Is Lance the best current American athlete?

[rlipscomb0]

Cases could be made for lots of great athletes, but most Americans tend to designate Armstrong as the best of the best of American athletes. Is he the best? I think so, but not by the margin most would argue.

I think that he is the best American cyclist, but maybe not the best American overall athlete. Have you considered any of the members of the college track and field teams or even some of the professionals track athletes.
Consider:
Alan Webb just broke the American record in the 2 mile and in that same race finished 2nd in an elite world class field.
Galen Rupp recently set an American junior record in the 10k and finished as the NCAA division 1 runner up as a true freshman in the 10k.
There are many others to consider, like Tim Broe and Bob Kennedy.

 

[dasnootz]

Phelps should be up there... anyone that can bet he best in the world in multiple events (even if within the same sport) is pretty impressive. 6 Gold Medals, 2 Bronze Medals.... 13 World Records, 6 Olympic Records...

Throw in his DUI from last November and he's a 10 threat athelte...
8 swimming events, binge drinking, and rally car racing.

 

[roadhog]

If it happens, let me know. But I don't know if ping-pong qualifies as a sport (it does by Olympic standards, but what doesn't by Olympic standards?).

If NASCAR is a sport and drivers are "athletes", then ping-pong surely is...

 

[dasnootz]

Are we also including bowling and bass fishing?.. sports than can both be done well when drunk.

 

[meehs]

Are we also including bowling and bass fishing?.. sports than can both be done well when drunk.

IMO: Anything that can be performed as well by someone who's drunk and/or 50+ pounds overweight as it can be by a well conditioned athlete, shouldn't really be called a "sport". With the possible exception of NFL linemen, who seem to be able to perform their job well while being extremely fat... and possibly drunk. So bowling, golf, darts, bass fishing and the like shouldn't really be called sports in my opinion. Games maybe.

 

[LostBoysDown]

I think that the best athlete in America (or, for this matter, the world) right now is any swimmer. Swimmers tend to be the most well-rounded athletes because of the nature of their sport - more resistance than any other sport. I've seen wrestlers who were at the top of their game get into a pool and not be able to swim 25 yards without getting winded, but I've seen swimmers get into an impromtu match with said wrestler, and put up a pretty good fight. If they hadn't stopped early, the swimmer would have won because he wasn't getting tired.

I've seen swimmers do more than 800 pushups, simply because they didn't want to be outdone by the person in front of them. Now, just simply having the willpower to do something like that isn't enough - you have to have a pretty solid training base to do something like that, because it's not just your arms that get tired - it's everything.

It's the nature of a swimmer's training - it really is a total body workout - FULL body, plus cardio, anaerobic....it's the best. I suggest that those of you really trying to get into shape take up swimming. Swim during the winter when it's not as easy to get out on the bike (even if you do have a trainer).

 

[mitosis]

IMO: Anything that can be performed as well by someone who's drunk and/or 50+ pounds overweight as it can be by a well conditioned athlete, shouldn't really be called a "sport". With the possible exception of NFL linemen, who seem to be able to perform their job well while being extremely fat... and possibly drunk. So bowling, golf, darts, bass fishing and the like shouldn't really be called sports in my opinion. Games maybe.

I agree. I've been looking for a suitable definition of a sport for years now. Your drunk and 50 lb over weight is a good starting point.

The poster who brought up ping pong obviously has never played or seen it played at a high level.

 

[meehs]

...The poster who brought up ping pong obviously has never played or seen it played at a high level.

I've seen a match or two between top ranked players. It's unbeleivable! I never know that ping-pong (I think they really call it table tennis) could be played at such a high level.

 

[nonameboy]

lance is number 1 followed by floyd mayweather in second

 

[rlipscomb0]

There's no such thing as the best current American athlete any more than there could be such things as the best current American musician, chef, or whatever.

Lance is currently, the best American cyclist at competing in the Tour de France. Period.

He'll never outshoot Tiger Woods on a golf course, he'll never keep Shaq from shooting a basket, he'll never get more hits or homers than Barry Bonds, and he'll never receive as many passes as Jerry Rice. And none of them will ever win the Tour de France.

At least Lance is drug free, unlike Barry Bonds. Plus, I think Lance would have a better percentage from the foul line then Shaq.

