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To: driftless2

Yeah, I remember Dan Patrick saying Jackie Robinson was by far the greatest American athlete ever. I thought he was doing the usual PC stuff. Then he started ticking off facts like you mentioned. It was incredible! Football, track & field ... baseball was way down the list of his skills.

BTW - Frank Robinson was the best player on his HS basketball team in SF. The Center was a big, awkward kid named Bill Russell.


67 posted on 08/23/2014 7:50:49 PM PDT by Forgotten Amendments (Peace On Earth! Purity of Essence! McCain/Ripper 2016)
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To: Forgotten Amendments

Jim Thorpe wasn’t too shabby either. Robinson might have been a greater all-sport athlete, but Thorpe wasn’t too far behind. Thorpe also excelled in four sports including basketball. Of course pro football was in its infancy when Thorpe was past his prime, and he was never as good a big league ballplayer as Robinson. But he might have been a better all-around track and field man than Robinson considering he won the decathlon in the 1912 Olympics. When they later took his medals away they said it broke his heart.


75 posted on 08/23/2014 8:57:12 PM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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