Watching a world-class athlete is an odd experience. In many ways, it's bloody brilliant, but there is a tinge of regret to be felt also. Watching the greatest athletes ply their trade allows you to both comprehend their greatness and exquisitely understand your own limitations.
Some athletes are not satisifed with excelling at one sport, however. Some choose to conquer many frontiers. Here are eight such examples:
Michael Jordan
Despite the best efforts of LeBron James (these include a starring role in the sequel to Space Jam), Jordan's legacy as the finest basketballer of all time remains undisturbed. Jordan conquered the court with the Chicago Bulls, winning six NBA titles, and was voted MVP in these finals just as often. He also won Olympic gold twice with the USA.
Whereas James once declared he would "take his talents to South Beach" to fulfill his ambitions, Jordan took his to a different sport entirely. By 1993, Jordan had fallen out of love with basketball; disillusion culminating in a shock retirement. A year later he surprised supporters further by signing a Minor League Baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox.
The murder of his father in July 1993 was believed to be one of the main contributing factors to his falling out of love with basketball, and Jordan pursued baseball as it was his father's wish for Jordan to gain success with a bat. The White Sox shared an owner with the Chicago Bulls, meaning a return to Basketball remained a possibility. Jordan's numbers were respectable for a man who had just picked up a bat: hitting three home runs and stealing 30 bases.
In 1995, Jordan returned to the frontier he knew better: bringing an NBA finals defeat before a second 'three-peat' with the Bulls.
Paul O' Connell
In one of Irish sport's greatest acts of delayed gratification, O'Connell only began playing rugby at the age of 16. Before that, he excelled as a swimmer. His schedule was punishing: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6am to 8am before school, 6pm to 7pm every evening after school, 9am to 11am on Saturday and 8am to 10am every Sunday.
This tough and rather lonely life is believed to have played an integral role in sculpting O'Connell's character. It is quite a contrast: lonely mornings buried underwater versus the manic claustrophobia of a rugby maul. We are all glad ultimately chose the latter.
His golf game is also rather good: he's not far from playing off scratch.
Sonny Bill Williams
Rugby players are bred differently in New Zealand, but few are bestowed with the multiple gifts of Sonny Bill Williams. Williams began playing Rugby League, winning the 2004 NRL Premiership with the Bulldogs before switching codes to play for Toulon of France in 2008. Here he remained until 2010, linking up with Crusaders in order to have a chance to win the Rugby World Cup with New Zealand. He did not once but twice in 2011 and 2015): one of just 20 men to have won the Rugby World Cup twice.
In between those years, he played Rugby League with the Roosters (winning the NRL Premiership and the World Club Challenge) and became a heavyweight boxer, winning all seven of his fights.
Few sportspeople have as many gifts as Williams; fewer still interchange them so easily and successfully.
Kevin Moran
Moran holds the record as being the first man to be sent off in an FA Cup final. The fact that he was there to collect this unfortunate record is a testament to his talents: Moran won two All-Irelands with Dublin (1976; 1977) before changing codes to join Manchester United. Moran made more than 200 appearances for United, twice winning the FA Cup.
He also played for Ireland at Euro 88 and Italia 90, with injury denying him a place at USA '94 in the twilight of his career.
The only man to win two All-Irelands and two FA Cups: now that's a better record to hold.
Brian Murphy
Cork, in particular, have been graced with a number of fine dual stars, but none have been as successful as Murphy. Murphy played both football and hurling for Cork in the 1970s and early 1980s. He is statistically the most successful dual star in the history of the GAA: he is the only man to have won All-Ireland medals in both hurling and football at minor, U-21 and senior level.
In addition to all of that, he also won the Railway Cup (back when it mattered) in both codes and has picked up four All-Stars, two in each code.
Katie Taylor
Before Taylor had her reputation as the best female boxer in the world consolidated and reflected in Olympic gold, she played soccer with some distinction for Ireland. Taylor represented the Irish Under-17s at the age of just 14, and was 15 when she made her first appearance for the Under-19s.
Taylor spent three years with the seniors - from 2006 to 2009 - in which she played eleven times, scoring twice. She quit in 2009 to focus on boxing, which was a pretty good decision.
Henrik Larsson
Larsson is a throwback to an era in which the main Swedish striker was inherently humble - we're looking at you, Zlatan - but was no less brilliant: a mind-boggling 174 goals in 221 games for Celtic portended an eventual move to Barcelona, for whom he was highly influential in winning the 2006 Champions League final in 2006.
As Larsson conquered football, he also played a game called 'floorball', a game played in Scandanavia and Eastern Europe. It is a kind of hockey played indoors with plastic sticks and a plastic ball. The game originates from Sweden, where it was first played in the 1970s. There are professional leagues in Finland and Sweden.
Larsson has played competitively since 1989. A kind Youtube user has captured him in action:
Jim Thorpe
We have thus far omitted any Olympic pentathletes and decathletes from this list for obvious reasons, but Thorpe has to be included. Thorpe won Olympic gold for the USA in 1912 as both a pentathlete and decathlete. Thorpe then played baseball with the New York Giants and the Chicago White Sox. While playing with the White Sox, Thorpe also played pro football with the Canton Bulldogs. In 1920, the Bulldogs were one of 14 teams that formed the American Professional Football Association (which would later become the NFL).
Thorpe played for the Bulldogs and was also nominated as the league's first president, a role now better known as the NFL Commissioner. Thorpe also spent some time coaching the Bulldogs. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
To complete the set, Thorpe also played professional basketball.
Oh, and in 1912, Thorpe also won the inter-collegiate ballroom dancing championship.
Watch Dublin GAA star Michael Dara Macauley go head-to-head with Leinster and Ireland rugby player Jordi Murphy at Skill Zone, Dublin's first multi sport indoor circuit. Watch how they got on:
For more information go to www.SkillZone.ie
