ESPN: Mahomes the 18th best athlete of the 21st Century

[SHOWTIME]

https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id...s-21st-century

1. Michael Phelps
2. Serena Williams
3. Lionel Messi
4. Lebron
5. Mr. 18-1 Tom Brady
6. Roger Federer
7. Simone Biles
8. Tiger Woods...
18. Patrick Mahomes

In the end, we received more than 70,000 votes from ESPN contributors to create our top 100. We will reveal 25 athletes every day this week until we reach our No. 1 athlete of the 21st century.

I would have ranked Mahomes a bit higher, perhaps in the top 15. Also hilarious that Brady couldn't even manage to crack the top 3.

[Mosbonian]

Sorry...just not feeling it for Biles.....not in the Top 10 anyway.

And Serena Williams there at #2?

Tom Brady in the Top 10?

This sounds like something ESPN would put together just to get clicks and to be controversial.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

Sorry...just not feeling it for Biles.....not in the Top 10 anyway.

And Serena Williams there at #2?

Tom Brady in the Top 10?

This sounds like something ESPN would put together just to get clicks and to be controversial.

Why? Again, I think the list is pretty consistent in how they grade these things. They both play individual sports. And in the grand scheme of things both are pretty much the GOATs of their respective sports. Maybe you shift Serena a spot or two but undeniably she is easily top 3-5.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Golf is a sport, I assume like many others, that you need to achieve some level of success in order gain the respect and understanding of just how difficult and demanding that it is.

A guy that goes out and hacks it around in order to slam down a beer per hole, probably isn't going to have a good understanding of it.

I actually think tiger is very underrated by this ranking. Tigers peak is GOAT status. Maybe he got docked because of behavior and longevity. But man, is there a more influential athlete to his sport than tiger? Lebron will always be lumped in with mj and Kobe. In golf it’s tiger and everyone else after him.

So here’s the way I think about it. Is this any less athletic or “sporty” than a 1B or a DH? If a DH hits .300+ with 800 HRs he would easily be a top 5 athlete. So why wouldn’t tiger be too?

[Bl00dyBizkitz]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I actually think tiger is very underrated by this ranking. Tigers peak is GOAT status. Maybe he got docked because of behavior and longevity. But man, is there a more influential athlete to his sport than tiger? Lebron will always be lumped in with mj and Kobe. In golf it’s tiger and everyone else after him.

So here’s the way I think about it. Is this any less athletic or “sporty” than a 1B or a DH? If a DH hits .300+ with 800 HRs he would easily be a top 5 athlete. So why wouldn’t tiger be too?

Thats how I feel.

Tiger single handedly got people watching and playing golf over other major sports, he was that exciting to watch. The game of golf owes an unpayable debt to Tiger for what he did.

Kinda the same thing with Federer. I dont really give 2 shits about Tennis, but the way Federer played the game single handedly got me to watch and care about a game I otherwise wouldn't think about.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Bl00dyBizkitz

Thats how I feel.

Tiger single handedly got people watching and playing golf over other major sports, he was that exciting to watch. The game of golf owes an unpayable debt to Tiger for what he did for the game of Golf.

Kinda the same thing with Federer. I dont really give 2 shits about Tennis, but the way Federer played the game single handedly got me to watch and care about a game I otherwise wouldn't think about.

I know Federer is controversial because of a legit debate of GOAT status let alone versus players of his own generation, but I agree.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

Sorry...just not feeling it for Biles.....not in the Top 10 anyway.

And Serena Williams there at #2?

Tom Brady in the Top 10?

This sounds like something ESPN would put together just to get clicks and to be controversial.

I think Biles might be in my top two. She does things that no other human can do.

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by Bl00dyBizkitz

Thats how I feel.

Tiger single handedly got people watching and playing golf over other major sports, he was that exciting to watch. The game of golf owes an unpayable debt to Tiger for what he did for the game of Golf.

Kinda the same thing with Federer. I dont really give 2 shits about Tennis, but the way Federer played the game single handedly got me to watch and care about a game I otherwise wouldn't think about.

That's only because you never watched Bobby Riggs live. Battle of the Sexes was must see TV.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I think Biles might be in my top two. She does things that no other human can do.

I understand that others see things differently....and I am fine with that. But I have also seen Katelyn Ohashi do things on a gym mat that Simone Biles doesn’t.

No doubt that Biles has accomplished much in her sport but I just don't see her as Top 10.for me.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

I understand that others see things differently....and I am fine with that. But I have also seen Katelyn Ohashi do things on a gym mat that Simone Biles doesn’t.

No doubt that Biles has accomplished much in her sport but I just don't see her as Top 10.for me.

I mean, I think mahomes is a better qb than Brady. But until mahomes puts a fuller career under his belt Brady is the consensus GOAT. Same reason ledecky isn’t higher on the list. Biles’ hardware easily puts her in the conversation since she’s already the most decorated gymnast ever. You gotta go with the legacy that’s already on the board.

[Bowser]

Possibly already been said in this thread -

This is fantastic news. As big of a red ass as Mahomes is, he's going to use this as motivation to power his way to a threepeat to get moved up the list.

Best thing that could have happened to the 2024 KC Chiefs.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I actually think tiger is very underrated by this ranking. Tigers peak is GOAT status. Maybe he got docked because of behavior and longevity. But man, is there a more influential athlete to his sport than tiger? Lebron will always be lumped in with mj and Kobe. In golf it’s tiger and everyone else after him.

So here’s the way I think about it. Is this any less athletic or “sporty” than a 1B or a DH? If a DH hits .300+ with 800 HRs he would easily be a top 5 athlete. So why wouldn’t tiger be too?

Very well said! Could not agree more! It got to the point with Tiger where I was rooting against him he was so dominant.

Like someone else said, he brought a whole new audience to the sport and had a tremendous influence on new youth participation.