v2 G.O.A.T Round 2 Match 12

Good morning GOAT fans, thank you Chris for taking the reins whilst I was at Wembley on Wednesday and recovering yesterday! In my absence Chris brought you two match ups the first of which pitted Donald Bradman vs. Babe Ruth, after a day of voting Bradman took 71% of the vote therefore dumping Ruth out of the competition at the second stage.

Elsewhere Sugar Ray Robinson took on basketballs Michael Jordon in what produced a real heavyweight bout, with voting close all day Jordon eventually got the win by just three votes a progresses into the last 16.

Today’s first match up see’s the one and only Ice hockey Wayne Gretzky participant take on the record breaking darts legend Phil ‘the power’ Taylor.
Please vote for the participant you believe has achieved the most in sport

Below are the previous round 1 articles written by forum members

Please leave a comment as to why you voted

Wayne Gretzky- Ice Hockey- Championed by Azzy Mahmood

If you’re looking for a G.O.A.T., then look no further than Wayne Gretzky, or as he is more commonly known, ‘The Great One’. Gretzky is the best ice hockey player of all-time, by some considerable distance, with an incredible number of records set during his 20-year NHL career that will never, ever be broken.

In ice hockey there are a wide variety of stats. To make this brief, I’ll only talk about the three main stats – points, goals and assists. Points = goals + assists in case you’re unfamiliar with ice hockey (please do ask questions in the thread, I’m happy to answer them).

Points: Gretzky is the leading point-scorer in NHL history, with 2,857 points. Second-placed Mark Messier has 1,887 points. Only one player in NHL history has scored over 200 points in a single season – which Gretzky did four times. And only Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have ever scored more than 155 points in a season. Points-wise, Gretzky was the greatest player by far.

Goals: Gretzky scored 894 goals in his career, 93 more than second-placed Gordie Howe. He took the 5th most number of shots in history. A devastating stat is that he leads all players in short-handed goals – with 73 – showing that, even playing with the equivalent of 9 men, he was still head and shoulders above the rest. The most number of goals in one season is 92 – by Gretzky. He also has the most number of hat-tricks – 50 in total. As the stats show, Gretzky was the best goal scorer in hockey history.

Assists: Gretzky provided 1,963 assists which, you may notice, is more than any other player has even when combining goals and assists. Even if he had never scored a goal in his career, he’d still lead the points table. That is a measure of just how great Gretzky was.

When Gretzky retired in 1999, he held 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star game records. Most of these will never be beaten. He was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, waiving the normal 3-year waiting period. The NHL retired his jersey number 99 league-wide, the only player to have had this recognition. If you see a sports player with ‘99’ on his shirt, it is almost certainly a tribute to The Great One.
In terms of peer recognition, Gretzky captured nine Hart Trophies as the league’s MVP, five Lester B. Pearson Awards as the players’ MVP, five Lady Byng Trophies for sportsmanship and performance, and two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP. During his career he also won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers –the ultimate trophy in ice hockey - and led the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals as well. Following his playing career, he became Executive Director of the Canadian men’s ice hockey team, leading them to Olympic Gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
In all of sporting history, no transfer, draft pick or trade has ever caused as much emotional outpouring as ‘The Trade’. On 9 August 1988 Canada was in uproar as Edmonton traded Gretzky to Los Angeles for $15m (at that time, a hefty sum), plus an exchange of other players back-and-forth. Canadian politicians demanded that the Canadian government block the trade, and the owner of Edmonton was vilified to such an extent that his own fans burned effigies of him outside their arena. Gretzky himself was unable to talk at the press conference, such was his love for his team, as he cried in front of hundreds of journalists. The Trade has been referenced in films and on TV ever since.

‘The Trade’ did have one very positive effect. It made California, previously oblivious to ice hockey, stand up and take notice of the sport – Gretzky is often credited with being single-handedly responsible for popularizing the sport in California.

In addition to all this, Gretzky was chosen to be the final torch-bearer at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, lighting the cauldron. Nickelback had Gretzky in their video for ‘Rock Star’, and reportedly wouldn’t make the video if they couldn’t get him in it. Gretzky also appears in all the TV adverts for Visit California – a measure of how much he is loved there, that a Canadian sportsman could be an ambassador for their state.

So there it is. I hope this has opened a few people’s eyes to the greatness of Wayne Gretzky, a man who I believe truly is the Greatest Of All Time. He won everything there was to win, he broke every record there was to break, and he made the sport what it is today. There will never be another like Wayne Gretzky.

