So who is the best tourney player to have lived?

[TJ 2]

For my money, given tha sport's short history, it has to be tha man Erik Felix.

Why?


Cos homeboy could do it all; he could read the game like no-one else; knew what was going on across tha field, could hang in tha middle and bust out some devastating crawls and mid-line run-thrus, yet you put him on point and he would still destroy. Equally, if he's last man in with 4 guys coming onto him, ya still wouldn't bet against him taking em all down.

So there's my man, what y'all gotta say? Who's the king and why?

 

[Liz]

Wow TJ, you certainly know how to ask difficult questions! I honestly don't feel able to comment on this one as I've only seen European players bar a couple of Millenniums, but I'm really looking forward to some of the other responses you get. Presumably this post was in response to Sytraxz's post about the shortage of good threads & to stop him starting one of his own.

I note you started this while Robbo was off on his honeymoon

 

[Baca Loco]

A critical error, maestro

Can't expect loads of responses when you start off by giving THE answer. Still, I could contribute a worthy candidate but it would betray a regional bias and leave out the Euros altogether--but really, don't all the best prospects?
Moo

PS--no doubt Robo will set the record straight with his usual modesty and decorum

 

[peegee]

The man Himself

DAVE SPITTLE

nuf said!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Al Woods]

LEGEND!!

Edwards promised he'd get me a Dave Spittle jersey and guess what.....yup, still bloody waiting.

Well, I think Ledz is awesome to be honest. The man can play support, play mid, give a point player the confidence to bust moves and believe in themselves AND he can bunker fools lefty and righty, better at righty than lefty though. Oh yeah, he can read a game like a mo'fo.

So there, UK represent.

 

[Mr Big]

To say Erik Felix is the best player ever to have lived is like saying that Steve Cram is the best long distance runner ever to have lived. They were both world class in the context of the standard of the field at the time, but the competition gets tougher all the time, the bar is raised, people find better ways to train, techniques are improved.

All in all as time progresses everyone has to compete in a more difficult field. The athletes of today are better athletes than those ten years ago, maybe not in terms of natural talent, but thanks to science, tougher goals, experience, changes in technique, and commitment.

Erik Felix was a pioneering playing in his time, but the players of today get to learn from his tricks and then add to them with more modern techniques. The game has never been tougher than it is now, and certain skills that would have been rare, even unheard of back in the day, are now commonplace. Shooting lefty, multiple bunkerings, snapshooting while looking the other way, blah blah - we see them all the time in the NPPL now.

What I'm trying to say, but am using rather too many words to do so, is that you need to pick a current play if you want the best player of all time, and I can thing of a few:

Markus Nielsen - GZ
Todd Martinez - Avalanche
Oliver Lang - Dynasty
Fred Halmone - Ton Tons
Pete Moore - The Flying Dobermans

 

[TJ Lambini]

Bull****

Pele remains the greatest soccer player ever to live, Brue Lee arguably tha greatest martial artist, Ali tha bext boxer...

 

[Al Woods]

CHECKMATE!!

What a response.

I'm with you on that one TJ. Sure, some of the new kids could whupp the **** outta the old boys which is why they destroy fools now but you gotta look at the total package and how it will stand over time. Felix and the likes and Bob Long are still playing at the very top now, 10-14 years on. Who's to say that when some more young teams come along that can suss the likes of Dynasty out they may fade out, ok unlikely but true greatness comes out when the odds are against them. Bob Long is a good example.

 

[Mr Big]

you can't prove that though, because you can't put Pele up against today's soccer players, etc. You can, however, prove that today's standard of play is better than it was then.

Yeah, Pele looked awesome against the players of his time because he was so far ahead of their game, but I suspect many of today's players wouldn't allow him to get away with half the stuff he got away with then. Apart from anything, they're much fitter, stronger and better disciplined (on the field at least) than they were then. Play becomes more sophisticated, the bar is raised.

To pick a sportsman who was at the top of his game several years ago and name him as the best ----- of all time, he would have to be so far ahead of his game it's almost impossible, which I grant is probably true for Bruce Lee - he was superhuman.

I don't think there's ever been anyone in pball good enough to maintain 'world's best player ever' status for years after their halcyon days

 

[TJ Lambini]

Diasgree, but anyway...

Who will be this season's player of tha year?