The Greatest of All Time?

Often in sports you always hear the phrase “The greatest of all time.” When you describe a player like that you are saying that he is better then anyone else who has ever played in his sport. It’s probably the highest praise and compliment you could receive.

In baseball everyone considers Babe Ruth the greatest of all time. Not only was he a great hitter, he was also a great pitcher. He was the most dominate player of his time. In basketball, some people say Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan. Chamberlain dominated the era he played in and Jordan revolutionized the game and brought it to a whole different level. In football, some say Bart Starr, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, and even Brett Favre. All were great when they played. Well Favre is still playing but I mean when he was in his prime.

In NASCAR, almost everyone says Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Both have won more championships then any driver in NASCAR history and Petty has won more races then anyone. In hockey, people think Wayne Gretzky is the greatest of all time. He has a lot of medals, won a lot of awards, and has a won a few Stanley Cups. In Golf, people think Tiger Woods is the greatest of all time but before him it was Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. In coaching, people now say Phil Jackson because he has won 10 NBA Championships and his coached some of the greatest players in the game

In Boxing everyone calls the Muhammad Ali the greatest of all time. Even though it’s not a sport most people consider Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan the greatest of all time in professional wresting history. That’s quite a statement considering all the wrestlers who have come and gone.

Look at all of this and all the sports how can you really say that someone is “The Greatest of All Time?” Sports have changed overtime and the way the games are played have changed as well.

In baseball, it is really hard to find an argument against Babe Ruth being the the greatest of all time because he was good at pitching and hitting. However would he have been a good pitcher in today’s game. Pitching has changed so much overtime. There is a lot more to pitching now then there was in the 1900’s atleast from the stand point of arm mechanics. Also how do we really know is the greatest of all time now because of the steroids era. I think it’s safe to say Ruth is the greatest Yankee of all time but look at who has the most hits, or the most wins as a pitcher. Shouldn’t they be considered the greatest as well?

In basketball, Chamberlain dominated his era, and Jordan dominated the 90’s. However how can you discredit the players in between like Bird, Johnson and even Kareem. How about the players of today like Kobe Bryant? The game is much more competitive then it was when Chamberlain and Russell played. They were the two dominant big men in their era, whereas today almost every team has got a dominant big man.

In football, notice how I listed all Quarterbacks. What about running-backs like Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton. How about wide-receivers like Jerry Rice. Then you can’t forget about defensive players like Dick Butkus, Reggie White, and even Michael Strahan. Guys can be considered the greatest at their positions but not the greatest of all time in the sport.

In NASCAR, Petty and Earnhardt dominated before the Chase for the Cup started. They didn’t compete against 11 other drivers the last ten races of the season. They competed against everyone for every race. Since the Chase for the cup started in 2004, Jimmie Johnson has won three Cups in a row. So if he gets to seven or even break the record by getting eight, should he be considered the greatest of all time? No because the format of the sport has changed and so has the points systems

Wayne Gretzky was a great player but no doubt about that but what about a guy like Gordie Howe who has almost every record there is to have in the game of Hockey. I also hear a kid by the name of Sidney Crosby could be great someday to. Gretzky and Howe were the best players of their era.

Golf is the same way, Nicklaus and Palmer dominated during their prime. When Nicklaus and Palmer were out of their prime no one dominated the sport until Tiger Woods came along. If you really want to go way back, you also can’t forget about Ben Hogan.

Phil Jackson has won the most championships out of any coach in a sport but how can you forget about the greatness of coaches like Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Mike Ditka, Joe Torre, and Red Auerbach even Pat Riley or Bill Belichick. All of them have led their teams to multiple championships.

In boxing, Muhammad Ali brought boxing to the mainstream with his trash talk and his flashiness. He had some incredible fights but he was not undefeated. However a fight by the name of Rocky Marciano was undefeated going 49-0. There is also a fighter by the name of Floyd Mayweather Jr. who is also undefeated for now. So how can you discredit an undefeated fighter?

In pro wrestling Flair and Hogan are considered the greatest. However you cannot count out guys like Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes, Shawn Michaels and Triple H. All of them have had stellar careers that most wrestling fans will always remember.

Notice the word era was brought up a lot. I think you can say someone was the greatest in their era, on their team and possibly even the position they play. However I cannot agree with calling someone the greatest of all time. Athletes are always getting better and sports are always becoming more competitive. There also new concepts, and new rules that effect the way you play the game. Time always changes things. There is no doubt in my mind that all the athletes mentioned above were the greatest in their era’s but in the end you cannot predict the future either. How do you know when the next great athlete is going to come around? So who in your mind do you think is great?