A Round of Goff
Josh Goff

If there’s one thing sports fans love, it’s arguing about who’s best. Everybody argues about the best quarterback of all time, Magic or Bird, if golf is a sport, etc.

ESPN.com is conducting a poll on who everybody thinks the greatest 25 North American athletes of the past 25 years are. As Echo sports editor, I was fortunate enough to have an official vote, so I’m releasing my ballot. Of course, you too can have an official vote by going to <http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/index>.

Using a complex, totally subjective formula I created moments ago, I ranked the athletes by how much I like(d) said athlete, his/her impact and whether I actually saw said athlete in action.

Feel free to shoot me an email at <echo@echo.uca.edu> or <joshgoff@hotmail.com> with your ballot/comments/arguments.

Jordan goes first for obvious reasons. The man was the greatest to ever step on a basketball court. Countless times he single-handedly destroyed good teams. He was money in the clutch. And, even if they didn’t put up the numbers, he made everybody around him better (read: they knew when to get him the ball). You knew when MJ had the ball the game was over. The man was an assassin, and could still get it done at 40.

Next is The Great One. I’m not a hockey fan, but what Gretzky did is amazing. He was the Jordan of the NHL, only maybe statistically more dominant. I didn’t watch a lot of him, but the highlights I saw were enough to impress me, and even if they weren’t, his records are.

Bonds is third, as he may be the greatest baseball player ever by the time he’s done. He’s an old man who just slugs homers and draws an insane number of walks these days, but in his early days, he was one of the greatest five-toolers ever.

He was also smart enough to know he couldn’t keep that up forever, so he got on the weights (or juice?) so he could jack homers until he’s 50.

Tiger comes in next. He absolutely dominated his game from the get-go. He’s a phenom, and his story is still being written. I’m not much of a golfer, but neither is Phile Mickelson, compared to Tiger.

I’ve got Tour de Lance next. And not because he had nad cancer. He’s won the Tour De France five times in a row, and in dominating fashion. It’s not as sexy as hitting 600 homers or scoring 35 points a game, but he’s the unrivaled king of his sport.

Iron Mike gets a high ranking because he struck the fear of God into people more than anybody this side of MJ and maybe Bird. Only Tyson was a bigger threat, as he would put several devastating punches in your eye, not shots. And he’s certifiably insane. Tyson had a run of terror through the boxing ranks that was just nuts. If he hadn’t beaten his girl, no telling what he could’ve done.

Also, I hate Buster Douglas.

Bird and Magic come in seventh and eighth, respectively, but it’s very difficult to make a case for one over the other. Magic should get points docked for his terrible television show, but makes those points up for being more versatile. Magic won more titles but had a better supporting cast. Bird could throw a team on his shoulders and was an assassin of MJ proportions. Call it a tie.

Barry Sanders was the most electrifying back of all time, and should still be playing and putting the all-time rushing record out of reach. Nobody has ever been as big a threat to take it to the house as he.

Elway comes in ahead of Marino and Montana because he was nearly as prolific and more clutch than Marino, and nearly as clutch and more prolific than Montana.

Too bad his Nintendo game was horrible.

Rickey Henderson comes in real high on my list, and I think Rickey’s one of the most under-appreciated athletes of this era. Rickey thinks Rickey is too. Look at the all-time records Rickey owns. Rickey could change a game as much and as quick as any position player in history.

I don’t like Marino much, but he set a lot of records and had no running back to help, so he’s middle of the road for me.

Lewis got me hooked on track & field at an early age. He dominated the scene for quite some time and was also good enough to be an NBA Draft pick (Bulls). He sings worse than I do, though.

Montana and Rice have to come grouped, as they were the best QB-WR tandem of all times. Rice’s star has faded, as he has stuck around too long, but during his prime he was as good a receiver as there’s ever been.

LT, the best crackhead of the last 25 years, revolutionized the linebacker position and wreaked havoc on quarterbacks like no other. He alone threw a giant wrench in the opposition’s gameplan and was arguably the best Tecmo Bowl player ever.

Shaq, the most dominant center of our time, isn’t really all that skilled, but he’s a big beast that is virtually unstoppable. If he cared more and had a working big toe, the Lakers would never lose.

Carrying the torch for women’s tennis and lesbians alike, Martina Navratilova had success for a long, long time. Singles, doubles, whatever; she was always a factor.

Marion Jones is the best women’s track has ever seen. Better than FloJo or JJK, and she’s not done yet. She wasn’t a bad basketball player at UNC either.

A-Rod gets ranked kind of low, and even I’m not sure why. He’s got crazy stats, but he isn’t clearly the best at his sport like some of the others ahead of him.

I’d build a team (the Cubs) around him any day of the week, though.

Sampras would be higher were it not for Agassi.

Tim Duncan has done some amazing things, and will probably do many more before he’s done. He goes about it all in an unassuming fashion, and that hurts him in the eyes of the general public. But for as good as he is, there are maybe five other guys in the league I’d take before him.

Then we’ve got FloJo and Sugar Ray Leonard. They were both great, but who cares, really?

Then rounding out the list is Roger Clemens. Hey Rocket: retire already, OK?

Those not making the cut: Dale Earnhardt, Mia Hamm, Eric Heiden, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, John McEnroe, Cal Ripken Jr., Patrick Roy, Emmitt Smith and Venus Williams.

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