The worlds top sports and your opinion of the biggest icon

[jimharri]

I realise that hockey, table tennis and volleyball are massive (sniff!) in Asia, but enough to get them into the top 10 sports in the world?

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Football - Ronaldo (the original)
Cricket - Shane Warne
Tennis - Serena Williams/John McEnroe
Golf - Tiger Woods

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Field hockey? Is that before you flood the field and let it freeze over? Ffs. There's only one type of hockey and it's not played in a field (well, maybe a field with a frozen pond in it). And the answer is, Wayne Gretsky.

Gretzky may be the most clear and obvious choice in any professional sport other than boxing and Ali.

 

[goatersnipple]

Gretzky may be the most clear and obvious choice in any professional sport other than boxing and Ali.

Yeah he must be.
Is that why no one has ever heard of him

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Yeah he must be.
Is that why no one has ever heard of him

Well, I can understand that no one in Buxton has.

Along those lines, FYI, we Americans landed on the moon a few years back.

 

[goatersnipple]

Well, I can understand that no one in Buxton has.

Along those lines, FYI, we Americans landed on the moon a few years back.

Very good.
I dont know if your aware but outside america most people think all american sport is shite

 

[idahoblues]

Boxing Ali
Football Maradona
Tennis McEnroe
Skiing Alberto Tomba
Cricket Viv Richards (Sir)
NFL Joe Montana
F1 Mario Andretti
NBA Jordan
Golf jack Nicklaus
Snooker Higgins

 

[Barcon]

Very good.
I dont know if your aware but outside america most people think all american sport is shite

It' not an american sport and wayne gretsky is not american. But you are correct that american sport is shite. So is basketball.

 

[idahoblues]

It' not an american sport and wayne gretsky is not american. But you are correct that american sport is shite. So is basketball.

Gretsky should have been mentioned, you're just jealous of Mercan sports cos we don't invite you to play...much

 

[idahoblues]

Yeah he must be.
Is that why no one has ever heard of him

Duuuuudddddde, Gretsky is a legend!

 

[hilts]

Definitely, think I just miss the days of Jocky, Alex and how things were simpler then. Black and White portable telly next to me bed, glued to the darts, snooker. Higgins was the greatest player I've ever seen - on his day. But those days were so few and far between. People forget he won the worlds in '72 then again a decade later. An utter twat off the baize apparently but all was forgiven (by me anyway) when he was on his "A" game. Greatest frame ever (check out the blue he pots 3 mins in):

Quality that always having to pull something off after bad positional play he had that little jerk motion going as well. Relied on sheer potting ability. Jimmy white was always my favourite gutted he never won the world title. Bottled it a few times from memory. Never watched snooker again when he stopped. Never liked Ronnie for some reason

 

[OntarioBlue]

It' not an american sport and wayne gretsky is not american. But you are correct that american sport is shite. So is basketball.

Don’t disagree about basketball but on a point of order, it’s also not American. It was invented by a Canadian.

Don’t want to be pedantic but the Great One’s surname is Gretzky.

 

[hilts]

Yeah he must be.
Is that why no one has ever heard of him

Wayne gretzky is pretty darned famous

 

[Barcon]

Don’t disagree about basketball but on a point of order, it’s also not American. It was invented by a Canadian.

Don’t want to be pedantic but the Great One’s surname is Gretzky.

That's why I said american sport is crap and so is basketball. ; )
Apologies on the Gretzky bit. I'm more of a Gary Roberts guy tbh. : )

 

[goatersnipple]

Wayne gretzky is pretty darned famous

Yep hes that famous after 6 pages it's just been pointed out how to spell his name.
I rest my case

 

[Corky]

Don’t disagree about basketball but on a point of order, it’s also not American. It was invented by a Canadian.

Don’t want to be pedantic but the Great One’s surname is Gretzky.

It was the only sport invented in america that wasn't a just a mutation of another sport invented in a different country.

 

[bluemoon32]

Netball not in the list? BBC will be very disappointed.

Yeah, it's number 3 on the list

 

[OntarioBlue]

That's why I said american sport is crap and so is basketball. ; )
Apologies on the Gretzky bit. I'm more of a Gary Roberts guy tbh. : )

I have too much time on my hands at the moment ! :)

 

[bluemoon32]

1. Football - Pele
2. Cricket - Don Bradman
3. Basketball - no idea
4. Field hockey - no idea
5. Tennis - Rod Laver
6. Volleyball - no idea
7. Table Tennis - no idea
8. Baseball - Babe Ruth/Willie Mays
9. American Football - Jim Brown
9. Rugby - Gareth Edwards
10. Golf - Jack Nicklaus

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Very good.
I dont know if your aware but outside america most people think all american sport is shite

Ha -- I'm well aware -- why do you think I like footy so much???

That said, of all the professional sport leagues in North America, the one I wish I had more time for is hockey. Can't stand American football; college basketball is okay but the pro game is odious; baseball I enjoy attending as a nice day out and love my Giants but I can't claim I'm interested in watching games as a neutral.

Also @Barcon and @idahoblues . . . It's GretZky with a z(ed). May you be visited by Tie Domi in a dark alley for spelling The Great One's name wrong :)