Who is the greatest?

WHAT????? My name's not on the list? Harumph.

Seriously... I don't know what greatest means. There are athletes who hang out in peak-performance-land whose feats are beyond my imagination. And darn it all, they make it look easy. I think that with cyclists and ice skaters and runners and baseball players and.... I just watch in starry-eyed wonder, with no particular need to rank them.

Andrea

Just came back from home after a late lunch that turned in OLN replay coverage of the TdF. After watching the end of today stage, Lance is the best ride ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don

He certainly is the most handsome... (I know it has nothing to do with his awesome ability on the bike) but he sure is easy on the eyes. **SIGH** LW

This user's post has been ignored.

I am an Eddie Merckx fan from the time he dominated the cycling world so many years ago. Lance is a phenominal cyclist; he is undoubtedly the best active rider today. I am a Lance Armstrong fan but I also remain Eddie Merckx fan. Hey, one needn't exclude the other!

Michel, the greatest means only one.

Lance is about to do what no man has ever done. I realize some people have problems recognizing his greatness simply because he is American, but in the end, history will be the final judge. I would take Lance in his prime against any rider in his/her prime from any generation.

What's really amazing is that he's probably not done yet. I thought this would be his last, but the way he's lapped the field, he may have another win in those legs. It will be interesting to see if these young new riders will improve to the point of being able to compete with Lance. I was very sorry to see Tyler Hamilton withdraw because of that wreck.

yeah....not tough to look at 

LOL... it might be a photo finish between me and you, actually...

Motivated, I am an Eddie Merckx fan and still think that he is the greatest rider ever but that is only my opinion. Lance Armstrong is a great cyclist and he will certainly win a 6th Tour and may even go on to win a 7th. But all that notwithstanding, Eddie is still the greatest; hey he's been my hero for too many years to abandon him now. And if you are implying that I prefer Eddie to Lance because Lance is American, then you are just being silly ... and very insulting. Why would I base my opinion of a rider on his nationality...heck, Eddie is Belgian and I certainly am not from Belgium. I'm Canadian and have more in common with my American cousins than with anyone from Belgium; so if I were to discriminate, would it not be against the "Cannibal". I would be an Eddie Merckx fan even if he were English-Canadian and a card carrying member of the Conservative party!

I'm  going to  go with Eddy Merckx as well.  He did everything...win field sprints, time trials, Spring classics, even held the hour record for quite some time until Moser broke it.  He would ride the winter indoor track events as well.  Eddy would have won a 6th tour but for being sucker punched in the ribs on an Alpine stage by a rabid French spectator.  The injury disabled him enough that he fell out of the lead.

Max

Edited by max 2004-07-23 2:42 PM

Michel,

The American bia comment was not pointed at you, so don't be insulted. However, if you believe he gets a fair shake outside of the US Borders, then you must have your head in the snow.

Why are you so sensitive about this subject? This is the second time you've gotten your feathers ruffled over this matter and frankly, I'm beginning to wonder about my Canadian friend.

I do agree with Brenda. Who is the greatest? Where are we going to find in the history of cycling all those who have achieved or deserved something? It is not possible even with our technology now. Some of you will know this and some of you will be surprised to discover. Please visit this website http://www.majortaylorassociation.org/who.htmto find out who was, in my concept, the greatest cyclist of all time. Why? Because, in addition to have defeated his own personal perspective, he went to defy the standards of his time. But truly, there is no greatest at all. Fame and popularity do not measure greatness.

I think lance is the greatest cyclist today, and having fight cancer the way he did and win 6tours . shows what traing hard can do, also i thouht Greg lemond was good.

Hey gals and guys, did you visit that website I mention before about who was Major Taylor? Did all of you knew about him? What do you think about his accomplishments?

Keeeep on training; there are rewards, more important than just placing in your age group!

Being an avid cyclist from a long way back, I have heard of Major Taylor. He was a phenominal cyclist.

Athletes are better today in every sport than their predecessors. Athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster today. Training and science is so much better.

Accomplishments don't necessarily equate to the greatest ever.
a. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in one game. Would you honestly pick him over Shaq?
b. Would you pick Tom Brady (2 time Super Bowl winner) over Jim Kelly (4 time Super Bowl loser)?
c. Would you pick Babe Ruth over Barry Bonds?

Lance is the greatest until 20 or 30 years from now a better rider with better science behind him comes along.

Chucky,

Valid points. May I add to them?

1. Shaq is the most dominant in the game today, but is certainly not the game's best player. I'd take Wilt or Dr. J vs Shaq in a 1 on 1 any day.
2. Tom Brady's career is not yet over. That remains to be seen. He may very well eclipse some of the guys we grew up watching, including the Marino's and Kellys. But, as you point out, we're not there yet.
3. Bonds is a juicer, a science experiment. Babe had nothing more than a few six packs a day to help his swing. Eliminate the inflatable muscles and I'll take the Babe.

I realize the jury is still out on Lance, the major criticism coming from those who say he doesn't participate in enough events outside of the TdF. But, his career is not over yet. He may very well eclipse some of the guys we grew up watching...

Better and greatest do not mean the same. Better applies to matter; greatness applies to virtue.

Taga da man (me)


A man does not show his greatness by being at one extremity, but rather by touching both at once." ~ Blaise Pascal

Bonds still has to contend with 95 mph fastballs, sick curve balls, sliders that would make your head slide, change ups that would make you throw up, and sinkers that go all the way down to China. He faces usually three different fresh pitchers a game. The walls are further out and defenses are better to boot. The babe wouldn't survive

Dr. J could only win using an outside jumper. Wilt was good, but something was missing. He was a giant in his era and yet he only got two championships? He was never bodied up like Shaq is and the competition he was facing was nowhere near as athletic. Bill Russel would be a power forward in today's game ala Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.

Tom Brady's career isn't over, but he is no Jim Kelly. Tom Brady needed the officials and a blizzard to help him beat the Raiders to even get to the SuperBowl. Jim Kelly smoked the Raiders (minus Bo Jackson) in his AFC title game. Kelly was a threat, Brady is a "just don't screw it up" quarterback.

a - Yes.
b - Yes.
c - Yes.

Major Taylor rocks too.

Eddie Merckx with Bernard Hinault a close second followed by Lance Armstrong a close third.

The differences between the riders, the equipment etcetera make comparisons almost impossible. It is like asking whether Gretzky, Orr or Richard was the best hockey player of all time. The differences are too numerous to mention.

As for whether or not I would take The Babe over Bonds - the Babe no question. When he was juiced it meant he showed up to play drunk. He was playing while the shine ball and spitter were legal pitches! Wilt the stilt v Shaq - man v whiner like that is a difficult choice. Brady v Kelly - don't know enough about American football.

I'm surprised at how many Shaq h8ers there are and how many Babe lovers there are. I think you guys are nutz, but I'll agree to disagree.

Chucky,

Its good to read what everyone has to say...Its the wonderful thing about opinions, everyone's got one...except for my dog, he is just so agreeable and eats up everything I say...he loves the Lance Armstrong and the Babe, can't stand Shaq or Kobe or Rick Fox or any of the current or x-Lakers (he's a KG fan), and actually prefers college football (FSU Fan) over pro-ball.

Go 'Noles!