Best Sportsperson of all Time

Tim Robbins

I vote for Drico...

http://www.rte.ie/sport/greatest_poll.html

stephen_n

Will have to think about that one, hard to quantify, Drico probably the greatest rugby player we have ever produced. How do you compare different sports though, would have a huge soft spot for Paul McGrath and Roy Keane was probably one of the most influential players we ever produced so it's hard to pick an out right best sportsperson!

Found Michelle Smith's (De Bruin) inclusion in that list a bit funny tbh probably rhe fact that there is only one other female on the list!

toomevara

Daft question, but Muhammed Ali/Cassius Clay...In his pomp transcended sport,politics and race...basically Nelson Mandela with a devastating right hook.

wixfjord

Unless old Cassius had a granny from Kerry I dont think he can be counted as Irish!

Cant believe Nicky Rackard has been left out. Not sure if Drico deserves it either tbh. Aidan O Brien would be my choice.

crisco10

toomevara wrote: »

Daft question, but Muhammed Ali/Cassius Clay...In his pomp transcended sport,politics and race...basically Nelson Mandela with a devastating right hook.

Was he Irish? lol!

wixfjord wrote: »

Unless old Cassius had a granny from Kerry I dont think he can be counted as Irish!

Cant believe Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard have been left out. Not sure if Drico deserves it either tbh. Aidan O Brien would be my choice.

Christy Ring is there. I voted for Gibson.

wixfjord

crisco10 wrote: »

Was he Irish? lol!



Christy Ring is there. I voted for Gibson.

Ninja edit!

Hippo

stephen_n wrote: »

Will have to think about that one, hard to quantify, Drico probably the greatest rugby player we have ever produced. How do you compare different sports though, would have a huge soft spot for Paul McGrath and Roy Keane was probably one of the most influential players we ever produced so it's hard to pick an out right best sportsperson!

Found Michelle Smith's (De Bruin) inclusion in that list a bit funny tbh probably rhe fact that there is only one other female on the list!

Wtf is de Bruin's name doing there? Is RTE still in denial?

tommy57

what about dj carey kilkenny hurler.

Mr.Applepie

wixfjord wrote: »

Ninja edit!

I think you'll find his grandfather or great grandfather came from Ennis so stand your ground!

toomevara

crisco10 wrote: »

Was he Irish? lol!

Oh right, thread title, for best sportsperson in general....ALi's got some spurious Clare connection apparently. Although reckon Cassius in his heydey wouldn't have been too keen about this connection..wasn't a great fan of the white man!

Aidric

I see Paul McShane is shamefully overlooked.

bamboozle

Aidric wrote: »

I see Paul McShane is shamefully overlooked.

sad thing is, the same Paul McShane probably earns more in a year than the Irish front row & second Row!

TarfHead

Rugby players and hurlers put their bodies on the line in the pursuit of their sporting ambitions.

According to this poll, golfers and show jumpers merit equivalence to rugby players and hurlers.

Dear God :rolleyes:

skregs

TarfHead wrote: »

Rugby players and hurlers put their bodies on the line in the pursuit of their sporting ambitions.

According to this poll, golfers and show jumpers merit equivalence to rugby players and hurlers.

Dear God :rolleyes:

Of course they do, it's a sport and they're good at it. Is Amir Khan a better sportsman than every hurler or rugby player in the world? No one puts their bodies on the line more so than boxers

[Jackass]

Muhammed Ali, Lance Armstrong, Pele, Pete Samprass, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Jonah Lomu, Stephen Hendry...the list is endless...

But from the list provided? Brian O'Driscoll all the way...

Diabhal Beag

bamboozle wrote: »

sad thing is, the same Paul McShane probably earns more in a year than the Irish front row & second Row!

That would induce depression on anybody.

Stev_o

You know things are bad when one of the options to vote for is a steroid user .

NickNolte

It's a tough call for me. Being predominantly a rugby fan, I'd tend to go with O'Driscoll. However Harrington's achievements have been notable too and, of course, Roy Keane... who's only let down by his temprement IMO.

Sandwich

Rather than tough call, there's only one contender for me - Tiger Woods.

In no other so widely played sport has one person raised the playing level so much for all those who follow, or played to such a high standard so consistently.

NickNolte

Sandwich wrote: »

Rather than tough call, there's only one contender for me - Tiger Woods.

The title of the thread is *supposed* to be Best Irish Sportsperson of all Time.

Ignoring that though, I'd agree with you on Tiger Woods.

pappyodaniel

NickNolte wrote: »

The title of the thread is *supposed* to be Best Irish Sportsperson of all Time.

Ignoring that though, I'd agree with you on Tiger Woods.

Golf is not a sport in my opinion. Read Bock the Robber's rant here http://bocktherobber.com/2009/08/what-the-****-is-golf

What has Tiger Woods done to earn greatest sportsman of all time. He didn't break bones, he didn't put his body in front of an onrushing pack of forwards intent on steamrolling him. Is it just because of his race that you're picking him as the best. Ali was the best. Boxing is a sport in the truest sense. 2 Gladiators using the hands as weapons. Also Rugby is a remarkable sport for skill and courage.

NickNolte

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Golf is not a sport in my opinion. Read Bock the Robber's rant here http://bocktherobber.com/2009/08/what-the-****-is-golf

What has Tiger Woods done to earn greatest sportsman of all time. He didn't break bones, he didn't put his body in front of an onrushing pack of forwards intent on steamrolling him. Is it just because of his race that you're picking him as the best. Ali was the best. Boxing is a sport in the truest sense. 2 Gladiators using the hands as weapons. Also Rugby is a remarkable sport for skill and courage.

Yeah well... 'hard man' pretentions aside, golf is a sport. Whether you like it or not.

Sangre

It would be hard to look past Harrington; he acheived an amazing feat in a truly global sport. Its for the same reasons I'd look at Best and Keane, they were greats in a sport that was played by everyone not just Ireland or a few select countries.

thehighground

Personally think Aidan O'Brien has to be up there - he is by far the most successful horse trainer in the world at the moment. Some of the Irish jockeys - Johnny Murtagh, Mick Kinane, Kieran Fallon, Ruby Walsh should all get a mention for their discipline, skill and courage and winning ways over a very long period of time.

IMO, Greatest achievement would have been Ronnie Delaney winning Gold at Sydney Olympics (and Sonia should be up there as well as one of the greats).

DARKIZE

A lot of the nominations are for people who have performed at an extraordrinary level in one-off events (eg Delaney) or on a strictly local stage (eg Shefflin). A "greatest ever" tag needs to go to somebody who has performed at a consistently top level over a number of years and events, on a world stage. Drico would definitely fall into that category, but for my money Sean Kelly gets the vote. No1 in his sport for 5 years...won most of the major races worth winning.....and did it all over Europe at a time when moving to Belgium was like moving to Mars.

thehighground

DARKIZE wrote: »

A lot of the nominations are for people who have performed at an extraordrinary level in one-off events (eg Delaney) or on a strictly local stage (eg Shefflin). A "greatest ever" tag needs to go to somebody who has performed at a consistently top level over a number of years and events, on a world stage. Drico would definitely fall into that category, but for my money Sean Kelly gets the vote. No1 in his sport for 5 years...won most of the major races worth winning.....and did it all over Europe at a time when moving to Belgium was like moving to Mars.

Don't think you just roll up and become an Olympic champion

Delany won the Bronze medal at the 1958 European Championships at 1500m

He remained the last Olympics champion of Ireland for 36 years, until Michael Carruth won the gold medal in boxing at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Delany continued his running career in North America, winning four successive AAU titles in the mile, adding to his total of four Irish national titles, and three NCAA titles. He was next to unbeatable on indoor tracks over that period, which included a 40-race winning streak. He broke the World Indoor Mile Record on three occasions.

Have a look at what Sonia has won! Only thing missing is Olympic Gold which she was cheated out of.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_O'Sullivan

Chucky the tree

DARKIZE wrote: »

A lot of the nominations are for people who have performed at an extraordrinary level in one-off events (eg Delaney) or on a strictly local stage (eg Shefflin). A "greatest ever" tag needs to go to somebody who has performed at a consistently top level over a number of years and events, on a world stage. Drico would definitely fall into that category, but for my money Sean Kelly gets the vote. No1 in his sport for 5 years...won most of the major races worth winning.....and did it all over Europe at a time when moving to Belgium was like moving to Mars.

