The 10 Coolest People in Sports History

As fans we often idolize our favorite players and try to model our mannerisms after them. When I was a kid, I adjusted my batting gloves eight times before every pitch because that was what Nomar Garciaparra did. We seek out the coolest players we can find and imitate them because, let's face it, we want to be cool, too.

"Cool" is a very arbitrary trait to apply to someone, so we need a way to quantify "cool." I propose a three-variable structure to give us a final numeric total. Each category will receive a 1-10 ranking, 1 being the lowest and 10 being the "coolest."

First, we'll look at the athlete's on-field accomplishments because you can't be that cool if you don't win big games. Second, we'll look at the off-field stuff. Criminal records are not cool, but being in movies, helping out charities and dating a celebrity are pretty cool things. Finally, we'll give them a "relatability" score. This final score will let us know if the athlete would be cool to pal around with.  

Adding all these these numbers together will give us their overall score and in turn will rank them as the ten coolest athletes of all time.

10. Bruce Lee

On-field: 9. More so than any other athlete on this list, Bruce Lee turned his athletic success into off-field accomplishments. His athletic abilities are actually somewhat overshadowed by his work in film. Lee is widely considered one of the greatest martial artists in history and has numerous championships to prove it.

Off-field: 7. Bruce Lee shines in his off-field endeavors. He is credited with changing the perception of Asian-Americans in films. He appeared in seven films, numerous television showsm and is portrayed in five video games. Time Magazine also listed him as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Relatability: 3. Lee's relatability falters somewhat because of two major issues, one being communication. A language barrier would likely limit any conversation between Lee and an English speaker. The other is the straight fact that I would be on edge the entire time, nervous that one wrong word or move would grant me a trip to the hospital courtesy of a roundhouse kick.

Overall Score: 19

9. Allen Iverson

On-field: 8. Almost no one had as cool of a game as Allen Iverson. Whether it was the cross-over, the reckless drives to the hoop, or the shooting sleeve, everything about him exuded cool. A.I. was an 11-time NBA All-star and won the league's MVP award in 2001. That same season he almost single-handedly led his team to an NBA Finals upset over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Off-field: 6. For everything Iverson had going for him on the court, he had a lot of struggles off of it. He feuded with coaches and teammates and now finds himself out of the league he once dominated, presumably with some tread left on the tires. He has had run-ins with the law numerous times in his career, which is certainly to his reputation's detriment.

Relatability: 5. Iverson is still a really cool player in my book. Hanging out with him would certainly be an experience. You would have to be careful where you went and who you met up with, as he has had troubles at places like bars and casinos in the past. Still, imagine getting to play a pick-up game at the park with the Answer.

Overall Score: 19

8. Apolo Anton Ohno

On-field: 7. Apolo Anton Ohno burst onto the scene during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He quickly won over Americans by earning a gold medal in the 1500-meter speed skating event. Over the next eight years, Ohno would solidify his place in Olympic lore by becoming America's most decorated Winter Olympic athlete of all time. His three medals in 2010 in Vancouver gave him eight total, including two golds.  

Off-field: 7. Ohno has been cool since he showed up in Salt Lake City ten years ago. Whether it was his flashy racing style or the iconic bandana under his long hair, Americans identified with Ohno immediately. Ohno won the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars, and he has partnered with numerous charities and foundations to help the youths of America.  

Relatability: 6. Ohno has shown a tendency to not get along well with teammates, famously feuding with the Olympic Committee over certain sponsorships that were taken on by the skating team. However, he still seems like a really cool guy to hang out with and definitely has a lot of stories to tell.

Overall Score: 20

7. Julius Erving

On-field: 8. Julius Erving had the skills to back up his reputation as one of the greatest basketball players ever. He earned his spot in the Hall of Fame on the strength of 16 combined All-star appearances in the ABA and NBA as well as three combined championships. Erving finished his career averaging over 24 points per game. He is also widely considered to be one of the greatest dunkers in basketball history.  

Off-field: 7. Erving does score some bonus points here for having one the coolest nicknames in sports history: Dr. J. Furthermore, he made the act of dunking cool in the '70s and '80s. He has also been immortalized by numerous songs and tribute videos. In fact, some current players even pay homage to his dunks in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Relatability: 5. The "Good Doctor" was actually far from good. Erving fathered two children in adulterous relationships, and in 1999 it became public news that one of those children was none other than tennis star Alexandra Stevenson. Erving was not a part of her life at all until way too late. He also had another serious affair that led to his divorce and subsequent marrying of the mistress in 2008. While Dr. J would be a cool guy to hang out with, I'm not sure I would advise going on a date with him.   

Overall Score: 20

6. Joe Namath

On-field: 6. Joe Namath may be the only athlete on this list whose on-field play is a detriment to their cool ranking. Despite the Hall of Fame recognition and the one Super Bowl ring, Namath was only a slightly above-average player. A notorious gunslinger, Namath threw 47 more interceptions than touchdowns in his career.  

Off-field: 8. Namath more than made up for his lackluster on-field play with his off-field actions. Namath earned the nickname "Broadway Joe" thanks to his personality and activities outside of football. No stranger to television, Namath appeared in everything from The Brady Bunch to The A-Team. Namath was also infamous for his television commercial with the lovely Farrah Faucet. 

