Is Lance Armstrong's 6 Tour Wins The Most Awesome Sporting Accomplishment Ever?

[MagicMtnDan]

I personally think so.
If you don't, what do you think is a bigger accomplishment?
Some you might consider:
* Bob Beamon's world record long jump - On October 18, 1968, at the Mexico City Olympics, Bob Beamon, 22, long jumped an amazing 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches, breaking the existing world record by 21 3/4 inches, and becoming, in the process, the first jumper to sail past both the 28- and 29-foot barriers. His record stood until 1991, when Mike Powell leapt two inches further, and it still stands as the second-longest jump in history.
* American Jim Thorpe wins the pentathlon and decathlon, cementing his reputation as the world's greatest all-around athlete.
* 1972: American Mark Spitz wins seven gold medals in swimming.
* 2/22/1980 - On that February day in 1980, America witnessed a miracle as the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team upset the unbeatable Russians. It was a game played not just for team pride, but national pride. It was Communism vs. Democracy. Al Michaels' game-ending call said it all, "Do you believe in miracles?... Yes!"
* Cy Young's 511 career wins (baseball).
* Wayne Gretzky's career record 2,857 points. Gordie Howe is second in career points with only 1,850. That is more than 50 percent more points for Gretzky than Howe. If you look at all other major sports, there is no one who is first in a statistical category who has 50 percent more anything than the player who is 2nd.
* Nolan Ryan's 5,714 strikeouts (baseball).
* Bill Russell leading the Boston Celtics to 11 Championships (NBA).
* Hank Aaron's 755 home runs.
* Pistol Pete Maravich's 44.2 points per game average in NCAA college basketball (there was no 3-point line when he played otherwise his score would have been 50+ per game).
* Jack Nicklaus won the US Masters Gold title a record six times – in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 and 1986.
And I'm sure there are many others I haven't listed.
*

[txtaz]

How about the 1980 Olympic hockey team? If you are a hockey fan, watch "Miracle on ice". It's good.

[mbrown2]

Lance is a machine....its amazing how he won by 61 secs last year and realized he had not trained hard enough....so he goes and steps up the regimen...comes back and anihilates the comp...

[HCS]

Not if they find out he was juicing. But then again what the hell.
It's begining to look like most supreme athlete's did or do.

[mbrown2]

They have been trying to catch the guy for 6 years.....maybe he just trains harder....funny how someone is better in an individual sport, and all of the sudden they are slandered with juicing crap..

[HCS]

Originally posted by mbrown2
They have been trying to catch the guy for 6 years.....maybe he just trains harder....funny how someone is better in an individual sport, and all of the sudden they are slandered with juicing crap..
It is. Anyone that's invincible is being accused, even if they have
tested negative in the past.

[spectratoad]

It is awesome.
I enjoy the fact that when someone dominates there always is a search for the real reason they are better. Maybe he just trains harder or is able to get more 'into" his own head and body and run on all cylinders.
In these times it is great to go to France and have an American crush them in their own turf and terms. I love it.
VIVA LA USA !!!! :D :D

[Havasu_Dreamin]

No one really talks about this record much but I personally think it one of the better ones and one that will never be broken, Dimaggios 56 game hitting streak. Hitting a round ball with a round bat is very difficult and to be able to do that successively for 56 straight games is a a testament to his skill.

[RiverOtter]

Wonder if he'll go for 7. Just for good measure :cool:

[HavasuDreamin']

Cal Ripken's streak should be mentioned as well. Something like 20 years of not missing a start. That is amazing.

[superdave013]

Maybe Lance could get a sex change so he could stomp the womens racing crits like this thing did! :yuk:
Does this even look remotely fair?
http://www.velonews.com/images/mtn/6616.8533.f.jpg

[superdave013]

this is what it should look like.
http://www.nobrakes.ch/photos/swisschamps2004/GH6I4996_resized.jpg

[HCS]

Originally posted by HavasuDreamin'
Cal Ripken's streak should be mentioned as well. Something like 20 years of not missing a start. That is amazing.
Andy Maple had 13 consecutive world slalom water ski championships.
Another pretty amazing streak.
Armstrong and Maple both say they will retire.

[Some Kind Of Monster]

Cal Ripken jr's iron man streak... 2,632 consecutive games played. He didn't just show up either. He was only one of only two American Leaguers with 3,000 hits and 400 homers, and was one of the best shortstops the game has seen.

[superdave013]

Originally posted by HARDCORE-SKI
Andy Maple had 13 consecutive world slalom water ski championships.
Another pretty amazing streak.
Armstrong and Maple both say they will retire.
Ya know, I have not followed slalom sking for years. Watched it the other day on TV and about shit when I saw Andy still out there. BTW, he schooled the young guys too.

