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This article has a very cool chart describing how students view athletes. The only reason i wont be using this source is because it was very subject to popular American sports. Soccer and Tennis were missing from this list and were not analyzed.

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Throughout the past years, we've seen some of the best athletes accomplish the impossible in their sports. When deciding who the GOAT (greatest of all time) is, one must consider all sports across all eras. Statistics can prove one's greatness with the number on their side. Influence from an athlete can help inspire others to become great. An athlete's impact on history can also put them up on the GOAT debate.

Senior Saad Qureshi believes that an athlete's history and contribution to the game can make them a contender in the GOAT debate. Saad said, "I believe the legacy that athletes leave in and outside of the court is what makes them the GOAT." Saad is part of the 20% of voters who voted for LeBron James as the GOAT based on his history in basketball, like LeBron's historic comeback against the Warriors and him being the only player in NBA history in the 10k/10k/10k club.

While LeBron was the favorite, Muhammed Ali made the list with 16.4% of the votes for his influence in boxing and his civil rights actions. Whether it's statistics, history, or how they treat their fans that makes a great athlete, each athlete is unique in their own way.

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Throughout the past years, we've seen some of the best athletes accomplish the impossible in their sports. When deciding who the GOAT (greatest of all time) is, one must consider all sports across all eras. Statistics can prove one's greatness with the number on their side.

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This source had some very useful information regarding some athletes i had not even thought. i am still on the fence if i will use this source

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The greatest of all time in sport has and will always throw up a heated debates among sports fans, commentators and sports stars alike. Many sports are contested with two or three names in the mix and we'll let that debate rage until a definitive great appears.

There are however a few unanimous and uncontested GOATS, (greatest of all time) and by this we mean sports where there is no contest as to who the GOAT is, these are the athletes which at the moment are uncontested.

Michael Jordan - Basketball

We could say just go watch Netflix documentary, The Last Dance, which is a documentary on Michael Jordan's basketball career, but that's not fair.

Jordan is the complete basketballer, an outstanding scoring ability accompanied with being an excellent defensive player. The belief and spirit Jordan showed on the court made him stand out from the rest, he was such a weapon for the Chicago Bulls that opposing teams had to rewrite defensive strategies to defend against him.

He brought the NBA to life and redefined the nature of what it was like to be a professional basketballer. 6-time NBA champion and 6-time MVP, a 14-time All-Star and 10-time scoring leader, the man was a machine of the game. Some of his records include his career points per game average, which sits at 30.1, and most NBA Finals MVP awards. He was and still is the greatest NBA player of all time. LeBron James is the only player to come close to Jordan's basketball legacy.

Serena Williams - Tennis

Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Navratilova all get a look in but there's one definitive GOAT in women's tennis that no one can argue with.

Serena Williams holds the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined amongst active players. Her record of 39 Grand Slam titles puts her third on the all-time list and second in the Open Era: 23 in singles, 14 in women's doubles, and 2 in mixed doubles, make her the greatest female tennis player of all time.

The 38 year old won her first singles title as a mother at the 2020 ASB Classic, becoming the first woman in the professional era with at least one title in four decades: the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. Serena has also been No. 1 in the world for a total of 309 weeks-186 of which were consecutive.

Roger Federer - Tennis

His title of the GOAT in mens tennis is safe for the time being, but it could be come a contested tile between the big 3 in tennis next year with Nadal and Djokovic not far behind him!

The Swiss star now owns 20 majors after he lifting both the Australian Open and Wimbledon (without dropping a single set) in 2017, and The Aus Open for the 6th time in 2018. He has also has 103 ATP titles (second only to Jimmy Connors record of 109 titles) and counting and held the world No. 1 ranking for 310 weeks, another record for the Open era. Arguable nobody through out the history of tennis has had more impact on the game than Roger Federer.

With the 2020 ATP World Tour and WTA tours suspended and the French Open and Wimbledon cancelled until 2021, the race to the top between the big 3 is on hold for now.
The 10 greatest tennis players of all time
Michael Phelps - Swimming

The king of the swimming pool is also most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals.

