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Roger Federer v Tiger Woods

Two supreme champions in their sports but who do you rate as the best?

Or alternatively can you really compare champions from different sports?

My choice is Federer narrowly firstly because he has won more Slams than anybody else (Tiger is still behind Nicklaus for Majors) and secondly because tennis is more athletically demanding.

Tough one to call though.
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Comments

  • Spooky Len - had this exact conversation/argument at work last week.

    For my money, its Woods - simply because no-one dominates a sport as much as he does. At least Federer has Nadal for company near the top of his game. Figjam and the rest are so far behind Woods that they don't even figure in his rear view mirror.

    I think this is one of those arguments that has no real winner - its all about whether you consider golf to be a 'real' sport, and whether you consider it to be physical enough to 'count' alongside tennis, cycling, football etc etc. For my mind it is, it does and Woods beats Federer on sheer dominance of the field
  • I'm with you Len, mainly on the physically demanding nature of the game. Leroy makes some good points but I don't go along with this argument about Woods being so far ahead of the field because that could be telling us just as much about the opposition as it does about him. By Leroy's argument, if Nadal had never been born, Federer would be a better player. Which of course is nonsense.
  • It's a difficult one - for Federer to win a Grand Slam, he 'only' has to win 7 matches but Woods has to beat the entire field.

    However those 7 opponents can directly challenge his supremacy by simply playing better than him - there's nothing an golfer can do if they shoot 64 but Woods shoots 63, short of coughing on his backswing. Likewise, there's nothing Woods can do in response if someone else shoots 62. Tennis is a much more psychological /tactical game as a result in my view.

    Also it's not clear whether the fact that the ball is moving makes it harder or easier than golf when under pressure (perhaps tennis is easier as it's more instinctive).

    Either way, they are both extraordinary sportsmen - has anyone else noticed that Federer doesn't seem to sweat? Whilst Woods is extremely fit, this is hardly a prerequisite for golf - the fitness levels of top tennis players is extraordinary.
  • Strange that Andy Murray's record, head to head against Federer, is 6-2 in his favour!
  • I give you Phil Taylor ......
  • Who the fuck is Tiger Woods? Is he a Disney character or something?
  • [cite]Posted By: Riscardo[/cite]I give you Phil Taylor ......
    I give you a pasttime, not a sport
  • How about Michael Schumacher?
  • This debate would be worth having if golf was a sport. That Tiger Woods could win the US open a couple of years ago playing with one leg incapacitated demonstrates that golf is not a sport - just a past-time, he doesn't even carry his own clubs!

    Federer is the best sportsman alive at present, statistically now the best male tennis player of all time (in terms of Grand Slam tournaments won) and one of the best few to play the game, but let's not fall into the trap of comparing oranges and apples.
  • Best sportsman alive...not whilst Eddie The Eagle is still alive he isn't....though god knows how he is!! LOL
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  • [cite]Posted By: SoundAsa£[/cite]Best sportsman alive...not whilst Eddie The Eagle is still alive he isn't....though god knows how he is!! LOL

    My daughter used to sit next to Eddie The Eagle in law lectures at university!

    There's a claim to fame!
  • [cite]Posted By: WSS[/cite]How about Michael Schumacher?
    If we're going to include retired athletes than Michael Jordan beats both of them by a mile.
  • I can't take a baseketball player seriously.

    Especially one who was a lead role alongside Bugs Bunny.
  • jahangir khan all day long.
  • [cite]Posted By: Friend Or Defoe[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: WSS[/cite]How about Michael Schumacher?
    If we're going to include retired athletes than Michael Jordan beats both of them by a mile.

    Well....................................... a quarter of a mile to be more accurate!
  • I think Valentino Rossi is the greatest sportsperson of all time. Smiles in the face of defeat, hasn't always needed the best kit to win and a genuine will to win that sometimes sees him defy logic.
  • WG Grace
  • [cite]Posted By: WSS[/cite]I can't take a baseketball player seriously.
    What about Basketball players and if not, why not?!
  • edited July 2009
    BTW, Lance Armstrong is the best athlete in my lifetime and Dr. Grace is buried in Bromley!
  • A sport that is played and embraced competitively in a single country (effectively), not really global and I find it difficult to put the "great sportsman" title against one of the players.. And it's difficult to include people who have played in teams as they are only as successful as their team members.

    Well done on Jordan's marketing guys though - they did a good job.
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  • [cite]Posted By: WSS[/cite]A sport that is played and embraced competitively in a single country (effectively), not really global and I find it difficult to put the "great sportsman" title against one of the players.. And it's difficult to include people who have played in teams as they are only as successful as their team members.

    Well done on Jordan's marketing guys though - they did a good job.

    Basketball is played in more than just one country - and Argentina are currently the world's highest ranking mens team and Spain the World Champions.
  • I'm not stupid and you know what I meant.

    And without using google (like usual ;-)) who is the top argentinian basketball player at the moment?

    The fact is there are far "superior" and popular sports with more well known and respected individuals in those sports.

    I'm sure croquet is played in many countries but I wouldn't consider the current top ranking player to be the best sportsperson ever.
  • No idea who the top rated Argentinian basketball player is - I'm not stupid enough to follow the game :-)
  • 800px-World_Map_FIBA.svg.png
    The countries in grey don't have a national basketball team and as China are the current Olympic champions I think it's a bit silly to claim it isn't really global.

    As for the team comments, sometimes an individual (e.g. Scott Parker) is so good that a team's performance suddenly drops when they're gone, so it is possible to have a great sportsman in a team sport although you make a very decent point. I would consider cycling a team sport even though it's won by individuals.

    Croquet isn't an Olympic sport. ;-)
  • [cite]Posted By: BlackForestReds[/cite]This debate would be worth having if golf was a sport. That Tiger Woods could win the US open a couple of years ago playing with one leg incapacitated demonstrates that golf is not a sport - just a past-time, he doesn't even carry his on clubs

    Golf not a sport? neither is fishing. ;)
  • I rate Federer best at tennis and Woods best at golf :-)
  • [cite]Posted By: McLovin[/cite]I think Valentino Rossi is the greatest sportsperson of all time. Smiles in the face of defeat, hasn't always needed the best kit to win and a genuine will to win that sometimes sees him defy logic.

    There it is. Bang on mate, Rossi is just simply awesome. End of. For me he is king sportsmen, closely followed by of course Kenny Achampong.

    No really tho Rossi is genius, top bloke as Mclovin says, he gets my vote all day.
  • [cite]Posted By: Friend Or Defoe[/cite]800px-World_Map_FIBA.svg.png
    The countries in grey don't have a national basketball team and as China are the current Olympic champions I think it's a bit silly to claim it isn't really global.

    As for the team comments, sometimes an individual (e.g. Scott Parker) is so good that a team's performance suddenly drops when they're gone, so it is possible to have a great sportsman in a team sport although you make a very decent point. I would consider cycling a team sport even though it's won by individuals.

    Croquet isn't an Olympic sport. ;-)

    Not listening to you about sport Potter, you like Wrestling!!
  • [cite]Posted By: Riscardo[/cite]I give you Phil Taylor ......


    Exactly, The Power should replace Terry Henry immdiately in those razor adverts.
  • [cite]Posted By: Covered End[/cite]I rate Federer best at tennis and Woods best at golf :-)

    Agreed. I saw the question and thought, "depends what sport they're playing". Simples.
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