America's favorite past time is reminiscing. If you don't believe me, think about this - when is the last time someone you knew has talked about someone famous in the present like they do a famous person of the past? What I mean by this, if you ask who the best athlete is in a particular sport, they'll almost always list certain athletes that are retired -- MJ, Shaq, Jeter, Babe Ruth, A-Rod, Wilt Chamberlin, Clemente, etc.
I'd like to propose an argument that I've been arguing for some time now - all athletes now are the best there is.
My reasoning for this argument is that athletes have more resources today than they did in the past. Athletes of today have the absolute best methods of medicine, training and equipment opposed to time's past. Top football stars train with each other during the offseason in an instant after communicating via social media. An example of this is when Antonio Brown (Pro Bowler WR for the Pittsburgh Steelers) visits the Miami/Dade area. He trains with Chad Jonhson (retired Pro Bowler WR for the Cincinnati Bengals). Some MMA fighters change their camps from fight to fight just to get the experience from one another. It's not considered unloyal or 'shady' to train with others when perfecting your craft. It is what is needed for sports to progress. The ante is being raised every training session, let alone season. Recovery has never been done as quickly as it is today with methods such as cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers and stem cell therapy.
It seems as if people have a real problem admitting an athlete is the best during his/her career. It seems they must retire before they can be considered a great. The problem with this way of thinking is that people get too caught up in talking about the past and not enjoying the greatness of the present. If people would be quiet about Michael Jordan and actually watched LeBron James, they'd get to witness greatness in action instead of reminiscing. I don't care when you were 10 and MJ won the championship. Let me know how many sporting events you've watched years after they've aired live .. I'm going to guess little to zero, so enjoy the games happening now.
I genuinely believe the competition of the 1920's, Babe Ruth's era, was NOWHERE near what the MLB is today. It has been reported multiple times that he ate hotdogs for every meal and drank beer religiously. I am not attempting to discredit athletes of the past and am forever grateful for what he, and others, brought to sports, but it's just not comparable in my eyes. The real conversation should be the greatness of what was offered to the sport, not the particular stats of the individual. The pitch speed of the 1920's is unable to be obtained, but I can accurately assume that it was not what it is today. MLB players of today are faster, stronger, more dynamic and all around better athletes. I appreciate what Babe Ruth did for baseball, but it's not as impressive compared to today's MLB players that are competing against the legitimate best players in the world every night.
On to the NBA: Why doesn't hardly any, if anyone, consider Wilt Chamberlain the best when he on paper was better than Michael Jordan? Wilt was undeniably better on paper. Don't believe me? Check it here. I do not think Wilt was anywhere near as good as MJ or LeBron, but why don't people bring this up as often as the MJ argument? The speed of the game was completely different, the athletes are more skilled and all around more athletic. Not many consider Wilt the best, but many consider MJ, Kobe or LeBron the best. I'm personally a LeBron fan because I can actually watch him every night and enjoy greatness when I see it. Also, he has donated over $40 million for kids to go to college, grew up without a father, changed an entire city's outlook and has been a positive role model for kids everywhere as he stays out of trouble and controversy.
Again, I APPRECIATE what anyone has done for a sport or an industry, but to call them the best when there's a better offering of that person today is just wrong. Favoritism shouldn’t supersede fact. For example (here comes the Apple haters), when the iPhone was first introduced it was the best phone offered. Now that the iPhone X is out, is the original iPhone the best phone ever made? Absolutely not! That phone undoubtedly changed the trajectory of the vision of cellular devices, but it's not the best anymore.
Think of 'The Tonight Show' for entertainment. Go back and watch an episode of when Jay Leno was the host and tell me he's better than Jimmy Fallon. You, my dear reader, would be bat shit crazy to make that statement. Jimmy Fallon is a better host than Jay Leno in every facet. He's funnier, better looking, more charming, more sincere and an all around better host. Jay Leno changed the world of late night television, but it'd be tough to make an argument that he's the best (or even not the worst).
As for actors, Marlon Brando was an absolute genius, but he's not better than Leonardo DiCaprio. This is not an opinion, it is a fact. Leo DiCaprio is the best to ever do it (of course it's an opinion, but I believe your opinion is wrong if you think otherwise and for once I am the author of my own story 😎).
Moving on to music, that is a dicey topic. I can't argue that music is better today than the past because I genuinely don't think so, but I can only hope (cross your fingers that auto tune phases out).
The purpose of the article is to remind all to appreciate life right now and live in the moment. CARPE DIEM! You can appreciate the past and what it brought to us now, but please love today and all that inhabit it.
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