THE GREATEST ATHLETE OF ALL TIME

OK so last post I told you I was going to tell you who the greatest athlete of all time was so here we go.

Michael Jordan was one of the all time greats in basketball and set lots of records. He is picked on the all time team. He was more fun to watch than most because he appeared to fly when he went for the basket to dunk the ball - BUT HE ISN'T THE GREATEST.

Wilt Chamberlain, my personal all time favorite basketball player, scored 100 points in a game while the rest of his team just helped him to score all of the points of the game. I watched that game and it was boring as hell until you realized what he was going to do. He is definately one of, if not, the greatest basketball players of all time. He was more fun to watch after he decided the game was about defense - not offense. He spent the rest of his career being the greatest defender of the basket in history - BUT HE ISN'T THE GREATEST.

Billy Jean King probably did more for womens tennis than any athlete before her. She set all kinds of records and put many, many players to shame. She still holds the record for the most wins in a career - BUT SHE ISN'T THE GREATEST.

Venus Williams has been a great tennis champion but she has lost her touch on the hard court. She still won the doubles in Australia with her sister - AND SHE WILL WIN AT WIMBLETON ON THE GRASS - (anyone want to wager on that?). She is probably the best grass player of all time - BUT SHE ISN'T THE GREATEST.

Serena Williams is kicking butt all over the place. She is doing great in Paris and it is a shame that the matches there aren't televised like the Australian open was. She currently has 10 single and 10 double grand slams. It has been said that she has something inside that just helps her win - "after all she is Serena Williams". (Bijan) BUT SHE ISN'T THE GREATEST.

OK I COULD GO ALL NIGHT AND CONTINUE THIS LIST OF WHO MIGHT BE CONSIDERED AND THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THEN THE _ _ _ ISN'T THE GREATEST STATEMENT BUT I WON'T DO THAT MUCH LONGER.

The greatest athlete of all time once said "For life is a fair trade wherein all adjusts itself in time, for all you take from it, you must pay the price sooner or later. For some things you may pay in advance, for some you should pay on delivery, and for some, later on when the bill is presented."

OK so here we go into his accomplishments.

1. He won a gold medal in the Olympics in his chosen sport.
2. He won the Championship of the world (1) when he was 19.
3. He defended that championship several times and then it was taken away from him because of his beliefs.
4. He was allowed to recompete in his chosen sport ten years later when he should have been way past his prime. He won the title back (2) easily.
5. He lost that title several years later on what I always contended was a fluke to a young up and comer. He won it back (3) at the first rematch and may have realized for the first time he had to work for what he wanted.
6. He lost the title in one of the most famous matches of all time.
7. He won it back (4) in the second most famous matches of all time when he was way past his prime and everyone said he was too old to compete.

OK that is four World Championships that he won - three of which he was probably too old to compete in - at least one of which he was ten years out of competition before re-entering the game. Try it sometime - you lose the edge in the game after only 30 days out of competition.

He could have been a great wide receiver, a great half back, a great forward, a great guard either in football or basketball or any number of other positions but he chose to do it on his own - where he got all the credit or all the blame and there was plenty of both in his career.

This athlete has in fact paid "...the price sooner or later. For some things you may pay in advance, for some you should pay on delivery, and for some, later on when the bill is presented."

No matter what anyone says or what they believe the greatest athlete the world has ever seen is CASIUS CLAY aka MUHAMMAD ALI. No debate HE SAID IT AND HE DEFENDED IT - FOUR TIMES HE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP - and he is still paying the price GOD BLESS HIM IN HIS BATTLE FOR HIS HEALTH.