If golfers can be considered athletes, then Tiger Woods has got to be the greatest athlete ever.

I've always been a little wary of calling golfers "athletes". That being said, hitting a golf ball consistently is the single hardest thing to do in all of "sports".

What we're witnessing with Tiger Woods is something that will never be duplicated again. His mind, will, and killer instinct is so far beyond any of his peers it's not even funny! He's completely dominated golf. Without him, there is no golf (see the TV ratings).

Peace

I would certainly agree that golfers are athletes but I wouldn't consider him to be the greatest athlete of all time. At least not yet. He's still pretty young++ Having been to the Q school finals twice as a caddy I believe it's the mental side of the game that makes golf the ultimate overall challenge and that combined with the physical elements of the game make this sport a truely unique sport!! It's tough to compare to basketball, tennis and other sports as they too have a mental side especially sports like tennis!! Good post Doc and I hope you're taking you're trace minerals so that you're able to give that love out!! Here's my Top 5 all-time
1. Ali
2. Michael Jordan
3. Wayne Gretzky
4. Gordie Howe-
5. Abdul Jabbar- still love watching the sky hook!! on espn classic!
Peace!!

I personally think golf is a leisure activity rather than a sport but aside from that the greatest athlete ever has to be Jim Thorpe. Here are some quick facts from a Jim Thorpe website.

www.cmgww.com...

• Believe it or not, Thorpe once hit 3 home runs into 3 different states in the same game. During a semi-pro baseball game in a ballpark on the Texas-Oklahoma-Arkansas border, he hit his first homer over the leftfield wall with the ball landing in Oklahoma, his second homer over the rightfield wall into Arkansas and his third homer of the game was an inside-the-park home run in centerfield, which was in Texas!

• Thorpe is one of two men in history who played for the New York Giants in two different sports. In football, he was the New York Giants' running back and in baseball he was the New York Giants' outfielder.

• Thorpe played football professionally well past his prime, retiring in 1928 at age 41.

• Jim Thorpe played major and minor league baseball for 20 years, starting with the New York Giants in 1913 and later playing a number of other teams, including the Boston Braves and the Cincinnati Reds.

• Thorpe was the first president of what is now the National Football League.

• Thorpe was .252 in his six seasons (1913-15, 1917-19) as an outfielder with the Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Boston Braves.

• Thorpe's best baseball season was his last, when he batted .327 in 60 games for Boston.

• At and auction in October 2003, an early 1900s football jersey worn by Jim Thorpe fetched a winning bid of $210,000.

• Thorpe was a twin; his brother Charlie died at age nine.

• He won the gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon during the 1912 Olympic Games.

While thinking of a reply for your excellent thread I had to engage in a little athletics myself... From the sofa to the kitchen for more beer.

So therefore I conclude that I am the greatest.

Tiger is a truly awesome athlete and competitor. The world's greatest I'm not sure, if he stays at the top of his game for a few more years then. Yes I think he really will be.

How about...

Sir Stephen Geoffrey Redgrave CBE (born on 23 March 1962, in Marlow) is a retired English rower who won a gold medal at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000, as well as an additional bronze medal in 1988.

Edison Arantes do Nascimento[2], KBE (born October 23, 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil), best known by his nickname Pelé, is a former Brazilian football player, rated by many as the greatest footballer of all time. He was given the title of Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee[3] and jointly received FIFA Player of the Century chosen by officials at the organisation, shared with Diego Maradona who won the people's vote.[

Edwin Corley Moses (born 31 August 1955) is an American track and field athlete who won gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 107 consecutive finals (122 consecutive races) and set the world record in his event four times.

Stephen Hendry, MBE (born January 13, 1969 in South Queensferry, Edinburgh) is a Scottish professional snooker player, whose achievements make him one of the most successful players of the modern era. He spent a record eight consecutive years at no. 1 in the world rankings, has won the World Snooker Championship a record seven times, and was the youngest World Champion at the age of 21.

Notice how they're not all from one country!!!