But how much drugs did he have in him while doing all this? His inclusion is about as dodgy as Michelle de bruins.

Sandwich

pappyodaniel wrote: »

What has Tiger Woods done to earn greatest sportsman of all time. He didn't break bones,

He did as it happens. His own. Won last years US Open with 2 stress fractures in his leg and torn ligaments in his knee. 8 months out to recover from the repair surgery.

gavkm27

Kelly Slater - 9 time World Champion in Surfing,won it when he was 18 and 34,still competing for a 10th,the man is a freak of nature

Best Irish sportsperson is Bod.

But internationally it has to be Micheal Phelps,the guy is a freak.He is 24 and already the greatest swimmer of all time,holds the record for most olympic gold medals overall and represented USA when he was age 15 at the olympics,he was also a world record holder at age 15.

pappyodaniel

Usain Bolt is well on the way to becoming the greatest sportsman with a personality to boot. Irish wise, it could be anyone from DJ Carey, Jack Kyle, Roy Keane, BO'D or Christy Ring. It really depends on your sport.

I really don't consider golf a sport so Harrington has as much chance of winning as Brian Cowen...in my opinion.

csm

I find it bizarre that people don't consider golf a sport. What are you basing it on? Lack of calories burnt or something?

Anyway I would have to go with Brady, Keane or Harrington. BO'D is magic but I think you have to do it on a global stage and, for all its qualities, rugby isn't a global sport.

Can't believe that Michelle Smith is even on the list. Would love to ask the person who drew it up why.

aya14

Irish: Harrington due to him having done it on the world stage 3 times over.
Worldwide: there is just too many names Schumacher,Nicklaus,Ali,Pele,Best etc.
But if I was forced its a toss up between Federer and Woods imo.

pappyodaniel

csm wrote: »

I find it bizarre that people don't consider golf a sport. What are you basing it on? Lack of calories burnt or something?

The link to Bock's rant on golf is broken because it contains a word that rhymes with duck, but this is his tuppence.

Golf?

What is that?

Golf!

Jesus Christ, you’d have to wonder, wouldn’t you?

Now look, I know you’ll probably disagree with me about this, but really, seriously, how could anyone call golf a sport? An activity where prematurely-old people walk around a field talking **** and selling each other toxic assets is a sport? I don’t think so.

A money-making scam that knocks down more rainforest than a McMillion McDonald McOutlets is not a ****ing sport. It’s a criminal conspiracy

Golf!

Jesus Christ!

What is it about golf that pisses me off so much? Is it the stupid trousers?

Probably.

Is it some of the smug self-satisfied bastards who play it and follow it?

Definitely.

Is it the fact that they don’t play against anyone? Certainly.

Golf is a sport in the same way that doing a crossword is a sport.

That’s right: it isn’t a sport. It’s a mental illness.

And yet, golf takes up huge tracts of land, swallows endless supplies of water we can’t afford and attracts the worst gob****es in the whole world all onto the same field to talk utter ****e and finalise crooked deals to rob the rest of us blind, the ****ing bastards.

That wouldn’t be too bad, if golfers weren’t boring.

You don’t believe me? I give you Exhibit One: Pádraig Harrington.

Surgeons hire Pádraig Harrington to talk to patients before castration operations. He talks and people pass out.

Bee-keepers pay Pádraig Harrington to lull swarms of killer hornets.

Police forces engage Pádraig Harrington to sedate PCP-crazed killers and quell riots.

Padraig Harrington can knock out all communication withing a hundred-mile radius just by talking. He’s a one-man electro-magnetic pulse, and yet this man is one of golf’s heroes along with Tiger Woods and some seventeen-year-old who can hit a ball further than Saturn.

So what? It’s just guys with a crooked stick hitting a ball.

It isn’t a sport.

I’m going to organise marches on the homes of known golfers in our area and drive them out. Concerned parents Against Golf.

Did I read recently that they were going to put it in the Olympics?

Golf? In the Olympics? I thought the Olympics was for athletes, and now they’re going to put ****ing golf in it. What next — darts?

