The top 5 "Household Names" in Pro Sports

• BigAppleBuckeye

  

  OK, let's say you take a vacation to someplace in Eastern Europe (let's say Prague), and you ask every resident you meet to name their Top 5 World Athletes (incorporating both skill and popularity) over the past 25 years. Which 5 come up the most on their list?
  
  My guess would be:
  
  1. Tiger Woods
  2. David Beckam
  3. Michael Jordan
  4. Mike Tyson
  5. Michael Phelps
  
  I am sure I am missing a bunch of famous soccer stars and other relevant "big names" ... what do you think?
• rydawg5

  1. Michael Jordan
  2. Tiger Woods
  3. Shaq
  4. Yao Ming
  5. Manny Paquiouw (sp?)
• september63

  

  If you cant spell it..............It doesnt belong on the list. To be that popular the spelling would be remembered?
• rydawg5

  Or be from an area of the world with about a billion more people than the American stars.
• Nate

  1. Tiger Woods
  2. Michael Jordan
  3. Yao Ming
  4. Shaquille O'Neal
  5. Kobe Bryant
• thedynasty1998

  

  Michael Jordan
  Lebron James
  Kobe Bryant
  Tiger Woods
  David Beckham
  
  I guarantee that there has been studies done on this, and with so many people in Asia we would have to figure our what sports they like and take that into consideration.
• Laley23

  

  Tiger Woods
  Diego Maradona
  Michael Jordan
  Zinadine Zidane
  Ronaldo (Brazil version)
  
  Tiger and Jordan are the ONLY two athletes I think even come close to word popularity of the greatest soccer stars of the last 25 years.
  
  Now, make a list of the last couple years and you may have an argument for others.
• thedynasty1998

  

  Article on this topic with interesting names:
  http://www.kornheiserscartel.com/2009/02/10139.html
• BigAppleBuckeye

  

  thedynasty1998 wrote: Article on this topic with interesting names:
  http://www.kornheiserscartel.com/2009/02/10139.html

  Cool link ... completely overlooked Ronaldinho, Bolt and Armstrong.
• Laley23

  

  thedynasty1998 wrote: Article on this topic with interesting names:
  http://www.kornheiserscartel.com/2009/02/10139.html

  yeah, see that is only over the last couple year (not the last 25). If we are going to go that route my list is a little different:
  
  1. Tiger Woods
  2. Ronaldhino
  3. David Beckham
  4. Leo Messi
  5. Kaka, Yao Ming, Ronaldo (Portugal version).....MAYBE Thierry Henry (but he is a little bit past world domination).
• hoops23

  

  Laley looks like he has the idea..
  
  Though, I'd definitely give Jordan a spot.
• Laley23

  

  LTrain23 wrote: Laley looks like he has the idea..
  
  Though, I'd definitely give Jordan a spot.

  haha, I forgot Jordan in that list. I didnt mean to take him or Tiger off. Jordan would however be down to 5 in the new list. Its been about 8 years since the world has seen him constantly.
• killdeer

  

  gotta put Mohammad Ali on the list.
  
  although he may not meet your 25 year window, I bet the average European would name him a number of times, (though not active athletically), as a cultural icon, which is really your question...
• End of Line

  

  1. Tiger Woods
  2. Michael Jordan
  3. Lebron James
  4. Wayne Gretzky
  5. Ronaldinho
• sleeper

  

  I think this list should be limited to Americans only, because if not, then all the wordly household names are going to be soccer players.
• 2kool4skool

  

  I'm just going present day, because it's hard to define who's more popular comparing across decades.
  
  1. Woods
  2. Beckham
  3. Ronaldinho
  4. Yao
  5. Bolt
  
  If we're going Americans only
  1. Woods
  2. Lebron
  3. Kobe
  4. Shaq
  5. Lance Armstrong
• DaBrowns41

  Pele was worlds better than Beckham.
• Laley23

  

  DaBrowns41 wrote: Pele was worlds better than Beckham.

  No one said he wasnt lol. But he isnt nearly as recognizable as Beckham over the last 25 yrs/today.
  
  Diego Maradona is the only one who is on Beckhams level from past generations (and he was like 20 years ago...
• DaBrowns41

  Laley23 wrote:

  DaBrowns41 wrote: Pele was worlds better than Beckham.

  No one said he wasnt lol. But he isnt nearly as recognizable as Beckham over the last 25 yrs/today.
  
  Diego Maradona is the only one who is on Beckhams level from past generations (and he was like 20 years ago...

  Are you kidding?
  
  When you think of soccer, the first name you think of is Pele, because you think Brazil immediately.