Thursday, February 01, 2018

Blind Item #9 - Which Athlete?

 There is an athlete out there who is a PERFECT comparison to Bonds. And this person IS in their respective HOF. (Not baseball) For most, I would say the “name” is as big if not bigger than Bonds in both sports and, I guess, pop culture.

Like Bonds, this athlete set records which will more then likely never be broken. Like Bonds, this athlete was better than their competitors (the best on the planet) by a VERY significant margin. Like Bonds, this athlete was widely speculated to be using PED’s on absurd levels yet never failed a drug test and always maintained their innocence. Unlike Bonds, this athlete is considered a groundbreaking athlete. This athlete is revered and loved. And, as I said, in their respective HOF.

Haven’t read any articles on the comparisons which are interesting and so similar. This athlete did this in our lifetime and on the biggest stage in the world. Who is it? (Note: not an obscure sport. One of the biggest sports on planet earth. “Real” sport, not pro wrestling. This sport is represented in the Olympic Games and has been for a very, very long time).

171 comments:

sandybrook said...

Mark Spitz? It's got to be a swimmer or a runner.

cheesegrater15 said...

HOF?


Uhhhhhhhh...Usain Bolt?

T. W. said...

Serena Williams? Michael Phelps? One of the gymnasts or figure skaters? Who is being honored at the games this year?

sniper said...

It's Bolt. Near all of his teammates got caught.

Horse said...

Michael Phelps?

Hmax17 said...

Is there a track and field hall of fame?

MeMyselfandIandYou said...

Michael Jordan

Hmax17 said...

Biggest sport on the planet makes me think soccer (futbol)

Anonymous said...

Michael Jordan?

Spider Rico said...

Being around professional athletics all my life and a former semi-pro athlete - ALL sports on every level are tainted with HGH Steroids/PEDS. All NFL/MLB about 95% - MMA 90% Olympic Athletes 100% Soccer about 90% NBA is the least with about a little more than 75% using.

HGH has become the real culprit, as it has become so advanced, that even a spinal tap can not pick it up, which u needed in the past to spot.

Tiger Woods perhaps may be the blind since most people do not realize he's been on it all, including heavy dosages of beta blocker.

Enjoy the Super "Cyber" Bowl on Sunday.

sandybrook said...

Bolt isn't in a Hall of Fame yet, he just retired. I don't think Phelps is in yet either.

sandybrook said...

Michael Jordan is a great guess though and Enty loves basketball too.

CuriousTex said...

Carl Lewis?

Krab said...

Tiger Woods.

Dena said...

There is a documentary on doping called Icarus - it's nominated for an Oscar this year and it's available on Netflix...really intriguing and well made. Check it out.

Justaregularteacher said...

Bobby Meecham

Sal Salington said...

Basketball hasn't been in the olympics for a "very, very long time", so not Jordan.

I dunno, Pele maybe?

SeijnSei said...

Cristiano Ronaldo.

PCH said...

Could it be a boxer?

Florin said...

I was thinking that, Sandy, but I don't know if basketball has been in the Olympics long enough to qualify for the blind.

BeaBorges said...

PELE

Spider Rico said...

Just realized blind said HOF as Tiger is not in his HOF yet...

Could be

Jordan
Pele
Elway

Stephe96 said...

I'll guess Serena

Jon1drfl said...

Lebron?

Boldblonde said...

Thought of Ronaldo right away!

Muckduck said...

Michael Jordan? Basketball is in the olympics.

SDaly said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Spider Rico said...

Or Mayweather

jonesy said...

hi y'all!
bo jackson?

Unknown said...

It says both sports. Does this mean the athlete played two sports, or is just a bigger name than Bonds?
BTW - Michael Jordan did play minor league ball with the White Sox.

SDaly said...

Serena Williams

BeaBorges said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
xtine said...

Wayne Gretzky was my first thought. I hope I'm wrong.

Tim said...

It says "not an obscure sport" so it's not a hockey player.

marq danger said...

either Ronaldo or Zinedine Zidane. both played for Real Madrid.
the clue i think is the "Real" in the blind.

PookieD said...

With the mentioning of "planet" twice I thought of Michael Jordan because of Space Jam.

This and That said...

Federer?

MM said...

Roger Federer

Tennis

MJ said...

Carl Lewis? He was good in BOTH sports( Jump and Run )..or Michael Jordan? Basket AND that other sport he did, i don't remember which ? ( baseball? Golf?)

Mem said...

I thought Serena Williams too, but she's not in the tennis HOF (yet).

Buddytesla said...

