Just watching "The Last Dance" on the 'flix. Not a basketball fan by any means but Michael Jordan seems like he was from another planet. A concert pianist in a room full of kids playing recorders.
Cancellara - after five hours of extreme effort, head in agony almost blacking out, lungs on fire, legs in pain beyond mortal male comprehension, crotch bleeding, internal organs feeling like they’ve liquidised and are pushing out his ars, the sprint for the finish starts, one final superhuman surge on the verge of total exhaustion, his rivals fighting their bikes ragged and desperate, he would still be pedalling silky smooth, his cadence as constant as a metronome. Whether he won or lost he and the bike looked at one. If you’re not a cycling fan, imagine a Centaur competing in the Grand National.
Watching John McGuinness pull the pin one year. On an under-powered bike he just took every ounce of course knowledge, every little remembered "I could save a tenth there", and put in a lap of perfect controlled aggression.
Another vote for Jordan. It wasn’t just the dominance in terms of talent….it was the style and grace. He made it look so, so easy. There’s actually a great video of his highlights where the narrator describes watching him as being like an aerial ballet.
Holding's gait and back position was absolutely beautiful - perfect balance and poise. But for me it's the beautiful metronomic, wound spring deliveries of the taken-from-us-too-early-Malcolm-Marshall.
Chris Evert at Wimbledon back in the days when you'd watch an entire match in the hope you might see some frillies and then they got all prudish about it in the 90s and that stopped...
Sampras was the tennis equivalent of the trolley boy in Hot Fuzz. The Fed by a country mile. Also Becker was amazingly fluid.
Used to love watching Graham Thorpe bat. Ponting is a massive dick but also a batting legend in terms of simplicity. Bell's cover driving up there with Gower. Walsh or McGrath for me on bowling, but I would put Akram ahead of Waqar anyway.
Nothing, absolutely nothing comes close to the majesty of Jonah Lomu ploughing through the English defence.
Does everyone remember when we first saw him on the world stage and thought, there is no way a man that size can run that fast and with sheer power. AND he had real skills. Such a loss.
What’s with the Sampras hate? He was fantastic. Like a gentle beast- you wouldn’t think he was about to hit a winner just because he was so unassuming.
I think thorpe was good to watch because he gave off a certain sang froid rather than being "poetry in motion" as per the op. He did have an exciting pull shot
Not a tennis fan at all, but I have to admit Federer was amazing to watch. The elegance, fluid economy of motion, vision, anticipation.
Messi obviously an incredible footballer and legit GOAT contender but the likes of Zidane or Thierry H, at their best, had a kind of languid elegance to them that I just enjoyed watching more (no homo) than the little Argie.
Nelly Korda / Fred Couples' swing is very repeat watchable.
Rugby - maybe Christian Cullen stepping off either foot at pace, pretty hard to beat. Lesser known former Welsh international Paul Turner hard to surpass on his day too
Could see a strong case for Zidane, Bobby Moore perhaps
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Just watching "The Last Dance" on the 'flix. Not a basketball fan by any means but Michael Jordan seems like he was from another planet. A concert pianist in a room full of kids playing recorders.
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Wayne Gretsky.
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Zidane
Adam Gilchrist and VVS Laxman
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Serge Blanco
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If we’re going French rugby have to say Dupont. Bit like Dan Carter, seems to operate on a different plane to everyone else
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Cancellara - after five hours of extreme effort, head in agony almost blacking out, lungs on fire, legs in pain beyond mortal male comprehension, crotch bleeding, internal organs feeling like they’ve liquidised and are pushing out his ars, the sprint for the finish starts, one final superhuman surge on the verge of total exhaustion, his rivals fighting their bikes ragged and desperate, he would still be pedalling silky smooth, his cadence as constant as a metronome. Whether he won or lost he and the bike looked at one. If you’re not a cycling fan, imagine a Centaur competing in the Grand National.
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Tiger Woods' swing circa 2005
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I love how you've made pro cycling sound the gayest sport imaginable with that post. That's not a criticism, I'm in awe.
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Fred Couples' swing.
Ken Griffey Jr (baseball) swing.
MJ.
Federer.
Messi.
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Pete Sampras back in the day. Effortless.
Sachin Tendulkar.
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And from the Vauxhall End…Whispering Death
Can’t find the pic of him turning at the end of his run about 10 yards inside the boundary but am wistful even at the thought.
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Watching John McGuinness pull the pin one year. On an under-powered bike he just took every ounce of course knowledge, every little remembered "I could save a tenth there", and put in a lap of perfect controlled aggression.
