Most popular sportsman.

I'd say about 100 footballers, a dozen basketball players, and a handful of golfers are more known globally than any cricket player.

Again..

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, 60% of the Middle East (due to the expatriate population being South Asian), Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka etc..

That's a large chunk of the World's population..

The other MAIN reason I feel why Tendulkar is popular is also down to China's sports interest of the 1.3 billion there being vastly divided amongst a number of sports..

Whereas in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh...in terms of sport.
Cricket really is the BE ALL AND END ALL and is Larger than life!..you can safely say that 99% of the sane adult population in those countries know very well who Sachin Tendulkar..

South America not a soul would obviously know Tendulkar so I agree about that..

However, based truly in terms of NUMBERS and NUMBERS ALONE and not on popularity just amongst the developed countries, Tendulkar is well up there!

Obviously many non-South Asian based North Americans wouldn't have a clue who he is due to the unfortunate lack of cricket coverage in the area...but that doesn't mean he's not a huge global icon. (75% of Americans can't even find UK on a world map!)
Nowhere near Beckham of course....but he's definitely big..

In terms of global image and marketing, you have to remember, the part of the world's population that are exposed to Michael jordan/David Beckham billboards/magazines in huge cities is very small compared to the amount of people living in suburbs, small towns who really lack much foreign media coverage!

This demographic would obviously not know who Michael Jordan is, but this demographic in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka would very very well know who Sachin Tendulkar is!
 
I can see everyone else's point as to why Sachin might not be as popular...
but how can you put Pieterson ahead of Sachin in popularity is just PLAIN MENTAL.

He's famous for various reasons...


He's a pin up, good looking young lad that the marketing fellas like.

He was the English player that the Indian 20twenty league really wanted.

He's contraversial, playing for a country that he wasn't born in.

He plays attacking, exciting cricket.

He occasionally appears in the tabliods in the celebrity pages because of the women he has been photographed with.


He's just got that undefinable thing that makes him more than just a sportsman. So there you go, that's me making a "PLAIN MENTAL" case for him being a world famous (well as world famous as a cricketer can be) sports personality.

I forgot to say who I thought was most famous out of my picks, I'll say Tiger Woods.
 
He's famous for various reasons...


He's a pin up, good looking young lad that the marketing fellas like.

He was the English player that the Indian 20twenty league really wanted.

He's contraversial, playing for a country that he wasn't born in.

He plays attacking, exciting cricket.

He occasionally appears in the tabliods in the celebrity pages because of the women he has been photographed with.


He's just got that undefinable thing that makes him more than just a sportsman. So there you go, that's me making a "PLAIN MENTAL" case for him being a world famous (well as world famous as a cricketer can be) sports personality.

I forgot to say who I thought was most famous out of my picks, I'll say Tiger Woods.

But is he known or worshipped by over 1/6th of the world's entire population like Tendulkar is?

Thats what I mean mate.
 
I probably agree with zain
Pieterson is mainly only that famous in England I would say.
 
Wait... because these players are Indian and a large population is in India...

It makes them GLOBALLY popular?

THINK ABOUT IT.

Beckham and alot of footballers are probably know all across the globe.

Europe - C'mon, a European who doesn't know who Beckham is?
Asia - Didnt Korea host the WC? If so.. I think Asia will have had a hell of a lot of coverage, so most people round Asia should know
Americas - South Americans love their football, and North America have been hit by Beckham in the past year... safe to say most of these know who Beckham is.

This leaves..
Oceania - Probably never even heard of real football tbh :p
Africa - Think they've gradually been getting more and more into the sport, and I am sure Beckham has been over there a few times for charities etc
The 2 icey places don't count :p

Now for Tendulkar
Europe - I had heard of him, but in the cricket bracket... I put people like hmm, did Shane Warne retire? Cricket in Europe isn't that big...
Asia - It's 50/50 in Asia really isn't it?
Americas - Baseball, Basketball and American Football by far outshine it, I've never heard of an American really talking about cricket :/

Oceania - Yep, big over there, but so is rugby. But are any of the Aussies ever sober enough to remember anyones name?
Africa - Not too sure how big etc it is in Africa..