Phil Taylor- Darts- Championed by CJB
Phil Taylor is the character that has transcended Darts. After taking up darts at 26, Taylor would win his first professional title in two years and by 1992 was a two-time BDO world champion. However, darts would be changed irrevocably in 1993 when a rival organisation – the PDC - led by 16 leading players was created.

Taylor would lose the first PDC World Championship final against Dennis Priestly in 1994 but losing in this championship would be a rarity for Phil. He would win 44 consecutive games, with eight titles including a 107.46 average in the 2001 final against John Part. 2002 was one of the high points of Phil’s career winning the four majors and the first televised nine darter in the PDC.

Phil would overcome a minor blip in the 2003 final to go and win three consecutive world championships. This would lead to the 2007 world championship final between Raymond Van Barneveld, four-time BDO champion, and Phil. This would go on to be labelled as the greatest match ever. Taylor would win the first eight legs and take a 3-0 lead in sets. He would bring it back to 5-3 before winning 3 consecutive sets. Taylor would win the next set to take it into a deciding set. The deciding set would go into a nerve-wracking deciding leg with Taylor losing in the greatest game ever.

The Power, as he is affectionately nicknamed, would win both the 2009 and 2010 world championships, with normal service resumed. 2009 was another vintage Phil year, winning 10 of the 12 major tournaments. Approaching 50, Taylor would lose in the 2011 + 2012 world championships despite his 11 majors spread out with these two years. With reports of his waning powers, Taylor would go on to claim his 16th world title beating the new kid on the block, Michael Van Gerwen in a stunning final on New Years Day.

The world title would be the 194th title of his illustrious career with 74 major wins. Not only is he the most successful player in terms of career titles but is also credited with the most televised 9-dart finishes, the perfect leg. He has achieved this nine times including twice in one game, a feat still unmatched, with only 34 ever hit. His dominance of the game is also shown by his amazing 3-dart averages. In 2010, Taylor would record the highest televised average ever with 118.66 and has thrown a televised average over 105 an incredible 117 times compared to just 78 from all other players.

So whilst the merits of Taylor as a ‘sportsman’ alongside the likes of Woods, Bradman and Federer may be debatable in your eyes, Taylor is a deserved recipient of this award, with his wins and consistent domination not equalled in any other sporting arena.

Easy choice for me - Taylor may be the best darts player ever, but it's a pub game played in Britain and a little bit in Holland and North America.

Gretsky is similarly the best in his area, but ice hockey is THE national sport in Canada and widely played through the US, northern and eastern Europe and into north Asia.

Therefore my vote has to be for Gretsky as being the best in a much bigger sport.

Jeez
In one round today we have Sobers vs. Pele and in the other Gretsky vs. Phil Taylor.
Is it policy to have one incredibly easy decision in order to give us more time to scratch our heads at the other?

Hoggy_Bear wrote:...Is it policy to have one incredibly easy decision in order to give us more time to scratch our heads at the other?

Certainly seems to be how this has panned out this week. Unfortunately it means that a few guys who should have been in the last 16 and possibly last 8 have been beaten early (Merckx, SRR, Sobers from the look of the early voting), and that we will have a few mis-matches coming up next week.

I love watching darts but then again I like watching a lot of rubbish tele, is it a sport...not for me.

Come on, own up.
Who voted for Taylor?

I went for Phil..

I know how good wayne is . and he is a sportsman , a true great in his field..

BUt just for phils insane record and the fact that i want to!! I have voted for him

Hoggy_Bear wrote:Come on, own up.
Who voted for Taylor?

Me,

Lets face it, he's never going to win, and I like darts but can't abide ice hockey.

I'm a fan of The Power but really can't vote for him here.

I am having one of them days were i am just voting for my favs!

rather than who I consider the best..

This comp has been great but my concentration has been hit!!

No contest.

Gretzky.

I'm going to vote for Taylor (there's one in the eye for North American sports lovers who live in the UK) and I'm going to continue the theme for this competition by setting up numerous accounts and voting mulitple times for my favourites all the way through.

Actually, I voted Gretzky because he was my favourite character in that weird cartoon from the 80's/90's that had Gretzky, Jordan and Bo Jackson in it.

I cant believe what hans did..

15 dup accounts or something. That lad has to much time on his hands!!

I actually had to repress a snigger when I saw this match-up. Good game, darts, and Taylor's evidently a freak, but still.

