Shaun White
Red, white and blue are the four words that sum up America. Red is for the bloodshed we have had to suffer through to become the greatest country in the world. Blue is the color of the collars that make America tick. And white is the color our enemies’ faces turn whether it’s in a war or sports.
In America’s latest installment of world domination, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, we had the opportunity to see our most overpowering athlete.
Behind a white and blue headband and flowing locks of red hair, Shaun White gave the world a lesson on utter domination.
He recorded the first- and second-best scores in the men’s halfpipe. His second run gave him a 48.4 out of 50, which was 3.4 points ahead of the second-place finisher.
In an event where most competitions are decided by less than a point, White left no suspense. His first run was good enough to win, but instead he opted to run laps around the field.
His winning trick, the Double McTwist 1260 that he named “The Tomahawk,” is the next big step in snowboarding innovation.
Since White has taken snowboarding by storm, people have flocked to the sport, but White has set the bar so high, the next person that takes his crown will probably have to find a way to bend gravity.
“Animal,” aptly nicknamed after the Muppet he most resembles, has not only shaped an entire sport, but given America something to pride itself on deeply.
-Bill Hopkins
Peyton Manning
There are many candidates for the best American sports athlete. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Alex Rodriguez are all worthy of consideration, but no one is more dominating at their sport than Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning.
Manning dominated the competition last season leading the Colts to a 14-0 record to start the season and a Super Bowl berth.
There is no athlete in American sports who does more with less than Manning. If you took Manning off of the Colts, they likely would not win eight games let alone make the playoffs.
The same cannot be said for the Lakers without Kobe, the Cavaliers without LeBron or the Yankees without A-Rod. Every single one of those teams would make the playoffs without their star player.
Last season, the Colts released future Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison and Manning did not miss a beat. He took unknown receivers in Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon and made them into very good NFL players. He has the ability to make all of his teammates better.
Manning’s accomplishments speak for themselves. He has won four MVPs, more than any other player in NFL history.
When it is all said and done, Manning will hold virtually every quarterback record there is. He is a model of consistency because he has not missed a game in his entire career and will be considered the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.
There is little doubt Manning is America’s greatest athlete.
-Alex Ross