MonKey



Edit: all the quotes are from wiki

Wiki Main Page

MonKey



[edit on 16/2/08 by ChiKeyMonKey]

golfers aren't athletes

neither are bowlers, billiards people, dart players, curlers

you don't have to be in any kind of physical shape or have any athletic ability to golf, you just have to keep swinging, you stand still and swing a club

unlike hockey where you have to move, unlike football where you move, unlike every other real sport

where you move, and your body has to be in a trained physical condition to compete and then compete at a high level

get real

golfs not a sport

look at that fat drunk john daly

Originally posted by OSSkyWatcher
golfers aren't athletes

you don't have to be in any kind of physical shape or have any athletic ability to golf, you just have to keep swinging, you stand still and swing a club

If you ever played the game and seen Tiger go after a drive, you wouldn't say that. Most people couldn't stay in their shoes if they swung like that let alone hit a good shot.

And it ain't easy winning the PGA championship with a hangover, take it easy on JD.

I agree with Skywatcher. Traditional sports must, to me, have some element of exertion on the part of the participant. I can golf 18 holes and not break a sweat, therefore, not a sport. Not that it doesn't take skill to win. For the same reason poker is not a sport, nor is curling.
Also, the best athlete ever should not just be dominant in one sport, but be exceptional in a range of sports. Therefore, Jim Thorpe, as I mentioned, or a few others like Jim Brown, Bo Jackson, Dave Winfield would be legitimate "greatest athletes ever." Wayne Gretzky is "greatest hockey player ever," and so on.
I also must comment on this statement by the OP:
hitting a golf ball consistently is the single hardest thing to do in all of "sports".
I think that saying is about baseball. How can hitting a golf ball that is sitting on a tee with a flat faced club be more difficult than hitting a round ball moving at 90+ mph with a rounded bat?

That is my opinion and I welcome comments.

[edit on 17-2-2008 by TheComte]

[edit on 17-2-2008 by TheComte]

reply to post by TheComte


Of course Golf is a sport...

Dictionary says.

sport |spôrt|
noun
1 an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment

And.

golf |gälf; gôlf|
noun
1 a game played on a large open-air course, in which a small hard ball is struck with a club into a series of small holes in the ground, the object being to use the fewest possible strokes to complete the course.

Furthermore.

game 1 |gām|
noun
1 a form of play or sport, esp. a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.

Thus I conclude that professional poker may also be included as a sport. Yes a lot of it is down to luck, but playing the odds and having the balls to bluff takes skill.

MonKey

Nothing in your reply indicates to me that golf is a sport. It plainly states that a sport requires exertion and golf is considered a "game," not a sport. A sport is a game but not all games are sports.

reply to post by TheComte


Golf = Game = Sport = Game = Golf.

Semantics, semantics.

All I said was that piece of fish was good enough for semantics!

MonKey

golfers are not athletes then

sure golf is a sport

w/e

but golfers aren't athletes

deion sanders is an athlete

lebron james in an athlete

michael jordan is an athlete

john daly is not

mike weir is not

tiger woods is not an athlete

and neither is any other golfer, poker player, or anyone else who doesn't move during a sport

i guarantee i could become a good golfer if i played every day for 10 years

if not a great one

but i could play football, baseball, basketball

(well i can actually play football)

but i can play baseball and basketball for 10 years, and never throw a 100 mph fast ball, never dunk a basketball

but if i golf for 10 years, just like anyone else, i can become good

because it's a game, not a sport

there is no athletic element to golf in any way shape or form, and if you think there is please tell me how swinging a club 3-5 times 18 times over 3-4 days is it? while WALKING around on lush green grass compares to running and most major sports since they involve movement of some kind during the sport

unlike golf where you stand there, hit the ball, then WALK to hit the ball again

it's not like you are walking 20 miles speed walker olympic style either

even lance armstrong is in a certain physical shape allowing him to ride a bike faster and for a lot longer than the normal person


[edit on 17-2-2008 by OSSkyWatcher]

reply to post by OSSkyWatcher


Hey there Seabiscuit take the blinkers off! Dude you are being so narrow minded.

