Brady ranked 4th Top Athlete of 1995 - 2015 by ESPN

Soul_Survivor88 · Apr 2, 2015

The NZ Patriots said:
Also Manning shouldn't be in the top 50.

Fair enough, but I wouldn't accept a Top 50 list with just one NFL player. You'd have to have at least four or five, since pro-football is the most popular sport in America, and if not Manning, than who else besides Brady? Randy Moss perhaps? (by far the most athletic NFL player of this past generation, hand's down). Aaron Rodgers? (the most accurate Quarterback of this generation)? Wes Welker? (arguably the most productive pass-catcher in NFL history)

Not to mention you need to include defensive NFL players in that list too.

The NZ Patriots · Apr 2, 2015

Chiuba E. Obele said:
Fair enough, but I wouldn't accept a Top 50 list with just one NFL player. You'd have to have at least four or five, since pro-football is the most popular sport in America, and if not Manning, than who else besides Brady? Randy Moss perhaps? (by far the most athletic NFL player of this past generation, hand's down). Aaron Rodgers? (the most accurate Quarterback of this generation)? Wes Welker? (arguably the most productive pass-catcher in NFL history)

Not to mention you need to include defensive NFL players in that list too.

There's no quota that 10% of a top 50 list has to be comprised of NFL players just because it's the most popular American sport. Perhaps it was an exaggeration to say that regarding Manning but still there are so many athletes and sports that are overlooked simply because this is article is entrenched in American culture.
Also, the thing that NFL players have against them in making lists that the rest of the world comprise is that every year a T.E.A.M as in team wins a championship. In tennis, it's just Rafa or Fed going at it, just Tiger on the course, just Phelps in the pool (aside from relays). I don't necessarily agree with this, by the way, it's just a perspective.

Kontradiction · Apr 2, 2015

The way ESPN creams their panties whenever their two names are mentioned, I'm surprised Ronda Rousey isn't up there with LeBron. Neither of those three should be mentioned over Brady, especially LeBron. What a joke that is. Brady has legitimate claim to be the best NFL quarterback (the hardest position in all American sports to play) of all time.

CISGS · Apr 2, 2015

1. MJ
2. Federer
3. Brady
4. Tiger
5. LeBron

**And this is from the biggest TB12 and LBJ fan**

OhExaulted1 · Apr 2, 2015

Deus Irae said:
Those of you pimping Jordan need to take a look at the involved timeline.

1995-2005

There's no way in Hell Jordan deserves to be on top of the list.

Brady
Armstrong
Phelps
Tiger

All clearly above the Jordan/LeBron duo, given the time frame, IMO.

Tiger Woods is an athlete who plays a game, not a sport. Strolling to the next hole or riding in a cart is akin to going back to the bar after you take a pool shot or throw a dart for another beer.

Golf is not a sport. It's an "activity".

Soul_Survivor88 · Apr 2, 2015

The NZ Patriots said:
There's no quota that 10% of a top 50 list has to be comprised of NFL players just because it's the most popular American sport. Perhaps it was an exaggeration to say that regarding Manning but still there are so many athletes and sports that are overlooked simply because this is article is entrenched in American culture.
Also, the thing that NFL players have against them in making lists that the rest of the world comprise is that every year a T.E.A.M as in team wins a championship. In tennis, it's just Rafa or Fed going at it, just Tiger on the course, just Phelps in the pool (aside from relays). I don't necessarily agree with this, by the way, it's just a perspective.

I agree, ESPN suffers from a heavy American bias. And I'd love it if you could take time to come up with a Top 20 list of your own (if you have time) that better reflects a global athletic world. But I disagree with the assumption that a team sport lessens the relevance of individual athletes. If anything, team sports should receive even greater representation on the list, precisely because there are so many different skill positions and different areas where athletes are expected thrive.

Soul_Survivor88 · Apr 2, 2015

OhExaulted1 said:
Tiger Woods is an athlete who plays a game, not a sport. Strolling to the next hole or riding in a cart is akin to going back to the bar after you take a pool shot or throw a dart for another beer.

Golf is not a sport. It's an "activity".

I disagree. Golf is both a leisure activity as well as a sports industry. Athleticism is not just something physical. It's also mental. To excel at golf as a professional requires untold amounts of precision and patience. That's why you see more tantrums in golf than any other sport, because golfers are under intense pressure to attain the right amount of alignment and trajectory - and that usually involves a breakdown of mental processes. You need to be mentally tough to play golf like Tiger Woods.

And while golf may not be as physically rigorous as other sports, it can take a toll on your back and requires physical conditioning in order to compete at a pro-level.

The NZ Patriots · Apr 2, 2015

Chiuba E. Obele said:
I agree, ESPN suffers from a heavy American bias. And I'd love it if you could take time to come up with a Top 20 list of your own (if you have time) that better reflects a global athletic world. But I disagree with the assumption that a team sport lessens the relevance of individual athletes. If anything, team sports should receive even greater representation on the list, precisely because there are so many different skill positions and different areas where athletes are expected thrive.

