DUPoll: The most influential sports figure in history

The one who had the most profound effect on our nation..

!!!!!!!!!

Huh? What WERE you THINKING?

hes part of the reason why baseball got popular I can see why with Robinson but Ruth

and Jim Thorpe. Hank Aaron is worthy of being in some poll, I think. Also maybe George Halas, Pete Rozelle, Satchel Paige, Tiger Woods, Martina Navritolova, Arthur Ashe, Billy Beane, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Red Auerbach

certainly an influence on the nation!

He was really good with the sling-shot. His influence is still felt today.

I can't believe he was accidentally ommitted...

Roger Bannister

Hey, he was a gladiator!

I am Spartacus!

His sweetheart MLB ownership gift enabled him to eventually be appointed CIC. From this postion he has enthusiastically overseen the rapid and continuing destruction of the USA. It wouldn't have happened without baseball. That's an influential sports figure.

If I can't choose Dubya, I'll take Muhammad Ali.

he really wanted the commissioner of baseball gig. he realized that he wasn't going to get it and ran for governor instead.

fidel was also a baseball player. if he had made the yankees, what would cuba be like today?

http://www.majortaylorassociation.org/who.htm



Without him, the Indianapolis 500 speedway would have never been built.
he was beating the white riders there so bad, the owners of the track decided to shut the track and build one for automobile racing.

Sorry to be world-centric

bad spelling ?

How about William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke? Undefeated Jousting Champion of Western Europe in the 1200s? Retired at age 40 undefeated at time period when Jousting was done with real lances. A feat no one comes close to (with the possible exception of Secretariat when he won the Triple Crown. In the finial race for the triple crown he one lead by 31 lengths).

For William Marshall
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~anacnaut/wmarshal/marshall.htm

For Secretariat:
http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/commodity/1881/secretariat.html

Sports continue to be meaningless distractions from the life and death issues of living and dying. False regionalism and uniforms perpetuate the Us vs. Them mentality that gets 19 year-olds to sign up to kill foreigners. Mock war for indoctrinating children and big bux distraction for adults who don't know how the world works.

Here is Noam Chomsky on the topic (The Indispensable Chomsky:Understanding Power, pp 99-100):
"In our society, we have things that you might use your intelligence on, like politics, but people really can't get involved with them in a serious way-so what they do is put their minds into other things, such as sports...one of the basic functions it serves in the society in general: it occupies the population, and keeps them from trying to get involved with things that really matter...spectator sports have other useful functions, too. For one thing, they're a great way to build up chauvinism-you start by developing these totally irrational loyalties early in life, and they translate very nicely to other areas...this sense of irrational loyalty to some sort of meaningless community is training for subordination to power, and for chauvinism. And of course, you're looking at gladiators...All this stuff builds up extremely anti-social aspects of human psychology...they're emphasized and exaggerated and brought out by spectator sports: irrational competition, irrational loyalty to power systems, passive acquiescence to quite awful values, really. In fact, it's hard to imagine anything that contributes more fundamentally to authoritarian attitudes than this does, in addition to the fact that it just engages a lot of intelligence and keeps people away from other things."

Here was a man, an all-around good athlete; proud, intelligent, courageous and competitive. So much so that as an army lieutenant, Jackie faced the risk of court-martial because he refused to sit in the back of the military bus. But, when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, after WWII, in either 1947 or '49, (I forget, which - well he won rookie of the year in '49, so I guess he hit the majors then) he was told to turn the other cheek and suffer quietly. He did this not only so he could make a living playing ball, he also understood the opportunity to break the barrier of being the first African American to play major league ball.

He braved the death threats; pitches thrown directly at his head; spikes dug into his body by base runners; was cruelly taunted by his own team mates, opposing teams and fans; as well as continue to play ball, knowing his teammates took up a petition to have him removed. What guts this man must have had with these experiences!

Jackie Robinson represents justice and equality. Changing the immoral 60 plus year practice of white only baseball. He sacrificed for not only for the love of the game, but for others without consideration for fame or monetary riches.

Jackie Robinson is a hero in my book.

Seriously. I can understand the limitations of a poll but she influenced things a great deal more than some of these.

he changed the game of basketball, made it the defacto national sport

he made it beautiful

he embodied excellence and achievement

other sports heroes, they were noble

and they were champions

Jordon however was transcendant

transcendant like Freedom

and Trueness

and all that stuff

of politics

and poetry

but he was in the end still

just a man

??

Monica Lewinski was the worst sport I ever heard tell of!

Still miss ole big red. He never gave bad press conferences nor ever arrested for criminal violations. Always traveled with his kitten and won almost every damn thing.

They are building the Secretariat Center at the Kentucky Horse Park. At the Secretariat Center, all Thoroughbred retirement and adoption organizations may submit former Thoroughbred racehorses to be re-trained and showcased for adoption into private homes. All adoptions
will be under the adoption guidelines of the organization presenting the horse.

http://www.secretariat.com/Foundation/secretariatcenter.htm

.......although he is still a bit young to be enshrined in the "legendary" class. He will go down in the books as a phenominal golfer.

Stings like a bee!

Mr. Ali!

Scott Byerly: Father, Husband, Wakeboard legend, Wakeskate pioneer, Moto X, Skate, Snow

Jesse Owens!

Billie Jean should be a choice!

Where is Jim Thorpe?

Professional or amateur
Olympian or local sports club
Baseball or Football
Track or Field

He was the best. Hands down. Bar none.