See, football is a more recognised sport around the world from what I can gather... I don't even know what country/team Tendulkar plays for... ok, I just checked wiki, he plays in India anyway... maybe that's why you guys think he is so popular, you really have to follow cricket to know the guy

Whereas Beckham... half the people who know him don't even follow football... his marketing image is all over the world etc.

I say Beckham globally popular
Tendulkar not so.

Nobody said tendulkar was more popular (or even as popular) than Beckham
But after beckham he would be a good contender for 2nd spot
certainly ahead of any baseball numpty
 
Nobody said tendulkar was more popular (or even as popular) than Beckham
But after beckham he would be a good contender for 2nd spot
certainly ahead of any baseball numpty

I'd probably stick Tiger in 2nd :/
 
basketball: It's Yao hands down. He shatters all the all-star votes. Kobe, Lebron, Shaq and others can't touch Yao in terms of global popularity.

Just because China is obsessed with voting him into all star games, doesnt means he's popular world wide
 
US, Canada, Cuba, Japan. Where else do they play it?

I've never played baseball. I've played softball though and that was shit.

All of the Caribbean, they produce great players down there. Softball is shit and a girl sport why would you even want to play that
 
He is very famous but outside of China he's not really that popular to be honest. If you look at jersey sales then you'll see something else. Yao doesn't even crack the top 10. Garnett, Kobe, Iverson, LeBron and Steve Nash are the top 5 for this season (Garnett probably will drop lower since the biggest reason he's there is that he changed teams before the season).

Last 10 years top 10 list (not sure how they calculate this though but it's from the NBA):
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Allen Iverson
LeBron James
Shaquille O'Neal
Tracy McGrady
Dwayne Wade
Jason Kidd
Vince Carter
Tim Duncan

All-Star votes aren't really the most important thing anyway and btw. Garnett, LeBron, Kobe, Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan and Carmelo all got more votes than Yao this year. But like I said, the votes are more competitve for some positions than others so it's not really the best way to calculate popularity.

Completely agree, I go by shirt sales, LeBron, Shaq, Melo, Wade, Iverson, Kobe, CP3 are some top ones, all of which I have, Garnett and Duncan are also top sellers, I dont see very many Yao jerseys but I do see a lot of McGradys, leading me to believe that by some way McGrady in the US is far more popular, just because China is obsessed with doesnt mean all that much to me
 
Completely agree, I go by shirt sales, LeBron, Shaq, Melo, Wade, Iverson, Kobe, CP3 are some top ones, all of which I have, Garnett and Duncan are also top sellers, I dont see very many Yao jerseys but I do see a lot of McGradys, leading me to believe that by some way McGrady in the US is far more popular, just because China is obsessed with doesnt mean all that much to me


Actually it does..
China's population is almost 4 times to that of the U.S..That's a significant figure in terms of popularity!
So if somoene is popular in the whole of China/India, it means that they're definitely in with a shout of being most known throughout the world just based on population figures!
1.3 Billion just in China...that is A LOT
 
He's famous for various reasons...


He's a pin up, good looking young lad that the marketing fellas like.

He was the English player that the Indian 20twenty league really wanted.

He's contraversial, playing for a country that he wasn't born in.

He plays attacking, exciting cricket.

He occasionally appears in the tabliods in the celebrity pages because of the women he has been photographed with.


He's just got that undefinable thing that makes him more than just a sportsman. So there you go, that's me making a "PLAIN MENTAL" case for him being a world famous (well as world famous as a cricketer can be) sports personality.

I forgot to say who I thought was most famous out of my picks, I'll say Tiger Woods.

Peiterson is only famous in England.:lol:
 
Anyways I don't think Sachin is as popular as Beckham or some other big names is a few other sports.

Beckham is popular just about everywhere.
 
Anyways I don't think Sachin is as popular as Beckham or some other big names is a few other sports.

Beckham is popular just about everywhere.

again..Beckham is by far and away the most popular..
but just wondering as to your reason for Sachin not being up there?

