Einstein or Nah: 12 Sports Figures Who've Been Called Geniuses
While it takes a hell of a lot of skill and talent to become successful in sports, that doesn't mean that every sports figure is blessed with being labeled a genius, who is both an innovator in his or her sport and a person others hope to somehow become.
Whether it's a quarterback who studies an opponent and picks up on tendencies to exploit during a game or a head coach revolutionizing a sport with new schemes, the following people have all been labeled geniuses at some point, but are they really?
I tackled that question with supporting reasons, determining if these 12 sports figures are just really good at their job or are, in fact, worthy of being called a genius.
Peyton Manning
1 of 12
In the history of the NFL, most pundits, former/current players and coaches will agree that there might not be a more cerebral quarterback in the league than the Denver Broncos' Peyton Manning.
The former No. 1 overall pick isn't just a guy with a rocket arm who has broken nearly every major passing record in league history, but, for the majority of his career, he has been the operator of his offenses, establishing himself as the best at reading defenses and calling audibles to plays that his coaches give him free reign to do.
Manning might not have the athleticism of some of these new-age quarterbacks like Russell Wilson or Cam Newton, but his brain has helped him become, arguably, the best signal-caller ever.
Verdict: Genius
Scott Boras
2 of 12
Superagent Scott Boras might be disliked by plenty of owners around baseball, but his methods have worked wonders for his clients—and that's what matters in the grand scheme of things.
Best known for securing then-record contracts for players like Kevin Brown and Alex Rodriguez in the past, Boras continues to be the pink elephant in the room each and every Hot Stove season as his aura can be felt between team and player even if that athlete isn't a free agent that offseason.
An expert businessman, Boras' negotiating style is unorthodox, yet, with leverage in representing the top players in the league, he has the luxury of trying things other agents can't—which makes him an influencer and progressive but might not be genius worthy just yet.
Verdict: Not a genius
Nick Saban
3 of 12
More than just the five national titles in the past 12 seasons, Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban is a genius for one thing—getting top talent to come to Tuscaloosa, having them believe in what he's selling and, more than anything, sending those kids to the NFL more prepared than they could even imagine.
Sure, it'd be simple to just show a high school kid one of his national title rings and have Saban flash a smile while recruiting the player, but what's most compelling about the Bama coach is that he's so misunderstood.
His players adore the guy for what he does for them, and it's more than just the X's and O's that leads his teams to echo the same sentiments year after year.
In my opinion, Saban is the best college football coach ever, and some of that has to do with his ability to manage a team and win with great success, but a lot of it has to do with the way he can manage big-time egos and adapt to his players' strengths each season.
Verdict: Genius
.png?w=256)
Jim Delany
4 of 12
By recreating the landscape of the Big Ten Conference, commissioner Jim Delany has become, arguably, the most influential person in college sports.
One of the first to create a conference-specific TV network—as Delany did with the Big Ten Network—he also added Rutgers and Maryland to the conference and reshaped the traditional Midwestern schools into two divisions that stretch from Iowa and Illinois to upstate New York.
An innovator who always seems one step ahead, Delany's risks have paid off, and he has a conference that has helped guide the path for other ones around the country, and, for that, he's a genius.
Verdict: Genius
Phil Knight
5 of 12
Even as competition in athletic gear booms, Nike's Phil Knight has continued to be an innovator, keeping the Swoosh the most recognizable and powerful athletic brand on the planet.
It helps to have top stars like LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Kobe Bryant, among others before and current, as endorsers, but the fact that Knight has been able to grow the company to the level it is today by pure judgement is a testament to his genius.
Without Knight and Nike continuing to push limits in revolutionizing his entire industry, sports apparel wouldn't be what it is today—nor would sports sponsorships be as critical in the world of marketing.
Verdict: Genius
Billy Beane
6 of 12
There's a good chance that we've all either read the book or have seen the movie Moneyball, which tells the story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane and his new-age way of scouting baseball players.
And while his A's teams didn't perform well in 2015—struggling to a 68-94 record—ever since taking over his current role with the team in 1998, Beane's philosophies have worked wonders for the small-market team.
In a sport like baseball, where the biggest markets can spend the most dollars to compete, Beane and his Athletics have done the exact opposite, adding lesser salary and trusting in analytics and sabermetrics to evaluate what constitutes an ideal roster.
Beane has yet to win a World Series—and he may never win one—but his philosophy is enough of a mathematical equation that other teams are duplicating because it has proven to work.
Still, without a ring on his finger, he has yet to officially prove his method can lead to a championship.
Verdict: Not a genius
LeBron James
7 of 12
When an athlete is as hyped up by the age of 15 as LeBron James was, no one can ever predict how that player is going to turn out a decade and a half later.
