Settle bet - most famous US athlete, all time

[JustinD]

I would say that a random poll of anywhere in the world would find far more people that could vaguely name Jordan than anyone. If this was 1945 I would say Ruth, but it’s not. Random Brazilian or Nigerian twenty somethings are not discussing Ruth right now. Even Jordan is likely aging out of the world lexicon and being replaced by Lebron. That’s the circle of natural progression.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I would say that a random poll of anywhere in the world would find far more people that could vaguely name Jordan than anyone. If this was 1945 I would say Ruth, but it’s not. Random Brazilian or Nigerian twenty somethings are not discussing Ruth right now. Even Jordan is likely aging out of the world lexicon and being replaced by Lebron. That’s the circle of natural progression.

If fame is measured just today, maybe. Few people remember Thorpe.

But from 1914 through 1980, nobody knew who Michael Jordan was. That's why I think, of all the people who have lived, Ruth is the obvious answer.

[Carter08]

Jordan.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Jordan, then LeBron if we are talking about now. Basketball is king.

[bk400]

Originally Posted by Mark17

If fame is measured just today, maybe. Few people remember Thorpe.

But from 1914 through 1980, nobody knew who Michael Jordan was. That's why I think, of all the people who have lived, Ruth is the obvious answer.

So I was thinking a bit more about this --- The population of the United States in 1914 was about 99 million people, and there have been five generations (roughly 25 years in length) from 1914 until today, where the US population is around 333 million.

The population of China in 1980 was 1.25 billion, and today it is 1.4 billion. That's two generations of people, but a much larger population base. The same trend would be seen in India.

I'm not a population / demography expert (maybe a Net54 statistician can help), but I wonder whether Jordan beats Ruth on popularity even on aggregate numbers over time because Jordan would have been much, much more popular than Ruth in both China and India, and since 1980, that's a lot of people.

[maniac_73]

Ali was a global icon. The guy was known everywhere, from the U.S. to Africa, to places like the Middle East. And it wasn’t just about his boxing. His stance on Vietnam, his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, and his larger-than-life personality made him more than an athlete—he was a symbol of standing up for what you believe in. Even people who didn’t watch boxing knew who Ali was, and they respected him.

Jordan’s a close second for sure. He dominated basketball, and let’s be real, his Air Jordans are legendary. His global impact on the sport and pop culture can’t be denied. But while Jordan’s fame came mostly through sports and branding, Ali was bigger than the game. He was about social issues, humanity, and even post-retirement, he stayed relevant as a symbol of perseverance.

And as for Babe Ruth—don’t get me wrong, he was a huge figure in American sports and changed baseball forever, but his fame was more localized. He dominated the U.S., but his name didn’t really travel globally the way Ali’s and Jordan’s did. Baseball wasn’t the international sport that basketball or boxing became, so while Ruth’s a legend in American history, his influence just didn’t reach the same worldwide level. Ali and Jordan transcended sports in a way that Ruth, unfortunately, didn’t.

So yeah, for me, Ali takes the top spot because his legacy goes beyond just sports. Jordan’s still a GOAT in his own right, but Ali had that extra level of worldwide fame and influence.

[Peter_Spaeth]

The documentary on the Ali-Foreman fight is fascinating, one of the aspects being the overwhelming support of the crowd for Ali. As an aside, it's amazing the George Foreman of that film and fight became who he eventually became more than a decade later.

[sthoemke]

1) Ali

2) Bruce Lee

3) Hulk Hogan

4) Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth