Top 15 Human Highlight Films
by Paulie Knep
Love of Sports Correspondent
We watch sports for many reasons; the competition, the drama, the athletic grace and the test of wills and the escape from everyday life.
Perhaps more than anything though, we watch for those rare moments when an athlete simply takes our breath away by doing something we’d never seen before or didn’t think was possible. Over their careers, the greatest athletes created several of these transcendent moments, filming a personal highlight reel for fans to watch for years to come.
These athletes have compiled the greatest highlight reels over the past 25 years.
15) DEION SANDERS
Primetime’s most exhilarating moments came as a kick-returner, where his quick cuts and blinding speed often resulted in spectacular touchdowns. However, if you really want to see how fast and graceful he was, check out a clip of him legging out a triple for the Atlanta Braves.
14) LAWRENCE TAYLOR
It doesn’t matter how many LT highlights you’ve seen; when you watch him dart across the field and cut down a running back from behind, your jaw will still drop. He looked like a man among boys as he’d shed two blockers, instantly accelerate to full speed and launch himself onto an unsuspecting quarterback.
13) PAVEL BURE
The Russian Rocket charged the net so quickly that it seemed as if you were watching a video game. No human could possibly skate that fast. He concluded those bursts with deke moves and a swift wrister which rendered defensemen and goaltenders completely helpless.
12) SUGAR RAY LEONARD
Sugar Ray finished off opponents with furious flurries of punches that seemed to be fired in fast forward. What made these assaults even more remarkable was that they often came when it appeared that Leonard was in trouble. He gave the crowd a little extra by taunting an opponent with fake punches or a roundhouse before knocking him out.
11) KEN GRIFFEY, JR.
Junior was the Willie Mays of his generation. A true five-tool ballplayer, he wowed us galloping around the bases, gunning down runners, hitting 500-foot bombs, diving for balls and leaping against the wall in center field. He also had the sweetest swing in the game.
10) RONALDINHO
Ronaldinho’s tricky footwork is so alluring that even Americans tuned in to check him out during the 2006 World Cup. His juggling skills are legendary and he often turns defenders into statues as he jukes them with a double touch on his way to a goal.
9) MICHAEL JOHNSON
It wasn’t that he was the fastest man in the world which made him so astonishing to watch, it was that he was so much faster than the second fastest man in the world. It looked as if his golden shoes didn’t touch the ground as he flew past the competition.
8) DOMINIQUE WILKINS
The two-time slam dunk champion was nicknamed “The Human Highlight Film” for his eye-popping finishes. At 6-foot-9, he possessed a combination of leaping ability, strength and grace which made for many of the most artistic dunks the NBA has ever seen.
7) MAGIC JOHNSON
There was nothing more beautiful in all of sports than Magic delivering a no-look pass on the fastbreak. His intuition and court awareness enabled him to react before everybody else and his ability to thread the needle regularly left fans asking each other “How’d he do that?”
6) DIEGO MARADONA
The pride of Argentina dazzled the world with quick speed bursts, brilliant crosses, back-leg passes and masterful maneuvering in tight spaces. His mad dash against Great Britain in the 1986 finals remains one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.
5) VINCE CARTER
Carter’s Top 10 dunks compare favorably to anybody who has ever played professional basketball, including Jordan, Nique and Dr. J. You’ve seen him leap over 7-foot-4 Frederic Weis 20 times and never tire of it.
4) MIKE TYSON
Tyson was like a caged tiger set free in the ring. He pounced on his opponents, releasing a vicious arsenal of lightning-quick hooks and devastating upper cuts. He represents the true carnage of boxing, as nobody in the history of the sport could inflict so much damage in so little time.
3) BARRY SANDERS
Barry’s elusiveness made him a thrill to watch every time he touched the ball. Few athletes have made their opponents look as foolish as Sanders did when he danced his way out of tackles or stopped on a dime and changed direction.