[NorCal Gameshow]

Originally posted by superdave013
Maybe Lance could get a sex change so he could stomp the womens racing crits like this thing did! :yuk:
Does this even look remotely fair?
http://www.velonews.com/images/mtn/6616.8533.f.jpg
that's co-ed bicycling....
isn't it?
:eek!:

[MagicMtnDan]

One thing about Lance that no one should forget - he had testicular and brain cancer that looked like it was spreading everywhere else. The guy conquered very serious cancer and came back to dominate a sport like no one ever has.
In my book, coming back from cancer and "just" living is the sign of a champion. Coming back from cancer and winning 6 straight Tour de Frances is incredible!

[HCS]

Originally posted by superdave013
Ya know, I have not followed slalom sking for years. Watched it the other day on TV and about shit when I saw Andy still out there. BTW, he schooled the young guys too.
Nobody can touch him. Everyone chokes when they get to the
final round because they know they'll be up against Maple.
When he retires everyone else will have chance.:rolleyes:
Kinda like Lance, you no all the competitors can wait for him to
hang it up.

[Tom Brown]

Originally posted by HARDCORE-SKI
Not if they find out he was juicing.
It's a safe bet that he took at least one steroid (filgrastim) as part of his cancer treatment. It seems to me that cisplatin would pretty much negate the benefits of the steroid into the next universe, though.
Lance is the man. :cool:

[Sleek-Jet]

Bobby Jones winning all the Golf Majors in one year... as an amateur... ranks right up there also.
As for Lance "switching teams", there was an article in Outside magazine about a certin down hill mountain biker that has done the old nip and tuck not long ago, reference SD's pics.

[Froggystyle]

What I think the question should be, is not is it among the most awesome sporting accomplishments ever, which it certainly is, but more specifically is he the greatest athelete ever.
Yes.
Not ONE of the previously mentioned sporting greats require anywhere near the conditioning and stamina required to repeat this title six years in a row. His body is basically an oxygen pumping machine, and he is better at it than anyone in the world by far.
I can't imagine the physiological advantage he must hold to do what he does.
Greatest athelete ever. Gets my vote.

[superdave013]

Originally posted by Froggystyle
What I think the question should be, is not is it among the most awesome sporting accomplishments ever, which it certainly is, but more specifically is he the greatest athelete ever.
Yes.
Not ONE of the previously mentioned sporting greats require anywhere near the conditioning and stamina required to repeat this title six years in a row. His body is basically an oxygen pumping machine, and he is better at it than anyone in the world by far.
I can't imagine the physiological advantage he must hold to do what he does.
Greatest athelete ever. Gets my vote.
Every word I totaly agree with.
Whe he is just standing there you see some skinny guy right?
When he's on the bike his upper body and chest cavity looks focking HUGE! The guy is total lung and leg. He has the mental to block out the pain.
Over 2,000 miles, C'Mon, Lance is the greatest EVER!

[Tom Brown]

Originally posted by superdave013
The guy is total lung and leg.
I'll bet he bangs his wife like a Hilti gun with an auto loader.

[superdave013]

Originally posted by Tom Brown
I'll bet he bangs his wife like a Hilti gun with an auto loader.
lol, I think it's Cheryl Crow that's getting the Hilti.

[eliminatedsprinter]

Comparing accomplishments in other sports is apples to oranges.
But there are some other great achievements that haven't been mentioned.
Like:
* KIng Carl's dominating the sprints and long jump for over a decade and getting 9 gold medals despite being denied the chance to go to his his first games in 1980.
* Wilt Chamberlains records. ie 100 point game, avg 48 min a game for more than a full season, going his whole carreer without ever fouling out, getting quadruple doubles in points, rebounds, assists, and blocked shots, or leading the league in points, rebounds, blocked shots, and assists in a season etc.....
*Mildred "babe" Diedrickson dominating every sport she ever attempted and setting marks in the first half of the 20th century that would still be world class today....
*Eric Hieden (sp?) winning every speed skating medal from the sprints to the distance races all in one OLympics....
* Michael Johnson smashing long standing world records in both the 200 and 400 meters in one year and during the same olympics...

[nodigg]

If Lance can date Sheryl Crow and maintain his concentration on training everyday.......................HE IS THE ALL TIME GREATEST!

[eliminatedsprinter]

Originally posted by nodigg
If Lance can date Sheryl Crow and maintain his concentration on training everyday.......................HE IS THE ALL TIME GREATEST!
If he can put up with her bad attitude, inflated ego, and goofy ideas, he has to be one tough guy...