I think you have the term athlete / sportsman confused with the term jock...

My dictionary... Honest.

jock 2
noun informal
another term for jockstrap .
• an enthusiastic athlete or sports fan, esp. one with few other interests.
• a slow-witted person of large size and great physical strength.

What about race car drivers?

Some of the dullest most boring people on earth participating in the dullest most boring sport on earth, but they're still athletes and all they do is sit still for 500 laps!

MonKey

Sure golf's not too physical if you're hopping in a cart, drinking beer and just swinging the club!! and playing a short course with little challenge! Playing 4 rounds in tournament conditions is definately a workout! Throw in an hour warming up and 45 minutes to an hour after the round working on any flaws and almost 99.9% of the population would be completely exhausted!!! Days including 40 mph winds for the whole round with heavy rain. Mentally obviously very draining! Golf is a sport, and as always we can agree to disagree!! Peace!

Originally posted by OSSkyWatcher


i guarantee i could become a good golfer if i played every day for 10 years

Err, I don't think so.
To become a Professional Golfer requires them extra little somethings that the vast majority of us don't have; natural aptitude, application and dedication.
Sure, you could practice every day for 10 years and become a competent golfer, single figure handicapper if you are reasonably adept and maybe even a scratch golfer if you are very, very good.
(Sergio Garcia had the lowest amateur handicap of plus 5.6, meaning he had to add 5.6 shots to every round he played as an amateur.)

To become a golf professional of any standard requires remarkable amounts of ability; to achieve what Tiger Woods has is nothing short of unbelievable.
He is remarkable fit, as he has to be for his body to achieve what he does.
He has completely redefined golf as a sport and continues to re-write the history books with nearly every completed round.
The man is a giant who conducts himself with immense integrity.

However, the best athlete?
Not yet.
As mentioned by other posters Steven Redgrave, Jim Thorpe, Ed Moses could be considerd as the greatest athlete ever.
Some others to consider;
Jesse Owens? A remarkably strong man to achieve what he did and when.
en.wikipedia.org...

Joe Louis. A true Giant.
en.wikipedia.org...

Michael Johnson. A superb athlete.
en.wikipedia.org...

Ian Thorpe. Quite a good swimmer.
en.wikipedia.org...

Daley Thompson. Unbeatable in his prime in probably the most demanding Olympic event.
en.wikipedia.org...

I'm sure there are a few more candidates for the accolade.

Originally posted by swish22
Sure golf's not too physical if you're hopping in a cart, drinking beer and just swinging the club!! and playing a short course with little challenge! Playing 4 rounds in tournament conditions is definately a workout! Throw in an hour warming up and 45 minutes to an hour after the round working on any flaws and almost 99.9% of the population would be completely exhausted!!! Days including 40 mph winds for the whole round with heavy rain. Mentally obviously very draining! Golf is a sport, and as always we can agree to disagree!! Peace!

GIVE ME A BREAK

play 1 period of hockey, thats a work out, YOU wouldn't even be able to walk the next day if you think 4 rounds of golf is a work out, play a real sport walking around isn't a sport

how much does a club weigh? maybe your shoulder muscles get a very very light work out, and if that's the case, masterbation is way more of a sport than golf

Freeborn

every one of the people you named could dominate tiger woods in any other sport besides the game of golf

tiger wouldn't stand a chance against ANY of them

tiger runs on a treadmill, so what, because tiger is in better shape than the AVERAGE AMERICAN (which isn't say a lot) he's an athlete?

i am sure tiger is athletic compared to the average person because he spends time in the gym, and because of that he dominates golf

but golf is not a sport, nobody is even close to tiger woods right now and he's one of the most fit golfers, if not maybe the only one

just because you are fit doesn't mean you are coordinated, you run smoothly and with some grace, you are strong