Basketball has been in the Olympics since at least the 1960s. Pros weren’t allowed to compete there though until more recently.

Mem said...

It doesn't say "both sports" as in two sports, it says "both sports AND pop culture"

T. W. said...

@Dena - Thank you!

Truthseeker said...

Basketball has been in the olympics for men since 1936, consistently, that is a long long time in my book.
I love Michael, met him several times in Chicago when we lived there, he was always nice, but as he still has many records that will never be broken, i am going with him on this one.

Farmgirl said...

Muhammed Ali?

T. W. said...

Katharina Witt? Germany had a doping program back in the day.

gadfly said...

Basketball and golf have not been in the Olympics for a "very, very long time" so I think that eliminates Jordan and Tiger Woods. Also, neither are universally revered and loved.

Usain Bolt not in track and field HOF. Phelps, although a shoo in, isn't in HOF yet either.

Also needs to be "groundbreaking" athlete.....

Gonna go with @CuriousTex and agree with the Carl Lewis guess. Widely speculated to have doped, had a couple of dirty tests back in the day.

Ibcm said...

Herschel Walker

T. W. said...

@gadfly Golf first appeared at the Olympics in 1900. Basketball 1936.

Mem said...

Yeah, Michael Jordan's a good fit - Hall of Fame, revered and loved, bigger than Bends in sport and pop culture, still holds numerous records, Olympic sport.

hothotheat said...

Lol at you folks thinking figure skaters dope.

TimC said...

turbo charged Jamaicans mon?

whatever works. let me know when women get accused of taking good looking pills.

gadfly said...

T.W. - wow - thought golf was a relatively recent addition to the Olympics...

SeijnSei said...

Football (known as soccer in the USA) was the first team sport added to the Olympics, in 1900. There is also evidence that football was demonstrated in 1896. At first only a men's competition was included. A women's Olympic football event was only added in 1996.....

T. W. said...

@Hmax17 America has several national track and field hall of fames.

Anonymous said...

Heh

T. W. said...

@hothotheat - Some skaters have been caught. Irina Slutskaya was suspected of using the drug that Maria Sharapova was caught using. Slutskaya now has heart and other problems because of it.

BayAreaGirl said...

Since Swimming and Track & Field have been part of the modern Olympics games since their inception, this is either Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps.

Several of Phelps' records have already been broken and he's no longer dominant in the sport, but Bolt still holds the world record in the 100m & 200m by a huge margin. He is also the first and only athlete to win the 100m AND the 200m in 3 Olympic games. As someone who ran Track from 5th grade through college, I can tell you that Bolt's times are insane.
For reference here's a list of the top ten fastest 100m ever run. Yes, most of the names on this list have served suspensions for PED use.

http://www.alltime-athletics.com/m_100ok.htm

TimC said...

Blogger Hmax17 said...

Is there a track and field hall of fame?


sure is max, called: "Athletes Feat", Boxton-on-the-Boring, Surrey.

americanpanda said...

I feel like Michael Jordan fits in every way.

bleacherbunny said...

Not American football. Not golf. Not baseball. Dunno if track, swimming or even tennis qualify as "one of the biggest sports on planet earth" the way that soccer does. Biggest stage in the world, if soccer, World Cup or Olympics. My 2 cents.

Neil said...

Hmmmmmm.....

Woods - best on the planet by a wide margin. Not revered and loved, more respected within the golf world. Also, golf had a long hiatus between Olympic Games appearances.

Gretzky - fits, but nobody ever accused him of doping.

Jordan - fits, but more known for his NBA play, which is not the 'biggest stage in the world'.

Ali - fits, but what 'records' are there in boxing that can't be beaten?

Carl Lewis - could be, but not really groundbreaking, and his records have been broken.

Bolt - fits, but in what way is he groundbreaking?

Phelps - certainly fits, but again in what way is he groundbreaking? That he didn't go to college and became a 'professional' swimmer? Also, his gold medal haul will likely never be broken, but his times in the pool certainly will be. And I don't think he's ever been accused of doping, either.

Mayweather?? Would he fit?

Unknown said...

I forgot to add that he played for the Whie Sox during the same time he was playing for the Bulls.

Karen D.C. said...

I don’t think Jordan was ever suspected of doping. Phelps was.

larrybar said...

http://www.ighof.com/inductees/1993_Nadia_Comaneci.php

IdaBish said...

Martina Navratilova.

T. W. said...

TIME TO NARROW THIS DOWN:

A. The athlete made their accomplishments during our lifetime. I am under 40, but to be generous I will say the athlete began to or made their mark no earlier 1970.

B. The athlete is a Hall of Famer in a sport that is or has been represented at the Olympics.

C. The athlete could be female and a member of the international women's hall of fame.

Here is my list of sports that have a dedicated hall of fame:
1. Baseball
2. Basketball
3. Ice Hockey
4. Cricket
5. Tennis
6. Lacrosse (not sure if Olympic)
7. Rugby (not sure if Olympic)
8. Skiing
9. Boxing
10. Gymnastics
11. Tennis
12. Wrestling
13. Running
14. Track and Field
15. Field Hockey (not sure if Olympic)
16. Volleyball
17. Golf
18. Curling
19. Karate
20. Tae Kwon Do


T. W. said...

@BeaBorges Pele did not play during my brief time on this earth.

T. W. said...

@Farmgirl Ali is dead and he definitely did not box during the lifetime of most people here.

BayAreaGirl said...

Right sport, wrong athlete? Maybe Michael Johnson? Personality is almost identical to Barry Bonds. He was dominant by a huge margin for over a decade and his records stood until Usain Bolt came along. But the only record that Johnson still holds is his split in the 4x400m.

MJ said...

Right, ONE sport, i read it wrong

Unknown said...

I read it wrong, too.

T. W. said...

@larrybar - good guess but...

1. I have never heard of her being accused of doping
2. There was a Russian gymnast who was superior to Nadia. She didn't get her chance to go to the Montreal games because she broke her neck on a vault her coaches forced her to do. I forget her name but there are YouTube documentaries.

T. W. said...

@IdaBish - good guess! I wonder if she was doped without her knowledge. I think she talked about it during a Barbra Walters interview.

BayAreaGirl said...

Silly me. I missed the part about this athlete being revered and beloved. This is Flo-Jo (Florence Griffith Joyner). Below from Wikipedia:

"She is considered the fastest woman of all time based on the fact that the world records she set in 1988 for both the 100 m and 200 m still stand. During the late 1980s she became a popular figure in international track and field because of her record-setting performances and flashy personal style."

Dahling said...

The blind states the sport is represented in the Olympics, and has been for a very long time. The oldest (most widely played and known) sports in the Olympics are boxing, wrestling & running.

BBall - only since the 1930's / Tennis since 1988.

That said, and since there was no time frame mentioned... I'm going with Ali. He took the Gold in 1960, he is REVERED in both sports and pop culture. PED's would have been much harder to detect when he was boxing. I cannot find what record he holds though. The only records I see that he still holds are minor - undisputed championship bouts and wins.

La-Juice said...

WAYNE Gretzky!!!!! (LOL)

Rafael said...

All the "great" olympic americans athletes use drugs. But there is a HUGE sports industry so they bribe the right people to keep it hidden. So it´s really infuriating when the USA media and deep state try to blame Russia for something americans do since sports became a industry. Spitz...Lewis...Phelps...Jordan...Armstrong...you call legends but they are CHEATERS.

Barbotus said...

Secretariat. I knew that horse was juicing! Particularly at the Belmont.

Unknown said...

What records does Michael Jordan hold?

T. W. said...

@Dahling I have never heard any accusations of Ali doping. The blind does give a timeframe but it makes the guess more difficult. The blind says during our lifetimes. For me, that would be less than 40 years. If someone here is 60 years old, the athlete performed 1958. I figured a lot of younger people come here so that is I was generous in saying the athlete performed or began to perform in 1970.

slits said...

Bruce Jenner and his decathlon gold medal perhaps. His win was a huge event at the time. Don't know if there was anything outstanding about his point totals or not. Just a thought.

Jwill said...

I think it's Mark Spitz. He was the first athlete to win seven gold medals in a single Olympic Games. He is in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

joshg g said...

Michael Jordan doesn't hold any records

MJ said...

Bruce Jenner would fit the Sport AND Pop Culture thing

Barbotus said...

Seriously though, I like the Navratilova guess.

59 total major titles. 359 career titles.

Groundbreaking? Check.
Better by a wide margin? For a while. 254-6 from 1983-1985.
Steroid Rumors? Check.
Sport at Olympics for a long time? Check. Originally from 1896-1924 then a long hiatus, revived in full in 1988.
Biggest stage? 9 Wimbledon titles, 6 in a row.
Revered and loved? Subjective. I'm not sure.

But I still like the guess.

anonymous said...

Tennis is one of the most popular sports worldwide, but it's a fairly recent addition to the Olympics.

sandybrook said...

