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Is there any sports figure in the USA or World for that matter more famous than Nick Saban?

Freddie.B.Cocky

Freddie.B.Cocky

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Jul 19, 2002
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Gosh, every sports channel I watch is talking about Nick Saban and deservingly so, because what he has accomplished is unequaled.

When I was in grade school Mickey Mantel was the most popular athlete in the US, many the world. In fact, I just saw where a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for $5.2 million. Then there was Muhammad Ali capturing the popularity of the Sports World for decades. But, right now it may be Nick Saban, he is certainly not the only popular athlete/coach in the world but I don't know of anyone that is more popular, maybe just as popular but not more popular.
 
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We have a skewed view in the South if who is “famous” when it comes to sports... Pro players are infinitely more famous and popular on a national level than any CFB player or coach. Lebron is a world wide Super Star from America to China. Many people in markets like L.A. barely pay attention to CFB. Lebron is WAY more famous... If you leave the US, 95%+ of the sports fans you talk to would know Lebron and not know Saban.

Internationally, soccer rules all. I just got back from Mexico and it was hard to find CFB playoff games or even some NFL games on TV, we had to watch them in a sports bar or on our phones.. the only sport they taked about on TV was soccer usually, and if you pulled up anh website on their wifi, you got the Espaniol version which talked about Soccer instead of US sports... If they did mention US sports, it was PRO not college 99% of the time, even during the playoffs.

Saban is the most famous person in CFB, but probably 5th-10th overall most famous person in sports in the US, and not even top 100 internationally I bet.
 
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Gamecock Lifer said:
We have a skewed view in the South if who is “famous” when it comes to sports... Pro players are infinitely more famous and popular on a national level than any CFB player or coach. Lebron is a world wide Super Star from America to China. Many people in markets like L.A. barely pay attention to CFB. Lebron is WAY more famous... If you leave the US, 95%+ of the sports fans you talk to would know Lebron and not know Saban.

Internationally, soccer rules all. I just got back from Mexico and it was hard to find CFB playoff games or even some NFL games on TV, we had to watch them in a sports bar or on our phones.. the only sport they taked about on TV was soccer usually, and if you pulled up anh website on their wifi, you got the Espaniol version which talked about Soccer instead of US sports... If they did mention US sports, it was PRO not college 99% of the time, even during the playoffs.

Saban is the most famous person in CFB, but probably 5th-10th overall most famous person in sports in the US, and not even top 100 internationally I bet.
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Everything you said is true. And more good reasons I am proud to be an American and Southern.
 
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DibbleDee said:
I'm sure millions more people around the world know who Lebron James is. I can't stand the guy and don't watch the NBA, but he's surely at the top.
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I agree . Lebron is the most famous athlete in the world . I love NBA but not a big fan of Lebron but the dude is an absolute beast . He will never be MJ or Kobe however
 
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BobbyBReloaded1975 said:
I agree . Lebron is the most famous athlete in the world . I love NBA but not a big fan of Lebron but the dude is an absolute beast . He will never be MJ or Kobe however
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Yep. He's huge in China. That's a few hundred million people right there (assuming all 1.4 billion don't watch the NBA). The NBA in general is enormously popular overseas.
 
College football just doesn't register much outside the US. One major reason is that foreigners don't really get the concept of college sports. It's kind of baffling to most foreigners why college sports are such a big deal.

For another, team loyalties are largely geographical (for the most part) or people are fans of a team from where they were born/grew up. As unbelievably successful as Nick Saban is, the vast majority of folks overseas have probably never heard of Alabama (the state).
 
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Freddie.B.Cocky said:
No way
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Actually, he is the 6th most famous sports celebrity currently. There is not a single American football player or coach anywhere on any list. The most famous American athletes are Tiger, Serena, Michael Phelps, Phil Mickelson, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and the top, Lebron.
 
Gamecock Lifer said:
We have a skewed view in the South if who is “famous” when it comes to sports... Pro players are infinitely more famous and popular on a national level than any CFB player or coach. Lebron is a world wide Super Star from America to China. Many people in markets like L.A. barely pay attention to CFB. Lebron is WAY more famous... If you leave the US, 95%+ of the sports fans you talk to would know Lebron and not know Saban.

