Five Decades of American Sports Icons

By ERIK HEPWORTH, FreshSportsDaily.com Wire Services

With the coming end of the decade that no one has a name for (the 00’s? the Naughts?) it’s time to reflect on the greatest athletes of the last 10 years and those who laid the foundation of greatness before. These are the athletes who not only operated at the highest level on the field, but who also made the most significant and lasting impact on society and in popular culture:

The 2000's

Tiger Woods

Had Tiger’s car accident and subsequent personal drama happened in the middle of the decade, we’d probably be writing about a different athlete here. Instead, it happened at the very end of the decade, so Tiger’s incredible run of complete dominance of the PGA Tour and his (then) iconic corporate status remains secure. However, his status going forward from here remains very much in question.

Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady, Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps



The 1990's

Michael Jordan

Yes, he also did play in the 1980’s, but Mike truly became iconic in the 90’s when he won his 6 NBA titles (1991-93; 1996-98) and four of the amazing five MVP’s (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998) of his career. Mike was also named 2000 ESPY Athlete of the Century. And nothing’s more iconic than the true NBA logo.

Honorable Mentions: Cal Ripken Jr., Mike Tyson

The 1980's

Larry Bird/Magic Johnson

The saviors of the NBA, Magic and Larry got it all started with the epic 1979 NCAA Final, still the highest rated college basketball game ever. They moved on to the NBA the next year, where fate could have not smiled any bigger on the league when Magic ended up in Los Angeles and Larry in Boston. They would subsequently meet three times in the NBA Finals with Magic’s Lakers squad winning twice. The groundwork was laid for a 6’6” guard from the University of North Carolina to take it to another level.

Honorable Mentions: Wayne Gretzky, Carl Lewis, Joe Montana



The 1970's

Pelé

The first foreigner to make a lasting impact in the American sports scene and generally considered the greatest soccer player to ever live, Pelé is credited with increasing the awareness of soccer in the United States and helping jump-start the youth soccer programs that have become so popular in this country. Though well past his prime, the three years he spent with the New York Cosmos of the NASL (1975-1977) has yet to be matched in excitement or buzz (hello, David Beckham?)

Honorable Mentions: Bruce Jenner, Reggie Jackson



The 1960's

Muhammad Ali

His greatest triumphs in the ring occurred during the 1970’s (The Rumble in the Jungle, The Thrilla in Manila) but Ali truly gained iconic status in the 1960’s when he became a symbol of the anti-Vietnam War movement with his refusal to enter the military draft, resulting in his Heavyweight titles being stripped. His name change from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali after his stunning defeat of champion Sonny Liston was, for the time, very controversial and quite unheard of in most American social circles.

Honorable Mentions: Mickey Mantle, Joe Namath