Top 10 athletes since 1980

@StumpTownStu

 I guess it was in the 90's. 

Alright, give me Carl Lewis Stu.

Bo

Deion

MJ

Gretzky

Bolt

Sugar Ray

Let me tell you something about Wayne Gretzky. By the early to mid 90's he had become Cinderella of the NHL.  I had season Whalers tickets Blue Line second row.  Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, was allowed to lay a glove on him.  It was just an unwritten NHL LAW that nobody could check him.  He skated around the ice like he owned the place.  Because he did.  And back then every team had an "enforcer".  But Gretzky NEVER got touched. 

How many points would Jordan have scored if he never got touched?  Brady?  LeBron?

Not saying Gretzky wasn't great.  He was.  But number 10 on the list is the right spot.  That's all.

HEY!!!  A D-Town sighting!!! 

Gretzky didn’t have size, wasn’t great skater and still was the best.  Early to mid 90’s NHL had already become soft, how the fack he make it out of 80’s?  I just watch Oil v Isles in 84 finals game 5 other day on TV with my son.  He was rattled, couldn’t believe what was not considered a penalty them.

We can agree to disagree.  But please don't put words in my mouth.  I said early to mid 90's.

At that time the NHL was DEFINITELY padding his numbers.

How did Gretzky get out of the 80's?  He most certainly skated and had an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time on BOTH ends of the ice.

Did you ever see a game live from row 2?  It was awesome to watch the fear in their eyes when they knew they were going to get pounded into the boards on the Blue Line.  The only reason I was NOT in row 1 was because the players aimed for the beer cups the idiots in row 1 placed on the shelf in front of them.

I can remember watching replay of 87 Canada Cup with him, announcer says Dale Hawerchuk name and my son says to me, was he good.

  Not sure I have ever felt like bigger failure as a father.

My first thought at the OP's list was Gretzky is way too low at #10. He was a transcendent talent to the NHL just like Jordan was to the NBA. They deserve to be 1 and 2 in whatever order you choose.

Cancer just got Hawerchuk in the summer.  57 yrs old JSMH. 

I remember seeing an old Gretzky interview on Letterman and Dave asked him does he fight and Gretzky responded he sometimes also gets asked if fighting is real in hockey and he responded well if it wasn't real you'd see me in more fights  

Good interview, talks about getting a big hit during the all star game, the NJ Devils being a Mickey Mouse organisation   starts at 27.15 02-05-1986 Letterman Connie Chung, Wayne Gretzky Trio - YouTube