2) MICHAEL JORDAN
When he soared through the air with his body tilted towards the basket, he looked like he was flying. Watch a few of those clips mixed in with his numerous acrobatic finishes and game-winning buzzer-beaters and you’ll be the one with your tongue wagging.
1) BO JACKSON
Bo was the greatest athlete of the past 25 years, and he provided us with the most astonishing and diverse highlight reel to prove it. Whether he was running over linebackers, rocketing past entire defenses, breaking bats over his thigh, throwing out runners from the warning track, smacking gargantuan home runs or scaling the wall like Spiderman, he routinely left us in awe.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Vick, Allen Iverson, Ozzie Smith, Roy Jones, Jr. Randy Moss, Wayne Gretzky, LeBron James, Ronaldo, Mario Lemieux
Comments
Jim Skeldon on 05/13 at 03:09 AM
I’m not a big hockey fan but having a list like this and not including Gretsky is absolutely laughable? Just my opinion!
Jim
Kevin on 05/13 at 03:29 AM
No mention of Shawn Kemp? In his prime, his dunks were among the best in the game. Dam shame he loved the ladies and the sauce a little too much.
eli on 05/13 at 04:40 AM
nice to see the soccer recognition on there. i’d put Ozzie Smith over Griffey though.
DR JOE on 05/13 at 05:02 AM
When did soccer become a sport? MJ has got to be the number highlight reel. I know I’ve seen him do many times.
dr. phil on 05/13 at 05:11 AM
ozzie made 1 good play. the barehanded one, oh yeah, he flipped too. The Kid is 10x the player the Wizard of Oz was any day of the week.
The Great One needs to be on the list!
tonio on 05/13 at 06:50 AM
Dr. J over Dominique any day. Great call on Bo Jackson as #1.
Stew on 05/13 at 09:38 AM
Two soccer players and not one of them is Pele? Sugar Ray over Ali? What about Tyson? Gretzky and Lemieux left off the list for Bure...great he skates fast. And can anyone argue that golf wouldn’t be in a spotlight without Tiger Woods?
Dr. Love on 05/13 at 10:07 AM
I’d take all the Soccer guys off the ‘Human Highlight Films List” because no one was there to see these highlights.
If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it does it make a sound?
Then, you can add Tiger, and Ali, and Shawn Kemp.
Hollywood on 05/13 at 01:08 PM
As a kid growing up in the 80’s I got to see Nique make a play every game that would make you jump up and yell. Unfortunately that’s the last time us long suffering Hawks fans have done that.
porthawk on 05/13 at 01:16 PM
Stew, Tyson is mentioned.
Just b/c soccer isn’t as popular in the US as some of the other sports, doesn’t mean that the players don’t do amazing things.
lloyd r wofford on 05/13 at 03:29 PM
have you ever heard of CLIDE DREXLER
or maybe GAYLE SAYERS
ScottR on 05/13 at 04:44 PM
RANDALL CUNNINGHAM!!!!
I’d like to at least give the man an honorable mention.
eli on 05/14 at 04:11 AM
I SECOND THE RANDALL CUNNINGHAM COMMENT
Jay on 05/14 at 04:59 AM
Earl Campbell highlights were unbelievable, I still remember him running over numerous players and his shirt falling apart…
yeoman on 05/14 at 05:02 AM
Devin Hester
Mark Mascarenas on 05/14 at 05:04 AM
Bo is a joke at #1 - if I hear of the overhyped ‘’running over of the Boz’’ one more time I’m going to gag. Deion #1 - electric, Dr. J #2 - classic
Howard on 05/14 at 05:09 AM
Maradona’s goal was against England. Great Britain doesn’t have a team. England, Scotland, and Wales each have their own team.