The precedent is there. Synchronised swimming, for Christ’s sake. Synchronised swimming. A sport. And that jumping around in a swimsuit waving a ribbon. What is that?

What the **** is that? Pre-pubescent pole-dancing isn’t an Olympic sport for ****sake.

No.

You might as well have tap-dancing in the ****ing Olympics.

You can just see those ancient Greeks after the wrestling.

Come on Leonidas, let’s have a game of naked golf.

Oh all right then, Androcles, just as soon as I scrape this oil from my bronzed pectorals. How did you get on in the synchronised swimming?

Not too bad, Leonidas, but I was probably better in the running-around-like-a-complete-fool-waving-a-ribbon competition. And then I met this guy who tried to talk to me but I fell asleep.

Really? Who was that?

Don’t know, but he plays something called ????

????. You mean golph?

That’s it. Fella by the name of Harringbone, or something like that.

zzzzzzzzzzzz

TarfHead

csm wrote: »

I find it bizarre that people don't consider golf a sport. What are you basing it on?

Well, in the list of events/pastimes/hobbies that aren't sport, as detailed on www.thingsthatarenotsport.com, Golf features prominently.

Golf is difficult, requires a high degree of mental and physical acuity, but so do many other things that also are not sports - like neurosurgery.

Golf is one person and a set of equipment trying to make it around some landscaped parkland in as few shots as possible. No matter how many people are watching or how close to your score your competitors are, it's always just you and a stick and a ball. The competition is just you against you - everything else is just noise.

Events where people are physically pitched against each other merit consideration as sport. Golf, showjumping, do not.

Depp

has to be dj im afraid

skregs

TarfHead wrote: »

Golf is one person and a set of equipment trying to make it around some landscaped parkland in as few shots as possible. No matter how many people are watching or how close to your score your competitors are, it's always just you and a stick and a ball. The competition is just you against you - everything else is just noise.

Athletics is one person trying to make it around a track as quick as possible. No matter how many people are watching or how close to your time your competitors are, it's always just you and a track. The competition is just you against you - everything else is just noise.

The Tour de France is one person and a bike trying to make it around France in as low a time as possible. No matter how many people are watching or how close to your score your competitors are, it's always just you and a bike. The competition is just you against you - everything else is just noise.

Motor racing is one person and a car trying to make it around some landscaped race courses as quickly as possible. No matter how many people are watching or how close to your score your competitors are, it's always just you and a car. The competition is just you against you - everything else is just noise.

I could go on, swimming, archery, kayaking, pole-vaulting, hammer throwing, diving, motorcycling, BMXing, gymnastics, shooting, sailing, pentathlons, weight lifting. None of them involve anything more than one person trying to get their best result without outside interference.

TarfHead

skregs wrote: »

I could go on, swimming, archery, kayaking, pole-vaulting, hammer throwing, diving, motorcycling, BMXing, gymnastics, shooting, sailing, pentathlons, weight lifting. None of them involve anything more than one person trying to get their best result without outside interference.

Glad that you see it my way too !

I sail (crew) on a Class 3 yacht in races that are held once a week. It's a pastime, a good reason to spend time out in the open air with good company - it's not sport though.

sock puppet

Davion Putrid Gypsum wrote: »

Best Irish sportsperson is Bod.

But internationally it has to be Micheal Phelps,the guy is a freak.He is 24 and already the greatest swimmer of all time,holds the record for most olympic gold medals overall and represented USA when he was age 15 at the olympics,he was also a world record holder at age 15.

24 isn't that young for a swimmer. Almost all swimmers break into the international scene in their teens. He's been at his peak for the past couple of years. I wouldn't go so far as to say he's the greatest swimmer of all time either.

I'd go for O'Sullivan myself. But then a lot of people on that lost were before my time.

r0nanf

The Greatest Irish Sportsperson Ever. For me that effectively means someone of the standard that people from around the world recognize as great, or would put in their all time greatest 11, or 15 or whatever.

Although I'm a GAA fan I'd immediately have to discount the sport as the playing pool is a lot smaller, and reputation in Ireland is a different biscuit altogether from worldwide reputation. *awaiting flak*

We don't have many that would make it into an alltime soccer XI: Roy Keane wouldn't for instance, but maybe Georgie Best? Think though who's he going to deplace on the wing, Cruyff? Garrincha? Matthews? See what I mean?!

