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What makes an athlete great?
Published: Fri, 2011-10-28 21:09
Dr Cliff Bertrand
Who is the “Greatest of All-Time?” The argument is interesting, and perhaps deeply rooted in the ambiguity in the definition of athletic greatness. Are we dealing with win/ loss or the all-inclusive person of the athlete? So what makes an athlete great? It is like asking what makes a car run. Surely not gas alone! Yes. It is that complicated. What is the physical difference between an Olympic gold and Olympic silver medal? Or is there a difference? Everyone has different criteria for greatness. One could use a system of reputation, the pundits call “ranking by points;” and “I like him or her” arguments. Some consider greatness based on defining moments, while others consider the political advantage they would rather support. Some base their opinion on pure athletic ability or statistics; while even more astonishing is the place of value on the “intangibles.” In order to differentiate which criterion is consistently used in juxtaposition with “Greatest of All-Time,” different sports authorities including the IAAF, Track & Field news, Sports illustrated Magazine, NBC Sports, and ESPN all seem to be the most credible at addressing this longstanding question.
They appear very consistent in who they define as the “Greatest of All-Time,” A lists of stars who have influenced world opinions and drawn attention to their sport and country of origin: Pele of Brazil, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali of the USA, Herb McKinley and Usain Bolt of Jamaica. These are all impact people. At the top of their lists. These Athletes all have several traits in common that define greatness. Athletes can only be truly considered “great” if they have that rare combination of athleticism, statistical dominance and the ability to transcend the game: Life after. For the purposes of argumentation, look at the total athlete physical, emotional, social and mental realisms that not only create success on and off the arenas of athletic competition but through consistency, dominance, numeracy, professionalism, patriotic service, academic excellence, public service. This argument ends. In the history of athletics in T&T two men have achieved this pinnacle of achievements on and off intense, competitive and combative arenas of sport and private, public life of service. Wendell Mottley and Ato Boldon.
Wendell Mottley
Mottley won silver and bronze medals at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He won two gold medals at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. The 440 yards dash and the 4x440 yards relay events- helped establish a world record at this event. He established world records at 440, 500, and 600 yards indoors. He conducted clinics for T&F athletes in Trinidad & Tobago. Wendell Adrian Motley (born July 2, 1941 in Port-of-Spain) educated at Queen’s Royal College: He is an economist, politician and athlete. He attended Yale University. He was Finance Minister in the People’s National Movement government between 1991 and 1995. He was responsible for the flotation of the Trinidad and Tobago dollar.
He is a Senior Advisor and investment banker at Credit Suisse in New York. He was a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development, a United States-based think tank, where he contributed “Industrial Policy in Trinidad and Tobago”, focused on governance in an oil-rich state. Wendell Mottley was a Fulbright scholar of economics at Cambridge University in England. “The purpose of this Fulbright Award is to promote global citizenship and inspire a peaceful world. One-To-World saluted Wendell Mottley for his thoughtful and lifelong business, government and environmental service, bridging cultures to bring about positive change,” He was director of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Washington
Ato Boldon
The British Broadcasting Corporation hired Boldon as commentator and analyst for their T&F Championships. Because of his popularity and knowledge of the game he returned to cover the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in 2000 for the BBC in California. In June 2007, he debuted for NBC Sports as an analyst for the US National Championships, and the Osaka World Championships. In 2008, he was a sprint analyst at the US Olympic Trials and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Boldon was praised for his work by the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and The New York Times press; they described him as “one of NBC’s best analysts, a blend of athletic smarts, charisma, precise analysis and brashness.”
The public activist places high value on physical accomplishments, longevity, skills and determination in his characterisation of a “great athlete. Major sporting organisations proclaim that athletes who dominated their game athletically or statistically as being great. This is another way of justifying claim. However, true this judgment may be, there is justifiable argumentation that it is through dominance in the competitive arenas that an athlete first enters the “Greatness” conversation. Dominance means breaking records, winning more than others, being an individual awarded winner, top five in your event in the world. An athlete without these credentials should not be in the conversation. Athletes are ambassadors of their country. They need poise, a winning psyche, the ability to think, to analyse situations, to react gamely to stressful conditions and situations. It is for the lack of these traits many great athletes are overlooked.
Why isn’t Hasely Crawford in the conversation, it is because he will be remembered as a runner with Olympic gold who never fulfilled his true potential. A local media source claimed that he was hindered in his career by many unfortunate events in his personal life, as well, admittedly, as some definite character flaws. He did not have the mental energy that breeds success or create a character worthy of international respect. Without respectful fundamentals, greatness is rare and simply not achievable.There are other criteria which could be used in this argument. However, they are not included because of no defining moments.
