ESPN's Top 20 athletes of the last 20 years.

No Tendulkar? brb, raging indians.
 
Uzz said:
That's a really poor list.

Tendulkar? Wilkinson? Zidane?
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dxadel said:
Yeah, don't think they watch Cricket.
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ESPNCricinfo is one of the biggest websites in the world dedicated to the sport, which makes the complete lack of cricketers even more amazing...

Tendulkar isn't just a nominee for the best sportsman of the last 20 years, but instead of the last 100 years. If that list were published in India, there would be riots.
 
My top five would be Phelps, Bolt, Messi, Jordan, Mayweather in whatever order.
 
VP said:
:lol: Even by American standards that's pathetic. The top 10 should technically be footballers. I'd say it's harder to become the 20th best footballer in the world than being no. 1 in any of the other sports.
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ESPN's list is biased but this is a shocking statement.

ESPN is an American sports company at the end of the day. They just bought cricinfo and are televising cricket matches online to tap into the South Asian immigrant market in the United States.
 
Mciahel Goodman said:
My top five would be Phelps, Bolt, Messi, Jordan, Mayweather in whatever order.
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Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar, Tiger Woods and ... to make up the top ten? One of the basketball players, I guess.
 
If you think think about it from a click bait point of view then you are going to get a lot of American hits creaming themselves and then 1bn angry Indians making sure what they have heard is true.

Advertising revenue.
 
Count Orduck said:
Schumacher ffs.
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See? That's what makes such a list impossible... Twenty years is a very long time, and sport is just too open to narrow it down to a top twenty, and even if you were to extend it, ranking them would be impossible.

Like Sebastien Loeb. You could argue for him ahead of Schumacher, yet he's not been mentioned yet.
 
Messi should at least be in the top 3 and there should be no debating that. His accomplishments in football are far greater than what Lebron or Peyton Manning have achieved in their respective sports.

I have all the respect in the world for Michael Jordan, but if we're talking about the last 20 years (1995-2015), I really can't see how he'd be #1. In that time period he had a few amazing years with the Bulls and won Championships, but after that he retired and came back years later and was decent for the Wizards. Out of 20 years, he had 4 good years which shouldn't make him number 1. If it were a list of the last 30 years, than hands down he's number 1, but it's not.

Mia Hamm doesn't belong on this list. Neither should Lance Armstrong who cheated and Barry Bonds because he probably cheated.

If Jordan gets number 1 for so few years played, then Jerry Rice (NFL) should at least be on the list and it's suprising he's not considered how US-centric the list is and Rice is one of the greatest players ever.
 
manutddjw said:
Messi should at least be in the top 3 and there should be no debating that. His accomplishments in football are far greater than what Lebron or Peyton Manning have achieved in their respective sports.

I have all the respect in the world for Michael Jordan, but if we're talking about the last 20 years (1995-2015), I really can't see how he'd be #1. In that time period he had a few amazing years with the Bulls and won Championships, but after that he retired and came back years later and was decent for the Wizards. Out of 20 years, he had 4 good years which shouldn't make him number 1. If it were a list of the last 30 years, than hands down he's number 1, but it's not.

Mia Hamm doesn't belong on this list. Neither should Lance Armstrong who cheated and Barry Bonds because he probably cheated.

If Jordan gets number 1 for so few years played, then Jerry Rice (NFL) should at least be on the list and it's suprising he's not considered how US-centric the list is and Rice is one of the greatest players ever.
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Yes, doesn't make any sense. If you include Jordan for the past twenty years, Gretzky should definitely be included as well, imo. But it's all very subjective and nearly impossible to put together such a list, let alone in the right order - if there even is one.
 
manutddjw said:
Messi should at least be in the top 3 and there should be no debating that. His accomplishments in football are far greater than what Lebron or Peyton Manning have achieved in their respective sports.