Gretzky, just about.

superflyweight wrote:I'm going to vote for Taylor (there's one in the eye for North American sports lovers who live in the UK) and I'm going to continue the theme for this competition by setting up numerous accounts and voting mulitple times for my favourites all the way through.

Actually, I voted Gretzky because he was my favourite character in that weird cartoon from the 80's/90's that had Gretzky, Jordan and Bo Jackson in it.

An ice hockey player, a baseball/football star and a plastic chested glamour model.
That must have been one HELL of a weird cartoon. Should you have been watching?

WG despite really liking phil. WG has transcended at least the consciousness of his sport and with the best will in the world Phil Taylor hasn't.

Still, it's a Friday and tons of british pub goers can come in lashed and set up multiple accounts tonight to put phil through...

Hoggy_Bear wrote:

superflyweight wrote:I'm going to vote for Taylor (there's one in the eye for North American sports lovers who live in the UK) and I'm going to continue the theme for this competition by setting up numerous accounts and voting mulitple times for my favourites all the way through.

Actually, I voted Gretzky because he was my favourite character in that weird cartoon from the 80's/90's that had Gretzky, Jordan and Bo Jackson in it.

An ice hockey player, a baseball/football star and a plastic chested glamour model. That must have been one HELL of a weird cartoon. Should you have been watching?

I may well have imagined it.

Phil Taylor has transcended darts and spend 23 years at the top. Longetivity makes him ahead for me.

Not a great fan of ice hockey by any means, but even I can appreciate the magnitude of Gretzky's accomplishments, virtuosity and consistency. To think that he'd still be sitting atop the all-time points chart even if he'd never scored a goal in his life is just phenomenal.

Not the most gobal game, of course, but far more so than darts and Gretzky, like Jordan in the NBA, did a huge amount to change the perceptions of his sport during his career, and managing that often elusive 'transcender' status.

Gretzky by a mile, for me.

I'd defintiely say Ice Hockey is quite well played across the globe. Of course you have the US and Canada at the top, but a lot of Northern and Eastern European nations have decent leagues and teams (even GB are not too shabby - they are in final Olympic Qualifying as we speak) along with Japan.

No offence to the Power but this is an easy choice.

I see Gretsky's doing none too shabby in the AT&T at Pebble Beach with his would be son in law. Their better ball score is -9 after their round on MPSC and Johnson was +3. That's therefore some decent golf by Gretsky.

Gretsky, as I just can't count Darts as a Sport in the same way as Ice Hockey.

However, those who think Gretsky is way at the top of his sport seem to be forgetting Mario Lemieux!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Lemieux

what a rubbish match up, neither should be anywhere near this round let alone next

Just because we don't play Ice Hockey in the UK doesn't mean it isn't a popular, skilful and real sport

mystiroakey wrote:I cant believe what hans did..

15 dup accounts or something. That lad has to much time on his hands!!

Did he really or is that just in relation to his stupid talking as a group thing?

Serious fruit loop.

Ray Robinson beat by Jordon?

Joke.

Everyone that voted for Jordan is a anal sniffing gimp mask wearing gimpoid. Go and educate yourself "sport fans".

Gretzky's a legend.

TheMackemMawler wrote:Ray Robinson beat by Jordon?

Joke.

Everyone that voted for Jordan is a anal sniffing gimp mask wearing gimpoid. Go and educate yourself "sport fans".

spencerclarke wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:I cant believe what hans did..

15 dup accounts or something. That lad has to much time on his hands!!

Did he really or is that just in relation to his stupid talking as a group thing?

Serious fruit loop.

actually I take it back- it may not have been him..

Then again it might have been...

Aye....

Well put it this way it was Friday Afternoon (here) all you guys were in bed, and Hans and I were the only ones around, and it wanst me....

It just seemed strange that all these votes went on Jordan wothout one other single person posting a comment..

I cant thing of anyone else that would have done this(The lad has pretty much admitted he was gonna do something like this in not so many words!) however the mods said the poster was banned- yet he posted after that!! so thats what threw me.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who voted for Wayne Gretzky. I was at home suffering hallucinations when this vote took place, and I'm really glad Gretzky made it through.

On the side, Mario Lemieux was a sensational player, probably the second-best ever, but injuries robbed him of the chance to ever put Gretzky's records to the test. Although a poor comparison, it's a bit like Ayrton Senna's death meaning he couldn't race a full career - we'll never know how good Lemieux really was.