The Poll
"I've been told that I watch too much sports on TV." 26%
"Did I cut back?" "Hell, no!" 87%
"I'D LIKE SPORTS BETTER if I didn't know how much athletes got paid." 48%
"BARRY BONDS should give up his home run record if he used steroids." 70%
"THE FIRST SPORTSCASTER I'd fire:" John Madden (top choice--19%)
"Michael Jordan was the best basketball player of the past 50 years." 72%
The best football player?
Joe Montana 32%
Walter Payton 24%
Jerry Rice 13%
John Elway 11%
Jim Brown 11%
Lawrence Taylor 1%
The best baseball player?
Hank Aaron 23%
Mickey Mantle 18%
Nolan Ryan 15%
Ted Williams 15%
Willie Mays 14%
Barry Bonds 10%
The best hockey player?
Wayne Gretzky 67%
Bobby Orr 11%
Gordie Howe 10%
Mario Lemieux 5%
Bobby Hull 3%
Dominik Hasek 1%
The best sports role model over the past 50 years was:
Lance Armstrong 34%
Muhammad Ali 16%
Arthur Ashe 16%
Wayne Gretzky 14%
Sandy Koufax 6%
Billie Jean King 3%
The worst?
Mike Tyson 54%
Dennis Rodman 27%
Pete Rose 8%
Bobby Knight 5%
Muhammad Ali 3%
Mickey Mantle 1%
Most popular athlete?
Michael Jordan 56%
Muhammad Ali 16%
Dale Earnhardt 11%
Tiger Woods 7%
Arnold Palmer 5%
Mickey Mantle 4%
Most underappreciated?
Emmitt Smith 18%
Roberto Clemente 18%
Hank Aaron 16%
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 15%
Pete Sampras 14%
Oscar Robertson 9%
MARS vs. VENUS
"I've dated a cheerleader." 35% (men) 3% (women)
"I've sneaked into a sporting event without paying." 31% (men) 10% (women)
"I've used a bookie to bet on a sporting event." 28% (men) 12% (women)
"I've called a sports talk radio show." 17% (men) 8% (women)
"I've caught a foul or home run ball at a big league baseball game." 17% (men) 7% (women)
"I've been in a fight that started as an argument over sports." 14% (men) 9% (women)
"I've lied about my athletic accomplishments to impress a member of the opposite sex." 17% (men) 5% (women)
"I've had a gay teammate." 7% (men) 10% (women)
"I'd rather watch a big playoff game than have sex." 30% (men) 46% (women)
"If I could be one athlete (living or dead), it would be.... " Men: MICHAEL JORDAN Women: MICHAEL JORDAN
"Title IX ...
... has been great for men and women." 33%
... has been great for women, bad for men." 17%
... hasn't gone far enough." 24%
... is a joke." 26%
"I'd encourage my daughter if she wanted to be a cheerleader." 80%
"I wouldn't let my kid play for Bobby Knight ... " 39%
"... but I'd let my kid 'play' for Vince McMahon." 26%
TRUE CONFESSIONS
"Professional athletes should be tested for marijuana." 69%
"I've smoked marijuana." 34%
"I've used steroids." 2%
"I've had sex while watching a sporting event." 31%
"I've bought tickets from a scalper." 28%
"I've gone to a movie or bought a CD because an athlete I liked was in it." 27%
"I've asked an athlete for an autograph." 38%
"I cheat at golf." 31%
"Would you rather be the leader of the free world [George W. Bush] or of the Cleveland Cavaliers [LeBron James]?"
BUSH 55%
JAMES 45%
Favorite sport to watch?
Football 44%
Basketball 12%
Baseball 12%
Auto racing 8%
Hockey 6%
Golf 4%
Favorite sport to play?
Golf 15%
Swimming 14%
Basketball 11%
Baseball 8%
Football 6%
Tennis 5%
Soccer 3%
Which sport did you like 10 years ago that you no longer enjoy?
Baseball 14%
Basketball 9%
Wrestling 8%
Boxing 6%
Football 5%
Which sport did you hate 10 years ago that you now like?