I didn't see the swimming Hall of Fame listed but since I visited it one rainy day a long time ago in Ft. Lauderdale it exists.
If it's a woman it's either Flojo or Martina Navratilova. Although Martina was never really loved until nearly the end of her career.

KGB said...

I can't believe there names other than Jordan bandied about here. HOF? Check. Unbreakable records? Check. Worldwide star? Check. Pop Culture cred? Check and check again (Air Jordans anyone?). Sport is a longtime Olympic sport? Eighty years fits the bill. Miles ahead of his contempoaries? Check. Groundbreaking, revered, and loved? Do we need to go on?

I lived in the Far East in the second half of the 90's, during Jordan's second, post-baseball stint in the NBA, and he was probably the most recognized face in that part of the world. Only Michael Jackson was in his ballpark. He did this in our lifetime and on the biggest stage in the world? This refers to the 1992 Dream Team at the summer games.

Dahling said...

@ T. W. - I fallen off my motorized scooter and I can't get up!!! I think you just dismissed what remains of the 76.5 M Baby Boomers who OF COURSE have heard of, and even watched Muhamed Ali. He didn't even retire until 1980. Millenials - geesh! :)

That said, I don't know if he's the subject of the blind or not, but I maintain he fits.

Bruce Jenner as a runner is an interesting thought though. Running is one of the oldest Olympic sports and Caitlin is a bit of a cult phenom.....

Barbotus said...

Exactly what unbreakable records does Michael Jordan hold? Lifetime points? Nope. Season Points? Nope. Most titles? Nope. Yeah, he was larger than life, but the rest of the blind doesn't fit.

Barbotus said...

And not sure if this is typical, but it seems to me that the blind goes out of the way to avoid stating gender. Which leads me to lean toward a female athlete.

Dahling said...

Points for logic T.W. Mostly just messing with you (Old folk purgative). LOTS of sports fans here! Doesn't matter much more anyway. I see Himmm has posted today. This thread is going to go dry now.

Dahling said...

Rafe darling, you really need to get laid. I promise I'll eat my hat if I ever see you post anything that isn't pure snark.

LyleAlzedo said...

Ma Long, the great Table Tennis player from China. He's in the hall of fame, and half the world's population know his name so he's more popular than Bonds.

Anonymous said...

"This sport is represented in the Olympic Games and has been for a very, very long time)."

That rules out golf and thus Tiger.

Insider said...

This! Real Madrid..the clues are obvious

SamPeckinpah'sAngryGhost said...

Cal Ripken Jr.

Ice Angel said...

I think this is about FloJo, but that poor woman was subjected to multitudinous testing beyond which anyone else ever had to go through. She had lifelong health issues that she battled, which ended up costing her an early death-not the result of drug use. She had no drugs in her system at her death other than Tylenol & Bendadryl. She died of a seizure. I've always liked FloJo and loved her style, especially her one-legged running suits. Let her RIP. She was a good woman.

SamPeckinpah'sAngryGhost said...

Whoops, blind said not a baseball HOF'r. How about Jerry Rice? His career receiving yardage is pretty safe.

IdaBish said...

Jordan does hold two major records: Career scoring average and career playoff scoring average, but there was never speculation about Jordan and PEDs that I recall. Nobody really thought about PEDs in basketball in the 90's.

I also don't think the comparison in fame that's made indicates Jordan. "...as big if not bigger than Bonds." There's no "if" about it: Jordan was 10x bigger than Bonds.

I guessed Martina, but I'm liking the FloJo guess better now. It's widely assumed that FloJo was juicing (like everyone else in track) and her records in the 100 & 200 blew away the old records and are still way ahead of current times. Saying they're unlikely to *ever* be broken may be a stretch, but they probably won't be broken anytime soon, at least by a reasonably clean runner. Also, the Olympics is the biggest sports stage in the world and track has been an Olympic event longer than anything.

I vote FloJo for this one.

nancer said...

it's secretariat, obviously.

SamPeckinpah'sAngryGhost said...

The Ghost is more sleepy than angry today. No football in the Olympics. Withdrawn.

Poppymann said...

Rafael,
Putin called and said you can pick up your check for sucking his dick later this evening.

SamPeckinpah'sAngryGhost said...

Monica Seles?

SamPeckinpah'sAngryGhost said...

Scratch that too. Mike Tyson?

pkelly491 said...

Olympics for a long, long time makes me think it's track or swimming.

Most of the records in those sports are constantly being broken.

Florence Griffith Joyner, though, has the World Record in the 100m and the 200m, and has since 1988! There were steroid rumors throughout her career, and she was subject to stringent testing, but she never tested positive.

