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Gil Vieira 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. Bill Russell – The greatest team sport athlete ever. His combined high school, collegiate, Olympic, and NBA Championships will never be surpassed. As the first premier defensive player in pro basketball, he changed the way games were played and coached. 9. Ervin ‘Magic' Johnson/ Larry Bird – These two basketball legends will forever be linked. They ‘saved' professional basketball. During the 80's, their classic head-to-head Lakers-Celtics battles brought millions of viewers back to watching the NBA. 8. Marvin Miller – Arguably, the most influential person in the business of Major League Baseball. In 1966, he was elected to head the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and transformed it into one of the most powerful unions in America. 7. Bobby Orr – He changed the way hockey is played. Other than Ruth, no one has had more influence in changing a sport as did Orr. He broke all scoring records for defensemen and did things on skates never before done by any hockey player. 6. Pete Rozelle – He led the National Football League from 1960-1989 and is recognized as the premier commissioner in all professional sports. He created the image of the NFL, structured the merger of the NFL – AFL, and developed the Super Bowl into America's premier sports attraction. 5. Billie Jean King – The most influential female athlete of her era, she put women's tennis on the map. She also helped create a new marketing environment for women's sports and was a leader in the women's rights movement. 4. Jesse Owens – He led the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. However, more importantly, he became the symbol of freedom during the ever-growing world presence of Hitler and Nazism. His dominance of the games in the presence of Hitler provided great pride and hope for Americans and free people world wide. 3. Babe Ruth – He changed the game of baseball with his power and powerful personality. To date, no one has influenced or dominated a sport as did Ruth. 2. Jackie Robinson – An American icon in the fight against racial discrimination. As the first black player in Major League Baseball, he persevered through the trials facing black Americans. 1. Muhammad Ali – Arguably, the greatest boxer in the history of the sport. During his era, he was the most recognized person in the world. He influenced a generation and, in the 60s, embodied the disdain that grew in the minds of Americans regarding the war in Viet Nam. Gil Vieira is the President and Publisher of HOFMAG.com.
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