s true character through how they handle adversity. Not to take anything away from Ripken or Gehrig, but it is a lot easier to show class when one is universally adored than it is when you’re being spiked because you’re black.
Unless we are we going to but a RespectFactor on Advanced Statistics player page, this poll should be moved to NotGraphs.
It would be nice to have someone who didn’t play in North America on this list. You know, like Pelé, the most popular player that played the most popular sport in the world. You guys realize that most people outside of North American and the Caribbean don’t know who Rivera was, right?
Pele played in North America, I saw him….it has to be Pele…..it is a sad commentary on us all that some of these guys didn’t get the love that Riveria is getting, merely because of the color of their skin. Clemente and Ashe are my 2nd choices, probably Ashe as number 2, as I “know” him and his contributions off the court more than I “know” Clemente….
Sir Donald Bradman. Known as the “greatest living Australian.”
I voted for Ali. Not my personal favorite, but since the poll is not limited to ‘respected by Americans,’ that implies that the answer has to be the ‘most respected in the world.’ Most Europeans have never heard of the baseball, football, and hockey players on the list.
In retrospect, you should have included Pele.
I’m English, and I voted for Clemente. But your point is a fair one.
I voted for Clemente… not just because I’m a Pirates fan, but because MLB named its award to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team” after him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Clemente_Award
I agree that Jackie Robinson and Lou Gehrig should have been on this list, though.
Reggie White!
Where is Bill Russell? Koufax should be added–let’s not forget Stan Musial either.
I can’t see the poll from the office. Can someone post the current results?
Not being able to see the list of choices, I can’t think of anyone that can top Roger Federer. When you have a sonnavab!tch like Roddick tell Federer “you know, you really ARE a nice guy” after being beat by Federer, you know it’s impossible to dislike Federer. Dude is the epitomy of everything that you want in a best-player-in-world.
Mo is like that too, but I’ll go with Federer because he’s probably the best player of his sport, ever.
here you are:
Roberto Clemente 23.32%
Mariano Rivera 16.87%
Muhammad Ali 15.8%
Other: 15.24%
Wayne Gretzky 8.15%
Willie Mays 5.77%
Magic Johnson 3.39%
Barry Sanders 3.32%
Jerry Rice 3.01%
Arthur Ashe 2.7%
Joe Montana 2.45%
Federer is the best, most classy, most representative player of any individual based sport, and it’s a shame that you, me and some other guy are the only three people to mention him.
Also, it’s difficult to compare cross-sport peaks and performances, but Don Bradman is something like 40 “runs” better than the 2nd place batsman in cricket. He had 99.9 or something like that, which is nearly 40 runs better than 2nd place (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Test_cricket_records#Career_runs_and_career_average), which is the closest I can find to Gretzky as someone who is that far ahead of 2nd place in the history of his/her sport. I bet barely anyone has ever even heard of Don Bradman, though.
Everyone who knows their sport and lives in a cricket-playing country deeply respects Bradman. Only 40 players in test history have ever had a career batting average above 50. His was basically twice that, and if he’d cared to play to pad his stats he could have had an even higher one. Talent-wise he out-Ruthed the Babe, while still being a nice guy, by all accounts.
For those who don’t know of Bradman, look at this table
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/282910.html
Now look at this one for baseball
http://espn.go.com/mlb/history/leaders
The equivalent record in baseball would be if Ty Cobb’s career average was .586 (looking at the amount he was better than the second-best hitter), or .647 (if you compare with the top 40). Crazy numbers.
I should add that being extremely well-respected among the sports-cognoscenti of cricket-playing nations doesn’t get him anywhere near this list, though.
I know the cricket playing world knows all about Bradman, but unfortunately (or fortunately, if you look at it a different way), the US is not part of the cricket playing world. That’s all I really meant, he won’t get the respect he deserves here. It’s almost a shame he didn’t pad his stats, haha.
I guess the site owners could tell us what % of the readers are from England, SA, India, Pakistan, Australia and the rest, though. http://www.cricgraphs.com, anyone? :P
In this case, I think it probably would have first made sense to get a “nominating list”. Having Federer not be one of the 10 choices is a huge oversight.
And among hockey players, I think Ray Bourque would be #1. Is there a player anywhere where his own fans were happy that he went to Colorado and eventually won the Cup? This guy was so beloved in Boston, that they were incenced when an arbitration ruling went against him (“Pay Ray”), and then were so appreciative of everything he gave Boston, that they not only understood, but accepted and cheered when he went to the Avalanche.
