Greatest Athlete from Each State

StinkHole

@gumby73 said:
All day JT. count the pro bowls. Watt still in puberty .

Interior O linemen are grunts. Watt has a much greater skill set than JT. But if you want to crown a grunt as the "greatest athlete" to ever come out of a certain state then you have to go with the man many consider the best center to ever play the game...Wisconsin native and former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster.

But you're right about Watt being young, hence it seems we are only projecting that Watt COULD BE the greatest ever to come out Wisconsin, but as a 9 time pro bowler, 4 time SB winner that paved the way for Franco Harris, I would have to go with Mike Webster as the greatest athlete to come out of Wisconsin...ahead of Watt or JT.

By light years.

StinkHole

@texasag1969 said:
So Babe Ruth was not an athlete. Right!

Right.

"Im not an athlete, I'm a professional baseball player." - John Kruck Phillies

"We're not athletes, we're baseball players." - Tom Selleck in the movie Mr. Baseball

Baseball players are like race car drivers and golfers...they have a great skill, but aren't really all that athletic.

Kruck was similar to Babe Ruth in that he was a slow fat slob like Babe Ruth.

flyingfooldoug

@stinkhole said:

Right."Im not an athlete, I'm a professional baseball player." - John Kruck Phillies

"We're not athletes, we're baseball players." - Tom Selleck in the movie Mr. Baseball

Baseball players are like race car drivers and golfers...they have a great skill, but aren't really all that athletic.

Kruck was similar to Babe Ruth in that he was a slow fat slob like Babe Ruth.

So if a 6ft 5 guy can throw a baseball 99mph...he's not an athlete?..smh

gftChris

@flyingfooldoug said:
So if a 6ft 5 guy can throw a baseball 99mph...he's not an athlete?..smh

Being good at one thing doesn't make you an athlete, it makes you good at one thing. Being able to do a bunch of things that cover across different sports - throw well, run well, jump well, kick well, be strong, run for a long time - these are things that make you an athlete.

TexasAg1969

@gftchris said:
Being good at one thing doesn't make you an athlete, it makes you good at one thing. Being able to do a bunch of things that cover across different sports - throw well, run well, jump well, kick well, be strong, run for a long time - these are things that make you an athlete.

Thanks for reinforcing my case for the other Babe Chris. A great athlete at multiple sports just like Jim Thorp and the great lacrosse player, Jim Brown.

The Gipper

@stinkhole said:

Great topic.

I think you gotta go Jim Brown over Ty Cobb from Georgia.

Joe Montana is debatable. Athletes such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Johnny Unitas, Arnold Palmer came out of Pa.

There really is no right or wrong IMO.

Although golf isn't really an athletic event.

Good arguments there on PA and GA.....certainly debatable.

The Gipper

@richiswhere said:

Minnesota = Dave Winfield

Arguable, yes.

Alabama = Bo Jackson

Not arguable. As a speciman, sure, Bo would rank....but for actual accomplishment on the field (as a pro)....he can't touch Hank Aaron.

That brings up an interesting point....what about a great athlete that was injured and had to leave the game early.

I mean, Marcus Dupree may have been a greater pure athlete...even pure runner... than Walter Payton....but Payton endured and played at a high level for a long time. Dupree got injured badly and could not continue his career. So who gets the nod for the state of Mississippi? Payton would

(But Hell, the alternate answer to that could actually be: Brett Favre)

The Gipper

@stinkhole said:

Interior O linemen are grunts. Watt has a much greater skill set than JT. But if you want to crown a grunt as the "greatest athlete" to ever come out of a certain state then you have to go with the man many consider the best center to ever play the game...Wisconsin native and former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster.

But you're right about Watt being young, hence it seems we are only projecting that Watt COULD BE the greatest ever to come out Wisconsin, but as a 9 time pro bowler, 4 time SB winner that paved the way for Franco Harris, I would have to go with Mike Webster as the greatest athlete to come out of Wisconsin...ahead of Watt or JT.

By light years.

