OT UFC legend BJ Penn got knocked out by some random, half-naked guy

If you don’t know who Jon jones is you probably aren’t the perfect litmus test.

 

Because there are unquestionably more than three UFC fighters that are legends. I don't see why who you (one person) can name means much of anything.

 

Boxing and MMA are the sports I dislike the most. The only ones Ive heard of Are McGregor, Rousey, Khabib (mostly because of jumping out of the ring) for MMA. Heard of quite a few boxers though.

 

MMA still isn't mainstream enough to have its legends household names. You sound like a person who has never paid attention to basketball saying that Bill Russell isn't a legend because they'd never heard of him. So please realize that you don't know enough about MMA to say who is and isn't a legend.

 

Wouldnt the ‘Legends”, transcend the sport though. I bet most people on the planet whether fans of the sports or not, know the names, “Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Ali”, to name a few.

 

No one is calling Penn the GOAT, even though he was for a while. If you think only the greatest of all time in a given sport is a legend and each sport only has one, then I guess BJ isn't one. However, if you think Bill Russell is a legend then believe me when I tell you that BJ is also a legend.

 

I guess it really depends on how were defining it. I wasnt meaning to say theres only one “legend per sport”, was just saying that in the way I’d define a sports legend, is someone whose fame goes beyond just the reaches of the sport itself.

I can accept that may be defined differently by others.

 

Who are the legends of Cricket? Just cause you don't follow it doesn't mean they aren't legends. Top cricketers can earn 15+ million/year. This year Virat Kohli is earning 24 million. Giant fan bases and superstardom in India.

 

You forgot to drop the mic because you just ended this debate.

 

Maybe we just have different definitions of legend. To some maybe it’s popularity. To some it’s more.

 

Not really.

 

I guess if we define it by those who transcend the sport there maybe aren't any at least in America. If were defining it by the greatest of the greats in a sport then its different. Language is interesting like that.

Like honestly if we think about it as the former, Im not sure the NFL has any (maybe Montana?), but by the latter they certainly have greats and players that are considered legends by the fans of the sport.

 

Huh, you argue with my agreement with a point that no one knows who the legends of cricket are but then go on to say that the NFL doesn't really have legends? C'mon man.

I think the problem here is that some people are saying you have to be a household name in order to be a legend. Those are two different things. My wife or my mom have never heard of BJ Penn but that doesn't mean he isn't a legend to UFC fans. They know who Ronda Rousey is because she's been in some shows and movies they've seen.

 

I said that if we define a legend by famous to people who dont follow the sport or know the sport Im not sure the NFL has that. I am probably to close to that to know who is a “household” name for non NFL fans. If we define it by legends of the sport to the fans of course the NFL has legends by that definition.

 

No matter how you define it except in terms of America. The IPL (cricket) players can earn tens of millions a year yet ticket prices are between $7 and $56 (I just looked it up). So, how do the players make so much? Because they are stars. They have massive followings and they can sell just like NFL players. Imagine how much they would be earning if India was a richer country with NFL priced tickets. The legends of cricket are at the top of their sport just as NFL players, they have giant fan bases, they sell tickets, jerseys and advertise the heck out of products.

 

I didn't know BJ Penn was such a douche. But I guess with a name like BJ, it kind of comes with the territory.

 

Ok, but whether they make a lot of money or have fans isn't the same conversation...

 

Please explain your qualifications for legend that doesn’t include being top in the field (setting records, winning tournaments...), having huge fan bases where your name is known by millions and millions, selling products on your fame and earning massive salaries due to stardom. What am I missing aside from YOU not knowing about them?

 

I never said anything about if I know about them. I said exactly what I meant, many sports figures are legends that grow outside of the sport and are known by "millions" who don't follow or care about sports. Those type of legends are "rare", the one who is a household name to those who don't follow a sport, or know anything about sports. Then there are legends of a sport who are known by basically the fans, and that can be millions of people but their popularity doesn't really go outside of the fan base of a sport, those are also legends to some, but they don't fit the criteria of the first one.
Saying they make a lot of money, well ok.
I'm saying Cricket in America probably has legends that fit criteria two but I don't know if they have any that fit legend one. I don't follow, Golf, Boxing, MMA, and I know a few of those guys, but more importantly than just whether I know them, I'd venture to guess millions of people who don't follow those sports know of them, thus they transcended the sport itself and fit criteria one.

 

Saying or describing each sport's legends is entirely subjective.

However, you can go on to make a definition with subset rules to define it even further with differing groups of people, such as hardcore fans, casual fans, sports fans in general, non sports fans, etc.