Another thing about Ray Bourque: when they retired Phil Esposito’s number (#7), Ray Bourque came to center ice (also wearing his #7), took off his sweater, gave it to Espo, and turned around to show him his new number (#77). Bourque retired his own number in honor of Espo. Espo was so beside himself, he said he would never forget what Bourque did for him. Go look for it on YouTube… you’ll get chills.
Ray Bourque is awesome, I agree. He definitely brought out the best in Boston fans. I think your description is a good one – when most fans of the sport, regardless of who their favorite team or player is – wants one guy to win it all just because it seems like he deserves it, he’s a pretty good sport representative.
Who mirrors that in baseball? Well, probably nobody right now. I can think of some players I’d like to see do it, they always tend to be great players who played for their somewhat questionable teams for a very long time, or don’t get to the postseason for circumstances beyond their control.
Everyone in Toronto wants or wanted Roy Halladay to win the WS with the Phils. Since the Phils window looks like it’s sort of closing, now us Jays fans can hope that when Roy’s contract is up, he comes home to the Jays…
Federer was recently named the second most respected person in the WORLD, behind a guy named Nelson Mandela. Whether or not you believe a professional tennis player should be ranked above politicians and activists, this is quite a statement. He’s my first choice by far, and I’m glad a few others thought of him too. The guy is the real deal: relentlessly classy and graceful on the court and charming and philanthropic away from it. The work his foundation does for kids in Africa is just fantastic.
Lenny Dykstra?
Of the names mentioned to date I go for Pele (edging Jordan) but for an individual recognised to be in a different league from his contemporaries (and anyone else since in a sport), Donald Bradman.
Nice timing, you typed that while I was typing the bit like three posts above this, recognizing Bradman.
Jim Thorpe….in his time recognized as the greatest athlete in the world
Well, the last time I remember America uniting over a sports accident was Dale Earnhardt.
I think Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Pete Sampras, and Joe Montana would also have had similar widespread sympathy.
Jim Thorpe, as per Wikipedia: “Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, he won Olympic gold medals for the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon, played American football (collegiate and professional), and also played professional baseball and basketball. He lost his Olympic titles after it was found he was paid for playing two seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics, thus violating the amateurism rules. In 1983, 30 years after his death, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) restored his Olympic medals.”
great minds but yours obviously the quicker
Roy Hobbs
Paulo Maldini
Every Soccer fan in the World must respect him, seemed like a really nice guy and also one of the best defenders of all time.
Michael Jeffrey Jordan
I voted Clemente, but I think Gehrig and Jetes should be on the list. I’m not a Yankee fan either. Every baseball playing kid I know (my son is a 17 year old hs pitcher), worships at the alter of Jeter….
If have to think Gretzky would take this poll if it were not on a baseball website. I was surprised to see him so low.
To err is human. I’m going with Secretariat
As an honorable mention, Kirby Puckett has to be thought of as one of the most respected players during his time. His love of the game was obvious to anyone watching him play, including his opponents.
The list of poll answers reads like a Sesame Street “which of these things is not like the others.” Mariano Rivera is not even a household name in the nation in which he plays.
wow keith, guess all the lines screwed up your brain. or maybe it’s been all the “just for men” fumes.
I went for Ken Griffey Jr. Not sure I’ve ever heard of a bad thing the guy has done. He always got millions of votes to be an all-star even when he didn’t deserve it and I think the players really genuinely liked being around him. (especially watching the HR derby events)
griffey is probably my favorite player ever, but i believe he tried to kill himself. when he was in the minors maybe?
Yep, according to wikipedia, 1988 he tried to kill himself
What? Why is that relevant?
Depression (and suicide) is one of the most misunderstood illnesses today. It doesn’t make you a weak person to have these thoughts or to be depressed.
I could care less if Mo hurt himself. Sure he’s great, but it’s not like we are friends or anything.
I voted for Jackie Robinson, by the way.
Michael Jordan.
I’m pretty surprised Dikembe Mutumbo didn’t get a single mention here anywhere. He would probably be second for me after Clemente.
Jim Thome
I like this concept but the poll seems kind of ambiguous. “Respected” means something different to every person. Are we talking strictly respected for their prowess on the field? Because in that case, a few of the people on the list probably shouldn’t be there. If we are going to throw in off the field stuff, then why not consider some of the all time great humanitarian athletes like Dikembe Mutombo or Warrick Dunn? In all, though, it probably has to go to someone competing in an individual sport or for the US in the Olympics (given that this is a primarily US-centered readership). I agree with the above posters and go with Federer for people I have seen play, and Jim Thorpe for people I haven’t.
