Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
Moderator: Moderators
- big mervyn
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 14375
- Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 2:22 pm
- Location: Overlooking the pitch (til they built the old new stand)
Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
... or is he a Somalian who trains in America with a dodgey coach and keeps his money in Switzerland?
Volunteer at an animal sanctuary; it will fill you with joy , despair, but most of all love, unconditional love of the animals.
Big Neville Southall
Big Neville Southall
- Cap'n Grumpy
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 15666
- Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:21 pm
- Location: second barrier up, at the half-way line ... or is the third?
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
Daley Thompson always said "There is only No 1" and he was it. Who am I to argue?
I'm not arguing -
I'm just explaining why I'm right
I'm just explaining why I'm right
- Russ
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 28295
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2012 2:27 pm
- Location: Looking for George North's defence
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
He's up there but he's no Sir Chris Hoy
- Snipe Watson
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 23443
- Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:42 pm
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
Suggesting he is not British is a tad unfair. He has been in the UK since he was a child. His Britishness is not in question, his greatness is not in question, but for me, he is not Britain's greatest ever sportsman. He's not even Britain's current greatest sportsman. That's McIlroy and I suspect he will be the greatest.
Botham, Faldo, Hoy, Wiggins and Redgrave all have to be in the mix. Froome is getting there and if he wins the Vuelta a Espana, he'll be there too. Winning two of the big three in one season is massive, especially the last two.
Botham, Faldo, Hoy, Wiggins and Redgrave all have to be in the mix. Froome is getting there and if he wins the Vuelta a Espana, he'll be there too. Winning two of the big three in one season is massive, especially the last two.
- big mervyn
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 14375
- Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 2:22 pm
- Location: Overlooking the pitch (til they built the old new stand)
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
Definitely.Once a Knight wrote:Equally, can you compare him with Daley Thompsons mastery of 10 events?
The jack of all trades events are something of a minority interest sideshow, played out in an empty stadium, that only really attract attention when a Brit is winning. Who, for example, watched an outstanding word record performance in the decathlon? How many could name the guy that won it?
Volunteer at an animal sanctuary; it will fill you with joy , despair, but most of all love, unconditional love of the animals.
Big Neville Southall
Big Neville Southall
- Cap'n Grumpy
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 15666
- Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:21 pm
- Location: second barrier up, at the half-way line ... or is the third?
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
A lot of other possible names thrown into the ring to which I would add, possibly AP McCoy, one or two footballers from previous generations, maybe even one or two snooker players and yes, even Daley Thompson (who was a tongue in cheek suggestion at the outset) even though there are those who dismiss decathletes and heptathletes as "jacks of many sports but masters in none".
Comparisons across different sports however are meaningless, as are comparisons within sports across different time spans.
How does one compare someone who is part of a team sport with someone who competes as an individual? Throw in then cyclists for example where the individual is held up, but they would not be competitive in the slightest without their team who often remain largely anonymous.
Personally I am happy to celebrate all British & and Irish (and many of other nationalities - which can take away from deciding if someone is "British enough") who excel in their particular sports without needing to compare or decide which is the greatest ever. It is possible to have a favorite though but that is quite different!
Comparisons across different sports however are meaningless, as are comparisons within sports across different time spans.
How does one compare someone who is part of a team sport with someone who competes as an individual? Throw in then cyclists for example where the individual is held up, but they would not be competitive in the slightest without their team who often remain largely anonymous.
Personally I am happy to celebrate all British & and Irish (and many of other nationalities - which can take away from deciding if someone is "British enough") who excel in their particular sports without needing to compare or decide which is the greatest ever. It is possible to have a favorite though but that is quite different!
I'm not arguing -
I'm just explaining why I'm right
I'm just explaining why I'm right
- Cap'n Grumpy
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 15666
- Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:21 pm
- Location: second barrier up, at the half-way line ... or is the third?
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
You mean Jess Ennis-Hill?Once a Knight wrote:I agree. However, it's the same with most athletics events. Who really is that interested unless there's a Brit involved. Other than the 100m or an Athlete who transcends their sport I think you'd find it very difficult to find people in the street who could name the women's 5000 m world record holder or the men's hammer champion or whatever. Yet everyone knows Jess Ennis.big mervyn wrote:..... that only really attract attention when a Brit is winning.
All I was doing was illustrating the breadth of choice when it comes to greatest ever sportsperson.
I'm not arguing -
I'm just explaining why I'm right
I'm just explaining why I'm right
- Snipe Watson
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 23443
- Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:42 pm
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
Its all entirely subjective.Once a Knight wrote:I agree. However, it's the same with most athletics events. Who really is that interested unless there's a Brit involved. Other than the 100m or an Athlete who transcends their sport I think you'd find it very difficult to find people in the street who could name the women's 5000 m world record holder or the men's hammer champion or whatever. Yet everyone knows Jess Ennis.big mervyn wrote:..... that only really attract attention when a Brit is winning.