 

[meehs]

At least Lance is drug free...

Oh, there you go! Now prepare for this thread to take a hard left. Can we refrain from turning this thread into yet another area to debate the Armstrong/doping issue?

 

[dasnootz]

It's kind of funny how three of the top "american athletes" discussed here are shaddowed by doping allegations.

Lance, Barry Bonds, and Jones.

Let 'em all dope... just keep the records separate. I saw on TV where scientists are working on a new sterroid... which if it works in humans like it does in rats, would mean mutants with legs the size of modern athletes wastes.... 300 lb sprinters.

 

[rlipscomb0]

It's kind of funny how three of the top "american athletes" discussed here are shaddowed by doping allegations.

Lance, Barry Bonds, and Jones.

Let 'em all dope... just keep the records separate. I saw on TV where scientists are working on a new sterroid... which if it works in humans like it does in rats, would mean mutants with legs the size of modern athletes wastes.... 300 lb sprinters.

I think all the records pre-1990 should be restored an retired, and any records set after that should be consider a record during the steroid era. Or simply put an asterisk beside the record to indicate drug use. How about seperating the two. People on steroids should play in a different league. Where as the dirty athletes could do whatever they wanted to themselves.

 

[DV1976]

People on steroids should play in a different league. Where as the dirty athletes could do whatever they wanted to themselves.

Would never work... Two (main) reasons...
1) Eventually someone on the "clean side" of the fence would try something "dirty" just to give them an edge... It's human nature...
2) People would lose interest immediatelly... How many of us, do you think, would happily sit on our sofas to watch the 100m being run in 10.20secs? The public is as much part of the problem as the dopers...

 

[rlipscomb0]

Would never work... Two (main) reasons...
1) Eventually someone on the "clean side" of the fence would try something "dirty" just to give them an edge... It's human nature...
2) People would lose interest immediatelly... How many of us, do you think, would happily sit on our sofas to watch the 100m being run in 10.20secs? The public is as much part of the problem as the dopers...

I think the best thing to do would be to start restore the old records, then start new records for the new era. That way the clean records would still stand. Allowing the new records to be set by whoever or whatever could continously set them.

 

[mitosis]

How many of us, do you think, would happily sit on our sofas to watch the 100m being run in 10.20secs? The public is as much part of the problem as the dopers...

It already happens. The two categories are called men and women.

 

[Catabolic_Jones]

Would never work...
2) People would lose interest immediatelly... How many of us, do you think, would happily sit on our sofas to watch the 100m being run in 10.20secs? The public is as much part of the problem as the dopers...

*shrugs*

I would.

In fact my interest would be tripled, quadrupled, quintupled.

Right now I feel I might as well watch robots.

That's why I enjoy team sports much more, at least to watch. Yes, they're doped; however, the mental and creative part of the game still play s a role. Wayne Gretzky and Steve Nash can still surpass all the others by using the much under-utilized imagination.

 

[tfstrum]

Lance is the better athlete in the list you posted. They're all getting old, but he still moves the best.

Tom Brady gets my overall vote. He has heart, he gets beat on all season, he doesn't pick which games he'll play in so that he;s in the best shape and he wins. Patriots blow though!

 

[rlipscomb0]

Lance is the better athlete in the list you posted. They're all getting old, but he still moves the best.

Tom Brady gets my overall vote. He has heart, he gets beat on all season, he doesn't pick which games he'll play in so that he;s in the best shape and he wins. Patriots blow though!

All these should be at the top of the game because they are getting paid too much not to be at the top.

Look at Marion Jones she is starting to get paid an be in less demand since she now just an average woman track athlete. Plus, her lack luster performance could be linked to her doping issues.

 

[MJtje]

Look Lance is the best endurance athlete in the world. See procycling.....for the story. It just depends which sport you like. If you like basketball and you probably don't no anything about cycling you would say o'neil or Jordan is the best american athlete. But the current one I would say armstrong. Too bad cycling isn't a mainstream sport like it is in europe!

Lance is the better athlete in the list you posted. They're all getting old, but he still moves the best.

Tom Brady gets my overall vote. He has heart, he gets beat on all season, he doesn't pick which games he'll play in so that he;s in the best shape and he wins. Patriots blow though!