G on 05/14 at 05:10 AM
In the Jordan highlight reel, where he gets a running start and dunks that missed Scottie Pippen free throw, while everyone else stands around wondering what just happened… I had to rewind that and watch it about 8 times. In his prime, his game was in a different universe than the next best player in the NBA…
Doug on 05/14 at 05:12 AM
Jim Edmonds highlight reel would be pretty spectacular
Spezz on 05/14 at 05:13 AM
Bobby Orr - - next to Bo, he was the best hi-lite around
charlsong1 on 05/14 at 05:25 AM
I thought Herschal Walker was faster and more powerful than Bo Jackson, and lasted longer. But MJ should be number one. How many guys on this list have championship winning highlights? That’s why MJ should be number one. And Vince Carter, get out of here with that garbage. Jerry Rice, Gretsky, MJ, and LeBron have highlights during championships (even though LeBron lost his only appearance), and the other guys have multiple rings.
ackpat on 05/14 at 05:30 AM
Larry Bird, Dr. J, Gale Sayers
John on 05/14 at 05:39 AM
First of all, anyone that names themself “Dr.” on this board is obviously trying to cover up their lack of intelligence. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.
Gretsky, Elway, Lott, Rice, Pele, Ozzie Smith, Ali, Vick ... and what happened to Bo’s baseball highlights?
david on 05/14 at 05:52 AM
maybe you don’t have any highlights,but i am old enough to have seen Bobby Orr. End to end rushes were a sight to be seen.
Ronnie on 05/14 at 05:58 AM
Most of you must not have read the opening statement of the countdown because it only dates back to 1983, so most of your arguments are for people older than the 25 years of the countdown. I do think there is no chance of Bo being ahead of MJ, unless your playing Tecmo Bowl.
Boner12 on 05/14 at 06:03 AM
Dude, for real, Shaquille O’neal...the dude actually had magic powers. Didn’t you guys see Kazaam?
Brian on 05/14 at 06:06 AM
These comments show exactly how far down hockey is on American’s list of favorite sports. How else do you explain that not one person can spell Gretzky correctly? I was never a fan of Gretzky, but I know enough to say that although his stats will never be touched, his “highlights” were few and far between. He was a smart player, and played on great teams with great teammates, but he was not a highlight reel type player. Of all hockey players to make this list, Alex Ovechkin should be on here above Bure. Not only can he score ridiculous goals (his goal scored while on his back will go down as one of the best ever), but he can deliver hits like a linebacker. Americans need to take notice. There is a lot of young talent in the NHL now, and players like Ovechkin will be the key to the NHL’s rebirth. Once they get rid of Gary Bettman, of course.
Ty Law on 05/14 at 06:15 AM
I say Barry Sanders should be #1.
Reed on 05/14 at 06:18 AM
Bo is fantastic. But #1 has to be either MJ or Barry.
Ben D. on 05/14 at 06:23 AM
Micheal Johnson, the Fastest Man in the World? I don’t think so…
He never won the 100m dash at the Olympics and lost the 150m challenge to the Canadian who did.
Get him off this list.
John on 05/14 at 06:25 AM
There are four players on this list whose highlights I could just watch all day: both Sanders (Barry’s cuts are amazing and Deion was just so fast), Griffey (what a beautiful swing) and Jordan. To watch Carter’s highlights and then watch Jordan’s is to see what greatness is and what it means to be an impostor.
Smith on 05/14 at 06:37 AM
Michael Johnson was never the world’s fastest man. The 100m race has ALWAYS been the accepted race for that to be decided (agree or not) and at the 1996 Olympics Donovan Bailey won that race. Some Americans just can’t handle not being the best. And always remember that Johnson pulled up lame when the two faced off in Toronto in 1997. Admittedly Johnson’s highlights are great, I just disagree with the labeling of him as “the fastest man in the world.”
DK on 05/14 at 06:40 AM
Pistol Pete!!!
Ryan on 05/14 at 06:45 AM
Johnson was never a 100m sprinter. And he was injured in that 150m exhibition. He is the greatest 400m and 200m sprinter of all time. And arguably one of the fastest men of all time. So yes i do believe his highlights of him running past some of the fastest people alive does deserve a spot on this list. I also think tiger deserve a spot. The shots that he makes look routine are amazing.
