The Best

The subject is players who have achieved the recognized status of “best ever” at what they do. I started thinking about this because Jerry Rice has been popping up on various shows lately, which coincides with his hiring by ESPN and the retirement of Randy Moss. It seems that no matter who is talking to Rice or talking about him, they always add the disclaimer that he is the no-brainer greatest receiver of all time. No question, no discussion, just statement. So whether or not you agree with this statement, I started wondering just how many people have achieved this status. Where people just assume that everyone knows this fact, that there is little or no room for argument. So, I’ve tried to come up with a few for discussion:

• Jim Brown certainly achieved that status as an NFL running back but has been challenged over the years by Walter Payton (stupid) and more recently Barry Sanders (possibly). I still think he was the best ever, but you will get arguments.
• Ted Williams I think qualifies. Most people even now will just say he was the greatest hitter ever, without really even bringing up any competitors. We know Ruth was likely better, but because of the fact that Williams played in the “modern”/post-war era, he seems to get the assumption.
• Michael Jordan is there. He is typically referred to as “probably the greatest player ever” and I think that the majority of fans simply believe it. You can argue it, but I think he has achieved that status in the public conscious, at least for non-centers.
• Jack Nicklaus. Serious fans will present cases for Nelson, Hogan, or others, but I think that the vast majority of the public accept that Nicklaus was the best ever. They were ready to crown Tiger, but with him falling short of Jack’s total of majors, people seem to think Nicklaus maintains the crown.
• Ricky Henderson. Admitedly “greatest leadoff hitter” is a niche, but Henderson definitely wears the crown with no other contenders.
• Wayne Gretzky is as close to a no-brainer as you can probably get.
• Carl Lewis is talked about in that way by the small group of people that know anything about track & field.
• Mariano Rivera may be just about there as far as greatest reliever ever. It seems that many or most have accepted it.
• Muhammad Ali has without a doubt achieved that status with the public as greatest heavyweight ever.

A few more that you might throw in for discussion: Lawrence Taylor (linebacker), Michael Phelps (swimming), Richard Petty (racing), Sugar Ray Robinson (pound for pound boxing).


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