In a 2011 poll of all celebrities for Best Reputation (not just sports and not just the US), Roger Federer came in at #2, ahead of Steve Jobs and Warren Buffet and Oprah and just behind Nelson Mandela. This is a baseball site, so my first inclination would have been Robinson as well, but worldwide, still in the midst of career, it’s hard to argue against Federer.
http://www.reputationinstitute.com/events/14_Sept_11_PR_New%20_York_Leader_RepTrak_Results.pdf
Of those listed, Muhammad Ali and Roberto Clemente jump out at me. I think Clemente has more votes because he was less controversial (Ali’s politics were at odds with the War Hawks of the Vietnam era, and his bravery in the face of bigotry against against his chosen religion and the expectations of a black man in the 1960s will cost him votes.) Clemente was also a baseball player and this is a baseball web-site.
Jackie Robinson is an omission, even though he was controversial in his lifetime, society has moved past that controversy (mostly.) (There’s still a lot of racism in the USA, but not the kind of overt racism that would make a player like Robinson controversial.)
Gehrig should have made the list too.
I think most of the others that jump to mind are well-regarded more for being incredible athletes and not letting personal failings or quirks interfere (to an extent that anyone cares) with their game. Ruth, Gretzky, Jordan, Bird – they just played their game at the highest level imaginable for longer than anyone else who’s ever played the game. Closer to Rivera’s place in history than Ali, Clemente, Robinson and Gehrig, who’s careers had profound cultural impact.
I was so (expletive) glad to see Clemente was winning. As soon as I read the title of this article I knew exactly who my answer was. I figured Muhamed Ali would get all the votes because of his showboating and media presence but it fills me with pride to know that most people value Clemente the way he should be. It actually raises the hair on my arms whenever I think about him.
Latrell Spreewell – while most athletes want expensive cars and flashy jewelry this man just wanted to feed his family. Gotta respect that.
Don’t know. Mike Hampton’s placing of his children’s education first in deciding where to go as a free agent also was pretty selfless.
Magic Johnson going out of his way to make sure everyone knew he got AIDS from having sex with lots of women probably made a lot of people dislike him.
First of all, the answer to the question of who is the most respected athlete in history is Jackie Robinson, who is the only modern athlete of enduring social significance. The question, as phrased by David, seems like an attempt to find the superstar who was most liked, or least disliked, during his playing days. That can’t be Ali, who many disliked as a brash loud mouth. Only after his career was he beloved.
Ali’s brash loud mouth is WHY he is great, he spoke up at a time when black men were expected to be quiet and deferential. The culture was so completely different in the 1960s, he was really a trailblazer.
A trailblazer? Most certainly.
Universally respected during his career? Absolutely not.
Let’s not forget this is a guy who had an Olympic medal stripped from him for draft dodging. While that may have been cool with certain people at the time, I can bet that it certainly made quite a lot of people disrespect him.
And I’m not trying to stir up any sort of political debate here…
Ali did not have his Olympic medal stripped from him for draft-dodging, he had his world title taken from him by close-minded organizations for having refused induction into the Army, though his position that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Some people actually admired him for that. I am one of them.
When I think of Mo I think of a guy that I hated to watch pitch against my team, but damnit if I didn’t respect the hell out of him. Now I know there will certainly be heated opposition to this name, but another guy I think of that is Rickey Henderson.
Now Henderson had an ego, there’s no denying that. But his ego was about the game, not his personal life, nor did it ever cause much issue with teammates. I don’t know many guys who can say they hated Rickey Henderson. I would say there’s a pretty good argument for him being one of the most respected players in all of baseball. There has never been another player like him the history of the game, both personality wise and in the style of his game.
The question is impossible to answer, as written. The reason Rivera is interesting is because he is so universally respected, despite being a current player and a current opposing player to 29 other teams. Perhaps better would be, “are there any other current players who engender the same or greater level of respect?”
How about Jim Thome? Halladay?
Oh God, yeah why is Michael Jordan not on there?
Not justifying his iconic status nor contending that he was not overrated, but Joe Namath was widely respected and idolized while playing.
“unanimous reaction of sadness to the news of Mariano Rivera’s injury.”
I’m sorry, but what else are people going to do? Cheer? High-five each other? If this happened to A-Rod, who would probably headline the the opposite list to this (Least Respected), I still don’t think anyone would cheer – that’s just cruel.
I hardly think that the public’s reaction to his injury has anything to do with how widely he’s respected. Sure he’s a Hall of Famer but he really does not belong on a list of “Most Respected” with Clemente and Ali, two men who transcended their sports by taking on the issues of the day. Rivera has not come close to that.
Definitely, definitely Jackie Robinson. He was the first and only choice in my mind, and he should be on the poll. Lance Armstrong also definitely deserves a mention.
Walter Payton gets my vote….
