Let’s get past facing reality ... ten most influential athletes of all time

RJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007

This isn’t about being the greatest. It’s about being a game changer. Here are mine in no particular order ...

Jackie Robinson - integrated the country’s most popular sport

Babe Ruth - the first genuine power hitter

Julius Irving - first above the rim star

Dirk Nowitzki - first big man who could play all five positions

Bobby Orr - first player who completely controlled puck play

Sammy Baugh - QB who changed how football was played

Deacon Jones - defined pass rushing

Mohammed Ali - boxing style, persona and social conscious

Arnold Palmer - Arnie’s Army put golf on the map

Dick Fosbury - revolutionized how the high jump was done

Two I thought of but I couldn’t get into the ten are Billie Jean King and Serena Williams. King put women’s tennis on the map. Williams is the first brute force female player.

4/19/207:21 PM

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JCGStill working on a clever handle

Good topic.

He wasn't that great a player for that long, but I'd include Joe Namath. Beating the NFL's best in Super Bowl III was a key part of the creation of the modern NFL.

Curt Flood. Massive, massive impact on all sports, not just baseball.

4/19/207:28 PM

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K910,000+ posts

Bird/Magic - Hard to believe now but in their rookie year the NBA Finals were on tape delay.

4/19/2010:57 PM

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RJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007

JCG posted:
Good topic.
He wasn't that great a player for that long, but I'd include Joe Namath. Beating the NFL's best in Super Bowl III was a key part of the creation of the modern NFL.
Curt Flood. Massive, massive impact on all sports, not just baseball

By the time Namath’s Jets beat the Colts the merger agreement had already been signed. It occurred in June of 1966.

But Namath and another player were responsible for the merger. In 1965 the Jets outbid the Saint Louis Cardinals with an outrageous (at the time) contract. The other player was the Giants stealing PK Pete Gogolak away from the Bills. With the AFL loaded with owners with money these two signings prompted each league to merge and avoid a bidding war over players.

4/20/2012:06 AM