Internationally, soccer rules all. I just got back from Mexico and it was hard to find CFB playoff games or even some NFL games on TV, we had to watch them in a sports bar or on our phones.. the only sport they taked about on TV was soccer usually, and if you pulled up anh website on their wifi, you got the Espaniol version which talked about Soccer instead of US sports... If they did mention US sports, it was PRO not college 99% of the time, even during the playoffs.

Saban is the most famous person in CFB, but probably 5th-10th overall most famous person in sports in the US, and not even top 100 internationally I bet.
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Regardless, people in LA couldn't listen to sports without hearing about Saban. Lebron may be just as popular but not more popular.

The average American don't give a hoot about soccer. Most people I know would have to be paid to watch soccer. I disagree with your last statement.
 
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DibbleDee said:
College football just doesn't register much outside the US. One major reason is that foreigners don't really get the concept of college sports. It's kind of baffling to most foreigners why college sports are such a big deal.

For another, team loyalties are largely geographical (for the most part) or people are fans of a team from where they were born/grew up. As unbelievably successful as Nick Saban is, the vast majority of folks overseas have probably never heard of Alabama (the state).
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I don't care if they have never heard of Alabama the state or not, many would have heard of Saban. You could not watch sports anywhere and not hear of Saban at some point.
 
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Freddie.B.Cocky said:
I don't care if they have never heard of Alabama the state or not many would have heard of Saban. You could not watch sports anywhere and not hear of Saban at some point.
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Of course you can, haha. It all depends on what's covered. TV stations overseas just don't cover college football. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE college football. It's hands-down my favorite sport. It just doesn't register overseas.
 
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uscg1984 said:
Everything you said is true. And more good reasons I am proud to be an American and Southern.
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Agreed! I like it the way it is around here because that is what I am used to. I am just saying, if you travel outside of our bubble you get a whole different view of what people find important. I would say simply listening to any National radio personality vs our local guys gives you an idea... Dan Patrick for instance (my favorite)- spends 90%+ of his program focused on NFL/NBA... PRO sports. They mention college FB sometimes, MBB during the tourney, but most of their discussions are on pro sports,
 
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rogue cock said:
Per ESPN, the most famous athlete currently is Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid. It would make sense due to the fact that soccer is played in most countries.
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He’s been with Juventus for a couple of years now. Which is cool bc USMNT player Westin McKinnie gets to play with one of the greatest players ever.
 
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Gamecock Lifer said:
We have a skewed view in the South if who is “famous” when it comes to sports... Pro players are infinitely more famous and popular on a national level than any CFB player or coach. Lebron is a world wide Super Star from America to China. Many people in markets like L.A. barely pay attention to CFB. Lebron is WAY more famous... If you leave the US, 95%+ of the sports fans you talk to would know Lebron and not know Saban.

Internationally, soccer rules all. I just got back from Mexico and it was hard to find CFB playoff games or even some NFL games on TV, we had to watch them in a sports bar or on our phones.. the only sport they taked about on TV was soccer usually, and if you pulled up anh website on their wifi, you got the Espaniol version which talked about Soccer instead of US sports... If they did mention US sports, it was PRO not college 99% of the time, even during the playoffs.

Saban is the most famous person in CFB, but probably 5th-10th overall most famous person in sports in the US, and not even top 100 internationally I bet.
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You're wrong! Are stated another way everyone in the US has heard of Saban probably LeBron, too, but Saban is just as well known.
 
This comes to mind re: the OP.


Charlie-with-Sarge.jpg
 
Freddie.B.Cocky said:
You're wrong! Are stated another way everyone in the US has heard of Saban probably LeBron, too, but Saban is just as well known.
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Your quote. My highlight. "Saban, he is certainly not the only popular athlete/coach in the world but I don't know of anyone that is more popular, maybe just as popular but not more popular."
 
Freddie.B.Cocky said:
I don't care if they have never heard of Alabama the state or not many would have heard of Saban. You could not watch sports anywhere and not hear of Saban at some point.
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No one will disagree with you about Saban's popularity in the United States. However, I do not think the people of Austria, India, Japan, South Africa, New Zealand and many other countries would know about Saban. The world would likely recognize Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi rather than Saban.
 
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FCB 2013 treble said:
No one will disagree with you about Saban's popularity in the United States. However, I do not think the people of Austria, India, Japan, South Africa, New Zealand and many other countries would know about Saban. The world would likely recognize Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi rather than Saban.
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No doubt about it. Hell, more people around the world would recognize Christian Pulisic than Nick Saban.
 
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