Whenever the question arises at a bar about who was the greatest athlete, I allow everyone to offer their opinions.
"Jim Thorpe."
He was a multi-talented competitor.
"Ali."
Ali was a great fighter.
Once the debate has lost steam I say, "Andre the Giant."
They argue that the Frenchman was only a wrestler, but Andre the Giant was a living legend.
I was lucky enough to shake Ali's hand on 5th Avenue back in 1978 and entered Studio 54 with Andre the Giant.
Both were memorable encounters, however I recently read on www.geekosystem.com that Andre the Giant was driven to school by Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett in the early 50s. The future wrestling legend was a huge twelve year-old. The author of WAITING FOR GODOT had a truck. It was the only vehicle in the village that could accommodate Andre, whose father had constructed Beckett's cottage in France.
Andre recalled that they spoke about Cricket.
In my eyes cricket is boring, but I've changed my mind, because Andre the Giant was never boring.
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