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  • 12/30/2010, 07:15PM ET

Most popular athlete of all time?

PCH-LEH GO HEAT! (935-1541-408) vs Rudedog: Thankful (407-344-108)
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my pick..

the Godfather of baseball..

BABE RUTH


If we're basing this off sheer popularity, there's only one answer



His Airness


i for one never rooted for MJ..

Yes, he's a HUGE HUGE NAMe.. but popular? i don't know..

Did you see his hall of fame speech?

cocky arrogant..

Do you think lots of peeps liked MJ in Cleveland, Boston, New York or even UTAh when Jordan was slicing n dicing n 'em?

I know one thing that wasn't popular by his "Airness".. picking Kwame Brown number 1 overall while handling the Wiz's roster..

Jordan.. GREAT basketball player.. many kids looked up to the guy.. but the MOST POPULAR? i don't know.. i don't think it would be right to say it..

Why i called Ruth the Godfather..

He hit homeruns like it wasn't anybodies business..

He was selected to the Hall of fame in 1936

still a HOUSE HOLD NAMe..

Babe Ruth's significance got propelled by the steriod era..

1 reason why.. because Ruth played the game all N-A-T-U-R-A-L

In 1998, The Sporting News ranked Ruth number one on the list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players"

thanks wiki..

I mean Babe Ruth is still popular.. this guy has been gone for years.. Babe Ruth made lil kids want to be bambino's..


Jordan is very popular.. but most? eehhhh NO!


No one, and I mean no one, was nearly as popular as MJ.

I've read many a story on the Babe, but he doesn't match MJ. You could literally ask anyone in America who Michael Jordan is and they would know. The same thing can't be said for Babe Ruth. MJ came into America in a time lacking of any significant sports figure.

Magic and Larry had just left
Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were ending their careers

In walks MJ, who had the swagger that it took to be a national hero. Everyone in America rooted for this guy. He wasn't hated by anyone. He might beat you're team and you might not like him for that one night, but you would root for him in the end. He was cocky, but not overly. He knew he was good, but he wasn't cocky in a way that got fans to hate him.

When he struggled early in his career, you felt bad for him. When he won a title on Father's Day, you cried with him. And when he left basketball each time, you were left in shock each time.

The Babe didn't have that type of effect on people. No one has and no one ever will


No one, and I mean no one, was nearly as popular as MJ.

really?

what's more popular .. baseball or basketball?

Wasnt' baseball cloned "america's pasttime"????..

What does your kid play.. ? maybe basketball.. most definetly baseball? lol

I mean come on. MJ was a villain to many cities in the States.. MJ was so good it was gross.. I mean really.. The guy is a basketball God.. great business man.. most popular ever? maybe for basketball but not all sports.. MJ was hated by Reggie Miller fans.. Patrick Ewing fans, Charles Barkley fans, Karl Malone fans, and so on and so on... Jordan stopped them all in their tracks of greatness.. a TITLE

JOrdan also went to UNC.. i know their's some 80's babies from Duke hating..

JOrdan conquered the game.. Babe conquered the game as a pioneer...

sounds lame but true.. it counts for something..

BAbe hit more homeruns than Jordan would've in a lifetime times 10

Babe is on another level.. ONe of the greatest legends in United states history..

MJ mighty won 6 titles but Bill Russell won 10...

Babe Ruth hit 700 homeruns before Hammerin Hank was even thought of..

History is History!


what's more popular

It's not sheerly about which sport is more popular. It's about the time period.

When Babe Ruth played, their wasn't TV and you only heard it on radio if you were close. People out West didn't know a lot about Ruth. They would hear stories, but they rarely heard a game of his.

When Jordan played, TV was huge, radio was still around, and internet was coming too. You had every form of media covering MJ and that blew up his image. He was the perfect man for the NBA at a time when there wasn't one distinguishable figure, or definitely not anyone on MJ's level.

His stats may not be the best in every category and he may not play in the most popular sport, but it was perfect mixture.

He's the greatest of all-time in his sport and played in a time period that needed a superstar.

