[solved]Hall of Fame 2015/6 - Round 1 Group E

Here is round five of this years Hall of Fame.

All polls will remain open for a week so make sure to vote ASAP for your favourites.

The first Four 1st round match can be found here -

https://www.606v2.com/t61349-hall-of-fame-2015-6-round-1-group-a

https://www.606v2.com/t61376-hall-of-fame-2015-6-round-1-group-b

https://www.606v2.com/t61391-hall-of-fame-2015-6-round-1-group-c

https://www.606v2.com/t61404-hall-of-fame-2015-6-round-1-group-d

Todays poll features stars from the world of Golf, Boxing, Moto GP and American Football

Please vote for your top two choices and let the best man/ woman win.

Your nominees are:

Tiger Woods
Valentino Rossi
Mike Tyson
Jerry Rice

Valentino Rossi- Motor Sport- Championed by CJB

Arguably the most talented driver in all of motorsport, Valentino Rossi fell in love with minimoto and karting very young. Rossi would finally begin to concentrate on the two wheeled racing when the increasing costs of karting was too much for Graziano Rossi, a talented racer in his own right.

After impressing on the national and European level, Rossi was given a chance to impress in the 125cc category on an Aprilla. At only 17, Rossi would impress with a race win and a third leading to a ninth place finish despite five crashes. He would go on to dominate the 125cc class just a year later with 11 wins in 15 races. This would earn him a move up a class to the 250cc class where in two seasons he would win 14 races with seven other top three finishes. In his first season he would come a close second behind more experienced teammate Loris Capirossi while his second season would earn him the title and a move to 500cc bikes, the premier class.

His first season although blighted by three retirements would see two victories and a second place finish. However it would be his second season where Rossi would really come into his own. He would dominate winning his first world championship in the premier class. This would be the first of three World Championships on the Honda bike often considered the best. Each of the titles were dominant with an average winning gap of almost 110 points, with 31 wins of the 48 possible.

Rossi would continue in similar vein at Yamaha winning two more World Championships to take his toll to five consecutive and seven overall titles. However the next two years would be a struggle for Rossi with a 2nd and a 3rd in the championships and only nine wins, losing to Hayden and Stoner. Rossi would successfully return to the top of the pyramid with another 15 wins and two more world titles to reach seven premier class title and nine world championships in any class.

Whilst it is futile to not include Rossi in the discussion of the greatest motorcyclist of all time a case could be made to describe him as the most flexible and talented of all motorsports. When Rossi tested the Ferrari F1 car in 2006 he would finish just over half a second behind the most successful F1 driver ever, Michael Schumacer, after only 3 days, an impressive feat. He has also shown a talent for Rallying finishing 11th of 39 in a World Rally Championship race in 2006. Rossi is often called the GOAT (Greatest of all time) by those in the know of the sport and has inspired some of the current crop of great riders such as Stoner, Lorenzo and the late Simoncelli.

Mike Tyson- Boxing- Championed by Spaghetti-Hans

Prologue.

When the organizers of this prestigious competition came together around a mahogany table last May and put forward their list of candidates, there was one man of the top of every list that they almost dared not mention. He was a flash point; a ticking timebomb. They knew that he would have to be handled with care, lest he plunge the entire tournament into disrepute and infamy. It was decided that only one poster (or rather, collective of posters) had the ability to tackle such a subject. Having courted controversy even back in the days of Ye Olde 606, only Spaghetti Hans, aka The Main Event Lads, were capable of this task. We were approached by Tournament Director MtotheC with the simple question: Could we champion the unchampionable? Could we put forward the case for a man arrested 38 times by the age of 13; A man who served three years for r***; A man who chewed a rival’s ear in half. This is not a defence of those actions, nor should they ever be forgotten when casting your vote, but remember what this tournament asks of you dear voter. There it is, just above this article – ‘Please vote for the competitor you believe has achieved the most in sport.’ And ask yourself: Has anyone really achieved more, or competed more ferociously, than Iron Mike Tyson?
Tyson.

This is the story of a boy who was the best – almost instantly, no gradual maturation, just a fully-formed champion from the start – whose ferocious frightening aggression won him everything there was: The youngest champion at just 20 years of age; the first heavyweight to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles; and the only man to unify them. And yet whose same aggression would spiral spectacularly out of control and would ultimately cost him everything.

