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Charley Steiner is one of 13 HOFMAG.com Senior Staff to contribute a list of the Top Ten Most Influential People in Sports History. How does it compare with your own choices or the lists of the other HOFMAG.com writers in the box to the right? Find out all the results, from Who's #1 to "also ran" in HOFMAG.com's Top 10 Most Influential People in Sports History. 10. Walter O'Malley – A visionary, who saw Los Angeles in the windshield, and Brooklyn in the rear view mirror, as he led Major League Baseball west of the Mississippi River. Depending on where you live, he is either a God-like figure, or Satan. But there is no question his influence is still felt to this day. 9. Howard Cosell – Until Howard came along, (at least in broadcasting) sports/journalist was an oxymoron. He was the most important sports broadcaster of the 20th century. Like him or hate him, there was never any middle ground when it came to Howard, for better or worse (and mostly better) he re-defined his and our genre. 8. Branch Rickey – Had there been no Branch Rickey, there would have been no Jackie Robinson, certainly not in 1947. Jackie smashed the color barrier. But it was Mr. Rickey (and 60 years later he is still referred to as Mr. Rickey), who handed Mr. Robinson the hammer to do so. 7. Billie Jean King – She won 39 Grand Slam titles (12 singles championships). Her straight set victory, 6-4, 6-3,6-3 against Bobby Riggs in 1973 came in the most important/influential tennis match ever played. 6. Hank Aaron – A model of consistency, he never hit more than 47 home runs in a single season. He broke the Ruth record with clear and present danger to his life. He is the all-time home run champion, but that is secondary to the elegance, intelligence and dignity of a great man. 5. Jesse Owens – He won 4-gold medals in the Berlin Olympics in '36, humiliating Hitler along the way. Upon returning home and following his ticker tape parade in New York, he was forced to take the freight elevator at the Waldorf-Astoria to get to the reception held in his honor. 4. Michael Jordan – The most athletically gifted and charismatic basketball player in history, who parlayed those gifts into a brand name and became a I-man international conglomerate . 3. Babe Ruth – Although dead for nearly 60 years, his name remains the most famous in baseball. His human growth hormone was all natural. Hot dogs and booze. Aaron's 755 may be mathematically more than Ruth's 714, but had Ruth's career had played out in 162-game seasons, who knows? He averaged 186 hits, 46-homeruns, 143-rbi, 133 walks, 86-strikeouts and a .342 batting average. 2. Jackie Robinson – Like Ali, his influence (and importance to the fabric of American history) transcends merely sports. 1. Muhammad Ali – In what area of sports and society did he not influence? Politics. Conscience. Showmanship. Style (in and out of the ring). Substance. Charley Steiner is one of the most popular and trusted sports announcers in the United States. You can contact him at
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