Since the beginning of sports, people have argued about which player they believe holds the title as the best of their sport. And these heated discussions, I believe, make sports, sports. I am aware that most of these athletes played before I came into the world, but I have seen sports documentaries, ESPN: 30 for 30’s, and highlights. I am going to give my side of the argument by naming the greatest players of all time for each major American sport.
Football: Barry Sanders, RB, Detroit Lions
Reason for belief: No, not Tom Brady, but Barry Sanders from the Detroit Lions. Sanders proved himself as a once in a lifetime player. He accumulated a total of 15,269 yards on 3,062 carries, averaging 5.0 yard per carry, over a 10 year career from 1989-1998. Although, he never won a Super Bowl, Sanders managed to put the team on his back every season, and made it to the playoffs five out of the 10 seasons he played. In my book, he carries the claim of not only the best running back ever, but also the best overall player. From what I have seen, Barry Sanders played with magic that cannot be reproduced.
Basketball: Michael Jordan, SG, Chicago Bulls/ Washington Wizards
Reason for belief: I am not willing to argue on this one. Six rings, the flu game, everything about this guy equals G.O.A.T. worthy. ‘Air Jordan’ was a 14 time All-Star, 10 time scoring champion, and finished his career scoring a total of 32,292 points. Look at the other players in his era, Magic, Dr. J, Larry Bird and those are just a few. Mike accomplished loads of things against great competition in his time. I doubt anyone will ever live up to his name, this man could just turn it on and if he wanted to win, he could take over and do it.
Baseball: Willie Mays, CF, New York Giants/ San Francisco Giants/ New York Mets
Reason for belief: Do not come in here bringing the stereotypical Babe Ruth argument. The ‘Say Hey Kid,’ Willie Mays played from 1951-1973 and was an All-Star every. Single. Year. He hit a total of 660 home runs, and finished his career with a .302 batting average. Mays also had 1,903 RBI’s, [runs batted in], and had over 2,000 runs of his own. He won the World Series in 1954 which was his only ring, but even without the rings, his talent in the game of baseball puts him at the top.
Hockey: Wayne Gretzky, Centerman, Edmonton Oilers/ Los Angeles Kings/ New York Rangers
Reason for belief: I have to be honest, I do not know much about hockey, but this guy shows up at the top of every hockey list. So, I’ll put him on top here as well. While he played, Gretzky raised up the Stanley Cup four times throughout his 23 year career, and was named an All-Star 15 times. He had 65 hat tricks (three goals in one game), and totaled 894 goals throughout his time on the ice.
