Help us find and improve next week's Connection Finder profiles: GOATs [closed]

Question

The most recent WikiTree Challenge features Roger Federer, considered one of the best tennis players of all time, so we're featuring other GOATs (greatest of all time) in the Connection Finder next week, people who are considered the top of their respective sports.

Here's who we're getting started on:

• Michael Jordan, basketball, needs connection, bio augmentation, and picture
• Wayne Gretzky, hockey
• Fanny Blankers-Koen, track

Can you help with these profiles, or expand their families? Adding relatives in any direction helps with connections. Every missing relative you add will make our connections to them closer.

Who else should we feature? We can't feature everyone who is nominated (we only have room for eleven per week), but if we don't feature a profile you work on, we may use it sometime in the future. And, of course, all contributions help improve our shared tree.

We'll make a final decision on which ones to feature early next week.

Please reply here with what you're working on so that we don't duplicate our efforts. Thank you!

Help us plan other themes to feature for the rest of 2022 here.

Comments

How about Jim Thorpe?  He was a great athlete as well!

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Lori Jo - please make it a proper nomination by posting as an answer.

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Done...thank you for letting me know Melanie!

Answer 1

From England, Sabastian Coe was one of the best mid-distance runners who achieved world records and Olympic medals.  He is also a leader in the international sports community.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Coe-2747

From the United States, The Iron Man who has the longest consecutive number of baseball games played, Cal Ripken.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ripken-3

Comments

Thanks, Russell.

Answer 2

Babe Ruth (baseball) - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ruth-1

Comments

Thanks, Roger.

Answer 3

Donald George Bradman AC (1908-2001) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

nothing more needs to be said

Comments

That's  true. The Windies had some big names from the 80s  I should be able to remember them, but I don't.

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Vivian "Viv" Richards
Clive Lloyd
Michael Holding
Joel Garner
Sunil "Sunny" Gavaskar
Garry Sobers - he might be considered a GOAT
Brian Lara
Alvin Kallicharran

I actually met a number of these guys, and shared dinner at a friend's place in Brisbane with Kallicharran.

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South African born Tony Greig - I looked, but did not find a profile for him.  With a Scottish immigrant father and a South African-born mother, his ancestors would be interesting.
He died in Sydney, Australia, but spent considerable time in English cricket before becoming a commentator.

Aussie Dennis Lillee - still Living, cannot see a profile that is him.  There is one unlisted Lillee with no visible dates that I think is female based on the profile's manager.

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I thought Gavaskar was Indian?

Vivian!! That's that name that was on the tip of my tongue!!!

I remember Garner, Holding and Lara as well.

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Dennis Lillee. Rocking hand motion. Not a fan of him either.

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Yeah, Gavaskar is Indian, but played against the Windies (which is probably what I was remembering).  This was a LOOOOOONG time ago.  I didn't even have kids!  

Also not a fan of Lillee, but he was considered by many the greatest of his day.  I always thought Thommo (2014 Australian Cricket Hall of Famer) was better.

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Its a long time ago for me as well. I was still a teenager!!!  

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Shane Warne? Greatest spinner of all time. Has profile, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Warne-871

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Warnie isn't Connected.  Australia Project front and centre!

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Thanks all!

Answer 4

Gymnastics:

• Simone Biles - Most decorated female Olympic gymnast.

Swimming:

• Michael Phelps - Most decorated Olympian with 28 medals

Track and Field:

• Jesse Owens - 4 Gold Medals in 1939 in Germany during a pivotal time for people of color and religion
• Steve Prefontaine - Held the World Record in seven different long distance running events

Baseball:

• Babe Ruth
• Shoeless Joe Jackson

Comments

Thanks, Shonda.

Answer 5

Can't have a list of greatests without considering "The Greatest" Muhammad Ali.

Pele would also be a great one to include, but he is not connected. 

Babe Didriksen is connected.

Legendary jockey Willie Shoemaker is also connected.

Tiger Woods is not connected, but Arnold Palmer is. 

Legendary race car driver Mario And retro does appear to have a profile, but Dale Earnhardt Sr. does, and he is also connected.

Norwegian ice skater Sonja Henie is connected.

Comments

David, your links are requiring a security check, because they are incorrect — wikitree.co./ instead of wikitree.com

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Thanks for catching that Melanie. Serves me right for posting in the middle of the night when I should have been sleeping. The links should all work now.

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Thanks, David.

Answer 6

Football (the version Americans call soccer) is in Germany the most popular sport. But there are hardly any German players connected to the Big Tree. This is why I'm turning to England this time. Jack Charlton was member of the English squad that won the World Cup in 1966. He needs a better biography though.

Pelé would be an obvious choice as well, but he is unfortunately not connected.

Comments

Thanks, Jelena.

