The 10 Most Famous Athletes in the World
In Bill Simmons NBA Trade Value Column last week, he tries to come up with a list of the 10 most famous athletes in the world:
"Quick question though: Yao is one of the 10 most famous athletes in the world, right? So what would the top 10 look like? I had a great argument about this with someone recently and we honestly couldn't figure it out -- definitely Yao and Tiger, definitely Beckham and Federer, definitely Phelps, maybe Thierry Henry, maybe a Formula One guy (I won't even embarrass myself by guessing), maybe Kobe ... and then ... I mean ... does LeBron make the list? Brady or (Peyton) Manning? Nadal? More soccer players? Any female tennis players? How do we figure this out? I have mentioned this question to a few different people and drawn a sweeping range of answers. Maybe there's no answer. My head hurts."
There are a lot better answers than you came up with Bill, but I wont hold it against you. Most Americans wouldn't have a clue...
Today's Muhammad Alis (1) Tiger Woods. (2) David Beckham. (3) Ronaldinho (who Bill somehow fails to mention). They could walk into almost any remote village in the world and be recognized. Golf is played the world over. Asian women shave their pubic hair to match Golden Ball's latest hair-do. If you see Ronaldinho's face and mane once, you'll never forget it.
Over 1.3 Billion People Know Me (4) Yao Ming.
Icons (5) Roger Federer. (6) Usain Bolt. Federer will likely retire as tennis' greatest champion ever (until Nadal retires). Bolt got the attention of the entire world at the Summer Olympics.
It's the World's Most Popular Sport (7) Kaka. (8) Lionel Messi. (9) Thierry Henry. It's probably hard for Americans who only have a vague awareness or none at all of these three to accept, but in the interests of accuracy, these are probably the three most famous footballers after David Beckham and Ronaldinho. Would Kobe Bryant or LeBron James be recognized walking through Africa, Europe, or Asia? It's doubtful. LeBron may someday reach the heights of popularity seen only by Michael Jordan in the basketball world. But not yet. Kaka, Messi, and Henry would be swarmed in almost any city on the globe. Same goes for Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Kun Aguero, Wayne Rooney, and Franck Ribery. Alexandre Pato will one day be among the most famous people in the world, too. Soccer is huge in the mega-populous China and India and even more massive in South America, Europe, and Africa.
Kind of Guessing (10) Lance Armstrong. He was utterly dominant in his own sport, which gets you recognition from many places that wouldn't normally care. But beyond that, he's become the face of the cancer research efforts worldwide. He's generated billions of dollars through his name and image. I can't definitively say he's more famous than a Ronaldo, Nadal, or even F1's first black star Lewis Hamilton. But he is the most famous domestically and is known all through Europe.
Not Buying It Four continents of the world couldn't pick Phelps out of a police line-up. Kobe and LeBron are probably close, but I feel pretty strongly that the soccer superstars might be three times more well known. I mentioned Lewis Hamilton and if he wins a few more F1 titles, he'll finish his career as one of the most famous faces globally. If Nadal goes on a major run for the next half decade, he could appear. A charismatic heavyweight boxer has the potential to be among the world's most famous. No NFL players are in the top 50 worldwide. Same goes for MLB (and cricket for that matter).
Labels: 10 Most Famous Athletes, 10 Most Famous Athletes In the World, Billynho, David Beckham, Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Yao Ming
posted by Billynho @ 5:03 PM
15 Comments
15 Comments:
I think Lewis Hamilton might take exception to being called African-American, what with him being British and all.
very true... my bad, i said that without thinking.
You should have saved this crap for your soccer page.
No doubt - the most famous athletes in the world are usually footballers.
No doubt - the most famous athletes in the world are usually footballers.
The F1 driver you were searching for is Michael Shumacher. Also I thought I read/heard Kobe was getting mobbed by Chinese people during the olympics.
Also is there any way to make an argument for Jeter? I want to complete the Gillette trifecta.
No women? Maybe Serena Williams? Everyone knows that babies got back.
Schumacher retired...
Specify as "currently competing" then. I suppose I could have assumed that since most of yours were current. However, in my eyes Lance Armstrong is still retired until he actually competes in a big race again.
Specify as "currently competing" then. I suppose I could have assumed that since most of yours were current. However, in my eyes Lance Armstrong is still retired until he actually competes in a big race again.
Considering Basketball is the most popular sport in China right now. You have to include Kobe or Lebron over a footballer.
Basketball is bigger than football in China right now? I find this hard to believe but am open to this idea. Where have you heard this?
I don't get the Bolt thing. How can you dismiss Phelps as less of a story when the olympics were based around nothing but Phelps? Every commercial. Every teaser. Bolt was an after thought. An underlying card to hopefully keep people watching after Phelps not only had all the hype, but lived up to it.
Not to mention that Phelps has the bong hits, the other law trouble, and well have you heard anything about Bolt since the Olympics?
In the end though it's all speculation. So perhaps not having an answer is the best one.
In America, Phelps is the big story. Do you think anyone outside of predominantly white, English speaking nations heard about Phelps and his bong?
Phelps' fame exists only in a bubble called America. And he won't be in the sporting news again for another 3 1/2 years. They will be showing Bolt highlights around the world for the next 20 years or so.
Outside of the US, O.J.(before his murder trial) was only known for his Naked Gun appearances not for carrying the pigskin. What's a Heisman? Do you wear it? people ask.
Lewis hamilton ofcourse...kimi raikonnen..and alonso..but the rest is all belivable
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