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Count Zero


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this is just random musings, but i have been thinking about how few worldclass tennis players we have and at the moment the answer is just 1, but then i started to think how many world class sports people we have in this country in general, and is it just the way tennis is played at pro level that makes it stand out.

so i am thinking of either stand alone stars or in team sports a player who would make a 'world XI' as such. (Trying not to be biased)

So i am coming up with:
Andy Murray (tennis)
Kevin Pieterson (Cricket)
Steven Gerrard (Football)
Jonny Wilkinson (Rugby)
John Terry (Football)
Calzaghe (Boxing)
Hatton (Boxing)
Phil the Power (Darts)
Rocket Ronnie (Snooker)
Dame Ellen (Sailing)
Ben Ainsley (Sailing)
Jessica Ennis (Athletics)
Paula Radcliffe (Marathon)

Possibles:
Lewis Hamiliton (could be great, but he's not Shcumacher yet)
Wayne Rooney (great talent but a bit hot and cold)
Fat Frank (shoots a lot, gets lucky sometimes)


at the monent i cant think of anyone else, but my knowlege of sports isnt encycolpdic and there are some sports i know very little of (golf), also reading the latest bbc headline aleletics doenst look good for us.

anyone got any other sports stars they can add? at the moment my list is looking a bit thin.

edit: i'll update the list, so far football and boxing lead the way

-- Edited by Count Zero at 11:36, 2007-08-08

-- Edited by Count Zero at 11:57, 2007-08-08

-- Edited by Count Zero at 12:51, 2007-08-08

-- Edited by Count Zero at 15:57, 2007-08-08

-- Edited by Count Zero at 16:01, 2007-08-08

-- Edited by Count Zero at 16:50, 2007-08-09

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RedCabbage


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Calzaghe (I assume we're allowed welsh) and Hatton, I think.

Phil the Power.

Rocket Ronnie.

I think Lewis Hamilton is a good shout. He would definitely count as a world superstar, just not "Best Ever".

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RedCabbage


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There's really only one golfing superstar in the world. Though there's a handful of big guns (Els, Singh, Mickleson) there aren't any from GBR. All the best brits (Monty, Casey, Rose, Donald...) are a step behind.

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Count Zero


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forrmula 1 is a bit different as there are so few people competing in it and of course you need to be world class to get into any of the teams (or very rich) but a lot also depends on the car as well, Also lewis hasnt proven consitency yet (over a few years) and has only in fact won 3 races, whilst its a remarkable achivement he cant be classed with senna, prost, shcumi or even Alonso (yet).

i know its a bit harsh on him as murray isnt being compared with sampras borg etc, but i think F1 is a bit differrent.

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RobC


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Dame Ellen
Ben Ainsley

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johnnylad


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Jessica Ennis

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Montana Doug


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Hatton is the real deal....I went to Vegas to watch his last fight in June and it was amazing. I'd go again in Dec but my wife is having a baby at the end of Nov, a little girl.

I would also throw in Frank Lampard. I know he has not done it for England yet, but as a club player at Chelsea he has been amazing. I have no idea why Frank has not done better for England....reminds me of John Barnes, great for club so so for England. Maybe it is Gerrard in the team too.

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RobC


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Ben Ainslie's a double Olympic gold medal winning sailor

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Count Zero


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Fat Frank can go in the possibles, my aim was for only players who would get in a world XI to be included and i cant see frank there, even gerrad isnt a certainty

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Salmon


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I don't agree with Pietersen and Gerrard being our only superstars. If we are counting Murray, we should also count Flintoff, Panesar, Beckham, Rooney and Lampard.


Just like Panesar won't make the World XI, Murray won't be anywhere near making the World Davis Cup Team!

Great thread, by the way. clap.gif


We didn't have a single person in the top 10 of the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships. cry.gif

http://www.savonlinnafestivals.com/en_MMtulokset.htm#Oy

-- Edited by Arka at 04:49, 2007-08-09

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Count Zero


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but murray would be in a world top 10 if you made one up (rather than just looked a current rankings). i guess a world davis cup team would be fed, rafa, bryan x 2 i guess.

i only mentioned the world XI is cause i think often english squad/team players abilities are often over stated.




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mkkreuk


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Nicola Sanders...maybe...she's not as fast as some of the 400m women out there but she produces more often.

SHe's been in the top 5 in the world rankings this year and has only slipped out due to injury/not competing.

Jo PAvey also - she's the highest ranked british athlete.

We have two female athletes (jo and Nic) in the top 100 whereas we hae none in the mens! :(

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Sheddie


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Phillips Idowu maybe,

Michael Adams in chess....made the world championship final in 2004 and has been no 4 and in the top 10 regularly for the past decade


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Salmon


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Count Zero wrote:

but murray would be in a world top 10 if you made one up (rather than just looked a current rankings).



That is of course true, but the number of players having a career in pro football or cricket is significantly larger than what it is in tennis. Hence the number of players who are actually world class is also larger.


If we took the number of world class people in each sport as 11, we would also need to choose a World XI of F1 racers, meaning that guys like Button and Trulli, who have done nothing of international significance, would also get in. biggrin.gif



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Count Zero


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yeah, so thats why you differtiate between solo and team sports. athletics is also a hard one as it is broken down into many disciplines.

F1 is a hard one cause a lot is down to cars, if hamilton was in a spyker he would probably be faster than his teammate but he wouldnt be leading the WDC.

oh and sheddie chess doesnt count :)

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Count Zero - Creator of the Statistical Tennis Extrapolation & Verification ENtity or, as we like to call him, that steven.


www.alexbogdanovic.com
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