Well, now it’s official.
Two of Hawaii’s favorite sports simply don’t exist as such. They’re just activities that a lot of so-called sports experts don’t recognize as athletic competition.
Surfing and volleyball must be just physical pastimes, not competitive sports with dominant superstars worthy of recognition.
That’s not according to me. But it’s the only logical conclusion to derive from ESPN’s rankings of the 100 greatest athletes since the turn of the millennium, published last week.
Yeah, I know, I got trolled. Looking for logic in something like this is, well, illogical. And my rant here is exactly what it’s designed to generate.
In reality, such rankings are more for starting debates than ending them, unless you take yourself too seriously.
ESPN includes a statement of “methodology,” which looks like an attempt at completeness and objectivity, and even appears to be somewhat scientific (look up Elo — not ELO, the great band from the ’70s, but Elo, the comparative rating formula).
This was the final step:
“That list (of 100, in order) was then evaluated by a panel of experts for any inconsistencies or oversights, resulting in the top 100 ranking seen here.”
That means it came down to what it always does, people comparing things that can’t really be compared. Opinions.
I don’t have much beef with the top of the list, except I’d have them in a different order, with Serena Williams at No. 1, followed by Tom Brady and LeBron James — then Michael Phelps, followed by Lionel Messi.
Of course, it’s to be expected that most of the 100 — 68 of them — came from basketball, baseball, football and soccer. I did think there would be more than six from combat sports (four boxing, two MMA), or nine if you include hockey.
It’s the total exclusion of surfers and volleyball players that puzzles me, especially when a snowboarder and a cricket player got ranked. Maybe I shouldn’t complain too much, since no pillow fighters or Wiffle Ball players made the cut.
The methodology must not have been hydrophobic, since Phelps was rated as No. 1. (Subject for another day: Where is the analytic for comparing the relative value of Olympic gold medals in various sports?)
The surfers and volleyball players I’d rank highest might not be the ones you’d expect from a Hawaii guy.
Right now, I’d include Stephanie Gilmore and Carissa Moore, with Gilmore slightly ahead. The Australian is a record-holding eight-time world champion.
In a couple of weeks, Moore goes ahead of Gilmore if she drops the mic with a successful defense of her Olympic gold medal.
Kelly Slater is undoubtedly the greatest male surfer of all time. But timing might keep him off my top 100 since 2000, because six of his 11 world championships came in the 1990s. (That’s why Barry Bonds, Derek Jeter and a few other superstars aren’t higher on the ESPN list — some of their great feats were accomplished before 2000.)
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings dominated beach volleyball this century and belong on the list based on their three Olympic gold medals (2004, ‘08 and ‘12) and 112- and 89-match winning streaks.
Wait, I can’t rank a duo? Please … remember when ESPN decided that a horse, Secretariat, was the 35th greatest North American athlete of the 20th century?
By the way, softball is also unrepresented. Kahuku and Campbell product Jocelyn Alo, the sport’s greatest slugger ever, should be ranked.
Now you can call me a homer, especially for homers.
