Who is the best athlete of the 21st century? Who is the most influential?

[Milo-of-Croton]

Barney Cotton. I won the “what quarter will Pelini go nuts on Barney pool” many times.

 

[Southendzonehusker]

If it’s pure athletic ability, Bo Jackson Randy Moss and I hate to say this but Deion when he had all his toes.

 

[Stan Raymond]

LeBron James or Messi for influential.

Best athlete is tough. Hard to say who is actually the most athletic when there isn't a Bo Jackson type around.

Most successful I'd say Brady.

 

[herbsinator]

I can’t see how Tiger isn’t the most influential. He completely transformed his sport and culture.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

I can’t see how Tiger isn’t the most influential. He completely transformed his sport and culture.

Tell me more on the golf side. I don't follow enough golf. Getting his own video game was pretty dope and what he did for the waitress industry will get him sainthood one day

 

[herbsinator]

Tell me more

Purely from a golf standpoint, he completely raised the standard and has led to the massive shift in how current pros approach the game. He is also directly responsible for the huge surge in the popularity of golf and the current gigantic purses. I don’t think any other athlete mentioned in this thread comes even close to the impact Tiger had on golf.

 

[Flabio]

 

[Jim14510]

what he did for the waitress industry

Isn't this enough?

 

[Stan Raymond]

Purely from a golf standpoint, he completely raised the standard and has led to the massive shift in how current pros approach the game. He is also directly responsible for the huge surge in the popularity of golf and the current gigantic purses. I don’t think any other athlete mentioned in this thread comes even close to the impact Tiger had on golf.

Globally I think you'd have to look at Messi as well.

 

[EwokRhuler]

Dear Leader, Kim Jong Un for both, obviously

 

[TampaBaySkers]

Lia Thomas

 

[Cash68847]

LeBron James or Messi for influential.

Best athlete is tough. Hard to say who is actually the most athletic when there isn't a Bo Jackson type around.

Most successful I'd say Brady.

I hate the guy but if we are going by athlete it’s LeBron James. He could have probably been a great NFL tight end.

 

[Jim14510]

I hate the guy but if we are going by athlete it’s LeBron James. He could have probably been a great NFL tight end.

Surprised no one thought of him before this.

 

[Kaladin]

Surprised no one thought of him before this.

 

[Jim14510]

Like him or not he's insanely athletic.

 

[TampaBaySkers]

I hate the guy but if we are going by athlete it’s LeBron James. He could have probably been a great NFL tight end.

That candy ass. He would have gotten destroyed in 20th century ball.

 

[Jay Bilzerian]

Terence Crawford should be in the conversation

 

[Cash68847]

That candy ass. He would have gotten destroyed in 20th century ball.

So would have a lot of great qbs today. Tom Brady wouldn’t have won seven super bowls.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Best pure athlete? I may have to go with Adrian Peterson. He was a huge leap above others in both college (when healthy) and on a completely different level in the NFL.

Most influential? It may be Peyton Manning.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Thinking on it more ... when all is said and done, it may be Shohei even though MLB doesn't carry the cache it once did. If he comes back and dominates on the mound, that has only one precedent in The Babe and he's arguably the GOAT of GOATs.