OT - 50 Greatest Black Athlete Poll
The Undeafted did a poll of 10,000 people to compile the 50 greatest black athletes of all time. I wont copy/paste the whole section explaining the rankings, just this part:
" Each athlete was ranked on four factors: overall ranking, dominance, inspiration and impact on society."
http://theundefeated.com/features/50-greatest-black-athletes/
If you put the mouse over any of the numbers 1-50 on the bar going across the top of the screen a dropdown will show you the full list.
Needless to say, I have thoughts.
I don't know. Great, but didn't dominate his own era. Barry Bonds clearly a better player.
Wait, what? No Barry Bonds? Why not?
...doping, you say? Oh, good, no dopers on this list. Let's just wander over and check Florence Griffith Joyner's resume here.
I disagree. Compare Griffey to Bonds from about '96-'99. Add in defense, and I don't know how anyone can say that Griffey Jr. wasn't a dominant player.
Could you tell me what you know about her? I know that her times were out of this world, but did she fail tests, or is it just your belief that she was cheating? I really have not heard of her involvement with PED's, so I am not judging you, just asking.
August 9th, 2017 at 12:47 AM ^
August 8th, 2017 at 10:56 PM ^
August 9th, 2017 at 12:25 AM ^
This is part of what drove Barry to the juice, if reports written about the process are to be believed. It is said that after '98 Bonds was absolutely consumed with the fact that McGwire and Sosa were getting all of this attention for the home run chase when he and many others KNEW they were juicing, while his own great career, including a solid season that year, were totally ignored. (I recall reading an anecdote about him having dinner with Griffey, if I recall correctly, and discussing this). If they were juicing and everyone loved him, why shouldn't he?
So it is told. And, really, a plausible argument given his subsequent embrace of PEDs and explosion in stats, as well as given his prickly personality.
August 8th, 2017 at 11:03 PM ^
You and your hipster stats...WAR, OPS+, xWOBA...get off my lawn!
and should be retitled "50 Greatest Black Athletes to the Average Sport Fan" just from reading their methodology.
It seems like they really didn't poll people who have an even passing interest in the history of sports, the time the athletes played, or their endeavors to impact society aside from their being the first black athlete to do x.
Seriously flawed poll in my opinion and I long for the time when these kinds of lists based on race are a thing of the past. Pollyannaish considering the current times but still...
Watching the highlights, including destroying that overrated ahole Boz, of the Seahawks MNF game is automatic top 10. Heisman and the baseball highlights, BO KNOWS he should've been much higher.
August 9th, 2017 at 12:59 PM ^
August 8th, 2017 at 10:07 PM ^
Lem Barney should have made the list.
August 8th, 2017 at 10:23 PM ^
August 8th, 2017 at 11:44 PM ^
Jesse Owens showing off Hitler in the Berlin Olympics. Glad that monster had to taste some early defeats!
August 9th, 2017 at 12:50 AM ^
so Tiger Woods isn't black enough, and Floyd Mayweather is too black?
Interesting the list has one pitcher (from Negro league), no quarterbacks, and only one male tennis player. Of course no golfers, hockey players or swimmers.
August 9th, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^
My working theory:
I'm Asian-American so I can confirm we claimed him as one of ours in the late 90's via the Chappelle draft after he flat out destroyed every golf course on the planet. After 2009 when he lit his career on fire, we tried to trade him back to the black delegation but they were pretty much were like "LOL nope nope nope, he's all yours" - mind you, they were probably still understandably peeved about us claiming the Wu-Tang Clan as well.
If we are all supposed to be one WHY do we have a sepearte black athlete poll? This stuff is getting old..Do we have a 50 top white athletes? hispani athletes? enough