Lists and legends echo in Miller poll of greatest athletes
Gazette compares ancient generals to modern sports icons after Miller Brewing Co. releases a poll naming the 125 greatest athletes of all time. Iowa figures Bob Feller and Dan Gable appear, with commentary urging light use of lists and attention to biased hero worship.
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Christ
Hannibal
Carthage
Scipio Africanus
Rome
Western
Asia
Alexander the Great
Pyrrhus
America
Scipio
Nicklaus
Mantle
Ali
Olga Korbut
Miller Brewing Company
Bob Feller
van Meter
Dan Gable
Waterloo
Feller
Gable
Gazette Sports Department
Pele Tops French Poll as Greatest Sportsman of the Century
In an international poll by L’Equipe, Pele leads with 178 points from 20 newspapers across 19 nations. Jesse Owens places second with four 1936 Olympic golds, and Eddy Merckx is third with a prolific Tour de France track record.
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Paris
UPI
Pele
France
L’equipe
Jesse Owens
Eddy Merckx
New York Cosmos
United States
New York Times
Los Angeles Times
Owens
L'Equipe names top athletes across major sports
The list highlights prominent figures including Pele from Brazil in soccer, Jesse Owens from the United States in track and field, Eddy Merckx of Belgium in cycling, Paavo Nurmi of Finland in track and field, and a tie between Bjorn Borg of Sweden and Mark Spitz of the United States in their sports. Others feature Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jack Nicklaus, Joe Louis, Babe Ruth, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jean-Claude Killy, Eric Heiden, Dawn Fraser, Irena Szewinska, Vasily Alexeyev, and Nadia Comaneci representing diverse disciplines and nations.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pele
Brazil
Jesse Owens
U.S
Eddy Merckx
Belgium
Paavo Nurmi
Finland
Bjorn Borg
Sweden
Mark Spitz
Emil Zatopek
Czechoslovakia
Fanto Coppi
Italy
Muhammad Ali
Sugar Ray Robinson
Jack Nicklaus
Joe Louis
Babe Ruth
Juan Manuel Fangio
Argentina
Jean-Claude Killy
France
Eric Heiden
Dawn Fraser
Australia
Irena Szewinska
Poland
Vasily Alexeyev
Soviet Union
Nadia Comaneci
Romania
Bove
Mad Ali
Jim Brown
Oo Thorpe
Arnold Palmer
Champberlain
Russel
Willie May
Mildred
Babe
Zoharias Gait
Ted Williams
Red Grange
Billie Jean King
AJ. Foyt Johnny Auto Racing Ht
Biorn Borg
Lou Gehrig
Gait
Bab Cousy Basketbol
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bobby Orr
Bruce J Track & Field
Ack Dempsey
Rocky
Mickey Mantie
Bill Tilden
Bill Shoemaker
Bob Mathias
Roger Bannister
Oscar Robertson
Chris Evert
Walter Johnson
Wilma Rudolph
Jean Claude Killy
Stan Music
Julius Erving
Jackie Inson
Cy Young
Rater Johnson
Yo Korbut
Tom Roger Staubach
Weissmaier
Dick Butk
al Oerter
Bobby Hull
Eddie Arcaro
George Mikan
Maurice Richard
Bronko i
Sam Paavo Nurmi
Nancy Lopez-Mellon
Earlee
Don Scho
Centinees
Jim Ryan
Lou Brock
Satchel Paige
Franz Krammer
Mickey Light
Herman
Roberto Clemente
Dizzy Dean
Bart Starr
Sebastian Coe
Aithea Gibson
Peggy Fleming
Patty Berg
Jackie Stewart
Paul Brown
Secretariat
Tom
Gazette picks top 20 greatest athletes of all time
The Gazette staff names Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali as the top two all time athletes. Other major figures include Jim Thorpe Wilt Chamberlain Mildred Zaharias Dan Gable Jesse Owens and Bjorn Borg with OJ Simpson Jackie Robinson Sebastian Coe and Dick Butkus also appearing.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gazette Sports
O.J. Simpson
Jackie Robinson
Swift
Sebastian Coe
Powerful
Dick Butkus
Babe Ruth
Swat
Muhammad Ali
Gazette
Jim Thorpe
Wilt Chamberlain
Mildred
Babe) Zaharias
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Mike Chapman
MowaMmar
Ann Arbor
Mich
Merckx
L’equipe Poll
Ruth
Iowa
Pete
Miller
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