The Top Athletes of the Past Hundred Years
When I make a list like this, I should start out by saying that it’s a really hard thing to do. I wasn’t around to see many of the athletes of the past, and the ones who are fresher in our minds will always seem more meaningful.
When we didn’t live to see the impact these athletes made, we can’t fully appreciate what they did for the sports world. Still, their legends have been chronicled and it’s clear that many men during the 20th century were just as big in the world as the current stars of our favorite sports.
These are the five most influential athletes in sports history, in my opinion of course. If you have thoughts of your own, by all means share them.
The first person I’ll mention is a baseball player whose impact could never be felt today like it was a century ago. Ty Cobb was one of the most influential baseball players in baseball history, and is largely responsible for the sport’s popularity.
Next, we’ll rewind by about 40 years and recognize the impact that Muhammad Ali had on the entire world. While boxing isn’t as big today as it was back then, it’s partly due to the fact that no boxer today possesses the blend of talent and character that Muhammad Ali had.
Pele. He did for soccer what Michael Jordan did for basketball and Babe Ruth did for baseball. Probably the greatest soccer player to ever don a uniform, this Brazilian legend will live on forever.
In baseball, no one gets more credit for shaping the sport than Babe Ruth does. He changed the way people watched the sport, and turned it into the biggest thing in the country. He also helped the Yankees to a dynasty that still lives on to this day.
In the basketball world, everyone wants to be like Mike. Many of us were fortunate enough to see him in action, and Jordan was the kind of athlete whose talent is witnessed once in a lifetime.
More about the author: A major sports lover, he also enjoys writing about bathroom light fixtures and ceiling bathroom lights.
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