The best there ever was….
I know for a fact that fans who were watching the sports greats of their time said to themselves, will there ever be a player better than this? Who could ever play baseball better than Babe Ruth? Who could ever hit a golf ball better than Bobby Jones, or a tennis ball better than Bill Tilden? Some say Otto Graham was the best Quarterback ever to strap on a helmet. How about Wilt, or Bill Russell? You get the picture.
Well of course these discussions are always interesting, and in some cases, the source of heated arguments. One thing is for sure though. Whenever there is, or was, someone on top of the mountain in their sporting endeavor, sooner of later someone arrives to stake a claim to that territory. Could their actually ever be a better basketball player than Michael Jordan? Some say, “no way.” Some say two other words………..”Lebron James.”
So what’s the point of all of this? Last Saturday I was flipping between the U.S. Open Tennis finals in New York, and the final round of the BMW Golf Championship outside of Chicago. Who was on center stage? One Roger Federer, and one Tiger Woods. I watched both with delight and awe. Federer, the 26 year-old from Switzerland, won his 12th Grand Slam tennis title, and is closing fast on Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Slam titles. He has been the number one ranked tennis player in the world since 2004, the longest anyone has been on that mountain top in the history of the sport. His skills and power are really something to behold. Most tennis pundits have already anointed him the best tennis player ever to have picked up a racket.
Then of course there’s Mr. Woods. At 31 years of age he has won 13 Major Professional Championships, and captured 60 PGA tournament events in total. With all due and appropriate respect to the great Jack Nicklaus, I don’t think many people wouldn’t admit that Tiger is the best that has ever played the game. It’s just a matter of time until Tiger breezes by Jack’s record of 18 Majors, a record few thought would ever fall. Woods can hit golf shots like no one ever has before him. Yes, the equipment is better, but for overall skill level, he is just flat out incredible.
So there I was, watching the two best that have ever played their respective sports. Federer smashing backhands down the line, or getting to balls that no human should. Switch channels, and there is Tiger, casually dropping a 63 on the BMW Field, and making it look no more taxing than a stroll in the park on a lazy Sunday afternoon. These two are so far on top of their respective mountains that I can completely understand why their adversaries get frustrated and disheartened.
One more thing about Federer and Woods. They are both handsome, possess infectious smiles, and both are “buffed” to the max. That’s hardly fair, now is it?
So, who will emerge one day to be the best of the best in tennis and in golf? Is one hitting it across the net at age 5 in Belgium, and the other mastering the art of blasting out of a sand trap at age 4, in Florida? As many have sat and watched before me, I just can’t conceive seeing someone better than Roger Federer, or better than Tiger Woods. But, as history tells us, that day will likely come…..
