Mirrodie From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 7421 posts, RR: 65 Reply 1, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1027 times:
PELE- this would have been my answer and still may very well be. But since the avenues of communication opened up over the years, the world has had more visibility to other atheletes. So who knows??
Yep, I still think Pele may have dominated the 20th Century.
Forum moderator 2001-2010; He's a pedantic, pontificating, pretentious bastard, a belligerent old fart, a worthless st
737doctor From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 1332 posts, RR: 48 Reply 2, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1025 times:
It has to be Jordan, though back in the day Babe Ruth was huge...both literally and figuratively...
Arsenal@LHR From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 7791 posts, RR: 23 Reply 3, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 1019 times:
KROC From United States of America, joined May 2000, 19737 posts, RR: 76 Reply 4, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 1014 times:
Chad Thomas
"Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking again"
Andreas From Germany, joined Oct 2001, 6104 posts, RR: 34 Reply 5, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 1010 times:
I thought the question was worldwide???
Babe Ruth...no way, nobody outside the US knows who this guy was, except some baseball fans.
Michael Jordan, better, but still, if you're not into basketball you have no idea who that is. The same goes for Tiger Woods.
I believe the best-known athlete would be a racedriver like Fangio (certainly not Schumacher or Senna as they are/were not that famous in the US) or into athletics, like Jesse Owens.
Soccer, well then Pele, but Beckham..come on...never ever!!! Most people outside Uk think he's a male hair model or a spice girl's husband (both true!!) but certainly not a soccer player (also true!! *ggg*).
MD-90 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 8418 posts, RR: 13 Reply 8, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 1005 times:
Who's Pele?
Just kidding. I remember reading a story about his life in 4th or 5th grade or so. It was in our reading book.
FlyinIllini From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 59 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 992 times:
I would say Ali..easily then Pele, Jordan? Outside of Canada, US, and Scandanavia...is Wayne Gretzky (hockey) famous? Just wondering.
The Jamaican bobsled team.
Mike Tyson.
The ski jumper that crashed on the beginning of Wide World of Sports.
Oh you said famous..not infamous..sorry
Flyingbronco05 From United States of America, joined May 2002, 3838 posts, RR: 3 Reply 12, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 991 times:
Manny Legace (Back-up Goalie for the Detroit Redwings)
On a serious note though, I'd say MJ also. Or even "The Great One" (Wayne Gretsky)
Vafi88 From United States of America, joined Apr 2001, 3116 posts, RR: 18 Reply 13, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 980 times:
MJ, Tiger Woods, Muhhamed Ali.....who the hell is Pele?
I'd like to elect a president that has a Higher IQ than a retarted ant.
Mt99 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 6354 posts, RR: 7 Reply 14, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 977 times:
i would say Ronaldo. pretty much guaranteed (Pele, maybe)
Racko From Germany, joined Nov 2001, 4838 posts, RR: 21 Reply 15, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 964 times:
Gretzky is only known to sport experts in europe. Muhammad Ali is also a good candidate. I doubt Michael Jordan, he's not really famous outside the USA.
Hartsfieldboy From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 552 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 965 times:
What is the world's game? Football (Soccer)
Who is the most famous player of that game? Pelé
Who own a replica Santos football jersey with Pelé's #10? Hartsfieldboy
I think its pretty obvious who the most famous athlete is. You have to remeber that most of the world doesn't know anything Golf, Basketball, Boxing, Baseball or Hockey, much less any names. Yet nearly every person in every country at least knows what football is. And nearly every country have organized teams.
Flyingbronco05- Manny Legace came in a close second when polled among third world African countries.
National_757 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 17, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 960 times:
Pel?? and Jordan are definitely up there.
In the US anyway, no one can even come close to Jordan's success. There are very few people in the US and quite possibly the western world that do not know who #23 is.
To Michael Jordan, a living legend and the very best player to ever play the game of b-ball.
Theiler From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 633 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 958 times:
Give Manny a couple of years.. The man knows his **** in net!
737doctor From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 1332 posts, RR: 48 Reply 19, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 955 times:
Who is Fangio? Fabio's kid brother with an overbite?
Flyingbronco05 From United States of America, joined May 2002, 3838 posts, RR: 3 Reply 20, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 953 times:
Hartsfieldboy
Manny Legace came in a close second when polled among third world African countries
AA61hvy From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 13975 posts, RR: 59 Reply 22, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 940 times:
Who is Pele? I haven't heard of this guy before.
It was studied in Psychology that more people recoginzed Michael Jordan than they did their parents, outside of the United States. I believe the study was done in a 3rd world country. I'm pretty into sports, other than soccer. Soccer is one sport I dont follow at all.
STT757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 16261 posts, RR: 52 Reply 23, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 938 times:
I've read many articles about this same topic,
the most well known athlete in the World is Muhamed Ali.
USAFHummer From United States of America, joined May 2000, 10685 posts, RR: 54 Reply 24, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 938 times:
Pele, MJ, and Ali in that order came to mind for me...
Greg
Chief A.net college football stadium self-pic guru
25 STT757: Most folks in the US, Canada and Japan don't follow Soccer and don't know who Pele is, in these three countries baseball, basketball and football (Can
26 Kj76: Accordng to a survey the most famous athlete in the world is actually Michael Jordan. And here in Europe he is just as famous as in the US. I believe
27 Rai: Fame-shmame...Hepkat will always be my favorite athelete. Signed, KROC
Sponsor Message: 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 7791 posts, 
From Germany, joined Oct 2001, 6104 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
Printer friendly format 
