Sporting comparisons
A quiz is doing the football rounds of an Earth best ever XI v Mars.
It’s bit of fun but behind it is the serious question of comparison of players from different eras.
Yesterday I was engaged in a conversation with a fellow Ruster on this very point. Great soccer players from the 60s and 70s had to cope with poor pitches, referees who tolerated tackles from behind and heavier footballs.
In my selection I omitted Gordon Banks in goal, who just tipped 6 foot, whereas the modern keeper is at least 4 inches taller.
My colleague referred to the increased weight of the modern day rugby centres.
Greats of my youth like Mike Gibson, Maso, Gerald Davies and David Duckham may be now deemed too lightweight.
In boxing, weight too has changed the dynamics.
Rocky Marciano for example was not 14 stone with a reach of 68 inches, Muhammad Ali was 15 stone with a reach of 80 inches.
The modern title contender for that division is now some 4 stones heavier.
There is only one sport where records have held and that is horse racing.
Workforce won the Derby in 2010 and his record time of 2.31 is still to be bested. Secretariat’s record time in the Kentucky Derby held for many years.
It may be a difficult exercise to make these comparisons but – with no live sport to watch – it’s certainly an interesting one.
