Greatest Athlete or did you mean 'Most Dominant'?

Many of us probably recall 1999 when ESPN's "SportCentury" produced a weekly series that counted down the the 50 Greatest athletes of the 20th century. Beginning in January, the one hour show would be dedicated to one 'top 50' athlete on the list, beginning with number 50. ESPN's list was compiled by polling thousands of sports media people, as well as both former and current athletes. The features were fascinating; each including insightful mini-biographies that provided the viewer with some psychological insight as how each came to be special. Often there were extraordinary childhood circumstances or incidents that made them different. The series also included revealing interviews conducted by ESPN staff with personal rivals, teammates and coaches that brought further validation to each athlete's respective position on this pretty short list.

However, as great as the "SportCentury" series remains, the resulting list was, and still is, misleading. I say this because the list is titled "50 Greatest Athletes" but includes Ted Williams and Jack Nicklaus in the top twenty. How could either of them be considered a better 'athlete' than Carl Lewis? They both played a sport that required a high degree of skill and hand eye coordination, but golf and baseball do not require participants to be either fast runners, great leapers, or to even have much endurance. Don't get me wrong, I am perfectly fine with Jack (#9) and Ted (#16) being in the top 50 because I know this list should really be called the "50 Most Dominant Athletic Performers Ever"....translated, this means "which athlete dominated his or her respective sport more if compared to all of the other dominant performers in their respective sports, over the course of sports history?"

With that in mind, and since ten years have given us additional information and options, it's time for a new list. Here is ESPN's "Top Ten Greatest Athletes" as published in late 1999:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Babe Ruth
3. Muhammad Ali
4. Jim Brown
5. Wayne Gretzky
6. Jesse Owens
7. Jim Thorpe
8. Willie Mays
9. Jack Nicklaus
10. Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Now here is my list:

"Most Dominant Athletic Performer in Sports History"

1. Tiger Woods
2. Jim Brown
3. Muhammad Ali
4. Michael Jordan
5. Wayne Gretzky
6. Babe Ruth
7. Michael Phelps
8. Wilt Chamberlain
9. Lawrence Taylor
10. Sandy Koufax

Yankees are finished

Is any Yankees fan really surprised that they gave up a four run lead with three innings to play; and to a team with one of the worst team batting averages in MLB? Yesterday's loss was just so typical 2008 in that they found another way to blow one. Whether it's been untimely hitting, or the game's all-time closer throwing wild pitches, or just an errant flip to second base in an attempt to turn an easy inning-ending double play...it doesn't matter why or how. What matters is that the team does not play as if it knows it's going to win. It plays as if it is hoping to win. All the effort and hustle in the world will not get any team a play-off spot if it doesn't have that necessary intangible-supreme confidence. I bet if someone other than a sports media employee asked Derek Jeter whether or not he feels the Yanks have a chance-he'd say "no".