It’s difficult to accurately describe quite how incredible Tyson was a young boxer, and what an impact he made upon the sport. He was heavily-hyped, earmarked for greatness, his first professional fight drawing in fight fans from all four corners of America. They had come hearing rumours of his awesome potential. They knew that he was the reigning Junior Olympic Games Champion (having knocked one opponent out in 8 seconds flat), but that was about it. What they saw floored them all: A first round KO – soon to be a familiar sight. Commentators were astounded, noting how the kid had no time for the niceties of jabbing, instead focusing all his energies into devastating hooks to the head and body. His career began in whirlwind of early KO’s. Like a man in a hurry he began a ferocious rise to the top. His run of dominance – from newcomer to Heavyweight Champion in 18 months – was jaw-dropping. 15 wins in 1985, all by knock-out, were followed by 13 more the following year as Tyson scythed through the field – culminating in the second round knock-out of the man who ended Ali’s career, Trevor Berbick, and his first taste of championship gold.

Mid to Late 80s Tyson was nothing less than The Baddest Man on The Planet. Early recordings are an extraordinary document of his animalistic intensity – just watch Jesse Ferguson walk into a frenzied flurry of punches in Tyson’s first televised fight, or ‘Mumbling’ Marvis Frazier (son of Joe) drop to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut within 20 seconds of the bell. Joe convinced the officials to clock the fight at 30 seconds to spare Marvis’ blushes, but there was no shame in it - Tyson did it to everybody. Even greats like Frank Bruno and The Easton Assassin Larry Holmes were dispatched by Kid Dynamite. He was a human wind tunnel of self-belief and iron will, a perfect physical specimen schooled on the streets of Brooklyn, a master of the art of intimidation. Here was a teenager beating experienced opponents before the bell had even been rung. And his left and right hooks (ranked number one in ESPN’s hardest hitters) were sheer power on a level never before seen in a boxing ring. You can actually see it in the fighter’s glazed eyes after they’d tasted that first uppercut (if they were still standing): nobody had ever punched that hard. Sterling Benjamin described it as ‘a sledgehammer,’ and tried to have the Tyson Uppercut banned. Lawyers were called in to assess the dangers. As Sugar Ray Robinson commented in the aftermath of his devastating 91 second knock-out of then unbeaten Olympic Gold Medalist and Hall of Famer Michael Spinks in 1988: ‘He was so destructive he should be locked up.’ How prescient that would prove.



Tyson’s rise had been meteoric, an unstoppable force that stunned the boxing world. There was a genuine belief that he was unbeatable. The phrase repeated by all – from George Bush Sr. in an early phone call to Jerry Rice, to Smokin’ Steve Albert himself – was that ‘the only thing that can beat Mike Tyson is Mike Tyson himself.’ And indeed behind the iron curtain of Tyson’s public persona clouds were gathering, the thread was starting to tug. The death of his mentor, trainer, and father figure, Cus D’Amato in 1985 – in the midst of his ascent to the top – had an immeasurable impact on his life. D’Amato had plucked him from the streets as a feral youth, and recognizing his talent had taught him discipline both inside and outside the ring. Following his death, these lessons were ignored. Tyson became sloppy in the ring, the peak-a-boo defensive stance often forgotten in his hurry to finish his opponent off. It’s a testament to his awesome speed and power that he was able to compensate for this lack of craft and still dominate the division. But as Don King’s promise of millions turned him away from the team that had kept the fragile fighter on a steady course, out of ring distractions, an unravelling marriage, and ill-discipline, all took their toll. Tyson began to boil over.

All these factors brought an end to his half-decade of destruction, and made his shock 1990 defeat possible. The 42/1 longshot ‘Unbackable’ Buster Douglas, so unfancied even his own wife didn’t take up those generous odds, knocked the champion to the canvas for the very first time in his 38th professional fight. The Tokyo crowd sat open-mouthed in hushed disbelief, sushi littered the floor. Tyson himself spent precious seconds on the floor scrambling around searching for his mouthguard – so alien was it to him to be in this position he didn’t know quite what to do. It is widely regarded as the greatest upset in boxing history, and the lapse cost Tyson the chance to break Rocky Marciano’s record of 49 unbeaten fights – a record he had always seemed destined to achieve.

It was the beginning of the end for Tyson. He was still a hell of a fighter – his double bill of victories against the great Canadian hope, Razor Ruddock, a man Evander Holyfield had desperately dodged, stand amongst Tyson’s greatest wins. But by then he had self-destructed – Smokin’ Steve Albert’s prophesy come to pass. Incarcerated for r*** he wouldn’t set foot in a ring again until 1995. The Tyson who returned was a danger to himself and his opponents. He’d given up all pretence of defence – his gameplan was simply to uppercut until he took someone’s head off, or lost his own. His final ten years in the sport flew by in a haze of controversy. The intensity of old had lost all direction. He was, simply, feral. He briefly reclaimed his WBA and WBC titles, but also had to contend with disqualifications for cannabis use, crippling defeats in the only fights that mattered to Holyfield and Lewis, cries of cannibalism, assault charges, the stigma of being ‘The Most Hated Man in America’, and a final humbling loss to Irish journeyman, Kevin McBride.