All I was doing was illustrating the breadth of choice when it comes to greatest ever sportsperson.
I think it's unlikely that many would mention Phil Taylor in the discussion and I'd imagine I may be the only poster who has heard tell of 5 times world angling champion Alan Scotthorne.
- Cap'n Grumpy
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 15666
- Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:21 pm
- Location: second barrier up, at the half-way line ... or is the third?
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
There are those who say that he was not a master of 10 events - he was competitive in 10 events but master of few if any. It is the fact that he was competitive in so many that makes him an exceptional athlete, not that he was exceptional in one or two which is the benchmark for so many others.Once a Knight wrote:Equally, can you compare him with Daley Thompsons mastery of 10 events?
I'm not arguing -
I'm just explaining why I'm right
I'm just explaining why I'm right
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
plus one to Grumps above.
To say its a jack of all trades master of none would be immense diservice to Eaton whose 400 time alone would have put him 7th in the actual final.
I am sure if he concentrated on that one event he would have medalled and that was achieved at the 5th event of the first day.
However Decathalon is considered a blue ribbon event in other countries especially the USA where Thompson is idolised by the likes of Eaton and Dan O`Brien before him so it would be considered more prestigious an event as it should be.
I think from memory Daley Thompson himself would have qualified for the Olympics for GB at 4 events and ran in the 4x100 relay.
For me the ultimate competitor who thrived on pressure which seperates the best from the rest.
He was undefeated for 9 years in all competitions and won everything there was to win despite competing against other world record holders.
His best score would have been good enough for silver in this years worlds and when you consider its 30 years on thats not bad.
He changed the face of his sport as much as Bolt has done for sprinting.
People here mistook his extradionary self confidence as arrogance but he was no different to Bolt or Ali in that they had complete self belief.
For me Redgraves longevity would be Daleys only rival for ultimate greatness.
However when they do a computer game called Steve Redgraves rowing or he promotes sports drinks to an Iron Maiden song it will have to be Daley for me all day long.
To say its a jack of all trades master of none would be immense diservice to Eaton whose 400 time alone would have put him 7th in the actual final.
I am sure if he concentrated on that one event he would have medalled and that was achieved at the 5th event of the first day.
However Decathalon is considered a blue ribbon event in other countries especially the USA where Thompson is idolised by the likes of Eaton and Dan O`Brien before him so it would be considered more prestigious an event as it should be.
I think from memory Daley Thompson himself would have qualified for the Olympics for GB at 4 events and ran in the 4x100 relay.
For me the ultimate competitor who thrived on pressure which seperates the best from the rest.
He was undefeated for 9 years in all competitions and won everything there was to win despite competing against other world record holders.
His best score would have been good enough for silver in this years worlds and when you consider its 30 years on thats not bad.
He changed the face of his sport as much as Bolt has done for sprinting.
People here mistook his extradionary self confidence as arrogance but he was no different to Bolt or Ali in that they had complete self belief.
For me Redgraves longevity would be Daleys only rival for ultimate greatness.
However when they do a computer game called Steve Redgraves rowing or he promotes sports drinks to an Iron Maiden song it will have to be Daley for me all day long.
Last edited by bazzaj on Mon Aug 31, 2015 3:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Cap'n Grumpy
- Rí na Cúige Uladh
- Posts: 15666
- Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:21 pm
- Location: second barrier up, at the half-way line ... or is the third?
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
Good shout, but I call your Alan Scotthorne and raise you an Alex Marshall.Snipe Watson wrote:I think it's unlikely that many would mention Phil Taylor in the discussion and I'd imagine I may be the only poster who has heard tell of 5 times world angling champion Alan Scotthorne.
I'm not arguing -
I'm just explaining why I'm right
I'm just explaining why I'm right
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
Come on, guys - snooker and darts are games, not sports, and fishing is a pastime, surely. Golf is also a game. In my opinion, anyone who indulges in such things doesn't even qualify for the final. Other than that, trying to compare athletes from different sports and different eras is entirely meaningless.
Bo***cks to Brexit
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
In terms of competitiveness,skill, domination and winning you most certainly can.rocky wrote:Come on, guys - snooker and darts are games, not sports, and fishing is a pastime, surely. Golf is also a game. In my opinion, anyone who indulges in such things doesn't even qualify for the final. Other than that, trying to compare athletes from different sports and different eras is entirely meaningless.
For example who couldn`t acknowledge that Ayrton Senna was a better driver than say Ian Dowie was a footballer.
Experts acknowledge Sugar Ray Robinson was pound for pound the greatest fighter ever despite never fighting the other greats Ali/Tyson/Hagler etc.
Of course you can compare thats the beauty of sport.
In terms of meaning, surely to be considered with the greatest in any context has meaning?
Re: Is Mo Farah Britain's "greatest ever sportsman"
big mervyn wrote:... or is he a Somalian who trains in America with a dodgey coach and keeps his money in Switzerland?
Andy Vernon says Farah is indeed a wonderful sportsman.
It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.