Sport All Time Sporting Heroes

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Bobby_ said:
never followed golf and surprised to read of Norman being a choker?
Thought he was one of the best ever golfers
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Won two British Opens and was world number of one for a number of years, but had some epic chokes when it counted.
 
speedybundy said:
Rafael Nadal - Love the way he goes about it and conducts himself, and although not being as freakish as Federer love the way he plays.
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definitively one of my favourite athletes and has been for a while now.
Just love his mentality and his ability to continually improve as a player. Thought we saw the last of him when he began having knee troubles a few years back but he seems to have got over it and actually became a stronger and more explosive athlete.

Was a period there where Djokovic was beginning to own Nadal but he's had none of it and steadied the ship again. I wouldn't be surprised if Nadal comes out in 2014 and really takes ownership of that particular head2head duel such is his greatness.
 

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Bobby_ said:
definitively one of my favourite athletes and has been for a while now.
Just love his mentality and his ability to continually improve as a player. Thought we saw the last of him when began having knee troubles a few years back but he seems to have got over it and actually became a stronger and more explosive athlete.

Was a period there where Djokovic was beginning to own Nadal but he's had none of that and has steadied the ship again and I wouldn't be surprised if Nadal comes out in 2014 and really takes ownership of that particular head2head duel such is his greatness.
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Agrred, I think in about 20 years time we may look back at Nadal as a greater athlete/player than Federer
 
James1970 said:
...and at the top of his game, Borg would own both. :D
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Before my time, can't comment, must have been one hell of a player though!

Bobby_ said:
yeh for sure, have to remember that when Federer was at his peak, only one player stopped him from taking everything, that was Rafa and unfortunately for Federer, he won't be winning many more titles from here on in as he begins to slowly fade away.
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Agreed, you could argue Rafa's slam tally doesn't do him justice because as a young man he ran into Federer at his peak.

The question that will be asked when we look back is, was Nadal a better player than Federer or was his style what gave him the winning advantage?
 
speedybundy said:
The question that will be asked when we look back is, was Nadal a better player than Federer or was his style what gave him the winning advantage?
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17 gram slams to 13 with five years difference in age so Rafa could still catch him yet but imo as it stands right now...Fed is GOAT but Novak and Rafa's accomplishments recently are seriously dictating their sport.
 
Scottland2007 said:
I'm so sorry Partridge. I don't know if it's age or ignorance, but I don't know either of them.
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I've got a VHS of the top goals of the first decade of the EPL. Le Tissier is everywhere.
 
speedybundy said:
Before my time, can't comment, must have been one hell of a player though!
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Very different era, but Borg is still the only player to win the French and Wimbledon in the same year, three years in a row. At the time, was the youngest to win the French (17), and was the first to earn a million in one year. Also changed the game by introducing heavy top spin as a consistent shot, and his stamina was freakish. But the stats don't really do him justice, as he quit at 26 - never really bothered flying to Australia, and lost the US final many times in a row to Conners/McEnroe.
 
Bobby_ said:
17 gram slams to 13 with five years difference in age so Rafa could still catch him yet but imo as it stands right now...Fed is GOAT but Novak and Rafa's accomplishments recently are seriously dictating their sport.
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It's amazing to think how Hewitt and Federer are both the same age and Hewitt was the first of the pair to win a grand slam and reach world number one, yet how different their careers have been (for the record Hewitt is harsh to not have an extra slam or two).
 

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Bobby_ said:
17 gram slams to 13 with five years difference in age so Rafa could still catch him yet but imo as it stands right now...Fed is GOAT but Novak and Rafa's accomplishments recently are seriously dictating their sport.
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Agree.
There's a whole thread on this in the Tennis section of BF.
Some swear by Rafa, some Fed. What I do know is we're lucky to have witnessed Laver, Borg, McEnroe, Edberg, Sampras, Federer, Rafa and Djokovic. And Steffi Graf, my favourite all time female player.
For pure mastery of skill, and seemingly effortless control, I love Fed.
Raf seems to play with ultimate power and aggression, yet so skilled, and he does seem to own Federer.
Interesting argument re GOAT. I've been around a while, Fed for me, yet he has been so frail and human against Nadal, even when he was at his peak.
We all have opinions, but if it comes down to Grand Slams, Nadal will win this in the next 2 years unless he succumbs to injury again.
 
Bobby_ said:
oh ok. Was there high quality opponents around when he was world no.1?
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Mate he led every major after the 3rd round in 86 and won one of them.

He had some horrific things happen to him.
Bob Tway chipping from a bunker.
He had a putt to win (i think) the US open.

It lipped out. It was in all the way.
Went into a playoff and had the identical putt. Exactly the same result.
Led the masters by 6 after round 3 and choked to Faldo.

I used to ring work on Monday mornings and say I'll be in late "I'm watching Norman!!!"
 
I've only just found this thread but when I read the title 1 name immediately came to mind.
And no one has even mentioned him.

Pat Rafter

I mean really, if Rafter isn't a hero of yours after 'that' Australian Open semi final I dont know who is.


For those that were too young.
Rafter was going through a stage in his career where is body would melt.
They had no idea what was going on.
He went as far as shaving his head to try and help.

So he's playing Agassi in the semi. And he melts.
I can promise you that 998 / 1000 would have called it quits.

He didn't, and this is how truly rooted he was.

Rafter serves, Agassi get's it back to the other side of the court. (Not some big passing shot, just a hit down the other side of the court) Rafter immedialtely signals to the ball boy for a ball and just walks up to serve again.

Over and over he did it.

Agassi serves, Rafter hits the crap out of it. If it's a winner great. If Agassi even gets a racquet on it to the other side of the court Rafter just starts walking over for the next serve.


I had tears in my eyes. Never seen greater spirit.
 
vinum coupe said:
I've only just found this thread but when I read the title 1 name immediately came to mind.
And no one has even mentioned him.

Pat Rafter

I mean really, if Rafter isn't a hero of yours after 'that' Australian Open semi final I dont know who is.


For those that were too young.
Rafter was going through a stage in his career where is body would melt.
They had no idea what was going on.
He went as far as shaving his head to try and help.

So he's playing Agassi in the semi. And he melts.
I can promise you that 998 / 1000 would have called it quits.

He didn't, and this is how truly rooted he was.

Rafter serves, Agassi get's it back to the other side of the court. (Not some big passing shot, just a hit down the other side of the court) Rafter immedialtely signals to the ball boy for a ball and just walks up to serve again.

Over and over he did it.

Agassi serves, Rafter hits the crap out of it. If it's a winner great. If Agassi even gets a racquet on it to the other side of the court Rafter just starts walking over for the next serve.


I had tears in my eyes. Never seen greater spirit.
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This game alone was got him an honorable mention in mine, hadn't started to really get into tennis at that stage but remember this match vividly. It was a really hot/humid day as well wasn't it
 
Scottland2007 said:
I'm so sorry Partridge. I don't know if it's age or ignorance, but I don't know either of them.
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No worries. Van Basten was a Dutch player who was pretty much the best striker in the world in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Check out the Italian Serie A highlights when he was there - voted world player of the year once and European player of the year three times.

To add to that he had an amazing habit of scoring great goals in big games too. Have a look at this one from the final of the European Championships in 1988:



Le Tissier was one of the great wasted talents. Didn't like to train or run apparently, but an absolute genius with the ball at his feet. Naturally the English, with their lack of trust in talent or skill never really gave him a go at international level. But he made the Premier League highlights show worth watching in the mid-90s for his goals alone.
 

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