The G.O.A.T. s. Of Sports You Probably Do Not Follow

Many sports fans refer to the best players as the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T.). Athletes like Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Phelps are well-known G.O.A.T.s. But what about the “G.O.A.T.s” that you most likely have never heard of? Often the best players in their respective sports are never brought up because, well, their sport is not your typical sport.

Tony Spredeman, Foosball

Tony Spredeman is considered the greatest at his sport. He is a 34-year-old pro from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a world champion in foosball. Spredeman began his foosball journey when he was 11 years old and described it for foosball.com.

“I was always better than the other kids, probably because of my hand eye coordination” Spredeman said.

Many people think foosball is just another simple bar game for washed up athletes looking to get their competitive fix, but it requires skill, dexterity and wrist strength. At first Spredeman learned the foosball basics such as wall passes, ball pinning and spin shots. Spredeman noted that he enjoys watching and learning from foosball players from other countries, such as Iran and Malaysia, since they have different styles of play.

With his countless hours of practice, crazy tricks and many championships, it is no question that Tony Spredeman is a foosball G.O.A.T.

Joey Chestnut, Competitive Eating

While it is important for an athlete to fuel up before a big game or match, for Joey Chestnut, fueling up is his big game. Major League Eating is the game and Joey Chestnut is indeed the G.O.A.T. Every year on Independence Day, Nathan’s Hot Dogs holds its annual hot dog eat- ing contest. The rules are simple: whoever eats the most hot dogs in ten minutes is the winner.

Some say this contest is disgusting, but for Joey Chestnut, it is his Super Bowl. Th35year-old, 235 pound Chestnut from Vallejo, California is considered the world’s best eater, holding many world records including 74 hotdogs in ten minutes. Chestnut told CNN that his pregame routine is pretty simple. For days, he will fast and drink only water, monitoring his calorie intake carefully so he is ready to go come match time.

Most recently, Chestnut won the Elmo Shrimp Cocktail Eating Contest, eating 18 pounds of shrimp in eight minutes. It is no question that Chestnut deserves the title of competitive eating’s G.O.A.T.

Flynn, 2018 Westminster Dog Show Champion

If Secretariat winning the Triple Crown has taught us anything, it is that the G.O.A.T. does not always have to be a human being, and in this case, he is not. Flynn, the 2018 Westminster Dog Show champion, is a very good boy. The bichon frise from Michigan took the stage on Thanksgiving Day to strut his stuff and show the world that he is the G.O.A.T.

Defeating the reigning champion, German shepherd Rumor, Flynn marched his way to victory. Flynn plans to stop on top now that his championship season is over. Flynn has proven that we should never give up on the underdog or else life could get ruff!

While some might tell you that scoring seven goals in a hockey game is impressive, others will tell you eating 141 hard boiled eggs in eight minutes is just as amazing. Either way, there are good athletes and there are great ones.

Contact Jack Breitowich at [email protected].