Relatability: 6. Namath also scores pretty high here. My favorite story is when he retired from the NFL because they wouldn't let him own a bar. The NFL was so desperate to get Namath back on television that they gave in and allowed him to open and own bars. You have to want to hangout with a guy who takes owning a bar that seriously.

Overall Score: 20

5. Serena Williams

On-field: 8. Serena Williams may be the most dominant individual athlete on this list. From 2002 to 2010, Williams won at least one Grand Slam event in seven of the nine years. She has 13 total Grand Slam titles in 17 finals appearances. In four separate years, Williams won multiple titles. She also boasts two Olympic gold medals in doubles from 2000 and 2008.

Off-field: 7. Williams has become something of a pop culture icon in her career. She has her own lines of fashion and accessories and has an upcoming hip-hop album release. She has made numerous appearances in television shows and twice posed for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue. Wiliams does a lot of work with charities as well, focusing on breast cancer awareness and at-risk youths.

Relatability: 6. Serena Williams can be particularly fiery on the court, which could be something to watch out for in her personal life. However, in her off-court life she has always seemed quite amiable and decent to hang out with.

Overall Score: 21

4. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh

On-field: 9. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh form the most dominant duo in beach volleyball history. The beach volleyball world changed in 2004 when these two took center stage in Athens and won Olympic gold. They won another gold in 2008 in Beijing and will look to earn a third this summer in London. They also have three World Championship golds.

Off-field: 8. May-Treanor is very prominent in the public eye, having competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2008 and being married to baseball player Matt Treanor. Walsh has had a guest appearance on CSI: Miami and hosts a weekly radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio. The two are also major players in charities, like the Lenovo Hope Fund and the Chase the Stars Foundation, and were also opponents of Shaquille O'Neal on the show Shaq vs. 

Relatability: 5. The dominant pairing of May-Treanor and Walsh takes a hit here. They are both extremely devoted to their sport and their families. Walsh, in particular, has two children and probably doesn't have a whole lot of free time for others. However, the two do play one of the coolest sports there is, so they get some points for that.

Overall Score: 22

3. Tom Brady

On-field: 9. Tom Brady has to get near the highest possible score for his on-field accomplishments. Since his rookie season, the Patriots have been Super Bowl contenders almost every season under his leadership. His three Super Bowl rings and records, like 50 TD passes in a single season, speak for themselves. 

Off-field: 7. Brady's life off of the gridiron has been a series of ups and downs since he entered the league. He did father a child out of wedlock, which hurts his reputation, and he's had some less-than-flattering photos taken of him in recent years. However he has the supermodel wife and the mansion in California. He also has made superb appearances on Saturday Night Live and Entourage. 

Relatability: 6. Here is where things get shaky for Brady. He definitely has likable characteristics, but there are also things about him that may make you think twice before taking a road trip with him. He has been shown to be demonstrative toward teammates on the field, and he can take things very seriously. He also has been displayed by some journalists as being spoiled and living a pampered life, which is not very cool.

Overall Score: 22

2. Ray Allen

On-field: 7. Ray Allen is the best in NBA history at hitting the game's coolest shot. He is as silky smooth as a three-point shooter can get. The ten-time All-star holds an NBA Championship as well as an Olympic gold medal. His pure stroke is enough to push him onto this list. However, his game does have some limitations that limit his score in this category. 

Off-field: 10.  Off of the hard wood, you will be hard-pressed to find an athlete cooler than Ray Allen. His starring role in the Spike Lee film He Got Game opposite Denzel Washington alone earns him top points in this category. That is not all he brings to the table, though. On top of co-starring in another film, Harvard Man, Allen is very involved in charitable endeavors and created the "Ray of Hope" foundation. In 2003, he was given the NBA's Sportsmanship Award for serving as a spokesman for numerous NBA charities. 

Relatability: 6. This is where Allen falls off a cliff. He is an obsessive man to a fault sometimes and it shows in his shooting rituals. He holds people to a higher standard than most, and that can be a pain when hanging out with people. Ray Allen is also a devoted family man who does almost nothing besides work and be with his family. While admirable, those are not traits you look for in a cool buddy. 

Overall Score: 23

1. Tony Hawk

On-field 9: Tony Hawk made the sport of skateboarding what it is today, and he didn't just stop there. Without Hawk, none of the extreme sports we see and participate in today would have come to fruition. The Birdman has record 14 X Games medals, including nine golds. He also, of course, was the first skater to ever land a 900.

Off-field 10: Hawk has also thrived out of the skate park. Whether it be Jackass or Rocket Power, Hawk made his mark on pop culture through television and film. And, of course, there is the video game empire that was spawned on his image. 16 total games have been created under the Tony Hawk Pro Skater lineage. 

Relatability 6: Hawk has had his struggles in his personal life as well which would detract from his likeability here. He has been married and divorced three times. However, Hawk is very involved in charity, donating more than three million dollars from the Tony Hawk Foundation to build skate parks for under-privileged kids.

Overall Score: 25