The worlds top sports and your opinion of the biggest icon

[mancity2012_eamo]

Borg.
McEnroe even.

To hell with it. Billie Jean. Don’t see too many women in anyone’s lists.

 

[Saddleworth2]

1. Football - Messi
2. Cricket - Botham
3. Basketball - Jordan
4. Field hockey - no idea
5. Tennis - Federer
6. Volleyball - no idea
7. Table Tennis - no idea
8. Baseball - no idea
9. American Football - Dan Marino
9. Rugby - Gareth Edwards
10. Golf - Jack Nicklaus

 

[FCBarca]

Football - Messi
Basketball - MJ
Hockey - Gretzky
Tennis - Connors or Roger, although if you go by the other 3 geniuses in their sport the tennis equivalent for men might be McEnroe or Navratilova for women

There are other iconic athletes in different sports that really were memorable for their genius like Carl Lewis, Eric Heiden, Ingemar Stenmark, Yuna Kim or Oksana Baiul

 

[KS55]

Only its athletes? Probably not worth going down this road in this context, mate, and I don't want to start a polemic, but Hattie McDaniel — the first Afro-American of any kind to be awarded an Oscar — was not allowed to sit at the same table with her white co-stars at the presentation ceremony. The film was Gone With The Wind. She was also not allowed to attend the premiere in Atlanta. None of the black cast were.

Good shout for Sobers, by the way. It can certainly be defended. I suspect that virtually all of cricket-following India would want Sachin Tendulkar as the ultimate icon. If I've understood it rightly, he is a kind of god over there. Question is, which cricketer has global iconic status, instantly recognisable even to people who couldn't give a monkeys about cricket?
Not easy, is it?

Not only athletes, of course; I just wanted to stick to that.
Sachin certainly a god in India; we can argue these all day! Suspect Sobers bigger icon globally, maybe?

 

[KS55]

Borg.
McEnroe even.

Come on, Tim.

 

[hcblue95]

Why?

I think more people in the world will have heard of him than any other tennis player. Navratilova could be a good shout, but I'd say Federer.

 

[discopop]

1. Football - Pele
2. Cricket - Viv Richards
3. Basketball - Jordan
4. Field hockey - only know the British Barcelona mob and the Girls from Rio
5. Tennis - Federer
6. Volleyball - Any of the beach women’s teams
7. Table Tennis - definitely not that cheating twat Syed
8. Baseball - Jackie Robinson or the Bambino but also have a soft spot for Cal Ripken
9. American Football - John Madden
9. Rugby - Jonah Lomu
10. Golf - Jack Nicklaus but you would have to say that with the efforts of Arnold Palmer and Gary Player put presentday golf where it is.
11. Boxing - Ali

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Tennis is comfortably Federer. I'm surprised anyone is suggesting anyone but Federer.

Rod Lever or Federer.

And the biggest British icon would be Fred Perry. Maybe across any sport! 19 major championships, either on his own or in doubles or as part of a team in the Davis Cup.

And iconically, this:

Is Great Britain’s version of this:

 

[big gaz]

Well this has took off from the O/P's list of ten
He should have asked us to name our fave sports stars, from the sports we like simplezzzzz.
Or as I think every one is fed up ? ;-)

 

[simon23]

Missing Bradman (arguably the statistically best sportsman of all time) and Wayne Gretzky yet including a bloody hot dog eating contest winner is bloody criminal!

Yeah i didnt understand why they spoilt an article with that shit....the others are very good claims as the best however....its talking about people who compete in individual sports...not teams i thibk hence why the omission of the two you mention