To different degrees, I think Ali, Jackie Robinson and Clemente were each too threatening to America’s white middle class to truly enjoy overwhelming, near universal respect as players. Their reverent legacies really took off after their careers had ended, imo.
I think Pele was almost universally respected and loved, while he played. A couple early ballplayers I didnt see mentioned who were unequivocally admired as players: Christy Mathewson & Walter Johnson.
I think you have to go with Gretzky here. The others were all the best at their POSITION during their era; he was the best in the history of his entire SPORT. This is, assuming you mean the reaction amongst fans of the sport; if not, there’s simply no way a football player doesn’t win this poll simply because it’s the most popular sport in the country.
I look at the list and see two glaring omissions. Ted Williams and Bob Feller-one of the best hitters of all time and one of the best pitchers of all time, and the both of them war heroes. They are both reasonable choices.
There are also no females on the list. I respect Jackie Joyner Kersee, Martina Navratilova, the great basketball coach Pat Summers, the runner Wilma Rudolph.
Magic Johnson has accomplished even more in his post playing days to earn respect. He’s living with a potentially deadly disease with dignity, and does all sorts of things to help his community. It’s not lip service with him; he lives it everyday. He gets my vote.
I think that jerry rice and joe montana kind of take away from each other here. And that the results will probably lean hard towards baseball players this being fg and all.
I have to say that one pretty major class of athlete is completely missing. I see a lot of comments re Jackie Robinson and breaking barriers. But in 2012, a poll that contains only male athletes indicates that some barriers re respect/greatness are still very much intact. So I’ll to add Babe Didrickson and Billie Jean King to my list of athletes who should have been included here
How can there be any NFL’ers on this list? According to every football player I have ever heard no one believed in them and they get no respect.
Seriously though, I wrote in Curt Flood because he should be one of the most respected athletes of all time. Next to Jackie Robinson he probably sacrificed the most so future baseball players(or any professional athlete really) could benefit.
I have thought Cameron missed the boat on many occasions but none more than so than when he omitted Albert “Joey” Belle from this list.
A glaring, inexcusable omission.
Can’t a brother get any respect?
Michael Jordan’s competitive fire and mental toughness are without peer in the world of sports. Omitting him from the list is really bizarre.
I told my wife about it and she said “never heard of this Mariano”
I might go with Federer. Surpriisingly difficult to find someone who really fits the bill though….
If a kid told you Roberto Clemente was one of his heroes, you wouldn’t roll your eyes. It’s hard to say that about even a lot of the extremely talented athletes on this list, or of any athlete, or of any person,
Secretariat.
Awww, where is my Tiger? He is not on the list? (makes a sad face)
I voted “Other” and wrote in Jack Nicklaus. His competitors loved the guy even when he was killing them on a weekly basis.
I was a Nicklaus man also, but he did receive some criticism peer-wise during his career for his slow play. He would slow down to a snail’s pace during the final round of a major especially, drawing the ire of some of his fellow pros and golf writers who felt he was responsible for making the game slower overall. He also was not well received early in his career for having the audacity to be a better golfer than the beloved Arnold Palmer. It was similar, though not as strong a disapproval, to when Henry Aaron was chasing down Babe Ruth’s career HR mark.
If there was any golfer to make this list, I would pick Arnold Palmer first and probably Seve Ballesteros second because he was the “Arnold Palmer” of European golf.
To be honest, everyone I’ve encountered (in Seattle) has been between amused and delighted with Rivera’s injury. Do we need to feel bad? Of course not, he’s an entertainer that is way richer than most of us. A skilled player on a hated organization that get’s injured shagging balls in the outfield… nothing wrong with laughing about that.
I voted for Christy Mathewson – way before my time, but he really did seem to be universally respected. There are those that say he attracted women to the game for the first time, that umpires consulted him on close plays, etc.
I’m surprised at Clemente’s lead. I grew up during his playing career, and I clearly remember many negative newspaper and magazine stories centering on his whining, lackadaisical attitude, his refusal to play because of imagined injuries and his arrogance. During the years he played, he was not seen as heroic, but after his death trying to help others, he became a hero.
There are so many choices. I’d have to add Chris Spielman. What a class act.
Federer gets a mention….surely! Dude is clean as a whistle and is the most successful athlete ever in his sport.
Where is Michael Jordan? Fangraphs collaboratively listed a bunch of “Who are you?,” while across Seven Continents, the most well-known, greatest athlete people look up as a role model? Jordan, for sure!
Jackie Robinson broke the “color line” and put up with a lot of abuse which was admirable for sure, but Roberto Clemente gave HIS LIFE helping other people. He sure as hell didn’t have to be on that plane, it was New Year’s Eve also, remember!