Also, died very suspiciously and suddenly, steroids could have had a part to do with that.

This is FloJo

no name said...

I got bad news for everyone.

They all did/do steroids.

BayAreaGirl said...

@Ice Angel, for what it's worth, several sport writers have speculated that Flo-Jo didn't know she was doping which is why she retired abruptly. Al Joyner has maintained that the retirement was due to her pregnancy. She might have discovered the PED's in her system at the same time she discovered her pregnancy. If you have certain conditions, the OB-GYN will order a full panel of tests. Flo-Jo had a congenital heart condition, so the PED's probably made it worse, resulting in premature death even after she discontinued use.

Here ButnotThere said...

Great guess on FloJo. No women has come close to her 100m and 200m records since she set them in 1988

amused bush said...

This reads like it is supposed to be Flo Jo. The 21.34 she ran in Seoul, I don’t believe will be broken. However, most who follow track know the 10.49 is shouldn’t count. The wind reading during that race was more than likely false and the time should be noted as “wind-aided”.

The real record should probably be the 10.61 she ran in the finals of the Oly trials.

Also as an aside, the 1988 women’s 200m and 4x400m races are probably 2 of the greatest races ever run.

T. W. said...

@Dahling I love you too! Forgive me for taking things too seriously. I think the athlete has been guessed already or the answer should be obvious. Have a great week!

MJ said...

Flo Jo had a LOT of suspects on her

T. W. said...

@Dahling I STAND CORRECTED. I thank you for setting me straight in a kind way. From what you provided then Ali boxed during my lifetime. The doping would also explain his illness.

amused bush said...

Another “suspect” (per the blind) could be Jackie Joyner Kersee, though the pop culture aspect doesn’t apply. Her Heptathlon record is unlikely to be broken as well.

Brayson87 said...

Everyone knows it was speed, not steroids, that used to make baseball great. Now it feels like you need speed just to stay awake sitting in the stadium.

BayAreaGirl said...

@amused bush. NOOOOO, not JJK! =-(

But honestly, I think that is more a function of talented females athletes being diverted into more lucrative sports such as soccer and basketball. Title IX had a ripple effect beyond U.S. borders. Also, at least in the U.S. there is this obsession with kids specializing in and focusing on just one sport or event. The Heptathlon champ is usually not dominant in an individual event, they are just a good all-around athlete. I think Ashton Eaton, in the Decathlon, is a dying breed and no one's going to break his record.

Rhody said...

Tennis hasn't been in the Olympics for a long time and it's not the biggest sport in the world or I'd guess Billy Jean King or Martina. Serena is still playing so not in the hall of fame.

James Beam IV said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
PhyllisWhitweed said...

There is a lot of "is" and not "was," those athlete is still alive. But I liked the flojo guess.

lucy said...

this is a good one and decent guesses but the "name" being key and beloved it's gotta be on par with Micheal Jordan or Ali so I think Joyner is out but biggest sport is huge clue and Olympics is key clue . football has been in Olympics forever but not popular aside in US? I still offer up Joe Montana, guy was too good

James Beam IV said...

Hi all, I've been waiting for a blind like this for some time. The blind likely refers to MJ, not a swimmer or track athlete (don't get thrown off by the Olympics reference, Bball in the olympics since 1936 qualifies as a "long time").
Here is an analysis, not saying anything, just hypothesis:
- the reference to Bonds was a passive aggressive way to say the athlete was a PED user, don't get thrown off that MJ is leaps and bounds a more well known athlete
- Basketball has puzzlingly escaped scrutiny from PED suspicions, even though its athletes have been doing them for years. Some caught too, but mostly minor stars (OJ Mayo) and little press on this
- Weak testing and a naive view that PEDs "dont help bball players" is part of it
- look at the physiques of NBA legends past and present- Malone, Pippen, Lebron, Wade, Mourning- they are BUFF. they are JACKED. and guess what, they play every other night, when are they "hitting the gym to lift"? especially when lifting hurts a bball shot?
MJ specific:
- Look at his physique in college and mid 80s- skinny, no muscle tone, small head, hair
- gets roughed around in the late 1980s pistons "bad boys"
- works out w Tim Grover, a trainer whose methods some have speculated on, the next summer, vows to get stronger, is immediately "jacked", puts on perhaps 30 lbs of muscle and looks very, very strong
- head grows in size, starts shaving head around late 80s (not proof of anything though)
- wins 3 titles in a row, is bulkier, stronger, game now changes to point he can't get "roughed up" when driving to the hoop like he did in early career by Celts, Pistons
- Retires and plays minor league baseball for the W Sox, associates with a few minor leaguers who were suspended for PEDs (forgot names), is in baseball at height of "steroid era"
- comes back, strong again, wins 3 more titles
- teammates are all chiseled and stronger than ever in their careers- Rodman, Pippen. Worked out w R Artest when he retired, who also got stronger, had very puzzling behavior
- teammates and he are hot headed, get into fights and brawls w other teams (Knicks in particular)
- retires again, joins Wizards, has a very bloated physique, which is indicate of PEDs, and plays at a decently high level at age 40

