World's Most Spectacular (physically) Human Being

[BigGreen]

So I'm watching the PATS/raiders game right now, and, as much as I hate to applaud the enemy jerry rice, doing what he's doing at age 40 is just freakin' amazing. Especially when i put it into the perspective of a good chunk of the 40 year olds i know (now i know there are many exceptions, many of whom frequent this board) can hardly play a pickup game of basketball without being laid up for the next week. So, it started up a little discussion of who (living or dead) was/is the world's most spectacular physical human being.

I'd make this a poll, but I'd invariably leave someone out. So many great athletes come to mind, such as Bo Jackson, Jim Thorpe, etc, etc who were able to excel phenomenally in multiple sports at the highest of levels, as do those who excel in "just" their sport which invariably involves a multitude of other skills.

Anyway, my vote would probably go to shaquill o'neal...mostly because, having been around competitive basketball for some time as a youth, I know just how rare it is for someone over 6'9" or so to not only possess the strength and coordination that he does, but to look "proportional" (as in, if you saw shaq standing in an empty field with no relative point of reference, you'd think he was 6'4" or something...as opposed to shawn bradley). Jim Thorpe is a CLOSE second in my mind, and, if the claims kevin levrone makes are true, i'd put him up there as well.

So, whatever you choose as your criteria, I want to hear who AR members uphold as the most spectacular physical specimen in human history.

[clockworks]

i would like to nominate a member here who goes by the nick "clockworks"

[TrenFreak3]

I Second that

[tt333]

It would have to be Jordan from back in the day. He had talent from the 80s and 90s that we didnt see till a few years ago. He was way ahead of his time. Barry Bonds is another. He's in his own world, and were watching a black Babe Ruth play right now.

[Mike62200]

ALI. Im not a big fan of his but I box and I know that boxers are in the best shape of all athletes.

[usualsuspect]

http://www.worldzone.net/sports/baseball/dirtvol2.html

Check this link out...Besides Barry Bonds being #1 on the Usual Suspect list, I'll will side with tt333 in that Barry Bonds is way ahead of his time and presumably one of the greatest athlete's the world has ever seen. I'm personally not a fan of Barry Bonds but he makes it look as if he's playing baseball with a bunch of high school kids....Give Michael Vick of the Falcons a few years and he will probably be in the same class as Bonds.
UsualSuspect

[JP1570]

Bonds seems too one dimensional to me; he hits balls good (grammatical error intended). Really though, he's a crappy outfielder and I doubt he could play another sport.

[Red Ketchup]

John Holmes... definetly!

[Ocnorb36]

JP1570---your wrong. Bonds has won eight Golden Glove awards in his career which indicates he has been a strong outfielder. That said, his skills are not what they once were but he is a strong baseball player. I am definantly not a Bonds fan because he is not an exceptional athlete. He is a good baseball player and that's all. As far as a greatest athlete tag I put my vote in for Dan O'Brien. As far as physical speciman is concerned I vote for Arnold.

Oc