6phish on 05/14 at 06:46 AM
Micheal Johnson losing to Donovan Baily
Bailey challenged him to a rematch at anytime. Johnson wouldn’t go. What a baby he was getting his but kicked then pulled up lame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sryuicuQyR0
Woodrow on 05/14 at 06:52 AM
If Michael Johnson was so fast, how come Donovan Bailey beat him in 1997?? Johnson pulled up “LAME” with an injured leg..As if he was injured. He KNEW he wasn’t as fast
Ronnie on 05/14 at 06:57 AM
...oh and what about Kobe Bryant?
Jason on 05/14 at 06:58 AM
While I agree Bure was a very good player and did some amazing things, I think Alexander Ovechkin would have been a better choice.
joe on 05/14 at 07:00 AM
I am obviously biased because I went to texas - Vince Young?
Mark on 05/14 at 07:16 AM
By LT, you really needed to have LaDainian somewhere in the middle of this list. The guy may make it look simple, but he has power, speed, moves, quickness, hands, and can throw the ball. Barry Sanders may have a little better highlights because he liked to run back wards, but LT’s are close. Bo Jackson ran over the Boz and had a few nice clips, but definitely not #1.
Dave on 05/14 at 07:20 AM
Sean Taylor should get an honorable mention because of his huge hits.
Andrew on 05/14 at 07:24 AM
No Lemieux or Gretzky? Come on.....
ethan on 05/14 at 07:33 AM
maradona and maybe jordan for the top spot, hands down. and for the guy who said the “soccer” players don’t count, maybe you should open your eyes to the other 5.7 billion people who live on this planet and do count as legitimate sports fans. maradona was probably the 2nd greatest footballer behind only pele and the creativity he exhibited despite his lack of obvious athleticism was beyond astounding. get a clue people.
ethan on 05/14 at 07:37 AM
oh, and i know basketball is made for easy highlights of dunks over guys who don’t really care about playing defense, but why even bother having wilkins and carter and all this talk about shawn kemp.
Pilot on 05/14 at 07:40 AM
Nice list...definitely Ozzie over KG, jr. But I would also like to submit the recently released Jim Edmonds...he made some of the greatest catches of all time in centerfield!
bobby on 05/14 at 07:43 AM
Brett Favre interceptions or touchdown passes lots of highlights
Patrick on 05/14 at 07:48 AM
No Gretzky? No Tiger? No Credibility! Who’s Paulie and why is he dulling my mind?
Jon on 05/14 at 07:48 AM
The Original...Pistol Pete Maravich!
Greg on 05/14 at 07:50 AM
This is not a list without the greatest running back of all time, the real #34, the late, great, Walter Payton.
Larry on 05/14 at 08:00 AM
When I saw the headline, I knew it had to be Bo! You really needed some baseball highlights in that video. I saw him up close in both sports. No one else has ever been such a great athlete in two sports at that level. I would put Pistol Pete as the next greatest single pure star in a sport. No player ever did before or after, the things that Pete could do with that basketball!
MSB on 05/14 at 08:09 AM
Ladainian Tomlinson is a great player, but there is only one LT and he never played running back.
Ryan on 05/14 at 08:18 AM
I’m sorry---Reggie Bush’s highlights at USC absolutely crack the top 15.. I would even put them in the top 5…
Eric on 05/14 at 08:23 AM
Mario Lemieux has to be on this list. And check out Eric Lindros before the concussion problems started, he was simply amazing.
Jeff on 05/14 at 08:24 AM
I guess the 2.6 billion people who watched the 2006 world cup final don’t know what a sport is compared to 360 million people who watched the superbowl. no one outside america cares about american football or baseball. can’t wait until your kids or grandkids choose soccer over any of those other awful sports like BASEBALL. standing around doing nothing. basketball having 50 timeouts in a 24 minute half. you kidding me?
Jeff on 05/14 at 08:27 AM
you soccer haters are probably fat, unathletic, and lazy people who sit at home alone and play fantasy baseball. too bad soccer will be the second most popular sport in america behind football in 10 years. and when the money is in soccer in america...you will have to drive your kids to practice everyday because they will not want to play any other sport. and you continue to be fat and miserable.