But make no mistake, he was box-office. Nothing compared to the hype surrounding his long delayed bout with Holyfield. Tyson-Holyfield I is still the high water mark for sheer public sporting hysteria. ‘Finally’ we were seeing it. Las Vegas was at a stand-still – everybody on earth wanted to say they were there. The Main Event Lads remember standing on craps tables in the Bellagio craning to get a view on the big screens, watching in shock as The Real Deal proved he was so. Then 6 months later The Sound and The Fury of Tyson-Holyfield II was deafening – the shock of seeing Tyson tear his rival’s earlobe off made headlines the world over. With his licence suspended the outcast turned to the WWF. The Boss, Vince McMahon paying him $3m to be special guest enforcer at Wrestlemania in the belief that only he could keep The Rattlesnake Stone Cold Steve Austin in check. But the boxing public demanded the return of the man they loved to hate, and Lewis–Tyson (‘Is On’) in 2002 was Tyson’s last shot at the title. But for all his talk of eating Lewis’ children, Iron Mike had lost the hunger, and was resoundingly knocked out in the 8th. The public appetite for the fight was insatiable however, and shattered box office records once more. His skills had diminished, but make no mistake there was still no-one bigger than The Baddest Man in Sport.

Mike Tyson is simply the most iconic heavyweight since Ali. And until his reputation was irrevocably tarnished both in-ring and out, he had a strong argument to be called the greatest of all time. It is impossible to over empathize the impact he had in the 80’s. People had never seen (or felt) anything quite like it. His rage was irresistible. No-one had ever been so dominant. He changed the sport forever. Tyson once said that ‘I have to live at the top of the world or I have to live at the bottom of the ocean.’ The man did both, and for good and for evil, he transcended his sport, and captured the attention of the world. His demise directly led to the diminishing of the wider public’s interest in Heavyweight boxing, indeed arguably in boxing full stop, however hard Lewis and the Klitschkos tried to support it on their broad shoulders. They will be forgotten twenty, thirty years from now – Mike Tyson won’t be.


Tiger Woods- Golf- Championed by Adam D

"So far these GOAT debates have been fascinating reading. What sports are sports? How does a sportsman shine if they are part of a team? How can someone who is not athletically fit be considered a ""great"" sportsman? How can someone be considered the GOAT if they are not even the best in their sport?

Well all of these arguments could be levelled at Mr Woods to a certain extent, however, I will prove why all of these points in isolation do not matter to Tiger.

Tiger Woods is not just the greatest golfer of his generation, he is the greatest of all time. Whats that I hear you say? Jack Niklaus has won more?
Well for a start, he hasnt. Niklaus HAS won more Majors but not tournaments.

In fact, the person with the most tournament wins is Sam Snead who dominated from 1936 to 1965, clocking up 7 major wins. But I doubt he is going to grace this list anytime soon.

Lets get back to Niklaus vs Woods because lets face it, thats the golfing GOAT debate that will spring up. Now I like Niklaus and I like Woods, but which is better? There is only one way to find out....actually, its a matter of opinion and for me the reason why Woods outshines the Niklaus era is down to the talent pool around them.

Let me talk about that for a second. In Niklaus' era, we had the big names and historical superstars of the sport. In Woods era, we have Major winners such as Keegan Bradley and Zach Johnson. Whats my point you may ask as this is surely a selling point for Jack?

My point is that in the 60,70 and 80s, golf was dominated by a group of great players in a smaller pool. And that was down to the social class aspect of the sport. Fewer people played, and skill was the biggest factor in winning a tournament. Today, everyone is welcomed onto the many, many more courses around the world. And due to big hitting taking precedent over course management, the field has become much more even and full of depth.

Tigers dominance in a more scientific era of golf is that much more impressive. And its also the reason why he should be voted above the likes of Federer and Phil Taylor and Ronnie O'Sullivan. Tiger doesnt have to beat a single opponent on each day. He has won these tournaments by beating EVERY player over 4 days.

This is not a case of playing better than this rounds opponent but a case of playing better than every person in the competition. That is why his achievements should be considered above the other individual sports on this list.

So what has Tiger achieved?

At age 2, he appeared on TV putting against Bob Hope! At age three, he shot a 48 over nine holes over the Cypress Navy course. Before turning seven, Tiger won the Under Age 10 section of the Drive, Pitch, and Putt competition, held at the Navy Golf Course in Cypress, California.

