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Greatest Athlete We Will Ever See?

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ESPN came out with their list of greatest athletes of the last 20 years the other day and listed Lionel Messi 12th, behind fucking Shaq. That is so absurd that I have to make this post to counteract the universal imbalance that that list caused.

To start, many now consider Messi to be the greatest soccer player to ever live. Pele set a standard of excellence so absurd that no one ever thought it could be surpassed, even Diego Maradona, widely regarded as the second best player to ever live didn't come close. It makes Michael Jordan's legacy look like Bill Clinton's. For Messi to surpass that is just, it's hard to put into words how incredible that accomplishment is. And he's 27.

Now , before everyone gets into the ignorant "soccer gay floppers soccer gay fucking field fairies blah blah blah" know that Messi is probably the only star player in the world who doesn't play for fouls, the man refuses to go down and he gets his ass beat because of it. See this video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOOX7_zL_4Y


Now onto his accomplishments, I'll just post an excerpt from his Wikipedia page.



By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the inauguralFIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010, and then again in 2011 and 2012. He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. At the age of 24, Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all official club competitions. In September 2014 he scored his 400th senior career goal for club and country aged just 27. In November 2014, Messi became the all-time top scorer in La Liga, and the all-time leading goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League.

Often ranked as the best player in the world and rated by some in the sport as the greatest of all time,[3][4][5][6][7][8] Messi is the first football player in history to win four FIFA/Ballons d'Or, all of which he won consecutively, and the first to win three European Golden Shoe awards. With Barcelona, Messi has won six La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, six Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups.

Messi is the only player to top-score in four consecutive Champions League seasons, and also holds the record for themost hat-tricks scored in the competition with five. In March 2012, he made Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match. In the 2011–12 season, Messi set the European record for most goals scored in a season with 73 goals, set the goalscoring record in a single La Liga season with 50 goals, and became the first player ever to score and assist in six different official competitions in one season. In February 2013 he scored his 300th Barcelona goal. On 30 March 2013, Messi scored in his 19th consecutive La Liga game, becoming the first footballer in history to net in consecutive matches against every team in a professional football league. He extended his record scoring streak to 21 consecutive league matches. In March 2014, with a hat-trick against Real Madrid, Messi became the player with the most goals and most hat-tricks in the history of El Clásico. In October 2014, Messi, aged 27, became the youngest player to score 250 goals in La Liga. In November 2014, Messi scored a hat-trick against Sevilla to reach 253 La Liga goals, becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga. Later that month, he scored his 74th Champions League goal to become its all-time leading scorer.

Messi helped Argentina win the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, finishing as both the best player and the top scorer (with six goals). In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play and score in the FIFA World Cup, and won a runners-up medal at the Copa América in 2007, in which he was named young player of the tournament. In 2008, he won an Olympic Gold Medal with the Argentina Olympic football team. At the 2014 World Cup, he led Argentina to the final, winning four consecutive Man of the Match awards in the process, and received the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament. In 2013, SportsPro rated him the second-most marketable athlete in the world.[9] His playing style and stature have drawn comparisons to compatriot Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".


To put that into perspective for those who aren't so well versed in the World's Game, Barcelona is like the New York Yankees and La Liga (the spanish soccer league) is the best league in the world, or maybe tied with the English EPL.

The UEFA champions league is an annual tournament that takes the top teams from all of the European leagues and smashes them all together to see who is the best. This is the pinnacle of the sport, not the World Cup as American media would like you to believe. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool would all absolutely shit on an international team.

The Real Madrid-Barcelona rivalry is the most intense in all of sports and its not even close. There's way more to it than just soccer, its a stark contrast between politics and culture. And oh by the way, the teams have the 2 greatest players on the planet right now between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Side bar for Ronaldo: The poor guy should have played in another era, he's securely in the top 4 with Maradona, Messi and Pele but Messi's shadow totally eclipses him. Bottom line, watching these teams play is can't miss TV.

What he has done so far is unbelievable, and he might play for another decade. We are watching an absolutely unparalleled athletic career unfold before our eyes, and its happening to probably the most humble superstar athlete we've ever seen. Soccer players in Europe carry 10x the star power of any athlete in the U.S. and most party their asses off. Amazing that Messi hasn't been corrupted.

There have been so many great players in soccer, so many people play throughout the world and for one man (who was born with a growth hormone deficiency) to dominate the game the way that Messi has is utterly remarkable. If you're double marked in soccer, its damn near impossible to even touch the ball let alone score 2,3,4 goals. nad that's what Messi does, almost every game he plays. The field is so big, there are so many players, its really hard to will your team to a victory. Messi getting that shit Argentine side to the World Cup Final was unreal. Last but not least, every focuses on his goal scoring, but Messi is probably the best passer/facilitator in the world too.

I'm making this post because its really sad that most Americans don't even understand what they're living through and have the pleasure of witnessing. It is pure, unadulterated greatness in every sense of the word. Hopefully I've enlightened some of you.

This is the moment where Messi became the greatest ever:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6BHyv6nkAs





And this is just some eye candy:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIGJNlpI5XU
 
Last edited:
Sorry Frank, tried to tag bunch of people but it was being fucky. Just want this to get some attention
 
http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/page/Anniversary-Top20Athletes/20th-anniversary-top-20-athletes

Here is the list for anyone that wants it.

The list is based on "which athletes defined the pinnacle of sports over the past two decades." Whatever the hell that means.

The fact that Kobe gets no love is ridiculous.

As for soccer, I'll take CR7 over Messi any day of the week, simply because he can do things athletically that Messi couldn't even dream of. Messi has also spent his entire career in a inferior league.
 
http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/page/Anniversary-Top20Athletes/20th-anniversary-top-20-athletes

Here is the list for anyone that wants it.

The list is based on "which athletes defined the pinnacle of sports over the past two decades." Whatever the hell that means.

The fact that Kobe gets no love is ridiculous.

As for soccer, I'll take CR7 over Messi any day of the week, simply because he can do things athletically that Messi couldn't even dream of. Messi has also spent his entire career in a inferior league.

You're fucked in the head if you think CR7 is better. And no, La Liga is not inferior. If that's your argument, why has he DOMINATED the Champions League so much?

That's like saying you'll take Randy Moss over Jerry Rice because he's the better athlete.
 
latest
 
I spent 2 years without having a goal scored on me. Traveling teams, indoor teams, varsity.

On to the next big thing in soccer. Give it 2 years, there will be another.
 
And no, La Liga is not inferior.

Top to bottom, the EPL is a tougher league. The fact that two teams haven't won England's top flight league 65% of the time should tell you all you need to know.

why has he DOMINATED the Champions League so much?

It helps to essentially play with the Spanish National team, the first European team to win the World Cup and Euros back-to-back.

Listen, I know I'll never convince you. I'm just saying if I was starting a soccer team, I would take Ronaldo over Messi.
 
Top to bottom, the EPL is a tougher league. The fact that two teams haven't won England's top flight league 65% of the time should tell you all you need to know.



It helps to essentially play with the Spanish National team, the first European team to win the World Cup and Euros back-to-back.

Listen, I know I'll never convince you. I'm just saying if I was starting a soccer team, I would take Ronaldo over Messi.

A goal is a goal though man, it's the hardest thing to do in sports. Messi dribbles through players like cones. And Barcelona has accomplished so much BECAUSE of him.

His raw numbers are what make him the best, the titles are just the cherry on top.

EDIT: And if you put Barca and Real in the EPL, I bet they still win 65% of the time. They're a class above.
 
So what would he play here? Slot receiver? We've got enough of those.
 
I am not a golf fan but Tiger made me watch every tournament during his run.

I'd put Tiger 1 and not think twice.

"Pinnacle of their sport?" How can anyone dominate a sport more than he did?
 
"How can anyone dominate a sport more than he did?"
Michael Jordon. 2 Three peats. I been watching sports for 40+ years have never seen a player dominate like he did, never seen a player absolutely put a team on his back and carry them to Championship after Championship. As a Cavs fan I hated the son of a bitch for what he did to us. We coulda won a title in the Price/Daugherty era if not for this fucker. But as a basketball fan, I respect the hell outa him. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY did it better.
 
Messi > Ronaldo.

Ronaldo is great but not quite the playmaker, leader, or all around player that Messi is.

Also I have an epl bias but I'd say the epl and LA liga are quite similar top to bottom. I think La liga has the top 2, epl has a better top 6, and then the rest are similar.
 
My vote also goes to Michael Jordan...

What Messi has done is more remarkable, honestly. Without knowing the context it would be difficult to understand. They're close.

But I'll go back to the Pele point. Pele was a global icon in the 60's. Even Americans were watching his games.

Messi has gone beyond even his level in terms of numbers/talent. The titles he's one, the goals he's scored are just stupid.

You can make arguments that Wilt/Bill Russel were more dominant. Messi and Pele stand by themselves.

You really need to understand the sport though, and just how hard it is to score goals at the rate Messi does.
 
"How can anyone dominate a sport more than he did?"
Michael Jordon. 2 Three peats. I been watching sports for 40+ years have never seen a player dominate like he did, never seen a player absolutely put a team on his back and carry them to Championship after Championship. As a Cavs fan I hated the son of a bitch for what he did to us. We coulda won a title in the Price/Daugherty era if not for this fucker. But as a basketball fan, I respect the hell outa him. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY did it better.

It's easier to dominate a 5-on-5 sport. Pure and simple.

This is the American bias that I'm talking about.

And what's so ridiculous is that he's 27. Michael had just won his first championship at that age.
 

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