Bill on 05/14 at 08:28 AM
10. Bo Jackson
9. Dominique
8. Gretzky
7. Orr
6. Jordan
5. Pistol Pete
4. Ozzie Smith
3. Willie Mays
2. lynn swann
1. bill russell
Jeff on 05/14 at 08:31 AM
Jason Williams. He was on Sportscenter with Vince Carter every night. Not the greatest player, but a bonafide highlight reel.
Melvin Levitt - Cincinnati basketball. I watched Cincinnati games solely to see what he could do.
Dante Hall / Devin Hester - few plays in sports more exciting than the kick return for a TD.
Mike Alstott - Mostly because Chris Berman immortalized him with his “BBMMPPHH!!! BBMMPPHH!!” calls, but still amazing to watch.
Sam on 05/14 at 08:32 AM
Devin Hester in two seasons has enough highlights to go on here.
Jeff on 05/14 at 08:32 AM
10 years ago, a guy told me “Just wait until 10 years from now, when soccer is the 2nd most popular American sport”. He may have been wrong, but you can’t blame him. One of his buddies had told him the same thing 10 years earlier…
Kyle on 05/14 at 08:37 AM
For the record, Michael Johnson is the fastest runner at any distance ever. Consider his world record 19.34 seconds for 200 meters. Now even if you matched the world record for the 100 meters (9.74) and then continued to immediately run another 100 meters at the same world record pace, you would “only” clock 19.48 and would finish several strides behind Johnson. Convinced?
Josh on 05/14 at 08:49 AM
Keep in mind, though, that it’s much easier to get up to speed in 200 meters than it is in 100 meters. Much of a 100 meter sprint is spent accelerating rather than running at full speed. It’s not as simple as doubling a runner’s 100 meter time as the 2nd 100 meters would be completed at a much faster pace.
Dan on 05/14 at 08:53 AM
How you can leave Hester off this list is unforgiveable! He took back a missed fieldgoal, and the opening Kickoff in the SB!!! In two seasons he has as many highlights as LT or almost anybody else on this list.
Chad on 05/14 at 08:58 AM
Tiger Woods...12 years and counting!
Jordan on 05/14 at 09:04 AM
Soccer a sport??? Yeah turns out its one of the oldest and has the most tradition. Remember more people watch the World Cup than the Super Bowl and World Series Combined. Yeah turns out Soccer is a sport!!
RTB on 05/14 at 09:08 AM
No.
Andrew on 05/14 at 09:08 AM
Great picks for this list but lets be serious putting a list of the top 15 is impossible....there are so many people that could have been included that were left off…
Jeff on 05/14 at 09:10 AM
No, No, your buddy didn’t tell you that. Major League Soccer didn’t start until 1996, so no one told you that chief. Anyone in soccer in America knew it was going to take decades. we are half way there fatty. go have another pie and check your fantasy baseball.
Jeff on 05/14 at 09:17 AM
Don’t take your bitterness out on the worlds beautiful game because you got got and ended up sitting on the bench as a 3rd string wide receiver in high school football. 2.6 billion world cup final audience, 360 million superbowl. thats what i thought. go take your bow legged fat son to baseball and football practice. i saw a 12 year baseball player trip over a rubber flat base and cried for mom while getting carried off and my 7 year old soccer team were laughing at him.
Kevin on 05/14 at 09:17 AM
Millions and Millions of people around the world watch Cricket and Rugby, but that doesn’t mean we have to recognize them in the US. I played soccer for 15+ years, but it is still painful to watch.
Jeff on 05/14 at 09:29 AM
Painful to watch compared to what? The last two minutes of a basketball game that takes 30 minutes because players don’t know what to do? or a 60 minute football game that has only 13 minutes of actual play? or is it a baseball game that you watch people stand around chewing seeds?
