Who is the Most Dominant Athlete?

Who is the Most Dominant Athlete?
By Jake Bailey, TheSportsStand.com (8/17/07)

There are many athletes in today's world of sports. Very few stand out as the most dominant in their field of choice. In my consideration of who is currently the most dominant athlete, I chose those that easily stand out in their sports. It was very hard to choose because there are so many great ones. I've featured a few, and I will tell you who I think is most dominant.

Michael Phelps: He is a professional swimmer that gained his fame in the Olympics. He holds many world records and has may Olympic records. He's tied the record for most individual gold medals for swimming in one outing at the Olympics. He holds the record for most medals overall in one Olympics. He currently holds 38 national titles in swimming and is quickly closing in on the world record of 48. He has 23 world records. On top of this, he was voted "Swimmer of the Year" three times (2003, 2004, 2006). Some may argue that he is the greatest swimmer of all time.

Roger Federer: This Swiss Tennis sensation is currently number one in the entire world. Most believe that he is the greatest tennis player of all time. He's held this since February 2, 2004, and his huge lead seals the deal. He will have the record for most weeks as number one as the top ranked player, male or female. He can cover the entire court and hits every shot well. He serves around 125 mph on average, and when he wants, 130 mph. He's won 11 Grand Slam singles titles, 3 tennis Masters Cups title, and 13 ATP series titles. He's the only male to win 3 of 4 Grand Slam Singles titles twice in a row, the only male in the Open Era to win at least ten singles tournaments three years in a row, and the only male to win three titles in three different Grand Slam tournaments. He holds so many records and awards that they are almost too numerous to list.

Tiger Woods: When one thinks of the sport of Golf, they immediately think of Tiger Woods. He was the highest paid athlete in the year of 2006. He is easily the most dominant athlete in his sport. I mean, the kid has been golfing since age 2 and pretty much dominating the competition since. Tiger Woods has a very strong overall game, while being able to out-drive all of the competition. He can mentally outlast all his competition. People get intimidated just playing with him. Is it any wonder that he hasn't lost a major when he's held or was tied for the lead at the end of the third room? Of all the golfers that are currently active, Tiger has the most PGA Tour wins. He currently has 13 majors, trailing only Jack Nicklaus with 18. Pretty much anyone who has a clue about golf expects Woods to not only reach, but beat this mark. He has so many records, that, like Federer, they are too numerous to list. I just listed some. Tiger is so dominant in his sport, that his competition has literally said "I give up". Then again, the competition is speaking the truth. They have two choices when Eldrick Woods has the lead, give up, or pull a Roy Sabbatini and look like a complete moron. He is only 31. Tiger also is one of the main reasons a lot of people watch golf. He's an exciting player to watch, mainly because of his dominance.

So who is the best athlete?

I pick Tiger Woods. Nobody else in his sport can come close to him. He already has many golfing records and will get many more. Federer is the close second in this race for me.

I chose these candidates, and none from other sports such as the NFL, NBA, and MLB, because those sports are more team-oriented, and there are so many players that one could make an argument that other players are better and there are so many other players that are close to them. These are almost undisputed in their respective sports.

So what do you think?

I've added a poll to this article, so you can vote and tell us what you think. See if others agree. Finally, if you disagree with this article, feel free to hit me up on the messageboards. If you think someone else deserves to be up here, vote other, and then tell us on the messageboards.

Sound off on this topic on our Messageboard