Top 4 all-time greatest athletes? That’s easy

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By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 1:25 AM Thursday, July 9, 2009

If you had to decide who would be immortalized on the Mount Rushmore of the greatest athletes of all time — and you could only choose four — who would they be?

My buddy and I were tossing that around after watching another mesmerizing performance by Tiger Woods last weekend. What sets him apart is that he’s not only the most talented golfer alive, but also the most mentally tough (which may be just as much a God-given gift as that mighty swing).

He was an easy choice for our national sports monument, and two others were no-brainers.

Babe Ruth: Out-homered entire teams. Also could have been a top-flight pitcher. Imagine what he would have done without those between-inning hot dogs.

Jim Brown: As big as most lineman while also being able to out-run defensive backs. Left football in his prime for a pedestrian movie career, although “The Dirty Dozen” remains one of my favorite flicks.

Michael Jordan: Too quick to pressure defensively, too good a shooter not to guard tightly. Like Tiger, MJ combined ridiculous skills with an aura that made others crumble.

I considered Wayne Gretzky for Jordan’s spot. I once drove with friends from Dayton to Chicago just to be able to say I saw him in his prime. I guess you have to understand the nuances of hockey (I don’t) to know why he was called The Great One.

I’m sticking with my list.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or at dharris@coxohio.com

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