Yeah like I said, only if you can't control yourself, like a lot of other harmless substances.

Alcohol = opium.

Pelé

Actually, since you mention 'in history' then I believe I'd argue many of Greek Olympians, such as Milo of Croton, were superior.

Phelps I just can't accept. He's an amazing swimmer, but competes in a sport where, under current rules, he gets multiple chances at gold, vs others who get one chance at gold.

If we're going to simply count gold medals then all events should allow all competitors equal amount of competes.

Also, I believe to be the best you must compete in multiple events vs overly specialize in one.

Boy can swim though!

No, alcohol is a hard drugs just like cocaine even if you can control yourself.

You're body can get addicted to alcohol. That's why it's a hard drugs. Your body can't get addicted to marihuana. Only your mind can get addicted to marihuana. A lot of people are addicted to alcohol. More then people who are addicted to opium for example.

Now you'll probably say and what about cigarettes then? Yes, your body can get addicted to nicotine, but nicotine is not a drug.

Michael Jordon. Dude was freakin' god-like.

Hulk Hogan.

Wow, this topic got derailed very fast.

Just for the record, when Phelps wins he touches a wall. When Mohammed Ali wins it looks like this

Yeah, that is a picture that exemplifies "Awesome" an "win"

Without question, Jim Thorp.

In collage his coach wanted him to go to the Olympics. He wanted to impress a girl, so he did. When asked what event he wanted to compete in, Thorp said sign me up for all of them. He won gold in everything he competed in.

He won events he didn't even know existed. He won the Decathlon, with a point total that stood for two decades, and he didn't know what two of the events were (Javelin and Discus) when he signed up.

With none of todays training, or nutrition information, Thorp still ran the 100 yard dash in 10 seconds, 220 in 21.8 seconds, and the 120 yard high hurdles in 15 seconds.

He was an American Indian living on a reservation. When he was 13, his parents wanted him to learn english in a white school, so they drove him 30 miles to the closest school. He didn't want to go.

They dropped him off, and when they got home, he was sitting on the front porch waiting for them.

He is also the reason there is an NFL.

Yea, he was a god among men.

During the early olympics(modern olympics) pro athletes weren't allowed.

His personal records aren't that good compared to today's standard. Never the less an impressive story(I've read up on Jimmy Thorpe on wiki just now)