Phelps made the 2000 Olympics at 15 years old, he wouldn't win any medals that time round, but made up for it in Athens in 2004, taking home 6 golds and 2 bronze medals, he became the most successful athlete in Athens - a feat he would then repeat in Beijing 2008 as well as in London 2012!

Phelps didn't just cruise to his eight golds in 2008 - he did so by creating 7 fresh world records and 1 Olympic record in Beijing. The following Games, in London, the Baltimore native upstaged Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina to emerge as the most decorated Olympian ever.

He initially retired after his 4th Olympics, however, Phelps came out of retirement for the Rio 2016 Olympics and would go on to win five more golds and a silver medal, leaving him to officially bow out of the sport once and for all with an incredible 28 Olympic medals to his name (23 golds, 3 silver, 2 bronze).
The other swimming greats
Tom Brady - American Football

Twenty years ago, he was a sixth-round draft choice from the University of Michigan. Fast forward to Super Bowl 53 in 2019, where Tom Brady cemented his place as the GOAT in football by winning his 6th Super Bowl at the ripe old age of 41! He is without doubt the leader of all-time greatest NFL players. Brady is a icon and true example of a player that worked hard to achieve his status as a great. Brady has Lombardi trophy a remarkable 6 times during his career, earned himself 4 Super Bowel MVP awards as well as a host of other NFL records.

2020 sees Brady move from the New England Patriots to Tampa Bay Buccaneers to continue his unrivalled legacy at the NFL.
The most successful NFL teams
Babe Root - Baseball

Since baseball, more than any other sport, is defined by numbers let's star there. The Sultan of Swat's career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) stands at an astounding 183.7-Cy Young is second with 168.5. The Great Bambino is also the all-time leader in slugging percentage (.690) and OPS (1.164); he's second in RBI (2,214) and on-base percentage (4.74); hit 60 home runs in 1927; 714 for his career; and may have single-handedly saved baseball in the wake of the Black Sox scandal.

He was bought by the Yankees for $100,000 in 1920, which was massive money at the time. Ruth was so popular the Yankees had to build around him. In his 15 years with the New York Yankees, Ruth helped the team win seven American League (AL) pennants and four World Series championships. And this legend was as talked about of the pitch as much as he was on the pitch! No one in the modern era of baseball comes close.
The most successful MLB teams
Jack Nicklaus - Golf

With 18 professional majors, 2 U.S. Amateur titles and 73 PGA Tour wins & 10 Champions Tour wins over 25 years, Jack's record speaks for itself. The only other in contest is Tiger Woods, who has 81 won PGA Tour titles and 15 majors. But until him or someone else tops his record 18 major championships, there is no question that "The Golden Bear" is the greatest golfer of all time.

The best golf that has ever been played was from Woods from the years 2000 to 2008, and nobody has had a bigger impact on the game than Woods, but he still has work to do to catch up on Jack Nicklaus.
The other greatest golfers of all time
Pele - Football

Three time world cup winner with Brazil back in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and a true icon of the game, Pele is widely considered as the greatest football player of all-time. Pelé is the most successful league goal-scorer in the world, scoring 1281 goals in 1363 games, which included unofficial friendlies and tour games. Pelé is the all-time leading goalscorer for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games. At club level he is the record goalscorer for Santos, and led them to the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores. He was the face of the "Beautiful Game" and a true football icon both on and off the field.

If anyone can up with catch up with Pele, it's going to be Messi or Ronaldo!
For all the latest sports news follow PledgeSports on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Uncontested GOATS in Sport - Pledge Sports

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The greatest of all time in sport has and will always throw up a heated debates among sports fans, commentators and sports stars alike. Many sports are contested with two or three names in the mix and we'll let that debate rage until a definitive great appears.

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This source had some decent information but it was not enough to consider using it for my essay

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This is from the UNICEF official site detailing what messi has contributed to those in need

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Leo Messi, a football star for FC Barcelona and the Argentine national team, is considered one of the best and most respected players of his generation. He has won FIFA's Player of the Year award, the Ballon d'Or, six times. In February 2020, he was awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

Throughout his career, Leo has been involved in charitable efforts aimed at helping vulnerable children, a commitment that stems in part from the medical difficulties he faced in his own childhood.

