If the point of creating subjective lists in the summer is to get people to talk about them, then ESPN’s ranking of the top 100 professional athletes of the 21st century has certainly succeeded.
The latest to weigh in on the list is Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote, who took issue with Michael Phelps’ selection as the list’s No. 1 athlete.
“Due respect to Michael Phelps. One of the great swimmers of all time. They had him No. 1 on the list,” Cote said while co-hosting The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on Tuesday. “And I’m just wondering out loud: can you be the No. 1 greatest professional athlete of your century when people only give a s*** about you two weeks once every four years?”
At least he said “due respect.”
“Again, if you’re an Olympian, great. Simone Biles — fantastic. Katie Ledecky. Love all of these wonderful Olympians,” Cote continued. “But as LeBron James proves, you can have a full-time job in basketball and still be an Olympian… I’m just thinking out loud here and I think that’s true.”
“Respect to Michael Phelps, but how can you be the number one professional athlete of your century when people only give a shit about you for 2 weeks once every four years?”
– @gregcote reacts to Michael Phelps being named ESPN’s best male athlete of the Century.
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) July 23, 2024
On the one hand, Cote’s argument has some obvious flaws, including the false equivalency of comparing James playing in the NBA to being a full-time job, but not considering Olympic training the same. If there was a professional swimming league for swimmers on par with the NBA, Phelps surely would have starred in it. And it’s not as if the Olympics are the only bullet point on the 26-time world champion and 16-time Pan Pacific Championships gold medal-winner’s resume.
On the other, it’s more than fair to question ESPN’s selection of Phelps for its top spot.
While Phelps’ resume speaks itself, he didn’t necessarily have the same longevity that Serena Williams (No. 2), Lionel Messi (No. 3), Tom Brady (No. 4) and LeBron James’ (No. 5) showcased over the course of the past quarter-century. Ask the average sports fan who the best athlete of the past 25 years has been and you’d likely get one of those answers, perhaps because — to Cote’s point — Phelps’ time in spotlight only came once every four years.
Ultimately, such lists are subjective and putting Phelps at the top spot likely generated more buzz for ESPN than it would have received had it put Williams, Messi, Brady or James at the top. One aspect of the list, however, that Cote likely agreed with was Connor “McOverrated” McDavid just barely made the cut, coming in at No. 98.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.