World's Greatest Athlete

Who is the best athlete in the world?

It’s a simple question with a supposedly impossibly complex answer (Keep that “supposedly” in mind. We’ll be coming back to it.). Critics, journalists, pundits, and fans have pondered this question or some form of it probably as long as sport has been around.

The problem, of course, is that comparing athletes across sports can be harder than comparing apples to ground beef. They’re both food, but they both bring/takeaway different goods to/from the table. A baseball player and a track runner are both athletes (to take a saying from my good buddy Adam, I’ll fight anyone who says baseball players—not all pitchers included—are not athletes), but each sport those athletes play requires different overall skill sets that may share similarities but are largely unique. The same is true for football and cricket players, basketball and racquetball players, swimmers and weightlifters, etc. All true athletes by definition possess athleticism, but figuring out who has the most by comparing them across sports is virtually impossible, and quite frankly, a waste of time.

Of course, that doesn’t stop people from trying. All of those arguments are purely subjective and mostly based on personal preferences and experiences (ex: There’s no way some Euro soccer player is a better athlete than a red-blooded American football player.). Here at Let’s Be Logical, we believe the best and most logical way to discover the true best athlete in the world is through objective measures.

Logically, you’re probably thinking right now, “Objectivity would be great, but how do you do that?” The short answer: by creating the greatest athletic competition known to man. Your thought now might be, “Okay. Again, that’s great, but how do you that?” The ever shorter answer (and this is where that “supposedly” from the first paragraph comes back into play): it’s already been done, and it’s called the Iron Man.

No, not that Iron Man (we’re aware of the naming issues and are working on it). This Iron Man is comprised of approximately 30 different athletic competitions that take place in one day (yes, one day). Each competition focuses on a different athletic skill and covers virtually the entire sport spectrum. Simply completing the competition makes you an athlete. Winning it makes you the undisputed greatest athlete in the world.

Below is an event list from the most recent Iron Man competition. Tell us what you think about it in the comments below and if it sounds like something that would interest you. Follow Let’s Be Logical to stay updated on information and other details about the Iron Man.

October 2010 Iron Man Event List

Mile Run

Kickoff Distance Challenge

Punt Distance Challenge

Field Goal Distance/Accuracy Challenge

Football Throw – Distance Challenge

Football Throw – Accuracy Challenge

Baseball Throw – Distance Challenge

Baseball Throw – Accuracy Challenge

Open Field Tackle Tournament (using flags)

Soccer Penalty Kick Challenge

Disc Golf Tournament

Tennis Tournament

Bike Time Trial

Softball Home Run Derby

Bench Press Competition

Deadlift Competition

1 v 1 basketball tournament

3 point shootout

Badminton tournament

Racquetball tournament

25 meter swim

75 meter swim

Ping-Pong Tournament

Poker Session

Bowling

Long Jump Competition

100 meter dash

Final thought: While maybe it's not a true test of athletic prowess, Let's Be Logical thinks this athletic competition is entertaining and epic nonetheless.