Answer 7

Joe Davis, OBE - English, snooker and billiards champion — won the first 15 championships from 1927 to 1946 and remains the only undefeated player in World Snooker Championship history.  (His brother, Fred, was also an eight-time World Snooker Championship winner, and was the reason Australian Eddie Charlton (who may need a WT profile, Australia Project!) became a professional player.) 
Joe is Connected, has a pic, and a bio.

Comments

Thanks, Melanie.

Answer 8

I want to propose both Diego Armando Maradona and Pelé, the 2 greatest football players of all time (Together with Messi and Ronaldo too)
Maradona: Maradona-1
Pelé:Arantes_Nascimento-1
They both aren't connected to the world tree but I will try my best to get at least 1 of them connected to have some South American and football representation in here!

Comments

Growing up in the 60's in the United States I knew almost nothing about soccer/football, but I knew who Pelé was.

Vai Pelé!

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Thanks, Gonzalo.

Answer 9

I hate to say it, but, in American football, there is none greater than Tom Brady (said grudgingly with clenched teeth.)

Comments

And here was I thinking it might have been the "even Greater than GOD" statement.  

I am happy to have provided even a small amount of merriment in your day.  May it continue in the same vein.  

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Well, normally we say that teams win Super Bowls, not individuals, but Tom Brady won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and they dominated the league when he was there. Then he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and promptly won the Super Bowl there as well.

Meanwhile, New England is struggling to maintain a winning record. In the nine years before Brady left, New England had the following record: 13-3, 12-4, 12-4, 12-4. 12-4, 14-2, 13-3, 11-5, 12-4. They won the Super Bowl three of those nine years, including the year before Brady left.

Since Brady left, their record is 7-9 and 10-7. 

But, here's the thing. Before Tom Brady went to Tampa Bay, their record was abysmal. In the nine years before he came they were 4-12, 7-9, 4-12, 2-14, 6-10, 9-7, 5-11, 5-11, 7-9.

Tom Brady showed up and they went 11-5 and won the Super Bowl. I can't think of a more clear example of one man totally changing the fortunes of a team. The next year they went 13-4 but lost in the Divisional Playoff.

This year they're struggling, even with Brady. But Brady is 45 years old and has been playing professional football for twenty-two years.

Before he won the Super Bowl in 2020, one could have argued that he was lucky to be on a team with a great coach and always surrounded by great players.

After Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl, you could no longer reasonably make that argument. Tom Brady was THE reason Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl. And it's hard to argue that Brady wasn't the reason that the Patriots DID win Super Bowls.

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I second that, Paul. Tom clearly was the reason for the success of both teams. It's plain and simple.

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Paul, all that wonderful detail may as well be Martian so far as I am concerned. 
My "knowledge" of gridiron is (a) years ago I watched a Packers game at the home of an in-law, and saw Favre play when he was still "the thing" (before he retired then took it back a few times); (b) I watched a game at the home of a different in-law wherein the dog-fight guy was playing (the entire household booed, while I looked); (c) I watched the not always friendly rivalry between in-laws who were Bears fans, or Packers fans, or Vikings fans (the same lot were also Cubs / White Sox rivals); (d) I listened to my beloved wax lyrical every chance he got, when he wasn't waxing lyrical regards baseball (e) crosswords.

Now, if you'd like me to start explaining cricket, or aerial ping pong, to you, we might be getting somewhere.  

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Melanie, you could put my understanding of cricket in a thimble. We can't all be knowledgeable about everything, but we can certainly learn.

I don't know if I could wax lyrical, but I can certainly talk football. Baseball not so much. 

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Paul, years ago I created a wall hanging for my father-in-law explaining cricket.  I found the original image on an older hard drive, so will see if I can pull it off that, or at least transcribe it (again).
Hubby had a few "great loves", driving, baseball (especially the Cubs), American football (especially the Bears), ice hockey (to differentiate from the field hockey I once played several millennia ago), and talking.  So every Sunday (and the occasional other day) included whichever of those things was in season at the time.  We had more than one discussion on baseball's "world series" not actually being a WORLD anything, especially when compared with cricket, or association football (soccer), where their world events actually are WORLD events.  (We also did discuss other things: music, books, other shared interests, etc.)

While I may have been tongue-in-cheek when I said the person you grudgingly mentioned but for whom you refuse to create a profile must have been "god", I wasn't being tongue-in-cheek at all when I said I would love to have been able to nominate GOD, son of GOD, or Greater than GOD, but couldn't because of lack of profiles, or the time to work on them to get living people Connected.  (Especially when I was actually working on someone else.)
In some ways my "lesser G.O.A.T." may actually BE a G.O.A.T. because so much in his code (aerial ping-pong) changed because of him.  (I can't nominate him yet, because his profile is still black locked.)