Hardly by light years. As noted, Webster went to 9 PBs....JT already has 8 (don't know if he will make it this year)....and he is just now in the prime of his career.

And Watt has a long way to go too. If you are arguing skill set...then you have to say that if Watt has a greater skill set than JT, then he certainly has a greater skill set over Webster. OTs are generally considered more "skilled" than OCs (How many OTs were picked in the Top 5 drafts the last few years vs. the number of OCs.

The Gipper

Just FYI, since 2000: 16 OTs have been taken with the first 5 picks of the first round. No centers have been chosen that high.

And here is the funny thing: Only 8 players listed as centers have been selected in the first round since 2000 and three of them are:

Jeff Faine

Alex Mack

Cameron Erving all taken by the Browns.

the others were: Chris Spencer, Seattle. Nick Mangold Jets, Eric Wood Bills, Maurkice Pouncey Steelers and Travis Frederick, Cowboys

And Pouncey was the highest pick at #18....but Erving was next at #19

StinkHole

@the-gipper said:

Hardly by light years. As noted, Webster went to 9 PBs....JT already has 8 (don't know if he will make it this year)....and he is just now in the prime of his career.

And Watt has a long way to go too. If you are arguing skill set...then you have to say that if Watt has a greater skill set than JT, then he certainly has a greater skill set over Webster. OTs are generally considered more "skilled" than OCs (How many OTs were picked in the Top 5 drafts the last few years vs. the number of OCs.

True, not light years. Miles lol.

Agree Watt does have a broader skill set than Webster.

But the reason you have to put Mike Webster there instead of either Watt or JT is because Webster is regarded by most as the best center to have ever played the game. That says more than Watt's skill set or JT's Pro Bowls. Neither JT or Watt would be in a conversation discussing the "best ever" at their respective positions.

Not YET anyway.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1090410-the-10-best-centers-in-nfl-history/page/11

StinkHole

@flyingfooldoug said:
So if a 6ft 5 guy can throw a baseball 99mph...he's not an athlete?..smh

If I can throw a dart at a dartboard at 99mph, am I an athlete?

...and what does being 6ft 5 have to do with it?

The Gipper

@stinkhole said:

True, not light years. Miles lol.

Agree Watt does have a broader skill set than Webster.

But the reason you have to put Mike Webster there instead of either Watt or JT is because Webster is regarded by most as the best center to have ever played the game. That says more than Watt's skill set or JT's Pro Bowls. Neither JT or Watt would be in a conversation discussing the "best ever" at their respective positions.

Not YET anyway.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1090410-the-10-best-centers-in-nfl-history/page/11

I guess someone had to rank them....but really, I don't see a lot of difference between Webster and the likes of Jim Otto, Jim Ringo, Dermonti Dawson, Jim Langer, Dwight Stephenson, Mick Tinglehoff, Frank Gatski. Probably the nature of the position.

But, yet, yes.....before they are done both JT and Watt could be considered amongst the best at their position. Watt is being compared to Reggie White.

As for OTs, those considered the best ever are the likes of Anthony Munoz, Jonathan Ogden, Art Shell. Joe's problem, unlike these other, is that he has not played on a team that has won a lot....and that can hurt a guy, even if the losing has nothing to do with him.

(and hell....Jim Otto is from Wisconsin...so Webster may not even arguably be the best OC from there.)

But, I would still go with Eric Heiden as best athlete.....though the best "Sportsman" from Wisc. is probably Curly Lambeau...for his contributions as both a player and coach.

gumby73

Stinkhole. Mike Webster the guy in the movie Concussion gluing his teeth back in verse a guy that has never missed a snap in JT. Go wave your yellow hanky in the stinkhole we call Shitsburg..

hoorta

@richiswhere said:

Minnesota = Dave Winfield

Alabama = Bo Jackson

I agree with Gip- Jackson's career was too short to get the nod.

& PS Gip- had to look it up, Michael Jordan was born in New York- moved to NC. We can debate who's better, him or Kareem, but I'll give the nod to Jordan. Kareem's status is mostly due to longevity.

