Most Dominant Athlete....

[cjac]

We've had this discussion going at work for a long time, and it's a spin-off of the greatest athlete post below.

Who is the single most dominant athlete ever? Not greatest athlete, but who "owned" their sport more than anyone else?

Obviously Jordan, Russell, Nicklaus, Woods, Gretzky, Gable, Federer, KVD (this is a fishing site after all!) etc. were kicked around, but after a while we had some interesting votes.

My vote is off the board a bit....Edwin Moses in the 400 meter hurdles. He went undefeated for 122 races over almost 10 years. It's an individual sport so he has no supporting cast to pick him up on an off-night. It's just amazing to me that he was undefeated for 10 years!

What's your vote?

[schmitty3]

I'd have to go with Tiger. The way that he would win was pretty impressive. He brought golf to a whole new level.

Another guy that has been pretty impressive is Tucker Hibbert. I know it's snowcross, consider them athletes or not he is the best at what he does.

[DrJuice1980]

Jordan, Woods, Pete Rose, The Intimidator, Gretzky, Iron Mike, Usain Bolt.. That's a pretty tough field to choose from but I would have to second the Woods vote. From 97-07 he straight dominated the sport like no other.

[nofishfisherman]

We've had this discussion going at work for a long time, and it's a spin-off of the greatest athlete post below.

Who is the single most dominant athlete ever? Not greatest athlete, but who "owned" their sport more than anyone else?

Obviously Jordan, Russell, Nicklaus, Woods, Gretzky, Gable, Federer, KVD (this is a fishing site after all!) etc. were kicked around, but after a while we had some interesting votes.

My vote is off the board a bit....Edwin Moses in the 400 meter hurdles. He went undefeated for 122 races over almost 10 years. It's an individual sport so he has no supporting cast to pick him up on an off-night. It's just amazing to me that he was undefeated for 10 years!

What's your vote?

Before I even got done reading your first paragraph I was already thinking Edwin Moses as well. I think it was actually 9 years, 9 months, and 9 days without a single loss. That is just incredible to me. He went almost a decade and didn't have a single bad performance. No one else that people have mentioned can claim that.

I should admit I am a little biased since when I was in college I ran the same 400 hurdle event as Moses and can appreciate how difficult the race is and how difficult it is to be perfect in a race like that.

[DrJuice1980]

I dont want to take anything away ffrom your Edwin Moses picks, obviously dominated that sport. The issue I would have is that its just one race, 47 seconds and it is done. All other sporting events take hours, way more room for error and I also know that 1 error could throw the race but again its 1 race, 47 seconds. Again Edwin Moses is a great choice and I am not saying you guys are wrong to pick him and there are many that can get put into the mix here and nobody is wrong. My opinion is that a 72 hole golf tourney leaves a ton of room for error, and Tiger flat out dominated for years.

[PierBridge]

Plus it's not like anybody even considers doing the 400 I-Hurdles. So as great as EM accomplishments were in that single event it can't possibly qualify here....IMO ...

1...Woods because it is impossible to do what he has done in the game of golf.

2...Gretzky the numbers he put up are 2nd to none.

3...Carl Lewis ... I'd have him higher if it weren't for the infamous 1st pitch and the National Anthem debacles.

[ozzie]

look into Carl Lewis a little deeper and you will lose respect for the guy and you will really start to wonder if he was clean during his career...I was a big fan of Carl Lewis but after reading and seeing documentaries about some things surrounding him it really makes you wonder...

[DrJuice1980]

All you need to do is watch him throw that pitch and you should lose all respect

[schmitty3]

LOL yea that first pitch took him out of the "athlete" category.

[PierBridge]

Quote:

you will really start to wonder if he was clean during his career...

I have no doubts that he or just about any other world class track athelete have used a Performance enhancing thing or 2 in there careers.

EDIT:

George Mikan added to my list of dominance!

[DrJuice1980]

Why am I the only one giving a nod to Iron Mike Tyson? Before the rape charges he was a MANIMAL!

[TR21HP]

C'mon Doc, if we are considering boxing here Ali was as dominant a figure not only in his sport but in his worldwide influence.

[DrJuice1980]

Ali had a longer run of dominance but he did not dominate to the extent that Tyson did in the mid-late 80's. Ali had a better career but did not dominate as hard as Tysons run mid-late 80's. The sport had never seen anything like it and hasnt since.

[TR21HP]

How about Jackie Robinson as the most dominant of his sport at the time?

[Rick G]

How bout the Hulkster . It's kind of hard just picking one greatest athlete, I will have to say Bo Jackson, it took a little skill to play two pro sports at the same time.

[PierBridge]

Quote:

Why am I the only one giving a nod to Iron Mike Tyson?

To be frank it's beyond ridiculous. He beat a bunch of stiff's and it was more about hype, marketing and other illegalitys in Don Kings stable of deceit ..

one word ... Buster-Douglas-for-petes-sake!

Sorry man ..

[DrJuice1980]

To get to the top he also had to beat Soda Popinski, Tiger Ali, Piston Honda, Don Flamenco, Glass Joe, Bald Bull, Von Kaiser..... Are you forgeting these???

Never seen a video game based on Ali....

[TR21HP]

Well that must be the crowning acheivement of dominance is to be featured on a video game. Tyson beat James Smith, Tony Tucker, Trevor Berbick and Frank Bruno for titles. Lets put then up against Frazier, Norton and Foreman. Tyson beat a bunch of ham and eggers, was he a good fighter?, yes, but you have to look at who he fought. Ali easily.

[PierBridge]

He did roll everybody presented to him for a while and it was exciting for sure but....you have to admit it was a disappointing ending to say the least.

Bruce Jenner just popped into my head ...honorable mention?

[cjac]

Reality show demerit points for Jenner.....

I'd take Kobayashi in the food competitions as more dominant than Tyson!

[Juneau4]

I have to throw another boxer in the mix. Rocky Marciano 49 wins -0 losses-- 43 knockouts. Totally dominated the heavyweight division when boxing was boxing. Completely clean. Fought from 1948-1955.

[ozzie]

well then you would have to put Jack Johnson in the mix if we are gonna put Rocky Marciano in there...Here is a name that doesn't get mentioned as often as he should when discussing greats...Oscar Robertson his career avgs for pts 25.7 assists 9.5 and rebounds 7.5 per game!!!! not too shaby for a guy that stood 6-5...

[JBMasterAngler]

Marciano kinda' gets thrown under the rug when people start talking about boxing greats. Yeah, he was undefeated, but like Tyson, he didn't fight the greatest of fighters either. His win over Joe Louis doesn't say much...Louis was about 10 years past his prime! In many of Marciano's fights, he was well behind on points (Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, just to name a couple) and had to win by late KO. So, even though he won, he was far from dominant.

From just a boxing sense, fighters like Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Henry Armstrong could be thrown in the dominant athlete list.

[Fish Head]

I agree with those that have said Edwin Moses. If the rating is strictly dominating your sport, it's hard not to go with Edwin Moses. It's not a large main stream sport like football, baseball or basketball, but he won 122 consecutive meets!! Almost 10 years of total domination. That’s just unheard of, and will probably never happen again in my lifetime.

[PierBridge]

Ricky Carmichael!