Jimmy on 05/14 at 09:38 AM
For soccer human highlight look up a guy called Garrincha. He is considered by Brazilians the biggest showman in soccer (played in the 50s & 60s) - beating everyone, even Pele. He basically invented all of the modern dribbles. One more detail - he had an bowed left leg....
abe on 05/14 at 09:45 AM
Barry Sanders shouldve been number 1 noone else in sports made grown man look like fools more than barry.
Destro on 05/14 at 09:52 AM
Wow this was cool! I would also like to say that Randall Cunningham should have gotten on this list over some of the soccer guys or even Michael Johnson. Good Work
COBRA!!!
Destro
Michael on 05/14 at 10:10 AM
How does Reggie Bush not crack the top ten?
Joe bag o Doughnuts on 05/14 at 10:23 AM
How is devin hester not on this list?
scott v. on 05/14 at 10:36 AM
last 6 videos are not available! What gives???
Gretzky should be on the list- I was there during the glory years in Edmonton.
Fidget on 05/14 at 10:37 AM
No Kenny Sky Walker… this list is not complete.
John Wadsworth on 05/14 at 10:43 AM
Dominik Hasek should be in this list. The saves he would make in his prime were highlight-reel spectacular, absolutely. He has a slinky for a spine and thus had/has an unorthodox style and would make the craziest saves you’ve ever seen.
Maceo on 05/14 at 11:00 AM
WHERE IS PELE?
J.V. on 05/14 at 11:38 AM
NOEL DEVINE in high school
mschmidt on 05/14 at 11:48 AM
DEVIN HESTER!!!
Mark on 05/14 at 11:56 AM
To not have Jim Brown on here is just a total JOKE! WTF?
Cody Canada on 05/14 at 11:58 AM
MIKE JOHNSON YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME...fastest man in the world? um no remember when he “pulled out” of his race half way through it with an “injury” against the Worlds Fastest Man Donavon Bailey
Curt on 05/14 at 11:58 AM
Bo #1? Let’s face it, if you played for Auburn, you deserve consideration for nothing more than being a complete idiot.
Max on 05/14 at 11:59 AM
No Kobe?!?! Crazy!
brainwater on 05/14 at 12:01 PM
I think most of you are missing the point. This is the TOP 15 Human Highlight films. Bo has everyone beat including Herschal Walker. The dude ran a 4.1 40 yard dash.
Val on 05/14 at 12:10 PM
I cannot believe that Annika Sorenstam is not on the list! Greatest ever and no honorable mention. She is better than Bo. Annika knows Bo.
Longo on 05/14 at 12:12 PM
I think that Danica Patrick should have made the list. She has a body built for speed and I like the way she handles the curves.
Noel on 05/14 at 12:14 PM
Who is Michael Jordan? I don’t really follow sports and I like long walks. My turn-offs are rude, inconsiderate men.
Ryan Hiller on 05/14 at 12:18 PM
Does anyone know Blecha? How is he not on the list.
Rags on 05/14 at 12:21 PM
Frigo is the best ever. BEST EVER!
...Except for Marmaduke.
Yankeeh8tr on 05/14 at 12:50 PM
wo words...Donovan Bailey. Two more...Ben Johnson. The fastest men in the world were Canadian (and don’t give me that steroids bs with Ben beacuse in the time since everyone in teh field has admitted or tested positive for drugs - including that princess Carl Lewis!).
Yankeeh8tr on 05/14 at 12:52 PM
Destro?? COBRA?? If you’re still quoting GI Joe you need to get out of the basement and play some sports instead of wanking your “you-tube” to YouTube.
p on 05/14 at 12:59 PM
devin hester is definitely over neon deion. not just his bears highlights, but his punt return against duke back when he was at the U was just straight pwnage
PhilliesOverMets on 05/14 at 01:34 PM
Cunningham and Ovechkin deserve to be on this list....maybe Hester of the Bears too
TejasJack on 05/14 at 02:03 PM
Bo Jackson was so much better of an athlete and talent than Hershel Walker...it wasn’t even close. Bo ran a 4.19 40 yd dash...Walker never did that. Bo was a MLB All-Star game MVP, Walker never did thtat. Bo’s yards per carry were much higher than Walker’s, as was his TD’s per carry averages. Walker played as an I back and pretty much sole ball carrier...Bo was a wishbone back in college and his carries were shared by Tommy Agee, Lionel James and Bo...not to mention the other AU backs that also got a good number of carries in those days. If you extrapolate out the stats to equal number of carries then Bo would blow Walker’s stats out of the water...not to mention that Bo was elusive and had great hands...Walker was not and did not. Bo Jackson was the greatest athlete that we ever got to see on TV...period.
