Michael Phelps ranked the best athlete of the 21st Century by ESPN

[cyndaquil]

JUST SAY HE HAD YOU WATCHING.

I DONT ANY BLACK PERSON IRL
WHO WATCHED A PHELPS RACE.





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I watched incidentally cuz I was watching the Olympics casually not cuz "Phelps was must see tv"

 

[kdslittlebro]

Maybe one day boxing will get more events like a speed bag events(one hand and 2 hands), jump rope, or punching power measuring.

They should add the three point and dunk contest, and the skills challenge too

 

[Harry B]

I don't know a single person who has ever aimed at becoming a professional swimmer.
And I don't think it's a big enough sport to top people like Brady, Ronaldo and Messi. Certainly the two latter seeing how they became goats in the biggest sport ever. But ofc it's ESPN, so it's gotta be an American. But I'd still choose Serena and Tiger over that.

 

[RammerJammer]

I saw they had Suzuki over Bonds, didn't care to read the rest of the list

 

[Elim Garak]

I would have to go with Lebron.

 

[Harry B]

yeah, but there are a bunch of events in swimming. You have 19 chances to win ONE gold medal in swimming. There are 24 events for track and field as well. It's still impressive though. for him to have 23. Maybe one day boxing will get more events like a speed bag events(one hand and 2 hands), jump rope, or punching power measuring.

I damn sure never watched one.

They should've added 70 meters, 120 meters, 150 meters and 170 meters, and the same for relay for Usain Bolt

They should force swimmers to compete in like half of those things and them see who gets the highest average position and give them one medal. shyt is too similar to be different sports, or you wouldn't have people ending in (or close to) the top in so many different styles.

 

[Primetime]

It said 70,000 ESPN readers were the voters..

So basically a simple popularity contest from non-analysts with no actual criteria?

 

[Rekkapryde]

Not shocked they gave it to a cac, but if any cac at least was credible to get it's him.

Serena
Bron
Tiger
Messi
Phelps
Simone Biles
Bolt


all have valid arguments.

 

[Rekkapryde]

It said 70,000 ESPN readers were the voters..

So basically a simple popularity contest from non-analysts with no actual criteria?

Any "Greatest" list is opinionated.

 

[Lil Bape the PostGod]

KG is a legend but I actually don’t understand why he’s so high and above a lot of the other people

 

[BucciMane]

Sure, he has a valid argument, but swimming has so many different events to win medals in that it's not perfect comparison to someone like Usain Bolt.

And, not everybody knows how to swim or cares to swim. Any functional human being can run and has run before. Far more competition.

 

[ChatGPT-5]

 

[CHICAGO]

It said 70,000 ESPN readers were the voters..

So basically a simple popularity contest from non-analysts with no actual criteria?

SOUNDS LIKE CAP.

NO WAY ESPN READERS
WOULD HAVE HAD SERENA AT #2
AND MESSI AT NUMBER 3

LIST WOULD HAVE BEEN
ALL AMERICAN MEN
WITH BRADY AT NUMBER 1.



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[BucciMane]

I just scrolled down the list and it's already pretty bad with the top twenty.

-Fed over Djokovic is just wrong.

-Taurasi top 25?

-Ichiro over Bonds?

-Harden over Aaron Rodgers?

 

[tremonthustler1]

I saw they had Suzuki over Bonds, didn't care to read the rest of the list

if you needed artificial help, suggesting you're a better athlete is comical. Also, Bonds can only be taken into account from 2000-2007. Ichiro did all his damage starting from 2001.


That said, the criteria seems bizarre. The Sportscentury list they had before made some sense. I'm not sure what went into this.