Hello All,
I would like to attempt to do what can be considered as "Blasphemy"...would like to define greatness in sport and compare some of the great sportsmen and pick the eventual winner based on certain criteria. The reason I picked just Sports and not other fields is due to the fact that Sports has the universal appeal and can bring people together or in certain cases divide them too ! Sporting heroes do make lasting impressions on all of us and they refuse to "fade" out from our memory long after they have retired from their respective sports.
Without much further ado, I would like to provide the shortlist of "nominees" for the "Pavan-Laureus" Award for the Greatest Sportsman :
1. Sachin Tendulkar
2. Roger Federer
3. Diego Maradona
4. Michael Schumacher
5. Mohammed Ali
6. Gary Kasparov
7. Sergey Bubka
8. Tiger Woods
Apologies to a host of other equally great sportsmen who are not in the list only because of the fact that I didn't follow their careers as closely.
The criterion I have in mind to compare and "measure" greatness are simple and not necessarily the domain of Analysts but are more common place and can be clearly understood by any one who follows sports.
More in my next blog on the criterion and the eventual winner !!!
- Pavan
I would like to attempt to do what can be considered as "Blasphemy"...would like to define greatness in sport and compare some of the great sportsmen and pick the eventual winner based on certain criteria. The reason I picked just Sports and not other fields is due to the fact that Sports has the universal appeal and can bring people together or in certain cases divide them too ! Sporting heroes do make lasting impressions on all of us and they refuse to "fade" out from our memory long after they have retired from their respective sports.
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| Meeting of Legends - An Inspiration to this blog ! |
1. Sachin Tendulkar
2. Roger Federer
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| Schumacher and Maradona - Another fascinating pair |
3. Diego Maradona
4. Michael Schumacher
5. Mohammed Ali
6. Gary Kasparov
7. Sergey Bubka
8. Tiger Woods
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| Ali and Woods |
Apologies to a host of other equally great sportsmen who are not in the list only because of the fact that I didn't follow their careers as closely.
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| Bubka - Competed just with himself ! |
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| To round off, the king of Chess |
More in my next blog on the criterion and the eventual winner !!!
- Pavan
Firstly, its not blasphemy! Its bordering on crime to be comparing the greatest sportsmen across different sports. I seriously wonder how you will go about writing this blog and keen to read it till the end. :)
ReplyDeleteFew observations on the list:
1. The greatest in Cricket: Happy to have picked SRT over Don. I simply feel SRT is the greatest cricketer to have ever walked on the cricket pitch. Nothing to do with patriotism. For having played for so long against so many generations of bowlers, he simply deserves that tag.
2. The greatest in Tennis: I still cant make my mind who's the greatest - Sampras or Federer. It's a thin line separating the two. I just wish they had played against each other in their "prime". What a memorable that would have been.
3. The greatest in Football: Maradona or Pele? Hmm tough question. Considering I haven't seen Pele much, I'd go with Maradona too.
4. The greatest in the Fast Lane: Schumi... hands down!
5. The greatest in Boxing: Again.. hands-down!
6. The greatest in Chess: Again happy to see you've picked Kasparov over Anand setting patriotism aside. Gary Kasparov was truly the greatest. If it hadnt been Gary's fight with the World Chess body and starting a rebel Chess Federation, he still would have ruled the Chess world "officially".
7. The greatest in Athletics: Bubka - another great choice. He sure was his only competitor! Sad he never won an Olympic gold though :)
But somehow I feel the greatest athelete should be from the track field. Someone from the 100 mt dash. Bolt, Powell, Gay?
8. Tiger Woods? He sure was a champion. The emphasis being on "was". But after his skeletons came tumbling out of the closet, he's not half the golfer that he was. Which goes on to prove that he's not tough mentally. And you cant be a champion if cant fight your emotions and still be the best in your profession. Who can forget Sachin's 100 immediately after his father's death?
So yeah overall a good shortlist. Don't know if any prominent names are missing, but then it's your blog and it's your head under the sword :)
Looking forward to the conclusion.
Happy Posting!