In March 2010, Leo was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Immediately following his appointment, he travelled to Haiti with UNICEF to bring public awareness to the plight of the country's children in the wake of the earthquake.

In addition to his work with UNICEF, Leo founded his own charitable organization, the Leo Messi Foundation, which invests in health-care services to improve children's lives. Most recently, he supported efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing prevention practices and promoting fundraising messages to support UNICEF's emergency response plan.

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Leo Messi, a football star for FC Barcelona and the Argentine national team, is considered one of the best and most respected players of his generation. He has won FIFA's Player of the Year award, the Ballon d'Or, six times. In February 2020, he was awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

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This source is from the Baseball Hall of Fame official site and offer everything i needed to know about the life of Babe Ruth

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Babe Ruth put up monumental statistics during his playing career. But the Bambino was more than numbers - especially to those who knew him, like former teammate Joe Dugan, who once said: "To understand him you had to understand this: He wasn't human."

Sports writer Tommy Holmes, winner of the 1979 BBWAA Career Excellence Award, was more succinct: "Some 20 years ago, I stopped talking about the Babe for the simple reason that I realized that those who had never seen him didn't believe me."

Ruth has been called an American original, undoubtedly the game's first great slugger and the most celebrated athlete of his time. Soon after honing his skills at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore, he came to the big leagues as a lefty hurler with the Red Sox, where he won 89 games in six years while setting the World Series record for consecutive scoreless innings.

But the Red Sox recognized Ruth's ability at the plate and began transitioning him to the outfield. In 1918, the Red Sox won their fourth World Series title in seven seasons - Ruth was there for three of them - as Ruth led the American League with 11 home runs while also going 13-7 on the mound. Then in 1919, Ruth set a new single-season record with 29 home runs while recording 113 RBI. He went 9-5 on the mound in his last year with more than two appearances as a pitcher.

In what is likely the most famous transaction in baseball history, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000 following the 1919 season. The next season, Ruth hit 54 home runs with 158 runs scored and 135 RBI, setting the baseball world ablaze with his talent. He would top those numbers in 1921 with 59 home runs, 177 runs scored and 457 total bases. The last two numbers still stand as modern era (post 1900) records.

The Sultan of Swat would lead a powerful and renowned New York squad to seven American League pennants and four World Series titles during his 15 years in New York. He led the AL in home runs 12 times, including his record-setting 60 in 1927 - a mark that stood for 34 years.

Ruth retired in 1935 after a partial season with the Boston Braves, ending his 22-year big league career with 714 home runs. His lifetime statistics also include 2,873 hits, 506 doubles, 2,174 runs, 2,214 RBI, a .342 batting average, a .474 on-base percentage and a .690 slugging percentage.

"It wasn't that he hit more home runs than anybody else," said 1976 Spink Award winner Red Smith, "he hit them better, higher, farther, with more theatrical timing and a more flamboyant flourish."

Among Ruth's other remarkable offensive achievements include leading the league in slugging percentage 13 times, bases on balls 11 times, on-base percentage 10 times, runs scored eight times and runs batted in five times. One of the first five electees to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Ruth once said, "The fans would rather see me hit one homer to right than three doubles to left."

Ruth passed away on Aug. 16, 1948.

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Babe Ruth put up monumental statistics during his playing career. But the Bambino was more than numbers - especially to those who knew him, like former teammate Joe Dugan, who once said: "To understand him you had to understand this: He wasn't human."

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This article gave great information about Jordan and James' career.

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The GOAT debate in the NBA has gone on for multiple decades. As more and more players get inducted into the Hall of Fame and become all-time greats, the number of candidates to be the GOAT has increased significantly. So, between James Harden, Lebron James, and Michael Jordan, who is the real GOAT?
"James Harden is the GOAT" - Jack Wang '22
Basketball is a team game, and with accomplishments largely dictated by many factors outside of a single player's control, James Harden, as the most prolific and skilled scorer in NBA history, is the GOAT. After rising to superstardom in Houston, Harden has put up jaw-dropping numbers with unprecedented consistency: in the last five seasons, he has averaged 31.7 points per game, including a 36.1 point season in 2018-2019. Some may argue that numbers-wise, other historical scorers like Michael Jordan (with 37.1 ppg in 1986-1987) are comparable, even though nobody has averaged over 35 points with fewer shots, fewer minutes, or more assists than Harden.