Please look at the physiques of top notch NBA athletes and compare them to when in college / high school. It isn't just "working out" and "growth". Major changes in head shape, jaws, hair loss.

I believe people are naive to think that NBA players and legends did / do not take PEDs, it seems obvious. The 90s especially had players who were very suspect.

James Beam IV said...

i might add that everyone is glossing over the "perfect comparison to Bonds" part- means more than just "PED user".

Bonds was already a top notch player in the late 80's early 90s- he had speed and could hit. He would've made the HoF pre PEDs. The story goes that he watched 1998 happen- McGwire / Sosa hittinf unimaginable home runs and got angry and vowed to beat them at that game. THen he suddenly grew larger in size and starts hitting 70 Home Runs.

That's the "perfect comparison" part to MJ. MJ early in his career, before winning titles, when skinny, was a top 5 player (in the Bird / Magic / I THomas company) and likely on track for HoF regardless. But constantly getting knocked out and roughed around by the Pistons is said to have infuriated him and caused him to go on the workout regimen that change his physique.

So the Bonds reference means "great player, would've been one of the greats anyway, allegedly takes PEDs to get an edge against some nemesis to get to loftier heights".

MattDaddy said...

Bah — all of them!

Unknown said...

Beckham?

Here ButnotThere said...

I still like FloJo. But Bolt is interesting. And someone said earlier how is he groundbreaking? Only the fastest human in the history of the planet.

Motörhead said...

Jocky Wilson??? Darts is a ‘real’ mans sport

Here ButnotThere said...

BTW Look at the last line, "this sport is represented in the Olympic Games and has been for a very, very long time). That implies it goes back to the beginning Olympics which leaves you 2 sports, Track and Field or wrestling.

Dahling said...

Buzz kill!

Barbotus said...

@James Beam IV I know I keep flogging this one, but I think this

So the Bonds reference means "great player, would've been one of the greats anyway, allegedly takes PEDs to get an edge against some nemesis to get to loftier heights"

applies equally and perhaps even better to Martina. From about 1975-1981 she regularly slugged it out with Chris Evert and a few others. Won two majors and finished 2nd three time. From 1973-1981 she and Chris Evert played 44 times with Evert holding a 28-16 edge. From 1982-1988 they played another 36 times with Martina dominating 28-8. During that period she pretty much crushed everyone else, with some hiccups here and there until Steffi Graf pretty much took over as world best when Martina was 28.

From Wikipedia
After adopting basketball player Nancy Lieberman's exercise plan and using Yonex isometric midsize graphite-fiberglass composite racquets, Navratilova became the most dominant player in women's tennis.

Insert some PEDs along with Nancy Lieberman's exercise plan and this reads almost exactly like Bonds' career trajectory.

Sher said...

I agree this seems to fit nicely for Martina Navratilova.

Like Bonds, when she aged to where most players retired (women usually 27 or so), she was just getting going with an amazingly long record-breaking run of totally dominating the sport. Played in Grand Slams til she was 49!

I thought maybe Gretzky too with his unbeatable stats, but he really is The Great One. :)

amused bush said...

Trust, JJK (and Flo Jo for that matter)... just playing along with this blind! I also agree regarding the diversion of talented track athletes to more lucrative sports. Breaks my heart because I love track and field (watching and participating).

Unknown said...

This is obviously Zidane. He is admitted to using PEDs on several occasions.
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/zidane-juventus-gave-me-drugs-7226755.html

Unknown said...

David Beckham. He is in Hall of Fame. Both famous in sports and pop culture.

Here ButnotThere said...

Zidane great, but it no way groundbreaking

Terry Teratoma said...

100% Michael Jordan. Absolutely NOT Gretzky. Skinny beanpole when he played, lol.

Here ButnotThere said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Just4Fun said...

The careful avoidance of gender-specific pronouns makes me think it is a woman.