The Babe was a great superstar in his own right, but he wasn't nearly as popular as what MJ was. Sorry Peach. This isn't who was better in their sport. It's who was most popular and MJ is a household name. The Babe isn't.

Comments (640) Add A Comment

December 30, 2010  07:21 PM ET
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Michael Jordan??

December 30, 2010  07:22 PM ET
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Easy win attempt by Rude!

December 30, 2010  07:22 PM ET
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QUOTE(#1):
Originally posted 07:21 PM ET  12.30 by TCS1977: Happy New Year

Michael Jordan??

I doubt in my opinion that he is more popular then the Babe but I could be convinced

December 30, 2010  07:24 PM ET
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Title: 28 Characters

Arg: 36 Characters

Go PCH more characters in your argument then in your title

December 30, 2010  07:30 PM ET
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Yeah I was agreed with :)

December 30, 2010  07:31 PM ET
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QUOTE(#5):
Originally posted 07:30 PM ET  12.30 by TCS1977: Happy New Year

Yeah I was agreed with :)

You're talking to yourself, I hope you know

December 30, 2010  07:31 PM ET
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QUOTE(#4):
Originally posted 07:24 PM ET  12.30 by TCS1977: Happy New Year

Title: 28 CharactersArg: 36 CharactersGo PCH more characters in your argument then in your title

i think i got it the 2nd go around.. thanks tho

December 30, 2010  07:31 PM ET
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QUOTE(#2):
Originally posted 07:22 PM ET  12.30 by Win TWINS!!!

Easy win attempt by Rude!

?

December 30, 2010  07:32 PM ET
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I remember a quote (but not who said it), "Michael Jordan was better at playing basketball than anyone else was better at doing anything else."

It might not be true, but I like it none-the-less.

December 30, 2010  07:34 PM ET
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QUOTE(#9):
Originally posted 07:32 PM ET  12.30 by SloppyJaloppy

I remember a quote (but not who said it), "Michael Jordan was better at playing basketball than anyone else was better at doing anything else." It might not be true, but I like it none-the-less.

Jordan sure as hell couldn't hit a cure ball.

December 30, 2010  07:35 PM ET
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QUOTE(#10):
Originally posted 07:34 PM ET  12.30 by Mondo Jay

Jordan sure as hell couldn't hit a cure ball.

Is that like a medicine ball? A cure ball?

December 30, 2010  07:37 PM ET
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QUOTE(#11):
Originally posted 07:35 PM ET  12.30 by Rudedog: Thankful

Is that like a medicine ball? A cure ball?

*Oops. But yeah, I doubt he would do much against a medicine ball either.

December 30, 2010  07:38 PM ET
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The Cure Ball sounds like a product that needs to be marketed. It sounds good, helpful and fun.

December 30, 2010  07:43 PM ET
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still a HOUSE HOLD NAMe..



December 30, 2010  07:48 PM ET
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Yea at this point in time you have to think about how many generations of people knew who Ruth was. Sure Michael is probably the most popular modern figure. BUT if we're talking of all time it has to be Ruth. Think about how many people died before Michael was made popular. You know those people knew who Ruth was. Michael has about another 70 years of being a house hold name before he can get on Ruth's level.

December 30, 2010  07:49 PM ET
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When he won a title on Father's Day, you cried with him.



Real men don't cry.

December 30, 2010  07:52 PM ET
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if we include outside of the USA, gotta think pele trumps ruth....inside the USA, gotta agree with the babe.

December 30, 2010  07:53 PM ET
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this is a lie..

Everyone in America rooted for this guy

Rude, i just stated i couldn't stand MJ.. they're are plenty of others in my BOAT

December 30, 2010  07:53 PM ET
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QUOTE(#7):
Originally posted 07:31 PM ET  12.30 by PCH-LEH GO HEAT!

i think i got it the 2nd go around.. thanks tho

haha yes um you may have

 
December 30, 2010  07:54 PM ET
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QUOTE(#6):
Originally posted 07:31 PM ET  12.30 by Rudedog: Thankful

You're talking to yourself, I hope you know

I'm old give me a break

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