AND YES i could become a great golfer playing every day for 10 years, because it's not a sport

it's a technique like hitting a free kick in soccer/football, look at david beckham

he can probably play at a lower level until he is 45 because when the game stops and he doesn't have to move, his technique is superb

just like a golfers is standing there absolutely still swinging a club

maybe if they had to run around and some body was defending the tee you could call golfers athletes

but it doesn't take any atheletic ability to be a golfer

john daly clearly and easily proved that

he's a fat alchoholic, i like the guy personally, but he's not an athlete

seriously are your minds warped? while you play golf, you stand still, swing a club, then you either WALK or take a cart to go to the ball, to stand still and swing again

then you WALK again to get ball or drive in a golf cart

i dunno where you break a sweat there unless it's hot outside

WALKING CASUALLY is not a sport

golfers don't even have uniforms or sport specific clothing besides the michael glove for grip and the joke that is studs on shoes when you are standing still

studs are for games like football, rugby, baseball, soccer,aussie rules football where you need grip because you are moving around

and if i spent 10 years golfing after playing a few real sports during my lifetime i hardly doubt the pressure would ever bother me, the intensity is turned down like 10 times, mentally it would be so easy

pro golfers don't do move during the time they play the game, when you are playing golf, you are standing still, maybe you wiggle your ass, but you are standing still, you swing a club, then that's it, your turn is over you go to your ball, stand still play the ball again, until you put it into the hole

oooooh aaahhhh what speed and agility that takes

deion sanders played in a superbowl and a world series, he ran track in his spare time at florida state AND WON, he ran a 4.19 40 yard dash

randy moss is another phenom when you talk about athletes, he ran the 2nd fastest 40 time at FSU ever at like 4.2 something 2nd to deion sanders, he's 6'4" probably jumps 40 inches still and ran a 4.29 40 at patriots training camp before the start of the NFL season that just passed

tiger woods doesn't compare athletically to anyone that is listed here that ISN'T a golfer

because he's not an athlete, he is a golfer, and golf is not a sport, the fact that a fat alchoholic can win a golf tournament says it all




yeah cause this guys an athlete lol

look at john daly

he's a professional golfer who has won tournaments

he's also 17 monthes pregnant with triplets

[edit on 18-2-2008 by OSSkyWatcher]

Originally posted by OSSkyWatcher
GIVE ME A BREAK

play 1 period of hockey, thats a work out, YOU wouldn't even be able to walk the next day if you think 4 rounds of golf is a work out, play a real sport walking around isn't a sport ....

First off, settle down a bit. Your posts are becoming increasingly more aggressive. This is BTS, not the freakin' Thunderdome.

It takes one who's played the game for awhile to appreciate how truly difficult golf is to play well, much less at Tiger's level. Controlling your emotions and thoughts is paramount. Bad thoughts can lead to a mental breakdown which inevitably leads to a swing breakdown. For this reason and this reason alone, it would probably take you the rest of your natural life (not 10 years), playing every day, to break 90.

Peace

[edit on 18-2-2008 by Dr Love]

Originally posted by OSSkyWatcher

he's also 17 monthes pregnant with triplets

Ha Ha Ha.
Maybe not the best example of an athlete.

I take your point, however, I think Tiger Woods could have been a success at a number of sports, his drive and determination are exceptional.

And I very much doubt that a round of golf a day would make you anything better than a good golfer.

reply to post by OSSkyWatcher

Thanks for explaining to me in such a simplified manner that the 40 yard dash is all that matters. OBVIOUSLY golf isn't the most physically demanding of all the sports!!!, but thanks again for enlightening us with your narrow view of sports and contempt for golf!, and did I remember to tell you to have a great day.

There can be only one. TheCompte hit it on the head, Jim Thorpe:

www.cmgww.com...

In 1950, the nation's press selected Jim Thorpe as the most outstanding athlete of the first half of the 20th Century and in 1996-2001, he was awarded ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Century.

I guess we can argue what an athlete is all day, but is it safe to say that Tiger Woods is the greatest "participant" in any sport or game ever? He won again last weekend and by my calculations thats 3 for 3 this year.

He's past the point of his peers gunning for him, it's to the point where his peers know they can most likely do no better than second place.

Peace