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Also, Paul, LJ, Shonda — my gift to you.  

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Thanks!

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Lol, Melanie!

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Well may you have laffed at me yesterday, Shonda, but today all y'all are gonna need those mouth guards to prevent the mass grinding of teeth and clenching of jaws doing major damage to all y'all's teeth.    
The not-really-a-nomination (no profile id#, no mention of Connected or otherwise) made it as one of the six (6) Americans featured this week.  So best order up those guards, now, while you still can!  
(I can get you a link to a pharmacy, if you need it.)

Answer 10

Arguably the greatest of all British screen actors, Alec Guinness exploded onto the screen playing eight different members of the aristocratic Dashwood family in the satirical 'Kind Hearts and Coronets'.
www.timeout.com

Actor Sir Alec Guinness English, has pic, has bio, is Connected

Comments

Considered the top of their respective sports.

Acting is a sport?

Thats news to me!! LOL

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Well, it might as well be!
(I guess I was more focussed on someone from "elsewhere", and getting frustrated at the lack of Aussies, I lost the "sport" aspect.)
I withdraw the nomination.

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Thanks for more giggles!! 

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I didn't see the sports part either.

Answer 11

It looks like Magnus Carlsen needs a profile.

Answer 12

U.S. Baseball: Hammerin' Hank Aaron   Connected and nice Profile too.

Comments

Thanks, LJ.

Answer 13

You can't get much greater than Serena Williams. The profile has an image and a short biography. I wonder if the experts could achieve connection to the main tree in time for next week.

Comments

Thanks, Jim.

Answer 14

I would like to nominate Mark James Todd - the (Best) Rider of the 20th Century - and yes that is the title he was given!!! 

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Todd-12978

Profile made, connected, has Pic and has Bio!! 

ETA - there is now a profile - see above

ETA - Mark's Profile is now OPEN!!!! 

He is usually keeps his details private mostly because his family details are very kept very  private. But then he went and wrote a auto biography and named his parents!!  LOL 

Fortunately for us they are both deceased so it was a relatively easy start. 

I am dumping all the details I have found - so this will be a LONG post - but if any other Kiwi (New Zealander) wants to help that would be great. Details below 

Mark has 3 Wikipedia pages that I have found - english, german and dutch - so that should qualify him for an open Notable page. 

NZ BDM index 

https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search

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Mark Todd - Born in Cambridge NZ - 1 March 1956 

Biography - Second Chances - 2012

Father - Norman Todd - farmer machinery salesman

Mother - Lenore  Nickle

Older sister Kerryn 

Younger brother Martyn - bn 1960

Maternal grandfather - James Edwin Nickle 

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Parents Burial

https://billiongraves.com/grave/Norman-Edward-Todd/25554229

Leonore Adele - 22 Feb 1928 - 28 Sept 2012 

Norman Edward Todd - 23 June 1920 - 11 May 2013 

Find A Grave 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/124486500/norman-edward-todd

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/124486499/lenore-adele-todd

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RNZAF - Norman Edward Todd 

https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Norman%20Todd.htm

Connection with Cambridge: Norm Todd moved to Cambridge just afterWorld War Two, and set up Ross Todd Motors with Jim Ross, whom he'd served with in the RNZAF

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https://www.ancestry.ca/genealogy/records/norman-todd-24-q0g2kf

Lenore Adele Nickle  1928 - 2012 

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Mark comes home for his fathers funeral - May 2013

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8691899/Sir-Mark-Todd-comes-home-for-fathers-funeral

Norman Todd was born in Taumarunui but moved to Cambridge at the end of World War II. He was a RNZAF flight sergeant.

His met his wife, Lenore - a Cambridge local - they married and they spent their lives in the Waikato town.

Lenore Todd died in September last year after a long illness.

Norman and Lenore are survived by their three children - Kerryn, Mark and Martyn - and seven grandchildren.

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3 wikipedia entries - for Open Notable 

English

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Todd_%28equestrian%29

German

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Todd

Dutch

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Todd

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BDM DIA - NZ Index

Birth

1920/17101 Todd Norman Edward Ellen Elizabeth Priscilla Norman

Births 

1920/17101 Todd Norman Edward Ellen Elizabeth Priscilla Norman

1922/13587 Todd Shirley May Ellen Elizabeth Priscilla Norman

Marriage 

1919/3129 Ellen Elizabeth Priscilla Dore Norman Todd

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Family search - Family tree

Norman Todd - 1887 - 1963

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPT7-8QB3

Family details 

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L61P-WR2

Family tree

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/L61P-WR2

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Norman Todd

Parents - David Todd & Mary Emma Powell 

BDM - Marriage 

1883/800 Mary Emma Powell David Todd

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Pops - Maternal grandfather 

James Edwin Nickle - 1899 - 1990

https://www.ancestry.ca/genealogy/records/james-edwin-nickle-24-djrhy4

Profile already on Wikitree!!! - Yaaay

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Nickle-79

His parents - James Benjamin Nickle & Ellen Pretty 

They also have profiles on Wikitree - YAAAAY 

(So we only need to add Their Daughter Lenore - DONE - and her son Mark!!)