Jordan on 05/14 at 03:27 PM
Willy Mo Pena is the best highlight reel player ever. Have you seen his home runs?
Josh on 05/14 at 03:50 PM
I’m all for Pistol Pete being on this list.
DallasKing31 on 05/14 at 04:07 PM
Walter Payton should be up there. Ramming over defense player and leaping high for a touchdown from the 1 yard line.
John on 05/14 at 04:32 PM
Soccer is still around? LOL....
Brock on 05/14 at 04:45 PM
Overall nice list, it is pretty subjective, so it’s OK that we all disagree. Makes for good discussion.
The one real disagreement I have is with Michael Johnson. No doubt he was great and he wore flashy shoes. However I agree with some of the other commentors that if you are going to pick a runner from that year’s Olympics I would have picked D. Bailey.
For the most part though I don’t think a track runner should be on the list at all. They are all either running in a straight line or around an oval, just slightly speed up or slow down the video and they will all look pretty much the same.
However, if you are forced to pick a sprinter how about Carl Lewis? He did both the 100m, the 200m, and more than a few considered him the best relay finisher ever. Not to mention long jumping.
Changing gears a bit, yes, historically the “World’s Fastest Man” goes to the 100m guys. However, there is another way to look at it that doesn’t have anything to do with distance...who has run the fastest ever, if only for just a moment. I don’t know if the web pages are right, but most of them say it was Maurice Green. Not DB, not MJ.
Domie on 05/14 at 05:18 PM
Look up Rocket Ismail on youtube and then you’ll see a highlight reel better than a lot of the people on this list
iceman on 05/14 at 05:21 PM
in a few years - i’m calling it - antonio cromartie…
AXE on 05/14 at 05:38 PM
No Dr. J?? Come on, give me a break.
Jeff on 05/14 at 07:13 PM
Bo is #1 no doubt, but not a single baseball highlight? WEAK
Darren on 05/14 at 08:03 PM
Everyone, I mean everyone, was in awe of Bo Jackson when he was in the game.
RC on 05/14 at 08:24 PM
impressed you including some of soccer’s greats, but i feel you missed out on george best, who was a highlight king as well.
Kyle on 05/14 at 08:55 PM
Remove Bure and Michael Johnson. And insert any one of the myriads of other athletes that were significantly more impressive. mmmmmm? Thierry Henry, Eto’o, Messi, Gretzky, Jim Edmonds (he just made the most absolutely unbelievable catches) Roberto Baggio, Pele, Drogba, Ali, and Tiger; just to name a few. I am so much more impressed by skilled soccer moves than an agressive dunk, hence I almost want to get rid of Vince Carter, but him clearing that 7+ foot dude was beyond impressive. Oh and by the way Barry should have been number 1
lwsk12 on 05/15 at 01:25 AM
BRETT FAVRE. There possibly, doubtful, but possibly could be an argument made that he is not the GREATEST qb of all-time. But by he was, by far, the most exciting. There was NEVER a game that he played, that was not full of excitement, no matter what. He was either playing lights out, make unbelievable plays, or, he was dying trying, which usually ended up in an interception. Either way, they both lead to highlights, never dull.
Minneapleseed on 05/15 at 03:29 AM
Hey Dr. Love, when did you join the planet? If 60,000 view a soccer game live and another few million watch it on TV, does that mean you’re an idiot? Ignorance is bliss.
Ed on 05/15 at 03:31 AM
“Maradona’s goal was against England. Great Britain doesn’t have a team. England, Scotland, and Wales each have their own team.”
