I remember “the good ole days” when a goat was simply that — an animal, one of God’s creations.
I can recall the first time I heard a human referred to as a goat. It occurred during a sports talk show on the radio. I actually thought that the person who called someone a goat was going to get in serious trouble for disrespecting another human being.
I finally realized they were referring to the acronym “G.O.A.T.” for “Greatest Of All Time.” That is how naïve I was.
The recently concluded women’s NCAA basketball season and tournament has brought a renewed focus on “G.O.A.T.,” as it relates to Caitlin Clark, a basketball star for the University of Iowa who set the record this year for most points ever scored by a college basketball player.
Iowa lost in the national championship last week to my South Carolina Gamecocks, who also have had players in the past who could make a claim for G.O.A.T. status. Dawn Staley, the South Carolina coach, paid tribute to Clark for her contributions to women’s basketball during her postgame comments and even referred to her as a G.O.A.T.
Wilkey
But is she? Is anyone for that matter? Maybe, but only if you qualify a specific category such as women’s basketball player and even then, it is impossible.
Think of all people you have heard of who have been referred to as a G.O.A.T. — Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes (football), Michael Jordan, Labron James, Kobe Bryant (basketball), and the lists go on for all sports.
Who I might consider the greatest baseball player of all time will differ greatly with a 25-year-old today. My answer would be players like Willie Mays and Hank Aaron and pitchers like Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson or Sandy Koufax. Today’s generation would have a list totally different from mine.
That is why it is so hard to define who is the greatest person in any area of life — sports, business, singers, actors, etc. The list is endless. It is a matter of individual perspective and choice and it depends on the era in which you live. The bottom line is that only one person can ultimately be the greatest.
Take Clark for instance. She is certainly one of the all-time great women basketball players of this era, but there are many people who do not like her for whatever reason and discount what she has done. She broke a record set by Pete Maravich in the 1970s and people said you can’t compare the two because he did not play with a three-point line or shot clock (which is true). But, you can’t discount what Caitlin Clark has done. She is an excellent basketball player. But some comments about her on X (formerly Twitter) after the national championship game were vitriolic. That is sad and unfair.
To debate the issue on who is the greatest in any walk of life is senseless and a waste of time.
Only one person who has ever walked this earth deserves to be called the “G.O.A.T.” and that is Jesus Christ, the son of God who knew no sin. Jesus transcends time. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
Jesus gave His life so that sinners (and that includes everyone) can have eternal life if we confess our sins, repent and trust in Him for salvation. No one else even comes close.
So, unless you are referring to Jesus Christ, stop using the words “greatest or G.O.A.T.” The world has had a lot of great people in its history and will continue to have more, but only Jesus can be described as the greatest. B&R
