OT: - Most influential U.S. athlete of the past 25 years? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

OT: Most influential U.S. athlete of the past 25 years?

Scoe said:
Being influential goes beyond your career btw, it can be argued that you can be more influential after your career. Tommy John is definetly influential to this day and will be for an eternity.
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agree ... Shaq-a-Roni has entered the chat
 
arch said:
It’s not about performance or titles. It’s about influence. Only Tiger has had more Influence than Clark. BUT, will her influence last?
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She’s been relevant for MAYBE two and a half years. Tiger has been relevant for a quarter century. It’s ludicrous to mention the two in the same breath.

In fact, it’s an insult to Serena Williams to have Clark in that discussion over her.
 
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Deepster said:
So, on Caitlin Clark.....

For what it's worth, she didn't win a title in the NCAA and she has 1 season in the WNBA (which I believe Paige Bueckers is outperforming so far in her 1st season). Beuckers was more heralded as a freshman in college until she got hurt. Can Clark actually win a title somewhere before she's mentioned with a Tiger Woods?
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lol at Paige outperforming Caitlin in her first season. Even by your brain’s standard that’s a horrible take.
 
7774 said:
lol at Paige outperforming Caitlin in her first season. Even by your brain’s standard that’s a horrible take.
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Yeah I’m not following it like some fan boy on the women’s board for sure. But I keep hearing Bueckers is the first to get to xxx points or points and assists. Sounds like she is having just as good as season and I really don’t care enough to research it more than that.
 
Tiger was well on his way, but his performance was amazing for the first half and tragic for the 2nd half of the 25 years. Sadly, for a Patriots hater, it has to be Brady
 
Deepster said:
Yeah I’m not following it like some fan boy on the women’s board for sure. But I keep hearing Bueckers is the first to get to xxx points or points and assists. Sounds like she is having just as good as season and I really don’t care enough to research it more than that.
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Clark has an influence on twitter. I guess that's enough.
 
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Deepster said:
She’s been relevant for MAYBE two and a half years. Tiger has been relevant for a quarter century. It’s ludicrous to mention the two in the same breath.

In fact, it’s an insult to Serena Williams to have Clark in that discussion over her.
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If she came out with a shoe, it would sell quite well. And, with BB having more eyes on it than tennis, she has the potential to be far more influential.
 
Scoe said:
What do you mean by this and how is Tommy John not influential, look how many careers have been saved by TJ surgery.
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If that’s your standard shouldn’t Dr Jobe be more influential than Tommy John?


TJ Surgery
 
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I can see a good arguments for Serena giving Tiger a fight. Over the past 20 years, Tiger's probably had more bad publicity than good, which doesn't help his case.

If the criterion was last 30 years, it would definitely be Tiger, then Jordan. But Jordan didn't do much of anything in past 25 years. And Tiger was already a phenomenon by 2000. Serena did all her work in the 2000s. And she's still relevant enough to make news by appearing with Kendrick at the Super Bowl.

I'd say LeBron is third, Clark and Ohtani would fill out top 5.
 
Scottzer said:
If she came out with a shoe, it would sell quite well. And, with BB having more eyes on it than tennis, she has the potential to be far more influential.
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Yeah, we just disagree here. Again, Serena Williams made tennis relevant for women and especially black women for 25 years. Clark is a blown ACL away from being lapped by Bueckers.
 
Windham4th said:
Didn't he retire 25 years ago... so he is outside the range
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Even though Jordan hasn't played in over 20 years he's the most influential. He globalized the entire sport and completely changed sports marketing forever. His cultural impact is enormous to this day.

Nike was a running company that sold waffle racers before they signed Jordan. Fast forward to today and Jordan's outsell Lebron, Durant, and Curry combined something like 10 to 1.

 
Here's one Lance Armstrong. Think whatever you want you can call him a cheater and/or a scumbag but he's the reason you see cyclists on the road and why roads have added bike lanes.
 
storrsroars said:
I can see a good arguments for Serena giving Tiger a fight. Over the past 20 years, Tiger's probably had more bad publicity than good, which doesn't help his case.

If the criterion was last 30 years, it would definitely be Tiger, then Jordan. But Jordan didn't do much of anything in past 25 years. And Tiger was already a phenomenon by 2000. Serena did all her work in the 2000s. And she's still relevant enough to make news by appearing with Kendrick at the Super Bowl.

I'd say LeBron is third, Clark and Ohtani would fill out top 5.
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If we’re talking influential, the answer is probably Jordan until we all croak.

He hasn’t played in almost 30 years and he’s easily the most influential basketball player on earth to this day.

Influencing other greats (every one influenced by MJ on the court), influencing marketing, fashion (sneaker culture still owned by him) he’s the top dog in every area.

Especially given he hasn’t played in years, that proves his influence.
 
HitDog said:
If that’s your standard shouldn’t Dr Jobe be more influential than Tommy John?


TJ Surgery
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In the medical field sure, now who had to come back from the injury and perform to prove the notion that you could pitch back to form from TJ surgery.
 
Mr. French said:
If we’re talking influential, the answer is probably Jordan until we all croak.

He hasn’t played in almost 30 years and he’s easily the most influential basketball player on earth to this day.

Influencing other greats (every one influenced by MJ on the court), influencing marketing, fashion (sneaker culture still owned by him) he’s the top dog in every area.

Especially given he hasn’t played in years, that proves his influence.
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Can absolutely attest to this my 13 year old nephew wears Jordan brand merchandise including the Jordan shoes. Obviously never saw MJ play and wears a Jordan jersey.
 
Mr. French said:
If we’re talking influential, the answer is probably Jordan until we all croak.

He hasn’t played in almost 30 years and he’s easily the most influential basketball player on earth to this day.

Influencing other greats (every one influenced by MJ on the court), influencing marketing, fashion (sneaker culture still owned by him) he’s the top dog in every area.

Especially given he hasn’t played in years, that proves his influence.
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I agree with Jordan being up on the list even though he hasn't played. I work in a school in Virginia. Today, you'll see a few Kobe jerseys on kids, maybe 1 Lebron, but about 1/5 to 1/8 of the kids are wearing Jordan shoes or jerseys or tees.

Still, he would be #2 and if he is on the list, then #1 is Jackie Robinson.

If you go by only athletes who played in the last 25 years, even though is best years were just before then, I would say Shaq has to be on the list. The guy is a larger than life figure.

If it really is only athletes who competed in the last 25 years, it is Tiger. The guy made over 1 billion dollars... because he dominated at golf. Prize money has at least doubled and there are so many more fans because of him.
 
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Scoe said:
Here's one Lance Armstrong. Think whatever you want you can call him a cheater and/or a scumbag but he's the reason you see cyclists on the road and why roads have added bike lanes.
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He's for sure not the reason roads added bike lanes lol. But he definitely did a lot to increase popularity and interest in cycling.

I'd vote Curry. He changed basketball forever while also being massively popular and commercially successful. Tiger is number 1 for exposure and commercial success, but golf is still golf.
 
Tiger by far and away is number 1. Really encompasses both aspects of influential in terms of his star power and breaking the mold and then also other worldly talent.
 
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