Of course and I share the same sentiment. I'm saying that the public perception and popularity of an athlete which for the average sports viewer is what they'll base their opinion on is diminished when an athlete that is exceptional is a member of a team. The whole world knows the Yankees but the same can't be said for Jeter. The whole world does know Federer but if Roger was the forever the member of a Swiss tennis team they probably wouldn't.
For educated fans it doesn't matter, I consider Brady one of the greatest athletes but those outside the US don't really know who he is.

OhExaulted1 · Apr 2, 2015

Chiuba E. Obele said:
I disagree. Golf is both a leisure activity as well as a sports industry. Athleticism is not just something physical. It's also mental. To excel at golf as a professional requires untold amounts of precision and patience. That's why you see more tantrums in golf than any other sport, because golfers are under intense pressure to attain the right amount of alignment and trajectory - and that usually involves a breakdown of mental processes. You need to be mentally tough to play golf like Tiger Woods.

And while golf may not be as physically rigorous as other sports, it can take a toll on your back and requires physical conditioning in order to compete at a pro-level.

Yes, incredibly physically conditioned specimens with a rigorous mental attitude propagate the "sport".

Soul_Survivor88 · Apr 2, 2015

The NZ Patriots said:
.
For educated fans it doesn't matter, I consider Brady one of the greatest athletes but those outside the US don't really know who he is.

But they do know Gisele! So that means they know Brady by proxy

Soul_Survivor88 · Apr 2, 2015

OhExaulted1 said:
View attachment 9024 View attachment 9025

Yes, incredibly physically conditioned specimens with a rigorous mental attitude propagate the "sport".

lol, a***hole

resdubwhite · Apr 2, 2015

No love for Pete Sampras in this poll.

9 of his grand slams took place after 1995.

resdubwhite · Apr 2, 2015

Lionel Messi too.

resdubwhite · Apr 2, 2015

Michael Schumacher.

Kontradiction · Apr 2, 2015

resdubwhite said:
No love for Pete Sampras in this poll.

9 of his grand slams took place after 1995.

No. ESPN gets instant wood whenever LeBron James is mentioned and had to throw him in there instead. Even when he was playing for the Heat (I'm a Heat fan), there's no way I would have mentioned LeBron with those other four athletes.

OhExaulted1 · Apr 2, 2015

Chiuba E. Obele said:
lol, a***hole

I know, I poke fun at golf. Tiger is a great athlete. I just don't have the same respect for it as I do for Tennis or Swimming. Even Racing. You better be on your toes for 4 hours while doing an avg. 125 MPH. You don't just lose, you crash and die. I don't watch or care much about NASCAR, but those guys are hardcore.

I hear a golpher is scratched because of an "injury" and I just laugh and I'm like, really?

When it comes to golf, Sidney Crosby is a friggin hockey player and gets thrown in as #20 because they're like "Oh, yeah. Hockeys a sport. We have to throw a guy in there, right?" Seriously? Over a golf dude?

AzorianPats · Apr 2, 2015

The NZ Patriots said:
I love the major American sporting leagues but this top 10 is so biased it's ridiculous.

The rest of the world would not acknowledge Manning, Jeter or even Brady as top 10 athletes of the past 20 years. Is the rest of the world correct? Maybe not but it speaks to the fact that these sports are team sports AND are played predominately at a competitive level in only one country. I think Brady is the GOAT but the level of competition in say swimming or tennis is exponentially higher around the world combined with the fact that the onus to perform is solely on the individual athlete, say Federer or Phelps.

American football is my favourite sport and I consider Brady the best ever to play it, I'm just giving a perspective as an outsider looking in (Brady is in my top 10 FWIW but not Jeter or Manning).

Also Manning shouldn't be in the top 50.

It should be American biased..

ESPN.com is an American website...

Just like if Sky Sports did a top 20 list like this, I wouldn't expect Brady to be in it.

OhExaulted1 · Apr 2, 2015

I do think putting Serena Williams in there at #5 is a solid choice. If there's any sport that shows off a females athletes' true prowess, it's Tennis.

Any dude in this forum who thinks for 1 second you could beat her, she would smoke you and laugh in your face. You'd be puking and be getting a liquid IV by the 3rd set in a match.

AzorianPats · Apr 2, 2015

resdubwhite said:
Armstrong. Are you kidding me?

Armstrong deserves to be on that list over Bonds.

Halifax_Pats_Fan · Apr 2, 2015

ESPN has no business or expertise to rank any professional hockey player...they can stick to football and basketball if they like cause those are the sports that bring them the money....

Brady ranked 4th Top Athlete of 1995 - 2015 by ESPN

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