Published: Fri, 2011-10-28 21:09
Dr Cliff Bertrand
Who is the “Greatest of All-Time?” The argument is interesting, and perhaps deeply rooted in the ambiguity in the definition of athletic greatness. Are we dealing with win/ loss or the all-inclusive person of the athlete? So what makes an athlete great? It is like asking what makes a car run. Surely not gas alone! Yes. It is that complicated. What is the physical difference between an Olympic gold and Olympic silver medal? Or is there a difference? Everyone has different criteria for greatness. One could use a system of reputation, the pundits call “ranking by points;” and “I like him or her” arguments. Some consider greatness based on defining moments, while others consider the political advantage they would rather support. Some base their opinion on pure athletic ability or statistics; while even more astonishing is the place of value on the “intangibles.” In order to differentiate which criterion is consistently used in juxtaposition with “Greatest of All-Time,” different sports authorities including the IAAF, Track & Field news, Sports illustrated Magazine, NBC Sports, and ESPN all seem to be the most credible at addressing this longstanding question.
They appear very consistent in who they define as the “Greatest of All-Time,” A lists of stars who have influenced world opinions and drawn attention to their sport and country of origin: Pele of Brazil, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali of the USA, Herb McKinley and Usain Bolt of Jamaica. These are all impact people. At the top of their lists. These Athletes all have several traits in common that define greatness. Athletes can only be truly considered “great” if they have that rare combination of athleticism, statistical dominance and the ability to transcend the game: Life after. For the purposes of argumentation, look at the total athlete physical, emotional, social and mental realisms that not only create success on and off the arenas of athletic competition but through consistency, dominance, numeracy, professionalism, patriotic service, academic excellence, public service. This argument ends. In the history of athletics in T&T two men have achieved this pinnacle of achievements on and off intense, competitive and combative arenas of sport and private, public life of service. Wendell Mottley and Ato Boldon.
Wendell Mottley
Mottley won silver and bronze medals at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He won two gold medals at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. The 440 yards dash and the 4x440 yards relay events- helped establish a world record at this event. He established world records at 440, 500, and 600 yards indoors. He conducted clinics for T&F athletes in Trinidad & Tobago. Wendell Adrian Motley (born July 2, 1941 in Port-of-Spain) educated at Queen’s Royal College: He is an economist, politician and athlete. He attended Yale University. He was Finance Minister in the People’s National Movement government between 1991 and 1995. He was responsible for the flotation of the Trinidad and Tobago dollar.
He is a Senior Advisor and investment banker at Credit Suisse in New York. He was a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development, a United States-based think tank, where he contributed “Industrial Policy in Trinidad and Tobago”, focused on governance in an oil-rich state. Wendell Mottley was a Fulbright scholar of economics at Cambridge University in England. “The purpose of this Fulbright Award is to promote global citizenship and inspire a peaceful world. One-To-World saluted Wendell Mottley for his thoughtful and lifelong business, government and environmental service, bridging cultures to bring about positive change,” He was director of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Washington
Ato Boldon
The British Broadcasting Corporation hired Boldon as commentator and analyst for their T&F Championships. Because of his popularity and knowledge of the game he returned to cover the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in 2000 for the BBC in California. In June 2007, he debuted for NBC Sports as an analyst for the US National Championships, and the Osaka World Championships. In 2008, he was a sprint analyst at the US Olympic Trials and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Boldon was praised for his work by the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and The New York Times press; they described him as “one of NBC’s best analysts, a blend of athletic smarts, charisma, precise analysis and brashness.”
The public activist places high value on physical accomplishments, longevity, skills and determination in his characterisation of a “great athlete. Major sporting organisations proclaim that athletes who dominated their game athletically or statistically as being great. This is another way of justifying claim. However, true this judgment may be, there is justifiable argumentation that it is through dominance in the competitive arenas that an athlete first enters the “Greatness” conversation. Dominance means breaking records, winning more than others, being an individual awarded winner, top five in your event in the world. An athlete without these credentials should not be in the conversation. Athletes are ambassadors of their country. They need poise, a winning psyche, the ability to think, to analyse situations, to react gamely to stressful conditions and situations. It is for the lack of these traits many great athletes are overlooked.
Why isn’t Hasely Crawford in the conversation, it is because he will be remembered as a runner with Olympic gold who never fulfilled his true potential. A local media source claimed that he was hindered in his career by many unfortunate events in his personal life, as well, admittedly, as some definite character flaws. He did not have the mental energy that breeds success or create a character worthy of international respect. Without respectful fundamentals, greatness is rare and simply not achievable.There are other criteria which could be used in this argument. However, they are not included because of no defining moments.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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