Classic.
Minneapleseed on 05/15 at 03:37 AM
Hey John-
You still live in your parents basement...LOL
Soccer is and always will be the biggest sport in the world.
markus on 05/15 at 04:07 AM
Pavel Bure and no Gretzky, Lemieux or Jagr. All 3 of those have had many more jaw dropping goals than Pavel Bure…
markus on 05/15 at 04:08 AM
Bo Jackson was great, but didnt play long enough to compile that many highlights...to me, Michael Jordan is by far #1…
Monty40 on 05/15 at 04:53 AM
Stew - This list was the Top 15 Human Highlight Films. Gretzky and Lemieux were the all-time great hockey players, but they never really had any great highlight moments.
Monty40 on 05/15 at 04:58 AM
Brian - I agree Ovechkin is a great player, but he hasn’t been around long enough to make the Top 15 Highlight Films of all time. Pavel Bure was a beast skating around players and scoring.
Joe on 05/15 at 04:59 AM
The article is about highlight reels, not about most potential reels. Bo should not even be on this list. He probably was the best all around athlete and did have some spectacular runs, but come on. Even in football, John Elway had more ‘highlight reels’.
Mike Z on 05/15 at 06:00 AM
A great list, but it must include Jim Brown
BW on 05/15 at 07:41 AM
Where is Jon Konkak?
areyouserious? on 05/15 at 09:47 AM
when did soccer become a sport? is this dr. joe guy prescribing himself meds.? soccer requires better physical fitness than any sport on this list except boxing
Ross on 05/19 at 04:10 PM
No Gretz? Are you high? Gretzky in an Oiler uniform performed some of the most amazing plays ever on ice.
mjvgr on 05/25 at 11:56 PM
I believe MJ was THE greatest, on the court. (but remember his attempt at being a baseball player??) Bo did it in two sports because that was all he attempted. Wonder how good he would have been on the court or the track and anywhere else for that matter. “When is that Tour de France thing?”
GoDallas on 05/29 at 08:26 AM
I’m a big football fan and also a soccer fan..just because we don’t hear the “tree” fall over here in the USA doesn’t mean the rest of the WORLD doesn’t hear it. Post these highlights all over the world and the only ones that will be recognized are Ronaldinho, Maradona, and Michael Jordan.
Jay Emma on 06/02 at 07:32 PM
Thank you for putting these awesome clips together!! I love them all, but personally, my favorite of all time is Pistol Pete Maravich - Grace, speed, accuracy, timing, tenacity… Pete had it all - And he found peace with God at the end of his life thank God.
Jack B on 06/06 at 06:29 AM
I have to disagree with the Barry Sanders highlight reel in this respect. While Barry may have had the most highlight reel runs, when you mention the greatest running back of all time, there are two that stand above the rest. Jim Brown, for what he did in a short (9 year) career. And the greatest RUNNING BACK of all time, Walter Payton. Barry Sanders was a great ball carrier, but the position of running back includes a lot more than just carrying the football. Payton may have been the third best ball carrier, but when you add in blocking and receiving, not to mention Payton’s numbers throwing the ball, and that he was the Bears backup punter and kick and punt returner, there was no better all around back in the history of the game. Unless it was Jim Brown.
Neal on 06/06 at 08:15 AM
Anybody who thinks that Michael Johnson was the fastest man in the world at any point has never run track and has no idea what they are talking about. Usain Bolt or Asafa Powell (even Tyson Gay) have greater top speeds.
Michael Johnson was the greatest sprinter not named Edwin Moses there is no doubt but there are a dozen of 100m runners with superior top end speed.
Soccer for all on 06/08 at 08:01 AM
Even Diego Maradona reported around the World as the “Hand of God” against England (there is no team called Great Britain!)
weaselini on 06/13 at 04:33 PM
Anybody who thinks Jim Edmonds should be on the list does not know a thing about catching a baseball. If you slow down before you dive for a ball you didn’t need to dive for it!!!
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