In 1984 at the age of eight, he won the 9–10 boys' event, the youngest age group available, at the Junior World Golf Championships. He first broke 80 at age eight. He went on to win the Junior World Championships six times, including four consecutive wins from 1988 to 1991.

And THEN he went to college!

By the time he turned Pro in 1996, he had already amassed dozens of junior titles.

I am going to sum up his career in a very brief manner as the stats talk for themselves.

Woods has won 74 official PGA Tour events including 14 majors. He is 14–1 when going into the final round of a major with at least a share of the lead. He has been heralded as ""the greatest closer in history"" by multiple golf experts. He owns the lowest career scoring average and the most career earnings of any player in PGA Tour history.

He has spent the most consecutive and cumulative weeks atop the world rankings. He is one of five players (along with Gene Sarazen,Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus) to have won all four professional major championships in his career, known as the Career Grand Slam, and was the youngest to do so. Woods is the only player to have won all four professional major championships in a row, accomplishing the feat in the 2000–2001 seasons.


On top of this he has another 38 European Tour wins and other worldwide tournaments.

Simply put, no one in the modern era has dominated the sport like Tiger. He has been so dominant that he won the US Open in 2008 on one leg (He was recovering from Knee surgery before the tournament and had to have major knee surgery afterwards).

Outside of his sporting achievements it has to be noted that Tiger Woods has transcended just playing the game. He has a successful video game franchise named after him - when was the last time anyone played Roger Federers Tennis 2013 or Jerry Rice American Football 2013?

The final thing I want to touch upon is his infidelity. Some may discount him for this very reason but that is ludicrous. However, we must remember that Tiger hasnt commited a crime. He hasnt taken drugs to cheat at his sport. He hasnt dodged a military draft or served jail time for serious crimes. He cheated on his wife (albeit on numerous occasions) which might make him less of a man but not a sporting great.

Tiger deserves to be the v2 GOAT.

Woods and Rice

More of a personal thing, as I'm aware Rossi is the greatest ever, well according to many.

Woods is well Woods. Exciting in his pomp and has 14 majors.

Rice was a hero of mine in the 80's-90's, when American Football first came to our TV screens. The greatest receiver and arguably the greatest ever player, though that's impossible to say when you have so many different positions.

Tyson and Tiger.

Both men dominated their respective sports at the very highest level and despite some pretty serious issues in their personal lives you cant knock them.

Woods and Rossi for me, same argument for Tyson that I had for Louis but even further away from the top.

dont have tyson in top ten heavyweights, lost to all the best he faced so cant really vote for him here. his blistering short reign isnt enough. he'll do well in this purely due to his popularity and fame  

woods is a easy one, might not be the most likeable out there but cant argue with his career. easily the best in this list

ended up going for rice in the other, not much in between him and rossi but had to throw a vote out there against tyson

Four worthy contenders (although not by comparison with Group F). I've gone for Woods and Rice, but can make a case for Rossi as an alternative.

Tyson - probably the best heavyweight boxer up to the age of 24. Looked to have the world at his feet, and then came Buster Douglas and self-destruction. For that reason, he has to fall some way short.

Rossi - I'm a huge fan of The Doctor. in his prime he could make a bike do things no-one else quite could, allied to a steely will to win that would see him ride opponents half way to the car park if required. That he stepped off the dominant Honda and transferred to Yamaha with instant success shows how good he was - Schumacher took 3 years to sort Ferrari out, Rossi did the same for Yamaha in 3 months.

Woods - subjectively the best golfer ever. Nicklaus may have won more titles and certainly had more near misses, but Woods best was clearly better, with no weaknesses - long driving, accurate iron play, under-rated chipping (because Mickelson is more spectacular) and one of the most solid and simple putting strokes. Hell, he even made golf exciting.

Jerry Rice - maybe not the biggest name here, but the NFL named him #1 in their list of the 100 best players of all time, which puts him in some sort of perspective. 20 years of pro football and too many records to list. The main thing though was that he found the ideal home for his talents when he joined the 49ers with Joe Montana (later Steve Young) as QB and Bill Walsh as Head Coach. The West Coast offence relied on accurate passing, often quite short, and so Rice's combination of accurate route running, good hands and fantastic ability to run with the ball after the catch (probably his biggest asset) was tailor made for this. The stop watch didn't reckon he was particularly quick (in a league that includes guys fast enough to be in the Olympics at 100m), but I never recall seeing him chased down when he had the ball. A guy who would have been a success in any sport.