Golf 13%
Auto racing 9%
Hockey 6%
"The SPORTS ILLUSTRATED cover jinx is real." 11%
The best college football coach over the past 50 years?
Bear Bryant 37%
Joe Paterno 26%
Woody Hayes 9%
Steve Spurrier 7%
Bud Wilkinson 6%
The best college basketball coach?
John Wooden 28%
Mike Krzyzewski 20%
Bobby Knight 17%
Dean Smith 12%
Pat Summitt 7%
Geno Auriemma 1%
Best NFL coach?
Vince Lombardi 41%
Tom Landry 19%
Bill Parcells 12%
Don Shula 10%
Chuck Noll 7%
Bill Walsh 5%
Best baseball manager?
Joe Torre 33%
Sparky Anderson 23%
Casey Stengel 19%
Earl Weaver 7%
Walter Alston 3%
Best NBA coach?
Phil Jackson 42%
Red Auerbach 25%
Larry Brown 14%
Red Holzman 5%
Lenny Wilkens 4%
Best NHL coach?
Scotty Bowman 41%
Mike Keenan 15%
Al Arbour 7%
Toe Blake 4%
Punch Imlach 3%
Sexiest male athletes:
Football 24%
Baseball 22%
Tennis 17%
NASCAR 13%
Basketball 12%
Hockey 6%
Boxing 3%
Golf 3%
Sexiest female athletes:
Tennis 85%
Basketball 8%
Golf 5%
Boxing 2%
Smartest pro athletes:
Golfers 52%
Dumbest?
Basketball 30%
Football 24%
Hockey 23%
NASCAR 16%
Baseball 3%
Ugliest?
Hockey (sorry, Bobby!) 47%
BOBBY CLARKE
Smartest fans?
New York City
Most obnoxious fans?
New York City
Best of the Best
36% "THE MIRACLE ON ICE was the biggest upset."
38% "MARK SPITZ'S seven gold medals in 1972 was the most impressive feat by an individual."
38% "IN 2000 TIGER WOODS had the best single year of any athlete."
37% "THE 1972 MIAMI DOLPHINS (17-0) had the best season of any pro team."
35% "BO JACKSON was the greatest all-around athlete of the past 50 years."
What sport should be banned?
BOXING 38%
NASCAR 24%
The Greatest Professional Dynasty?
33% Chicago Bulls 1991-98
28% New York Yankees 1954-64
20% Boston Celtics 1957-69
12% Pittsburgh Steelers 1972-79
2% Edmonton Oilers 1983-90
Based on a national poll of 1,004 sports fans.
The survey was conducted online August 13-24, 2004, by Quinley Research. Sampling error is plus or minus 3.2%.
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MEL LEVINE (REMOTE)
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JOHN IACONO (MONTANA)
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JOHN ZIMMERMAN (AARON)
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BRUCE BENNETT/BBS (GRETZKY)
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JASPER JUINEN/EPA/SIPA (ARMSTRONG)
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TANNEN MAURY/ICON SMI (TYSON)
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DAVID E. KLUTHO (JORDAN)
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JACK DEMPSEY/WIREIMAGE.COM (SMITH)
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JONATHAN DANIEL/GETTY IMAGES (FANS)
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CHUCK SOLOMON (LACROSSE)
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CHARLES DHARAPAK/AP (BUSH)
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RON KUNTZ/REUTERS (JAMES)
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PORTER BINKS (SCORECARD)
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WALTER IOOSS JR. (CAT)
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JOE HOLLOWAY, JR./AP (BRYANT)
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RICH CLARKSON (WOODEN)
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WALTER IOOSS JR. (LOMBARDI)
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JOHN CORDES/ICON SMI (TORRE)
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JOHN MCDONOUGH (JACKSON)
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PAUL WARNER/AP (BOWMAN)
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AP (U.S. HOCKEY)
U.S. HOCKEY
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RICH CLARKSON/WIREIMAGE.COM (SPITZ)
SPITZ
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JERRY LODRIGUESS (BO JACKSON)
JACKSON
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JOHN D. HANLON (CLARKE)
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JEFF HAYNES/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (BOXING)
FIVE COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS