The Greatest Sports Stars of All-Time: Fifteen Fantastic Athletes

By: Gary Scott Smith

One of today's fiercest and most enjoyable debates involves which athletes are the GOATs--the greatest of all time--in various sports. In recent years, the debate over GOATs has intensified as hundreds of bloggers, websites, and radio and television talk shows have discussed this issue and numerous polls of sportswriters and fans have been conducted.. Comparing athletes from different eras is especially difficult because training regimes, equipment, and the level of competition has changed over time. Moreover, pundits and fans disagree about what being the "greatest" means. Does it depend on how many games or matches an individual wins, on athletic ability, on particular skills, on setting records, earning the largest paycheck, receiving the most endorsements, or on some combination of these factors? Those rated as the greatest performers in their sport have displayed great passion and work ethics, often led their teams to numerous titles, helped their teammates perform better, and played their best in critical games or matches. The greatest players have helped to alter the nature of and increase the popularity of their sports. Based on these considerations, The Greatest of Sports Stars of All-Time profiles Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Annika Sörenstam, Jack Nicklaus, Mia Hamm, Pelé, Diana Taurasi, LeBron James, Babe Ruth, Tom Brady, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, and Jim Thorpe. Endorsements Gary Scott Smith offers a thorough, thoughtful, and rigorous analysis of greatness in the major North American sports. His latest book is both an engaging read and a useful reference for readers interested in sports history. Moreover, it is a fantastic starting point for every major debate regarding the greatest athletes of all time. Clayton Trutor, author of Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta--and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports and Boston Ball: Rick Pitino, Jim Calhoun, Gary Williams and the Forgotten Cradle of Basketball Coaches . I have read a lot of good stuff on a lot of great players, and Gary Scott Smith's chapter on Mia Hamm is fantastic; the research is impeccable, and the writing is superb. It is one of the best pieces ever written about Hamm. Anson Dorrance IV, head coach of UNC women's soccer team and former U.S. Women's National Soccer Team coach In every sport, fans endlessly debate who is the Greatest of All Time (the Goat). Historian Gary Scott Smith takes this conversation to a higher level of analysis with this important book. Filled with useful statistical data and insightful arguments for his selections, Smith not only provides persuasive arguments for his choices. He also includes much-needed discussion of GOATS in women's sports. Whether or not one agrees with his choices, the reader and sports fan will find plenty in Smith's book that will inform their own GOAT selections--as well as much to form the basis for spirited conversation and debate. Christopher Evans, Professor of the History of Christianity and Methodist Studies, Boston University School of Theology and editor of The Faith of 50 Million: Baseball, Religion, and American Culture In GOATS , Gary Scott Smith takes on an impossible task: identifying the greatest athletes of all time. Written with a historian's eye and a love for sports, Smith's book offers a great entry point into thinking more deeply about the lives and legacies of some of the most important athletes in modern history. Agree or disagree, Smith's extensive research will give you something to ponder. Let the debates begin! Paul Putz, Assistant Director for the Faith & Sports Institute, Baylor University's Truett Seminary

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CWF8L6FP
• ISBN13: 9798882624100
• Release Date: February 2024
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 587 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.3" x 6.0"