But it is Harden's versatile skill set that makes him unguardable and separates him from his adversaries. Whether it is by drawing contact in a Eurostep, using his patented step-back three, or shooting a floater in the paint, he will find a way to score on any defense. These skills weren't used by older NBA greats - Michael Jordan, for instance, only averaged 1.8 three-point attempts on 32.7% shooting, making him a liability in creating space. Harden now leads the league in assists with just over eleven per game, a further testament to his offensive versatility and IQ.

A common knock against Harden is his defense: although players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did have greater defensive presences, Harden actually has elite post defense (ranking second in points per possession in the 2019-2020 season) and contributes well considering his offensive load. Evolution inevitably occurs over the course of time, and Harden is the paragon of modern NBA players' superior skill level, production, and versatility.
"Michael Jordan is the GOAT" - Huck Jamison '22
Although it is very difficult to compare accomplishments, accolades, and status among different basketball players from different eras, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. As much as the argument of the six-for-six, the scoring titles, and the countless other personal elements of success Jordan achieved, his biggest success may have been the fact that he prevented all other legends from the 90's from winning championships. When one thinks about "ringless" all time greats - Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Reggie Miller, and other 90s great normally top that list - all of these players had a common underlying theme of being beaten by Jordan at some point in their careers.

Winning a championship is the pinnacle of basketball success, and in Lebron's era, Curry, Durant, Duncan, Kawhi, Kobe, and others all managed to reach this height of basketball immortality. Jordan's sheer domination over a closed six-year span was what elevates him above every basketball player in history. It is very difficult to compare players from different eras, as watching a player first hand is vital to understanding their success. But the sheer dominance of the 90s that Michael Jordan displayed makes him the greatest basketball player in history.
"Lebron James is the GOAT" - Anuj Agarwal '21
Ever since the 2016 NBA Finals, where Lebron defeated the 73-win Warriors, the GOAT debate has continued to intensify. Towards the forefront of this conversation is the key question: what makes the supposed GOAT the greatest? The best criteria for the GOAT revolves around the ultimate goal in the NBA - a championship. Specifically, the GOAT is the basketball player that has the most "championship equity" over their entire career.

Otherworldly scoring ability, next-level vision, all-time versatile defense, size, strength, and athleticism blend perfectly to make the basketball phenom that is Lebron James. Lebron has the unmatched ability to raise the floor of any team he joins by carrying them to unseen heights with minimal talent, in addition to possessing the playmaking and selflessness to mesh with other superstars to create dynasties. No other candidate for GOAT can say this. Some players (Michael Jordan) could never reach championship heights before the addition of a superstar sidekick. Lebron carried the '07 Cavaliers to the NBA Finals with no other all-stars. When Lebron left, they collapsed to the worst team in the league.

Other stars have brought lackluster teams to great heights (Allen Iverson) but can't mesh with other superstars to create all-time teams. Lebron has won championships with three distinct teams, filled with three distinct types of talent. He won a championship with a dynamic three-level scorer (Kyrie), a playmaking slasher (Dwayne Wade), and a defense-oriented big man in Anthony Davis. When you combine versatility and floor-raising ability with his absurd longevity and durability, no player in the history of basketball has had more "championship equity" than Lebron James.

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The GOAT debate in the NBA has gone on for multiple decades. As more and more players get inducted into the Hall of Fame and become all-time greats, the number of candidates to be the GOAT has increased significantly. So, between James Harden, Lebron James, and Michael Jordan, who is the real GOAT?

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This article had some useful information about the best tennis players and their stats. if it is the best i can find i will make due with this source

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The 10 Best Male Tennis Players Of All Time

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The Open era has produced some incredible champions since its inception, but who from the men’s game ranks among the 10 greatest tennis players of all time?

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I will be using this source because it gives a great description of Tom Brady and his career achievements.

