Have you ever got into a debate about the GOAT? It’s a popular acronym for the “Greatest of All Time.” The term has sparked millions of conversations about the best athletes in major sports. On one popular online forum, users began a discussion on whether there are any undisputed GOATS out there. Here’s what sports fans had to say.
Hockey: Wayne Gretsky
This is the one sport where few contributors could argue against one athlete. As one user said, “Gretsky is so much better than everyone else, and it’s not even close.” Gretsky retired with no fewer than 61 NHL records, many of which he still holds.
NFL: Tom Brady
Rival fans united to declare Tom Brady as the GOAT of the NFL. One commenter conceded that this famous quarterback had proved this by leaving New England, and guiding Tampa Bay to the Super Bowl. Another stated that anyone who disagrees is “just being stubborn.”
Cricket: Don Bradman
Another sportsman who united the community, Don Bradman fell four runs short of landing a perfect average of 100 in test cricket. 75 years later, he remains way clear of the chasing pack. One reader was confused at the thought of the GOAT scoring a duck in his final game, but they were happy to acknowledge Bradman’s star quality.
Golf: Tiger Woods
Tiger was certainly the best golfer of the 2000s, but is he the greatest of all time? He holds 15 Majors, but unscheduled spells away from the course affected his title-winning ability, and time is running out if he is going to overhaul Jack Nicklaus’ tally of 18.
MotoGP: Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi earned a lot of support, but this was a debatable selection. As one individual argued, “Giacomo Agostini claimed eight top-class world championships, while Rossi won seven.”
Greco-Roman Wrestling: Alexandr Karelin
One contributor put forward a case for Alexandr Karelin, citing his dominance of Greco-Roman wrestling. He went six years without losing a single point, so it’s hard to argue against his inclusion.
Soccer: Lionel Messi
A long-running debate focused on Lionel Messi and his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Which player is the GOAT of soccer? Messi’s World Cup success with Argentina in 2022 seems to have put that discussion to bed. Messi is the best footballer in the world.
Competitive Eating: Joey Chestnut
One forum member attempted to lighten the mood with their suggestion. World-ranked number one Joey Chestnut once ate 76 hot dogs (with buns) in one sitting. Yes, you read that correctly.
Tennis: Serena Williams
While Serena is the dominant tennis player of the modern era, Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova, and Billie-Jean King have more career wins. As one respondent points out, “You can’t be a GOAT when three other people match or surpass you.”
Snooker: Ronnie O’Sullivan
No forum members disputed this isolated suggestion, but I would contest it. Rocket Ronnie has seven world titles, a record matched by Stephen Hendry. Others would claim that Steve Davis is equally talented.
Billiards: Walter Lindrum
Staying with cue sports, there is little argument against this choice. As one individual stated, Lindrum broke 57 billiards records, and they had to change the rules and “make a limit” to curb his scoring.
Handball: Ivano Balic
Multiple MVP Ivano Balic was largely undisputed on the forum. There was, however, a single dissenting voice. One forum member, presumably an English soccer fan, voted for Diego Maradona as the best handball player.
Gymnastics: Simone Biles
An undoubtedly incredible athlete, Simone Biles was mentioned without challenge on occasions. However, one contributor suggested that Nadia Comaneci could have given Biles “very hard competition if they had been competing in the same era.”
Surfing: Kelly Slater
A dominant force on the board, Kelly Slater is seen by many as the undisputed king of surfing. As one individual pointed out, commentators “literally call him the GOAT while he’s competing.”
Source: Reddit
