November 23, 2009
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One sport that has the greatest-ever debate sewn up ...by John BeamerAugust 16, 2009 How many column inches each year are dedicated to analysing who the greatest baseball player is? Thousands. Flick through any recent Hardball Times Annual and I guarantee that you'll see at least two articles on the issue. Peruse this site and no doubt you'll find many more. The problem is that cross era comparisons are almost impossible. And it isn't only baseball that suffers this issue. Think of today's greats: Is Tiger better than the Golden Bear? Is R-Fed better than Laver? However, there is one sport that has it licked — sprinting. Earlier this evening Usain Bolt ran the 100m in 9.58s obliterating the world record by 0.11s. He's taken two-tenths of the world mark in the space of a year. Before he came along it took twenty years for the record to fall by two-tenths. Bolt's new record is the biggest fall in the 100m world record since electronic timing began in the 1960s. At least one sport doesn't need to have the greatest-ever debate. As for folks writing on this site about Bonds vs. Ruth, let the speculation continue ... John is an unashamed glory supporter having followed the Atlanta Braves since 1991. He blogs the Braves at Chop-n-Change. He welcomes comments, criticisms and suggestions via e-mail
Michael Maxime said...
“Sewn up” the way Big Mac was the HR King ~10 years ago? Posted 08/17 at 01:16 AM
Michael said...
Not sure what planet you came from, because on this one that’s a single record, not an all-time greatest. Fortunately in running, you only have to do one thing: run. In baseball you run and hit and throw and sometimes pitch. However, one major sport still does have an unquestionable all-time great: there’s this guy named Wayne Gretzky. You might have heard of him. Posted 08/17 at 01:30 AM
Dan Novick said...
I think both of you missed the reason this is “sewn up.” The reason you can’t dispute is that the sport of running has not changed. Ever. Hockey has gone through periods of high offense and low offense. Gretzky benefited from playing in a high-offense era. Baseball has done the same thing. Baseball, hockey, basketball, etc. need context, and context can be disputed. You can’t dispute anything Bolt is doing with those kinds of arguments. Running has been and will always be unchanged. Posted 08/17 at 01:46 AM
Brandon Tingley said...
If Bolt is doping, he’s been doing it since he was 13. He holds world records in the 200m for 15 and under, 16 and under and 17 and under. The reason he doesn’t have the records in the 100m is he wasn’t running it—he didn’t start running the 100m until a year or so before the Olympics. OK, maybe it was 2 years, but still. Everyone thought he was too tall to run the 100m. Posted 08/17 at 08:11 AM
Edmundo said...
“Running has been and will always be unchanged. “ Shoes, running surfaces, blocks? These surely have changed over the years. Posted 08/17 at 09:13 AM
Dan Novick said...
Edmundo- True, didn’t think of that. But I still don’t think that running has changed nearly as much as other sports have over the years. Posted 08/17 at 10:42 AM
Aarcraft said...
I’m pretty sure it doesn’t sew it up. There is always the “if x from x generation had the same training, shoes, running surfaces, supplements, etc., they would blow Bolt away.” It will always remain, because it is entirely unprovable. Posted 08/17 at 11:52 AM
John Beamer said...
Aarcraft - but i think that is the point. Before Bolt you could argue Owens vs Lewis, Greene vs Bailey. I don’t think you can argue Bolt, especially when you consider Tyson Gay is ultra quick and was nowhere Posted 08/17 at 03:37 PM
Cyril Morong said...
From the Wall Street Journal Bigger and Taller Will Always Mean Faster http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203946904574302490941575668.html “study of the evolution of male, 100-meter world-record holders in both running and swimming shows that, with a few exceptions, world-record speeds have increased along with the size of the world-record holders, and will continue to do so.” Posted 08/17 at 10:02 PM
Jim Casey said...
Running has changed dramatically over the years. Synthetic rubber tracks, with excellent traction and rebound characteristics instead of dirt and cinders. Tremendous advances in shoes and clothing as well. It’s not just the athletes that are stronger and faster, they have much better equipment as well. As for tennis, how much have plastic rackets with twice the string surface of the rackets Laver played with helped Federer? Posted 08/18 at 02:01 PM
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If I’m not mistaken, it was his own world record that he obliterated. And the previous world record (which is his) was far and away better than the previous one.
Again, correct me if I’m wrong.