Their #1 was Tiger Woods. Only one gymnast picked Lance. I guess perfection means income potential to those people. So OK - Tiger beats Lance hands down - he probably makes 5 times more in one year than Lance made in his entire career. But "athleticism" ? Give me a break - Tiger is about as much an athlete as Takeru Kobayashi.
> Their #1 was Tiger Woods. Only one gymnast picked Lance. > I guess perfection means income potential to those people. > So OK - Tiger beats Lance hands down - he probably makes > 5 times more in one year than Lance made in his entire career. > But "athleticism" ? Give me a break - Tiger is about as much > an athlete as Takeru Kobayashi.
I thought one of the bits which made Tiger Woods as successful as he was was that he is a bit more athletic than the competition - ie he's stronger.
In article <7-2dnSk5FOeVKBXVnZ2dnUVZ8vOdn...@posted.plusnet>,
Clive George <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote: >I thought one of the bits which made Tiger Woods as successful as he was was >that he is a bit more athletic than the competition - ie he's stronger.
His mental toughness is often cited, but I don't know. Sports Illustrated did a thing on "toughest athletes" and they ranked Woods #1, in front of the other Lance who survived cancer - Lance Mackey, a cancer survivor with no salivary glands who ran two 1000-mile dogsled races, one in which temperatures dropped to -60F (Mackey stayed up all night chopping wood to keep warm), within three weeks of each other, and won both. Then did it again the following year. Mackey works as a commercial salmon fisherman in the summer and spent a year living out of a tent in Alaska. It's hard to imagine along what vector Tiger Woods actually is tougher.
It's my impression that if there's a competition for the most <whatever> athlete, the sports media and management are just automatically going to give it to Woods. -- Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - sh...@panix.com
Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community
> In article <7-2dnSk5FOeVKBXVnZ2dnUVZ8vOdn...@posted.plusnet>,
> Clive George <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote: > >I thought one of the bits which made Tiger Woods as successful as he was was > >that he is a bit more athletic than the competition - ie he's stronger.
> His mental toughness is often cited, but I don't know. > Sports Illustrated did a thing on "toughest athletes" and > they ranked Woods #1, in front of the other Lance who > survived cancer - Lance Mackey, a cancer survivor with no > salivary glands who ran two 1000-mile dogsled races, one in > which temperatures dropped to -60F (Mackey stayed up all > night chopping wood to keep warm), within three weeks of > each other, and won both. Then did it again the following > year. Mackey works as a commercial salmon fisherman in the > summer and spent a year living out of a tent in Alaska. > It's hard to imagine along what vector Tiger Woods actually > is tougher.
> It's my impression that if there's a competition for the > most <whatever> athlete, the sports media and management are > just automatically going to give it to Woods. > -- > Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - sh...@panix.com
> Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community
I like how they cite his win at the US Open last month while injured as a sign of his toughness. That only says to me that physical condition is less important in golf. That poll is hogwash.
> Their #1 was Tiger Woods. Only one gymnast picked Lance. > I guess perfection means income potential to those people. > So OK - Tiger beats Lance hands down - he probably makes > 5 times more in one year than Lance made in his entire career. > But "athleticism" ? Give me a break - Tiger is about as much > an athlete as Takeru Kobayashi.
Best "specimens" are probably gymnasts (strength and flexibility), but cardio might be so-so. SO...all around best athletes are decathletes, IMO. Strength, speed, endurance (physical and mental), technique, etc.
Tiger Woods is indeed an athlete -- changed the entire sport, in fact -- but no comparison to the rigors of cycling (competitive, that is), track & field, wrestling, on and on. Apples and oranges...
> In article <7-2dnSk5FOeVKBXVnZ2dnUVZ8vOdn...@posted.plusnet>,
> Clive George <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote: > >I thought one of the bits which made Tiger Woods as successful as he was was > >that he is a bit more athletic than the competition - ie he's stronger.
> His mental toughness is often cited, but I don't know. > Sports Illustrated did a thing on "toughest athletes" and > they ranked Woods #1, in front of the other Lance who > survived cancer - Lance Mackey, a cancer survivor with no > salivary glands who ran two 1000-mile dogsled races, one in > which temperatures dropped to -60F (Mackey stayed up all > night chopping wood to keep warm), within three weeks of > each other, and won both. Then did it again the following > year. Mackey works as a commercial salmon fisherman in the > summer and spent a year living out of a tent in Alaska. > It's hard to imagine along what vector Tiger Woods actually > is tougher.
> It's my impression that if there's a competition for the > most <whatever> athlete, the sports media and management are > just automatically going to give it to Woods. > -- > Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - sh...@panix.com
> Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community
Thanks - nice example - "the other" Lance. People like that certainly fit my definition of "most perfect" athlete much better than golfers. Nothing against the sport - Tiger certainly has remarkable skills but somehow he is not a role model for me the way Lance Mackey would be. Or those two British climbers that conquered Baintha Brakk (The Ogre) - 7300m peak in Pakistan and and descent one of them broke both ankles yet his partner stuck with him for 10 days of crawling down the mountain until they got to base camp. Or Lance A. Or Lord Shackleton. But I guess "most perfect" means different things to different folks. And any such poll is naturally a hogwash - just a space filler to sell advertisements.