In rugby we have a player who would probably make it into most alltime XVs in....Mike Gibson!! He was on the first hall of fame team. But now Drico would be a serious contender.

In individual sports I guess I'd apply the same logic: would they feature in your "top 10 of all time" - in each sport. Katie Taylor in womens lightweight boxing yes, Joey Dunlop in racing yes, Sean Kelly in cycling maybe... the rest you just couldn't put them in no matter how much you'd like to. John Giles.....:P

K4t

Sonia.

Pisco Sour

thehighground wrote: »

Don't think you just roll up and become an Olympic champion



Have a look at what Sonia has won! Only thing missing is Olympic Gold which she was cheated out of.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_O'Sullivan

Agreed, Its a non-runner as far as I'm concerned. Its definetely sonia o'sullivan.

One thing though. Gabriela Szabo is not a cheat and its unfair to say she is. People are very misinformed about this. The drugs found in her car were not illegal substances, they were undeclared going through the border which was the problem. She was cleared of any wrongdoing. She wasnt even anywhere near the scene of the incident.

The Chinese in 1993 is another story. Sonia was robbed blind of 2 Gold Medals in the Worlds, not to mention what would have been a World Record (rather than just a European Record) for 3000m.

pappyodaniel

Just goes to show how much WE know. The actual winner is Seán Kelly.

The_Kew_Tour

Brian oDriscoll? are people barmy in here. He would not be in top 10. he best Irish rugby player i have seen but he has never delivered the goods until this year when it mattered. I like him but nowhere near the best in this island

quiche

Kevin Kilbane - for his prominence as the head of the troika of sporting greats including tiger woods and rodger feder.


(shameless rip from off the ball)

Hippo

adrian280582 wrote: »

Brian oDriscoll? are people barmy in here. He would not be in top 10. he best Irish rugby player i have seen but he has never delivered the goods until this year when it mattered. I like him but nowhere near the best in this island

Are you barmy?

NickNolte

adrian280582 wrote: »

Brian oDriscoll? are people barmy in here. He would not be in top 10. he best Irish rugby player i have seen but he has never delivered the goods until this year when it mattered.

Eh... what? 93 caps, 36 tries, highest try scorer Ireland has ever had, 13th highest try scorer in world rugby history at this point, 6 Nations top try scorer ever, top Irish HEC try scorer of all time, 2 ML titles, 1 HEC (capt), 4 Triple Crowns, and a Grand Slam (capt), 4 Lions tours (1 of which as capt).

But you're right... never delivered the goods. :pac:

The_Kew_Tour

Hippo wrote: »

Are you barmy?

No he good ill give him that but nowhere near as good as most people on list

NickNolte

adrian280582 wrote: »

No he good ill give him that but nowhere near as good as most people on list

You'd be wrong. :rolleyes:

The_Kew_Tour

NickNolte wrote: »

You'd be wrong. :rolleyes:

Your entitled to you opinion i respect that. The only two real medals he has are from this year (HC and Six Nations)

4 Triple Crowns who cares about them? France and Italy cant even win a triple crown so its a stupid trophy or whatever the hell its meant be coming second but getting rewarded whats that about.

4 lions tours really? name years and how many did they win again?

NickNolte

adrian280582 wrote: »

4 Triple Crowns who cares about them? France and Italy cant even win a triple crown so its a stupid trophy or whatever the hell its meant be coming second but getting rewarded whats that about.

4 lions tours really? name years and how many did they win again?

Sorry, typo... I meant three of course. 2001, 2004 and 2007.

Well in my opinion he's the best Irish sportsman of all time in the sense that I feel he's the most talented. If we're basing this purely on number of medals, trophies and/or tournments/championships won then I don't know who'd be considered number 1. Having said that, I'd imagine such a measure of success would be subjective. For example, could the likes of DJ Carey even be considered seeing as he's competing in an amateur sport and hasn't competed on an international stage? Can only majors be considered for Harrington or should every medal and accolade he's received, regardless of how minor, be considered?