Who has the safest career stat lead??

[nate1729]

Did you see the race? Wariner was almost walking across the finish line.

[touchfaith]

Cy Young, Total Wins, as mentioned...

The other LOCK, not mentioned is Kareem's Total NBA Career Points. Never going to see that longevity again.

[CheckFold]

I did see the race, and remember him pulling away on the final 100, but don't remember if he let up in the last 10m or not. Nevertheless, his 44.00 is his personal record, so I can't imagine he was taking it THAT easy.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
Yup. It's been 9 years since 19.32 and no one has even sniffed anything close. Compare times from ~40 years ago to ones being run now. Lee Evans 43.86 in 1968 400m would have topped Jeremy Wariner's 44.00 to win the gold in Athens 2004. We're not improving nearly as fast as you think.

[/ QUOTE ]

wow, I just did some google, and that lee evens must have been pimp, but he has the only times on like the top 200 times that are pre 1970 (linky)

So we are clearly still evolving, and to say that micheal hohnsonsmark will never be broken is just completely ludicris. Maybe in 40 years HS wont be beating it, the smaller distances have less room for improvment, but I will guaruntee that someday they will be.

I remember my dad telling me about whats his nuts breaking the 4 minute mile, and how they said it was impossible, and then said it would never get faster than that. Now there ARE high schoolers that beat that.

[Shajen]

Rickey "Today, I am...the greatest...of all time" Henderson's stolen base + total bases record maybe?

[meep_42]

I really don't think that's evolution at work. I think it is superior nutrition and training methods, coupled with the technology level that allows some people to devote their lives to those things.

-d

[PokerNoob]

Career records that will never be broken are ones where the underlying strategy of the game has changed to the point that the conditions that lead to the records don't exist anymore. Case in point is starting pitching in baseball. Records for wins, losses, innings pitched, etc. were set in an era when the starting pitcher's role was different than it is today. They were expected to pitch more innings per game and games per season. Many of them had lengthy careers because their arms were not subject to the injuries modern players get, and they had economic incentive to keep playing vs. having to get a real job.

Another example is stolen base records, and tangentally, the 3 base hit. The stolen base is becoming increasingly irrelevant to the modern power game. IF they decide to deaden the ball, which I can't forsee happening, then the stolen base could become important again.

I think all the NFL career dropkick records are safe too.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
I really don't think that's evolution at work. I think it is superior nutrition and training methods, coupled with the technology level that allows some people to devote their lives to those things.

-d

[/ QUOTE ]

I wholely agree that that has a ton to do with it, but its also because we keep getting bigger and stronger and faster. I doubt the kid who runs the sub 4 minute mile in high school is more devoted than the guy who first broke it. I also doubt he has better nutrition. His training technique is better, but I think a HUGE part of it is just that we keep evolving.

[Voltron87]

this is not evolution, it is understanding nutritiot, our genetics and form better. evolution could not have an impact in two generations. plus, humans who run slow are not getting taken out of the gene population. I think evolution is about... zero percent of this.

[jba]

[ QUOTE ]
Cy Young, Total Wins, as mentioned...

The other LOCK, not mentioned is Kareem's Total NBA Career Points. Never going to see that longevity again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Malone could easily top this. I'm not saying he will, but he decided he wanted to it would not be difficult at all.