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Serge,
In the full knowledge he'd have had a few tabs before, and after the game.
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Freddie Couples
Jerry Guscott
Cruyff
Mark Waugh
Federer
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McEnroe drop volleys
Jack Russell wicket keeping up to the stumps.
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Gatting demolishing a cheese roll.
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Another vote for Jordan. It wasn’t just the dominance in terms of talent….it was the style and grace. He made it look so, so easy. There’s actually a great video of his highlights where the narrator describes watching him as being like an aerial ballet.
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The whole of Shane Warne's repertoire.
McEnroe - genius.
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Holding's gait and back position was absolutely beautiful - perfect balance and poise. But for me it's the beautiful metronomic, wound spring deliveries of the taken-from-us-too-early-Malcolm-Marshall.
https://youtu.be/saFsH8LN__U
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Chris Evert at Wimbledon back in the days when you'd watch an entire match in the hope you might see some frillies and then they got all prudish about it in the 90s and that stopped...
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Venus Williams used to play like a gazelle. Beautiful.
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Cantona chip and understated collar up celebration for me Clive.
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federer
gower
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Agree with Fred Couples, also Ernie Els
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Waqar Younis bowling.
Brian Lara batting.
Federer (massive heh at Sampras, a supremely unattractive player to watch).
Michael Johnson running.
Laz throwing a ball [/Wangmode]
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“Unequivocally our love was fate. I fell in love with you at first sight. I remember coz I was as high as a kite.
"Those beautiful eyes, made me shiver.”
"I'm not gonna lie, I think of you, I dream of you. Can't help thinking, pulling you was my greatest ever coo.
"That stomach, those abs, those pictures you sent.
"So I can keep tabs on you, makes me feel funny down there. Especially when you are there and you look up and stare.
"I'm beginning to think you are always right. That's okay it will keep us tight
"I'm gonna end by saying you are my love, my friend, my soul.
"And most of all you believe in me. Which makes me feel as hard as a totem pole."
Now that's unbelievable poetry, Jeff.
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1985 Gower is hard to beat
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Heh @ Colston. Yeats?
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Sampras was like watching a bear dancing in a medieval town square
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@TSB - wrong Celtic country m99 ...
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I know the dulcet tones of Ryan Giggs OBE when I hear them.
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One of the all-time great odes to love.
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Sampras was the tennis equivalent of the trolley boy in Hot Fuzz. The Fed by a country mile. Also Becker was amazingly fluid.
Used to love watching Graham Thorpe bat. Ponting is a massive dick but also a batting legend in terms of simplicity. Bell's cover driving up there with Gower. Walsh or McGrath for me on bowling, but I would put Akram ahead of Waqar anyway.
Coe and Bolt in Athletics.
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ugliest top rank tennis player? jim courier perhaps - he had an unbelievable relentlessness.
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Nothing, absolutely nothing comes close to the majesty of Jonah Lomu ploughing through the English defence.
Does everyone remember when we first saw him on the world stage and thought, there is no way a man that size can run that fast and with sheer power. AND he had real skills. Such a loss.
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What’s with the Sampras hate? He was fantastic. Like a gentle beast- you wouldn’t think he was about to hit a winner just because he was so unassuming.
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"Sampras was like watching a bear dancing in a medieval town square"
HEH! and HEH! again.
No hate, he just didn't play beautiful tennis.
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"Walsh or McGrath for me on bowling, but I would put Akram ahead of Waqar anyway."
Not for beauty, surely.
Eg McGrath was superbly efficient and controlled but surely never beautiful.
Waqar had a lovely jaunty action and at his best produced these hooping deliveries that seemed to defy the laws of physics.
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I think thorpe was good to watch because he gave off a certain sang froid rather than being "poetry in motion" as per the op. He did have an exciting pull shot
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Not a tennis fan at all, but I have to admit Federer was amazing to watch. The elegance, fluid economy of motion, vision, anticipation.
Messi obviously an incredible footballer and legit GOAT contender but the likes of Zidane or Thierry H, at their best, had a kind of languid elegance to them that I just enjoyed watching more (no homo) than the little Argie.
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Allyson Felix's running style is buttery.
Federer is elegance personified.
Nelly Korda / Fred Couples' swing is very repeat watchable.
Rugby - maybe Christian Cullen stepping off either foot at pace, pretty hard to beat. Lesser known former Welsh international Paul Turner hard to surpass on his day too
Could see a strong case for Zidane, Bobby Moore perhaps
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