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On Feb. 7, Tom Brady cemented himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history by winning Super Bowl LV, his seventh Super Bowl win.

Some of us were already predicting this.

Now, I'm not saying Tom Brady is the most talented quarterback of all time, but he is one of the smartest football players ever, and nobody knows how to win better than him. Brady also has the best career accolade list in NFL history.

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady can only be described in one acronym: GOAT. The Greatest of All Time. Being the 199 th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady has always had to fight against the odds. That is what makes his story that much better than the next. It wasn't expected of him. He wasn't expected to be anything more than a career backup quarterback.

Brady's career accolades include seven Super Bowl wins, three MVP awards, 14 Pro Bowls, three All-Pro teams, two Offensive Player of the Year awards and the 2009 Comeback Player of the Year. Brady was also one of two players, with the other being a punter, named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade Team twice. He was the First-Team quarterback on both the 2000's team and 2010's team.

Brady's career record is 230-69, a win percentage of 76.9. Added onto having the most wins in NFL history, he also has the best win percentage of quarterbacks that have started at least 85 games in the NFL. Brady has led the NFL in passing yards three times over his 20-year career. He has also led the league in passing touchdowns four times. Brady's 581 passing touchdowns are the most in NFL history as well. His 79,204 passing yards are just 1,154 yards behind the all-time passing yards leader, Drew Brees, who is expected to retire this offseason.

In his career, Tom Brady has made 10 Super Bowl appearances in 20 years. This means half of his seasons have ended in the Super Bowl. To put this into perspective, Brady has more Super Bowl appearances than 31 of 32 NFL teams. His seven Super Bowl wins are more than every NFL franchise.

Brady's playoff numbers are what truly set him above the rest. Brady has played in 45 playoff games and has an outstanding 34-11 record. The next most playoff wins at the quarterback position is 16. He has 12,449 passing yards in the Playoffs, the most in NFL Playoff history, and he is an astounding 5,110 yards above the second most (Peyton Manning). The 43-year-old quarterback also has the most passing touchdowns in playoff history with 83 passing touchdowns, a large gap between the next most, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Montana (45 touchdowns).

Throughout Tom Brady's career, the narrative around him was that he was a system quarterback and had the best coach ever by his side, Bill Belichick. Going into the 2020-2021 NFL season, many predicted that Brady would have little to no success without his head coach. When the season started slow for Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, those who believed Brady was a system quarterback were loving it.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the 2019-2020 season with a 7-9 record and 41 turnovers. With Brady at the helm in 2020-2021, the Bucs finished the season with an 11-5 record and 17 turnovers. A drastic change.

Head Coach Bruce Arians gives the credit to Brady, saying "His leadership is off the charts... He brought a winning mentality to a really talented football team that didn't know how to win... [Brady's] preparation was unbelievable, but just how it rubs off on the rest of the football team."

Before this season, maybe you could have argued that Tom Brady wasn't the best quarterback of all time, but now, there is no more arguing. It's over; Tom Brady is the GOAT. But wait...Brady announced after the Super Bowl that he's coming back for another season. Will he win an eighth Super Bowl and add on to his Hall of Fame resume? Only time will tell.

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No more arguments: Tom Brady is the GOAT

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On Feb. 7, Tom Brady cemented himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history by winning Super Bowl LV, his seventh Super Bowl win. Some of us were already predicting this. Now, I'm not saying Tom Brady is the most talented quarterback of all time, but he is one of the smartest football players ever, and nobody knows how to win better than him.

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This article was good but not great. The details about each athlete didn't really go into enough details, so i will not be using this source.

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The GOATs In The World’s Favorite Sports

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Greatest of all time (GOAT) is neither a small honor nor a tag given to a person out of sentiments. It‘s something an athlete has to earn. While everyone

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While this is still about Tom Brady, it fits perfectly with my condition of rebuttal. It calls out his actions outside of the football field and contributions to the community.

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It is impossible to determine who is the GOAT | The Ithacan

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Not only is determining a G.O.A.T. a Sisyphean task, but it also consistently excludes women and athletes from less popular sports.