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Find-a-grave

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/124485107/james-edwin-nickle

James Edwin Nickle 1899 - 1990 

Wife - dorothy ella Linda (McLarnon) 

Marriage 

1923/6033 Dorothy Ella Linda McLarnon James Edwin Nickle

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Births 

1898/9955 Nickle James Edwin Ellen James Benjamin

James Edwin Nickle - Siblings 

Births 

1901/2721 Nickle Stanley Arthur Ellen James Benjamin

1898/9955 Nickle James Edwin Ellen James Benjamin

1896/1446 Nickle Gladys Vivian Ellalean Ellen James Benjamin

1893/9692 Nickle Alice Myrtle Ellen James Benjamin

1905/2097 Nickle Grace Alma Ellen James Benjamin

Parents 

1892/2932 Ellen Pretty James Benjamin Nickle

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Rider of the 20th century by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, (Fédération Equestre Internationale).

https://prabook.com/web/mark.todd/724538

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Comments

So I have added a profile for Mark's mother Lenore Nickle - that should connect overnight.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Nickle-261

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Marks Father Norman Todd - profile has been added

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Todd-12964

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Grandfather Norman Todd Profile is done

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Todd-12965

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There is one profile for a Living Todd born in the 1950s

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Todd-5972

So I have sent off a PM asking if this profile is for Mark James Todd and if it is, can they please connect him to his parents. If it is not, to please let me know so I can create his profile.

Cheers

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OK so the manager of Todd-5972 says that this is NOT Mark Todd so he WILL REQUIRE a NEW Profile.

Should I create a profile knowing that it must be kept unlocked and open notable.

He does have at least 3 Wikipedia pages so he does  qualify!!

I'm a bit scared to do this now.

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I would create the profile, with only enough detail that is needful to be a mini "biography" as are most Living Notables.  If he published an autobiography, then he must be comfortable with that amount of info being "out there".  If he were to ever stumble across the profile, and objected to it existing, he could request a take-down.  (Not that I would understand it, because you're not posting anything negative, or libelous, or anything he hasn't already made public.)

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Thanks Melanie.

I have created Mark's profile but it is of course now unlisted.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Todd-12978

I will be asking the Notables team to make it an Open Notable ASAP.

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Profile for Mark Todd is now OPEN!!!!

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Thanks, Robynne.

Answer 15

Rod Marsh - considered by many to be the greatest wicketkeeper.  Has pic, has bio, is Connected.

Comments

Thanks, Melanie.

Answer 16

We're trying to connect Alfredo Stefano Di Stefano, who received the Royal Order of Sports Merit. He was an Argentine soccer player. 

Comments

Thanks, Mindy.

Answer 17

Vincent "Bo" Jackson is the only man who was an All-Star in both the National Football League and Major League Baseball. The lead paragraph of his Wikipedia article says he has "the reputation as one of the greatest athletes of all time."

I believe he is represented in WikiTree by the unlisted profile Jackson-36605. It's possible that there are additional profiles for him. I believe he qualifies for visible profile under the Living Notables policy, as he clearly meets the notability criteria of that policy, and his profile mentions the names of his wife and children, as well as his wife's line of work and the reason his mother gave him his name.

I have no idea whether his unlisted profile is connected.

Comments

Thanks, Ellen. I've updated the privacy on his profile, but he won't be connected for this go-round.

Answer 18

How about one individual actually being a GOAT in two different sports? I have requested to be added to the trusted list for Shaun White - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/White-40923.  If added, I will then connect him to his parents (who are now connected) which in turn will connect him to the main Wikitree. Shaun is a two-time GOAT - in snowboarding and in skateboarding.

Comments

Thanks, Russell.

Answer 19

A quick search of the greatest athletes lists many people already noted here. One I did not know about was Mildred Ella Didrikson (Babe Didrikson Zaharias) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias

Comments

Babe was nominated.   

Babe Didriksen is connected.

answered by David Randall 

 

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Okay, thanks

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The more supporters the better!  

Answer 20

Babe Didriksen is connected.

answered by David Randall 

Answer 21

Johan Cruijff  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cruijff-14

he was a Dutch professional football player and manager

In 1999, Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics, and came second behind Pelé in their World Player of the Century poll.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Cruyff

Comments

Thanks, Elsa