T. W. said...

@Here but not there - tennis, wrestling, fencing, cycling & gymnastics were all part of the first Olympiad in 1896. I think figure skating was part of the first winter games. Someone was joking about skaters doping. I have followed skating for over 20 years. Trust me. They dope and a female skater (Irina Slutskaya) has a heart condition because of it.

T. W. said...

@Barbotus - I like this guess too. If my memory of her interview with Barbra Walters is correct then she may not be the answer because I think she talked about it.

LyleAlzedo said...

MJ wasn't really linked to steroids until he became a Wizard though. That's when he was old and had a knee injury, supposedly took steroids to come back. That's how he performed so well at close to 40 years old. Look at him in both his 3 peats. He's still as skinny as he was before he won a title. Kobe would have been a better fit. The guy's used nearly his entire career (so does everyone else) but is not beloved nor in the HOF.

Dahling said...

As much as I want to be right - Movie Buff makes more sense. Ali relied on speed and agility. The PED's available when he was in his prime would have been counterproductive.

There are more responses on this thread than on Himmmmm's today. CDaN peeps apparently love their sports.

(PS - kinda glad it's not Ali. He's one of my heroes.)

James Beam IV said...

It’s clearly MJ. I didn’t catch the “like Bonds” part of the blind, making it more obvious. Wow. Couldn’t me any clearer.

There is more. Using the word “planet” I think is a veiled reference to the movie “Space Jam”, (which took place on a different planet) which was about and starred MJ.

MJ was “groundbreaking” for his high flying game and his link to Nike, etc.

Reference to “real” sport I think is to what Americans think are real sports, Basketball, Football, Baseball or Hockey. Basketball is the most global now (hockey a little too).

It’s basketball and it’s MJ. It’s not track (FloJo, lol. No way. She likely doped and she is nowhere near the phenom being referenced here), swimming or archery. This are not “real sports” as referenced here.

It’s MJ. No debate necessary. And there is evidence that he doped after 1991 and he had suspicions when he bulked up and worked w Grover. Plus many of his teammates got huge too. That’s it.





Also the blind

Here ButnotThere said...

I'm not sold on MJ, what recored did he have that can never be broken? Also, it says this athlete was highly suspected of taking PED's. That never came up around Jordan, especially in the basketball world. Gambling yes, PED's no. Not saying players didnt take them, but was way less then the other 3 major US sports

tetsujin said...

Jordan is the GOAT but someone is going to break his records no doubt. No one has ever hinted that he might be using PEDs. I was actually in school a year after he left, never any rumors, no one associated with bb there was into it. In other sports, yes.

BMBT said...

Not Jordan. Basketball has not been an Olympic sport for. Very, very long time (especially with professional athletes). Likely an aquatic or track and field sport.

James Beam IV said...

This is literally ridiculous. It’s MJ. Enough. He did have suspicions of PED use when working w Tim Grover. And he didn’t break records that can’t be broken? That’s insane. Below are all of his records, it’s about 10 miles long and many of them are significant.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_career_achievements_by_Michael_Jordan#NBA_records_and_former_records

James Beam IV said...

- like mike
- planet (space jam)
- identical to bonds (in being close to the best but steroids for wanting to get better)
- basketball an Olympic sport since 1936
- world stage in 1992 Barcelona games w dream team made basketball a global phenomenon
- you’d better believe there were suspicions of PEDs, we didn’t have the internet like now but in the book “the jordan rules”Sam smith did make references to MJ doing what it takes to win for his body
- “real sport” is either baseball, basketball, hockey, football
- tons of scoring records
- in hall of fame
- is beloved
- was groundbreaking w his endorsements, Air Jordan image

No more swimming or track distractions please, it’s dumb. MJ is global, and domestically a top 3 most popular athlete.

tetsujin said...

The blind suggests his records won't be broken, which is nuts given the way talent in the league is exponentially growing. Read it again James.

T. W. said...

American football is not an Olympic sport. Americans call football "soccer." Soccer is an Olympic sport. Joe Montana played American football.

tetsujin said...

Also, despite assertions of rumors here or there,never widely speculated to be using.

T. W. said...

@BMBT You don't think 86 years is a very, very long time? Basketball has been a part of the Olympics longer than that if you consider it first appeared as a demonstration sport in 1904.

T. W. said...

Perhaps the records not being broken refer to Michael Jordan's endorsement deals and all the money the Jordan shoes bring in?

Mark said...

Not golf. It was an Olympic sport a long time ago, briefly, and is again. But it hasn't been for a very, very long time.