In James' case, it has been iconic.
After breaking into the league in 2003, James has gone from phenom to ambassador, not only changing the way superstars are measured in terms of criticism and success but also the way a physical freak like him can play with such speed and strength.
Everything that James does is calculated, which is a testament to those he surrounds himself with as much as it is his natural instincts. With knowledge beyond his 31 years, James could write a freakin' book about public relations and how to represent oneself, as he's done throughout his NBA career.
Not only a Hall of Fame baller, the guy has shown to accept a role that's bigger than basketball, making him truly aware of everything that's going on in society and knowing how a person with his aura can affect others.
Verdict: Genius
Chip Kelly
8 of 12
When Chip Kelly was the head coach of the Oregon Ducks, his high-octane offenses were some of the most revolutionary the sport had ever seen, running plays at a lightning-quick pace that prohibited defenses from substituting or being able to react.
After moving on to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, Kelly stubbornly stayed with what he knew, having success in his first season by guiding Philly to the postseason and leaving many around the league wondering how to duplicate his fast-paced offense.
In a copycat league, everyone in the NFL wanted what Kelly knew, with other teams incorporating some aspect of his system into their own.
While Kelly's time in Philly ultimately ran out, he's respected enough that the San Francisco 49ers hired him just three weeks after his stint with the Eagles ended, proving that at least one team still finds him to be an offensive genius.
Verdict: Not a genius
Dana White
9 of 12
At first glance, Dana White may not appear to be your traditional genius—with the stocky frame and bald dome—but, rest assured, the guy is no dummy.
Building the UFC into the fastest-growing sport on the planet, White has more than doubled the revenue for the organization between 2007 and 2014, using a keen business acumen to take advantage of sponsorships and focusing on quality over strictly quantity.
While he's brash and outspoken, there's no denying that Dana White understands his product and what his audience likes, making him a genius for giving fans the content they desire, while also pissing off mainstream media.
Verdict: Genius
Bill Belichick
10 of 12
Like his former protege, the aforementioned Nick Saban, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is a master of deception, using it to his full advantage and doing things that might be looked at as unconventional by others.
The guy simply doesn't care what others think, though.
Whether it's strategically playing defense first after winning the coin toss at the start of an overtime game earlier this season, going for it on 4th-and-short in his own territory years ago in a game, taking a safety and relying on his defense to stop the opposing team or some other out-of-the-box scenario, Belichick will take risks other coaches wouldn't dare try.
It's easy to do that with four Super Bowl rings as head coach, but it's his system that has continued to develop and prove successful.
There's a reason why his Pats are constantly in contention for championships every year, and it's more than just having Tom Brady as his quarterback, and because Belichick is a mastermind at his job.
Verdict: Genius
Pete Carroll and John Schneider
11 of 12
Sure, the Seattle Seahawks failed in their attempt to get back to their third straight NFC title game this season, but, as All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman mentioned, the roster is still stockpiled with young talent that should compete for more titles in the upcoming years.
A lot of that credit is because of the team's general manager, John Schneider, who has not-so-quietly become the biggest draft guru over the past few years.
Whether it was taking a flier on quarterback Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft, or inserting a player like Sherman at cornerback who was overlooked until the fifth round in 2011 by Seattle, Schneider hasn't just found one or two diamonds in the rough, he nearly has an entire team of flashy players.
Blending his evaluating process with head coach Pete Carroll's unique philosophies has been both rare and successful, with the two developing a marriage that is better than nearly any other in sports right now.
Most teams get lucky and find Pro Bowlers by chance, but Schneider's genius comes from drafting, developing and trusting those players to buy into Seattle's system—and it has worked wonders in his time in the Great Northwest.
Verdict: Geniuses
Theo Epstein
12 of 12
No longer the boy wonder who helped build the Boston Red Sox team that won the 2004 World Series to end its 86-year championship drought, Theo Epstein is now the seasoned vet whose untraditional methods of piecing a team together has been proven over time.
Now with the Chicago Cubs as the team's president of baseball operations, Epstein's influence over the Cubbies' success in 2015 can't be overlooked, as he hired a manager in Joe Maddon whose personality is loose yet professional, to blend perfectly with a bunch of players who are young, talented and fit the profile of the analytics Epstein uses as evaluation.
There's a reason why Epstein gets paid $4 million per season—and it's not only because of his previous success, but also because he's done wonders in transforming the entire sport of baseball.
Verdict: Genius
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Ranking Best FAs Still Available")
.png?w=600 "2027 NFL Mock Draft 🔮")
.png?w=600 "Updated Bracket After OKC Sweep ✍️")