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

Is Michael Phelps the greatest athlete of the 21st Century?


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Only thing ESPN knows how to do is make lists and rank shyt.

Phelps belongs in the conversation, but whoever gets picked #1 is gonna create controversy...just what ESPN wants.

Personally, I'd lean towards Simone Biles as #1. Katie Ledecky is already looking over Phelps shoulder for GOAT swimmer so it's hard to say he's #1 when you could argue he's not even the clear #1 in his own sport.

Simone is so next level that she does shyt that super elite gymnasts won't even attempt. It would be like Phelps swimming a race without even needing to come up for air. She's GOAT in her sport like Wilt Chamberlain but if he had Russell's jewelry case.

Tiger, Floyd and Pacquiao are on the list. Obviously Messi/CR7.....but I'd say Simone, Tiger and Serena. You could flip Tiger/Serena. Djokovic/Federer/Nadal.
 

premier58

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I have him number 1 too for the same reasons.

I actually think he has the quinesstential American underdog story. In my eyes he's still that inspirational underdog who worked himself from being a guy who didn't even start for his college team and needed an injury to get his shot in the NFL to being the greatest QB of all time.
Where does this garbage start about Brady not stàrting in college, come from. He started his junior and senior seasons and was voted team MVP as a senior. The same award that luminaries like Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, Braylon Edwards and Brandon Graham, got.
 
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I got Brady at 1 personally

That type of longevity and dominance in an extremely physical game gives him higher praise from me

Too bad he was on HGH for the second half of his career. If you are going to hold it against Barry Bonds who was a much more dominant player than Brady ever was then smh...

Speaking of Bonds. I would have him #1. There's no player on earth that opposing players feared more.
 

premier58

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Too bad he was on HGH for the second half of his career. If you are going to hold it against Barry Bonds who was a much more dominant player than Brady ever was then smh...

Speaking of Bonds. I would have him #1. There's no player on earth that opposing players feared more.
What HGH was Brady on? You just out here making up shyt?
 

<<TheStandard>>

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Phelps has won 23 gold medals and 28 overall and people are acting like having him at #1 is some type of outrage :dahell:


Phelps was doing the equivalent of winning the 400m and winning hurdling events

Dominating swimming doesn't hold more weight than dominating Football, Basketball or Boxing. It just doesn't.

Brady has 7 Super Bowls in a sport where nikkas die and get CTE. Lebron went to 8 straight NBA Finals. Mayweather neutered Pacquiao's offense to the point where he landed just 81 punches out for 429.

Michael Phelps could have 123 gold medals in swimming and it still wouldn't be more impressive to me than Mayweather making ATG fighters in Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquaio look incapable of landing punches.
 
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MJ Truth

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Do y'all agree with this?

I think the difference between team sports, individual sports and the olympics should be stated.

Phelps is great but he does it every 4 years while Serena, Bron, Tom etc.. did it every year

This is part of the problem, y'all just say anything.

You CARED about what Phelps was doing every four years, but there's major swimming tournaments every year.
 

premier58

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Dominating swimming doesn't hold more weight than dominating Football, Basketball or Boxing. It just doesn't.

Brady has 7 Super Bowls in a sport where nikkas die and get CTE. Lebron went to 8 straight NBA Finals. Mayweather neutered Pacquiao's offense to the point where he landed just 81 punches out for 429.

Michael Phelps could have 123 gold medals in swimming and it still wouldn't be more impressive to me than Mayweather making ATG fighters in Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquaio look incapable of landing punches.
This is true. The sports' prestige should definitely weigh heavy in the decision. No way swimming compares to sports such as football, boxing, basketball, baseball, hockey etc..
 

Copy Ninja

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This is all opinionated and not facts but for me it's between Bolt, Phelps, Tiger, Serena.

Personally would go Tiger. His impact in the sport and dominance over his peers will never be matched.

Team sports are dependent on a lot of factors - teammates, refs, etc. If Brady had a shytty OL like David Carr his accomplishments would be nowhere near what they are and I'm saying this as a Pats fan. Gymnastics are dependent on judges and some of them are shyt like refs. Boxing depends on juges too and they can avoid fighters. Bron is a great athlete but he's jumped from team to team to compete for championships :yeshrug:

Swimming, running, golf, and tennis there's nowhere to hide. It's all on the individual to beat the best competition.
 

Lil Bape the PostGod

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I don’t know about swimming..I know Michael Phelps

That’s why he deserves to be there..he broke through as an athlete (of a sport the common sports fan doesn’t care about) and has all the accolades of dominance in his run

I really don’t know why people find this so hard to comprehend… just because they watched all Tom Brady’s super bowls , and didn’t watch 1 swimming match doesn’t make his accomplishments null and void
 

CHICAGO

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Phelps has won 23 gold medals and 28 overall and people are acting like having him at #1 is some type of outrage :dahell:


Phelps was doing the equivalent of winning the 400m and winning hurdling events

WITHOUT GOOGLING....
NAME ME 3 OTHER ALL TIME GREAT
SWIMMERS IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

YOU AND NO ONE ELSE IN
THIS THREAD CANT
WHICH SPEAKS VOLUMES.

THIS IS LIKE SOME nikka DOMINATING
ARCHERY OR BADMINTON.

TALENT POOL IS SMALL AS fukk.

YOU CAN NAME ME TONS
OF ALL TIME GREAT SPRINTERS, GYMNASTS, GOLFERS,
BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL, BOXERS, SOCCER,
BASEBALL PLAYERS ETC. OFF THE DOME
:devil:
:evil:

 

gho3st

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Do y'all agree with this?

I think the difference between team sports, individual sports and the olympics should be stated.

Phelps is great but he does it every 4 years while Serena, Bron, Tom etc.. did it every year

We can now all put this tim duncan story to bed :lolbron:
 
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