Just watching the snooker, Hendry is introduced as the best player ever which got me thinking about other greats, Rossi springs to mind… So what would be your choices…?

Living and/or still active in the sport?
Pele.
Giggs.

Jamie.

Those that you have followed… Giggs is a good call

Surfmat

Napalm, just….

Schumacker (sp?)

Snookerist + legend = 😕

boxing ones- ali, sugar ray l, jim watt, ken buchanan
music -bowie, jagger, tom waits
football -maradona, pele, messi
bikes- john mcguiness, carl fogarty
bicycles -repack rider from this manor
actors – jack nickleson

Lester Piggot

‘Legend’ to me should mean the subject should be dead. DaVinci, Einstein, Archimedes struggling to think of sporting legends.

Ali a true sporting great

Alex Zanardi.
Literally followed, Kiko Gambas. 😉

Big cricket fan so for me, Sir Ian Terence Botham

Whilst I love foggy, is he up there with Rossi..?

Lance Armstrong and Carl Lewis

Ian Botham, good shout…

Danny MacAskill
Small fry compared to the world renowned names above, but I’ve seen other boxers, footballers do some pretty cool things but I think WOW every time I watch the MacAskill videos and they genuinely blows my mind!

captainflashheart 😉

Graeme Obree. Mad genius,

APF

Jerry Rice (American Football Wide Receiver)

Lance Armstrong

Muhammad Ali

Diego Maradona

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bland_(runner)

Johnny Tomac
Ned Overend
Steve Peat
Missy Giove
Eddie Merycx

Giacomo Agostini

Internet Big Hitter? Too many to mention.

One immediately springs to mind… Laird Hamilton. This guy invented big wave surfing.

Metalheart it’s spelt Eddy MERCKX!!!! And he’s not just legend – a deity in this house

Good shout MrSparkle.

Both largely unknown to the masses, but incredible athletes. I’ve often wondered what either could have achieved if pointed towards more mainstream running / athletics.

giantonagiant – thanks. I had the pleasure of riding with Billy Bland whilst doing both the Lakeland Loop and the Fred Whitton one year. what a great fella. I have seen Joss a few times but have yet to speak to him at races.
Should add http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Hill to my little list, not just for his race acheivements but also for the following:
Hill has built a streak, in which he has not missed a day of running since December 1964, starting when he was becoming established as a world-class runner. Hill continues his streak, though he now defines a ‘run’ somewhat loosely; he has established baseline criteria of only one mile run, at any pace. Nevertheless, Hill’s streak is a benchmark that other such streaks are usually compared against. In his streak, Hill includes workouts after a car crash in 1993 when he broke his sternum, and after bunion surgery, after which he used a crutch for one mile (1.6 km) in 27 minutes the next day.

Stephen Hendry changed the way his game was played – that puts him well into genuine legend status in his chosen game. It’s beyond being exceptionally good or dominant.

Most people would say O’Sullivan is the most talented player to ever grace the green baize, but he’s not, and cannot ever be, the legend Hendry is.

A great man, a great father, a great teacher and a great coach.

That’s what legends are made of.

Bruce Tulloh.

.

Michael Jordan
Michael Johnson
Ed Moses
John Mcenroe
Eric Cantona
Gabrisalaise (sp)

Jason McRoy

But what could these “legends” achieve with a pc and an internet connection?

petter solberg

Zdenek Stybar

Thinking about it a bit longer and more to the OP topic
Lance Armstrong (as long as he remains unproven to have been on anything)
Marvin Haggler
Senna
Cavendish
Michael Jordan
Gerry Rice
Serge Blanco

Senna

Has he risen again then? 😉

Still havent seen anyone apart fro maybe Mercx who dominated his sport in such a manner or for as long as Lester Piggot. Those of you posting lists just show your low standards. Rode his first winner aged 12 in 1948 and last in 1994.

Football: Johann Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Pele.

Rugby: Martin Johnson, David Campese, Gareth Edwards.

Cricket: Viv Richards, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram (very sad to say unfortunately not the greatest fast bowler ever – Malcolm Marshall).

Boxing: Marvin Hagler, Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao

MTB: Peaty (who else?)