> On Jul 24, 12:14 pm, sh...@panix.com (Melinda Shore) wrote:
> > In article <7-2dnSk5FOeVKBXVnZ2dnUVZ8vOdn...@posted.plusnet>,
> > Clive George <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote: > > >I thought one of the bits which made Tiger Woods as successful as he was was > > >that he is a bit more athletic than the competition - ie he's stronger.
> > His mental toughness is often cited, but I don't know. > > Sports Illustrated did a thing on "toughest athletes" and > > they ranked Woods #1, in front of the other Lance who > > survived cancer - Lance Mackey, a cancer survivor with no > > salivary glands who ran two 1000-mile dogsled races, one in > > which temperatures dropped to -60F (Mackey stayed up all > > night chopping wood to keep warm), within three weeks of > > each other, and won both. Then did it again the following > > year. Mackey works as a commercial salmon fisherman in the > > summer and spent a year living out of a tent in Alaska. > > It's hard to imagine along what vector Tiger Woods actually > > is tougher.
> > It's my impression that if there's a competition for the > > most <whatever> athlete, the sports media and management are > > just automatically going to give it to Woods. > > -- > > Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - sh...@panix.com
> > Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community
> Thanks - nice example - "the other" Lance. People like that certainly > fit my definition of "most perfect" athlete much better than golfers. > Nothing against the sport - Tiger certainly has remarkable skills but > somehow he is not a role model for me the way Lance Mackey would be. > Or those two British climbers that conquered Baintha Brakk (The Ogre) > - 7300m peak in Pakistan and and descent one of them broke both > ankles > yet his partner stuck with him for 10 days of crawling down the > mountain > until they got to base camp. Or Lance A. Or Lord Shackleton. But I > guess > "most perfect" means different things to different folks. And any > such > poll is naturally a hogwash - just a space filler to sell > advertisements.
woods probably has tremendous skills to put a ball in a whole, and that is admirable. However, in terms of athletic prowess that is not much. There are lots of obscure sports where people put their minds and bodies through hell to achieve extraordinary physical abilities and are never considered in the list of top athletes. All the ultra endurance sports require tremendous physical and mental efforts. these include cycling, swimming, triathlon, running, etc. Among the better known Olympic sports there is Gymnastics where little girls spend hours developing incredible flexibility and strength while starving themselves into anorexia. There are also climbing sports that require physical skills and tolerance to very inhospitable environments.
In terms of mental toughness, I think that one of the toughest sports has to be chess. Anyone who is familiar with chess knows of the mental efforts that top players engage in to achieve top level skills.
In terms of sports often shown on TV, tennis impresses me a hell of a lot more than golf.
> On Jul 24, 12:14 pm, sh...@panix.com (Melinda Shore) wrote:
> > In article <7-2dnSk5FOeVKBXVnZ2dnUVZ8vOdn...@posted.plusnet>,
> > Clive George <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote: > > >I thought one of the bits which made Tiger Woods as successful as he was was > > >that he is a bit more athletic than the competition - ie he's stronger.
> > His mental toughness is often cited, but I don't know. > > Sports Illustrated did a thing on "toughest athletes" and > > they ranked Woods #1, in front of the other Lance who > > survived cancer - Lance Mackey, a cancer survivor with no > > salivary glands who ran two 1000-mile dogsled races, one in > > which temperatures dropped to -60F (Mackey stayed up all > > night chopping wood to keep warm), within three weeks of > > each other, and won both. Then did it again the following > > year. Mackey works as a commercial salmon fisherman in the > > summer and spent a year living out of a tent in Alaska. > > It's hard to imagine along what vector Tiger Woods actually > > is tougher.
> > It's my impression that if there's a competition for the > > most <whatever> athlete, the sports media and management are > > just automatically going to give it to Woods. > > -- > > Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - sh...@panix.com
> > Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community
> Thanks - nice example - "the other" Lance. People like that certainly > fit my definition of "most perfect" athlete much better than golfers. > Nothing against the sport - Tiger certainly has remarkable skills but > somehow he is not a role model for me the way Lance Mackey would be. > Or those two British climbers that conquered Baintha Brakk (The Ogre) > - 7300m peak in Pakistan and and descent one of them broke both > ankles > yet his partner stuck with him for 10 days of crawling down the > mountain > until they got to base camp. Or Lance A. Or Lord Shackleton. But I > guess > "most perfect" means different things to different folks. And any > such > poll is naturally a hogwash - just a space filler to sell > advertisements.
I think that was Doug Scott who broke his ankles (or an ankle and a tibia) on a rappel gone bad. His partner might have been Dougal Haston, Don Whillans or Chris Bonington (sp? on all.) There's a book out titled "Bonington's Boys" about the whole super light expedition thing of their doing. Perhaps something to check out if you've run out of cycling books.