I'm just asking cause basing it purely on numbers alone he's definitely up there for me..

Population figures below from the countries where Tendulkar is known amongst almost all the adult population....
And these are countries where Cricket IS THE MAIN SPORT.. People live and die by cricket.. The interest is not dived into any other sport like other countries like the US/UK/Europe/China/Japan/Oceania
Cricket is the be all and end all....

India 1.1 Billion
Pakistan 170 Million
Bangladesh 150 Million
Sri Lanka 20 Million
 
again..Beckham is by far and away the most popular..
but just wondering as to your reason for Sachin not being up there?

I'm just asking cause basing it purely on numbers alone he's definitely up there for me..

Population figures below from the countries where Tendulkar is known amongst almost all the adult population....
And these are countries where Cricket IS THE MAIN SPORT.. People live and die by cricket.. The interest is not dived into any other sport like other countries like the US/UK/Europe/China/Japan/Oceania
Cricket is the be all and end all....

India 1.1 Billion
Pakistan 170 Million
Bangladesh 150 Million
Sri Lanka 20 Million

Number wise Sachin is as big surely but he is not that popular world wide.I mean equally in each continent.
 
No chance. India is the second largest country in the world, basically every Indian male plays Cricket.

Just because some groups are very large in total number it doesn´t make some sport or some sportsman the most popular one. Ice Hockey is popular by many grous, starting in North America, almost whole Europe, big part of Asia... you can´t say that about cricket.
 
Just because some groups are very large in total number it doesn´t make some sport or some sportsman the most popular one. Ice Hockey is popular by many grous, starting in North America, almost whole Europe, big part of Asia... you can´t say that about cricket.

Actually mate..

The population of India is more than Europe and US/Canada combined.... :)

Europe's estimated to be 728 Million, while US/Canada add another 330 Million..
India's 1.15 Billion....
So even if you combine those groups of Europe and Us/Canada, they still don't outnumber the group of India alone, let alone Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka!!

Oh, just another thing, can we also add the 25 million Indians who are residing OUTSIDE of India to that figure?
Thank you very much

Go figure.
 
and AGAIN..in North America and Europe the interst in sports is divided amongst many different ones leading to not a single sport being above all others....

in the south Asian countries i mentioned, the focus is on cricket and cricket alone...!!
 
And also many people are forgeting Ronaldo[football.]He is almost as popular as Beckham .Maybe doesn't have as many fans as Beckham but everyone knows Ronaldo too.

Also Beckham is more popular because he is a fcking popstar.He is not popular because he is the best football player.While both Sachin and Ronaldo and others like Woodsw,Federer etc are popular because they are actually the best in the game.
 
And also many people are forgeting Ronaldo[football.]He is almost as popular as Beckham .Maybe doesn't have as many fans as Beckham but everyone knows Ronaldo too.

Also Beckham is more popular because he is a fcking popstar.He is not popular because he is the best football player.While both Sachin and Ronaldo and others like Woodsw,Federer etc are popular because they are actually the best in the game.

Die! Don't hate any player for your personal reasons.
 
The Yank Sports are pretty rubbish

Baseball,American Football,Ice Hockey are all clearly shit.

And people seem to forget Cricket as well as Football was invented by the British.Clearly the better.

Ice Hockey is not a yank sport. And it's clearly not shit.
 
Peiterson is only famous in England.:lol:

That's just rubbish, he's famous anywhere they play cricket. I don't think any cricket player is famous across the entire globe like the Beckhams or Tiger Woods of this world; but if a country has an interest in the game they know who Peiterson is.
 
That's just rubbish, he's famous anywhere they play cricket. I don't think any cricket player is famous across the entire globe like the Beckhams or Tiger Woods of this world; but if a country has an interest in the game they know who Peiterson is.

Bollocks. Sachin Tendulkar is clearly more famous than Peiterson. If you can't see it, you are fecking deluded. There are shit loads of Indians cricket fans living in villages who don't know many famous cricket names like peiterson, but Sachin is known to any decent Cricket fan.
 