I think the sport is one that was part of the original Greek Olympiad. That would include equestrian, running, jumping, discus, boxing, and pentathlon, among others. Not tennis, basketball, golf, or hockey. Wrestling, also, which is "not pro wrestling."

I'm going to agree with a few others here, to satisfy "their" and "'name'": Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner.

Decathlon isn't an original sport, per se, but the elements are. Not everything fits, but "they" is certainly "groundbreaking." And they suffered a knee injury in college that cut their football career short. (A remarkable recovery, I would say.)

lucy said...

I didn't think it was either so I googled it and read first sentence "association football in summer olympics.." completely disregarding the picture was boys playing soccer lol I suck . I also too misread blind and I read it several times as (NOT basketball) knowing full well bonds = baseball. this blind definitely and obviously implies Jordan.

AngryLiberalKTS. said...

Wayne G.

James Beam IV said...

mark- Jenner likely was a user- recovery from injury and also he came out of nowhere in 1976 to win the decathlon, he was not favored and an unknown. However, he is not "beloved" by anyone, he is rather disliked by the public.

we know this is MJ. the "comparison to Bonds" means team sport, means took PEDs, means was already at or near the top of their team sport but used PEDs to get even better. That was MJ. Not Bruce.

Add in the "like Mike" and the 2 references to "planet" and "planet earth" which are Space Jam references and you have MJ.

Everyone getting thrown off thinking its an individual sport from Original Olympics. It doesn't have to be. This is clearly MJ

James Beam IV said...

also this suggests longevity and long time usage. Jenner retired after he won the gold and became a celebrity. He did not have a long athletic career.

Anonymous said...

"I would say the “name” is as big if not bigger than Bonds in both sports and, I guess, pop culture."

How does that fit Flojo? It doesn't.

"This athlete is revered and loved."

Everyone knows that Flojo was juiced to the eyeballs. This is not her.

And quit suggesting tennis players. Tennis was absent from the olympics between 1924 and 1988.

Wellywood said...

It was Yelana Mukhina and it wasn't Montreal, it was just before the Moscow Olympics where she broke her neck doing a now banned move on the floor. So so sad...

GigEm said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GigEm said...

Lance Armstrong.

You're welcome.

tetsujin said...

Some are guessing at the BI and others are looking for veracity in the claim itself. OP might well mean it to be MJ, doesn't make it true. Just to refresh the memory, I went to look at some Wizards era photos, didn't see anything other than a guy struggling to keep up with much younger athletes, none of the Bonds/McGuire giant forehead syndrome

Dabeetz said...

This is Roger Federer.

He's a wildly revered and dominant athlete that has set records that will remain unbroken. But a 36 year old should not be dominating multi-week tournaments full of multi-hour matches.

And he IS in the Hall of fame:

https://www.tennisfame.com/blog/2015/5/the-roger-federer-hologram/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XK0c6SuMNs

katsm0711 said...

Good catch I think it’s Ronaldo

katsm0711 said...

You guys that are hung up on it being a sport in the original Olympics are forgetting that Enty is in her 20’s and thinks the 1980’s was like, forever ago.

This blind makes me sick to my stomach because it’s the first time one of my heroes has been shot down and I don’t know if I can go on knowing that Dorf was a doper.

ihsahn77 said...

Not Ronaldo or any other soccer player. No current soccer players have "set records that will likely never be broken" or are "better than their competitors by a VERY significant margin".

Bend3r said...

Carl Lewis was tested positive during the trials preceeding the Seul 1988 Olympics. He doesn't fit the 'never failed a drug test' (google Carl Lewis who cares I cheated), as well as the 'this athlete set records which will more then likely never be broken' part. Same with Jordan, he doesn't fit this part since Bill Russell has more rings, and he was never the all-time top scorer. By the way, Carl Lewis was drafted by the Chicago Bulls the same year than Jordan... in 8th round IIRC.

T. W. said...

Today is March 20, 2018. I came back to add that Enty stated in another Guess the Athlete blind that none of our guesses are correct. This is baffling.

Darth Dharmakīrti said...

Today is March 20, 2018. I came back to add that Enty stated in another Guess the Athlete blind that none of our guesses are correct. This is baffling.

Yeah, but I think I just figured it out.

Steve Smith, Australian cricket

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/sports/cricket/australia-cricket-scandal.html

T. W. said...

@BayAreaGirl got it!

Enty revealed it today (July 4 semi-annual reveals)

Link to the reveal:

http://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2018/07/blind-items-revealed-41-guess-athlete.html?showComment=1530756682863&m=1#c5145830435760509476

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