That got me to thinking, and looking it up again- for Louisiana I just might take Bill Russell (moved to California @ over Peyton Manning. And If you want to say Bill is primarily California, I take him over Joe D easy.

D Bone

California = Jeremy McGrath

tiamat63

@texasag1969 said:

Here. Educate yourself. She was great at basketball, baseball, softball, pocket billiards, javelin, high jump, hurdles, diving, roller skating and bowling. She just made her living in golf because back then it was the only one that paid worth a damn for a woman. She was a phenomenal athlete.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias

I just fucking realized you weren't directing your comment about mine being Nicklaus, which is whom I was referring to about Ohio.

The Gipper

@hoorta said:

I agree with Gip- Jackson's career was too short to get the nod.

& PS Gip- had to look it up, Michael Jordan was born in New York- moved to NC. We can debate who's better, him or Kareem, but I'll give the nod to Jordan. Kareem's status is mostly due to longevity.

That got me to thinking, and looking it up again- for Louisiana I just might take Bill Russell (moved to California @ over Peyton Manning. And If you want to say Bill is primarily California, I take him over Joe D easy.

Well, I guess the question of "Where is someone from" can be debated. The state they were born in....even if they moved away as a baern....or the state they grew up in.

I say it is where they spent most of their developmental years. So Jordan would be from North Carolina, Steve Young from Connecticut. etc. And I think Russell would be California......and as between him and Joe D.??? You could throw in Tom Brady for Calif.

hoorta

@columbusking said:
The truth is, an athlete is a person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise. Based on this, a golfer cannot be on this list, golf is not a sport but rather a game as it does not require rigorous physical activity, and can be played professionally by people who are overweight, injured, and especially non-athletic.

We got into a long argument about this a ways back, and it's not worth beating it to death again. There's those that claim golf is a sport- and I'd just let it be. A sport by definition requires athletic talent. Anyone consider John Daley an athlete? If it's the mental aspect, then I suppose chess is a "sport". Don't call it a "game" it's a skill- (like bowling) that will pay you a lot of money if you're good at it.

The Gipper

A sport is ...

a human activity involving physical skill and exertion.
governed by a set of rules or customs.
undertaken competitively and capable of achieving a result.

What makes the list and what does not

There are many activities that are commonly debated whether they are sports, such as fishing, dancing, cheerleading, golf, equestrian, motorsports, plus many more. Based on the above criteria, are these sports?

The examples of golf and cheerleading easily fit the definition of sports when in the competitive form. Fishing and dancing for most people is a pastime and not a sport, but there are structured competitions with these activities which make it a sport in that form. In the case of equestrian and motorsports, there is physical exertion by the riders, but the horse and car are primarily doing the work. On the other hand, there is plenty of skill involved and it ticks all the other boxes. There will always be activities that are borderline and debateable whether they are sports or not. In that case, maybe the final defining point should be as per the definition by the ASC—it is a sport if it is ... "generally accepted as being a sport".

Per Topend Sports.

hoorta

@the-gipper said:

A sport is ...

a human activity involving physical skill and exertion.

governed by a set of rules or customs.

undertaken competitively and capable of achieving a result.

What makes the list and what does not

There are many activities that are commonly debated whether they are sports, such as fishing, dancing, cheerleading, golf, equestrian, motorsports, plus many more. Based on the above criteria, are these sports?

The examples of golf and cheerleading easily fit the definition of sports when in the competitive form. Fishing and dancing for most people is a pastime and not a sport, but there are structured competitions with these activities which make it a sport in that form. In the case of equestrian and motorsports, there is physical exertion by the riders, but the horse and car are primarily doing the work. On the other hand, there is plenty of skill involved and it ticks all the other boxes. There will always be activities that are borderline and debatable whether they are sports or not. In that case, maybe the final defining point should be as per the definition by the ASC—it is a sport if it is ... "generally accepted as being a sport".

Per Topend Sports.

Well said Gip, and we'll leave it at that.