I have all the respect in the world for Michael Jordan, but if we're talking about the last 20 years (1995-2015), I really can't see how he'd be #1. In that time period he had a few amazing years with the Bulls and won Championships, but after that he retired and came back years later and was decent for the Wizards. Out of 20 years, he had 4 good years which shouldn't make him number 1. If it were a list of the last 30 years, than hands down he's number 1, but it's not.

Mia Hamm doesn't belong on this list. Neither should Lance Armstrong who cheated and Barry Bonds because he probably cheated.

If Jordan gets number 1 for so few years played, then Jerry Rice (NFL) should at least be on the list and it's suprising he's not considered how US-centric the list is and Rice is one of the greatest players ever.
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:lol:
 
"American Arse"
 
Crosby shouldn't even be on there. If they wanted to put in a hockey player its Lemeiux or maybe Brodeur.

Pales in comparison to some of the other issues obviously.
 
Bolt and Messi should be much higher. Armstrong here is a joke, surely? And Ronaldo, Ronaldo and Zidane, at least, should be here from football. No surprise though.

And Mia Hamm :lol::lol: ffs
 
Yeah...there are some issues with that list. Agree with the critiques of most people.
 
manutddjw said:
I have all the respect in the world for Michael Jordan, but if we're talking about the last 20 years (1995-2015), I really can't see how he'd be #1. In that time period he had a few amazing years with the Bulls and won Championships, but after that he retired and came back years later and was decent for the Wizards. Out of 20 years, he had 4 good years which shouldn't make him number 1. If it were a list of the last 30 years, than hands down he's number 1, but it's not.
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after he came back he won three more championships.
 
mu77 said:
after he came back he won three more championships.
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I was referring to his second retirment. My point was this list is for 20 years and in those 20 years he had a 4 good years. Compare that to Kobe who has had at least 10 good seasons and won 5 titles in that time period. Again if this were a list for the last 30 years, Jordan is definitely number 1, but if it's a list of the last 20 years (95-15) I don't see how 4 good years should get you the number 1 spot.
 
LFCTommy said:
ESPNCricinfo is one of the biggest websites in the world dedicated to the sport, which makes the complete lack of cricketers even more amazing...

Tendulkar isn't just a nominee for the best sportsman of the last 20 years, but instead of the last 100 years. If that list were published in India, there would be riots.
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He wasn't really a top athlete, though, as much as I love the great man.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
He wasn't really a top athlete, though, as much as I love the great man.
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Based on what? The fact he's a tad chubbier than some of the more modern players? He's one of the best batsmen to ever play the game, and it's hard to argue against him being the most talented & influential player of the past 20 years. There's absolutely no way he doesn't make the top 20 for me.
 
LFCTommy said:
Based on what? The fact he's a tad chubbier than some of the more modern players? He's one of the best batsmen to ever play the game, and it's hard to argue against him being the most talented & influential player of the past 20 years. There's absolutely no way he doesn't make the top 20 for me.
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Of course. I just mean that a batsman in cricket doesn't necesseirly need to be very athletic. And I absolutely worshipped the man growing up, so I shouldn't start praising him :)
 
List like this will always be crap but and since it is from ESPN US it will obviously be USA centric. If it is the last 20 years we are starting in 95 so in that time period we only have three great seasons from Jordan so there is no way he was the best of the last 20 years. Also there is no way Derek Jeter was the best baseball player of the last 20 years and there is no way Brett Favre was the second best NFL player of the last 20 years.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
Of course. I just mean that a batsman in cricket doesn't necesseirly need to be very athletic. And I absolutely worshipped the man growing up, so I shouldn't start praising him :)
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Should just be a list of twenty swimmers, then ;)

I'd say Sachin is more athletic than Tiger Woods! Woods may look a little trimmer, but I bet he can't run as well, haha.
 
:lol:Just seen this. Mia Hamm>>Messi, Ronaldo, Zidane and Brazilian Ronaldo.
Mia Hamm.
 
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