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Reactions: SI's 20th Century Awards Users share their best of the past 100 years
Posted: Tuesday December 07, 1999 01:20 AM
CNNSI.com asked users what they thought of the Sports Illustrated's 20th Century Awards. Many users enjoyed the prime-time television special -- while others thought just the opposite. Users also shared what they thought should have been some of the greatest moments in sports over the past 100 years, as well of some of the greatest athletes A sample of the most interesting responses follows: Just the thought of all of the greatest living athletes, Jordan, Gretzky, etc, chanting Muhammad Ali's name should make everyone realize just how much this man is respected by the most respected people in the sports and entertainment community.
How can this be considered the best athletes and sports moments in the past 100 years without making any mention to soccer? Soccer is the biggest sports spectacle in the world with the World Cup coming every four years. You should have called the show Sports Illustrated's 20th Century Greatest North American Athletes. Pele should have been given an award. It seems easier to me to hit a homerun than to score a goal.
Muhammad Ali as Sportsmen of the Century? Perhaps SI forgot when this man threw his Olympic Gold Medal into the Ohio River!
I believe that most of your choices were as close to perfect as could ever be expected. No one could ever question the choice of Muhammad Ali as the athlete of the century. He presented his sport to the entire world and is more universally recognized than any other athlete. Many of your other choices could be accused of being highly Americanized but after all, your magazine is an American publication. I do believe that Jesse Owens made a more significant contribution to international sports than did Carl Lewis because of the political situation in the world at the time but Carl is definitely a superior athlete. Great job SI!
How can you leave off the one man who dominated his sport more than anyone living both as an athlete and as a coach? The man, Dan Gable! Dan is the greatest wrestler to ever live. He had a 181-1 record in college and high school, and was never scored on while winning an Olympic Gold medal. As a coach he posted 21 consecutive Big Ten championships at the Univ. of Iowa, 13 NCAA team championships including 9 in a row. He posted a 340-20-5(93.2%) record as a head coach and was 124-2-1(97.6%) against tough Big Ten competition. You really dropped the ball on this one SI!
Your programming department did an excellent job with your 20th Century Awards. It has been along time since I have enjoyed a program so greatly. I wished I had recorded it so I could go view it again. I can't describe the emotion I felt as I watched the many great athletes in the audience as well as the screen being honored. Kudos to Mohammed Ali! He is the one of the greatest. Just wanted to say a job well done.
How can SI talk about athletes of the Century without saying the names of greats like Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt? Both of whom you would know are seven-time Winston Cup Champions.
What about the players from the Negro leagues like Satcho Paige and many more of them. If baseball had been integrated at the 1900's we might not be honoring Ruth but maybe someone from the Negro league. We definitely should include some of those players on the all century teams because they have made sport what it is today.
Where was Jim Thorpe? No category for someone who won the two toughest Olympic events -- the Pentathlon, and the Decathlon in the same Olympics. Then he had his medals taken away for 68 years because he played pro Baseball. He practically invented the NFL and was one of its biggest early stars. You should be ashamed for not finding a place in your show for him.
The greatest player to ever grace a turf or court, Pele was absent from your awards show. Not only was he the best player in a truly world sport winning an amazing three world cups, scoring 1,282 goals (139 in one season), and average of about one goal a game (among other achievements), but has been a great ambassador for the game. He has brought popularity to the game in America, and has continued interest today in the advancement of the game. He was voted the South American player of the century in 1999 and in 1980. How can he possible be left out of your list for the top athletes of the 20th century?
I have no argument with the choices. No matter who was selected from among the nominees, there would have been some complaints. My problem was with the production itself. Cutting off Michael Jordan in the middle of his acceptance speech, bringing legends on stage and cutting away to a long shot view of the audience? Insulting. Overall, pitiful production values. Too many wooden athletes reading from cue cards. On the bright side, the ending was perfect, with Billy Crystal speaking as and for Ali and Ali's brief and classy comments. Almost saved the day.
How could it happen that Cal Ripken's breaking of Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak not be one of the top moments in the century? That is one record that will never be broken with the attitude of athletes nowadays. Not even a mention of Cal throughout the entire program.
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