Bollocks. Sachin Tendulkar is clearly more famous than Peiterson. If you can't see it, you are fecking deluded. There are shit loads of Indians cricket fans living in villages who don't know many famous cricket names like peiterson, but Sachin is known to any decent Cricket fan.

Hang on knobhead, that reply was to the comment that Peiterson is only famous in England - that's just plain wrong.

He is definately known in Australia and South Africa for a start and I don't believe for a second that these half decent cricket fans you talk of don't know who he is as well.
 
Bollocks. Sachin Tendulkar is clearly more famous than Peiterson. If you can't see it, you are fecking deluded. There are shit loads of Indians cricket fans living in villages who don't know many famous cricket names like peiterson, but Sachin is known to any decent Cricket fan.

You are an idiot, he was replying to the post that said Pietersen is only famous in England. I hate all these Tendulkar lovers, go get a room or something.
 
You are an idiot, he was replying to the post that said Pietersen is only famous in England. I hate all these Tendulkar lovers, go get a room or something.

He claimed that Peiterson is more famous than Sachin in another post.
 
He claimed that Peiterson is more famous than Sachin in another post.

But you replied to the post in which he replied to the statement that Pietersen is only famous in England. Just because you're gay for Tendulkar you immediately jumped straight to his defence saying he is the most popular, even when this wasn't in question.
 
That's just rubbish, he's famous anywhere they play cricket. I don't think any cricket player is famous across the entire globe like the Beckhams or Tiger Woods of this world; but if a country has an interest in the game they know who Peiterson is.

Absolute nonsense, I'm afraid.
 
That's just rubbish, he's famous anywhere they play cricket. I don't think any cricket player is famous across the entire globe like the Beckhams or Tiger Woods of this world; but if a country has an interest in the game they know who Peiterson is.

Thats even bigger rubbish.

England,Australia and maybe South Africa and there are at least 10 players more who are easily more famous than Pieterson.
 
You are an idiot, he was replying to the post that said Pietersen is only famous in England. I hate all these Tendulkar lovers, go get a room or something.

Are you fcking deluded?

Saying Tendulkar is famous makes us Tendulkar lovers?I am just stating the reality.

And even I agree he is not as famous as Beckham world wide but in Cricket he has to be the most famous.
 
I put Peiterson as my cricket pick and I stand by that - it sounds like I might be wrong but then again this is a thread that asks for opinions and I that's what I've given.

As I said, he strikes me as a hugely famous cricketer because of various different factors in and out of his sport (like a pound-shop Beckham). But as I say, just my opinion and it sounds like I could be wrong.

What I don't agree with, from all you guys who seem to be personally insulted that I am not kneeling at the alter of Tendulka, is that you have claimed that he is some unknown outside of England. That is simply nonsense. He is a world class cricketer and like any decent cricket fan knows who Tendulka is, any decent cricket fan knows who Peiterson is.
 
Actually it does..
China's population is almost 4 times to that of the U.S..That's a significant figure in terms of popularity!
So if somoene is popular in the whole of China/India, it means that they're definitely in with a shout of being most known throughout the world just based on population figures!
1.3 Billion just in China...that is A LOT

Not in terms of global popularity, he is the most popular in China, not over the rest of the world, Jordan is still easily the most popular worldwide. Yeah and even the hundreds of millions of people in rural China who dont even have a tv are certainly Yao fans:rolleyes:
 
I put Peiterson as my cricket pick and I stand by that - it sounds like I might be wrong but then again this is a thread that asks for opinions and I that's what I've given.

As I said, he strikes me as a hugely famous cricketer because of various different factors in and out of his sport (like a pound-shop Beckham). But as I say, just my opinion and it sounds like I could be wrong.

What I don't agree with, from all you guys who seem to be personally insulted that I am not kneeling at the alter of Tendulka, is that you have claimed that he is some unknown outside of England. That is simply nonsense. He is a world class cricketer and like any decent cricket fan knows who Tendulka is, any decent cricket fan knows who Peiterson is.

Fair enough.

But you are wrong.