Who is most recognizable worldwide?

[luckyjimm]

I honestly could not recognise a single baseball / basketball / American football player in history. Michael Jordan? No idea. Tall muscular black guy I guess, but I can't put a face to him. Maybe if I googled him it'd look familiar, but I couldn't tell him from Magic Jordan (the other name I know). In fact with the exception of boxers and tennis players, the only American sportsmen I could recognise are OJ Simpson, Tiger Woods, Hulk Hogan, and - oh wait, a basketball player - Dennis Rodman because he was on the TV show Big Brother here in the UK, but I had no idea who he was at the start. These sports that are just big in the US don't mean [censored] to the rest of the world.

[wdogg40]

You have the wrong MJ,

[AJW]

Bush: known world wide
Beckham: known every where but the US and Canada and has some penetration there
Woods: Known any where that sports results are published, broadcast for major sporting events
The Pope: known to all Catholics and a proportion of non Catholics
Jordan: retired player of a minority sport
McCartney: stopped being culturally relevant thirty years ago

[Yads]

Jordan and Woods are way on the bottom of the list. With Woods probably being ahead of Jordan.

Beckham and Bush are at the top, then the pope, then McCartney

[thatpfunk]

people are grossly underestimating how well known Tiger is.

[KUJustin]

Aren't actual studies done on this?

I think Jordan, the US president, and Mickey Mouse always fared well. I'm remembering this from when I was 12.

[mahgeetah]

[ QUOTE ]
Magic Jordan (the other name I know).

[/ QUOTE ]

Magic Johnson...

i remember hearing a study like this once, too... and i'm pretty sure michael jordan was more recognizable than abraham lincoln

[TheNoodleMan]

[ QUOTE ]

Michael Schumacher - Everywhere else except US knows him


[/ QUOTE ]

I call BS. Schumacher isn't a household name in India, China, Africa.... I could go on and on. Yeah, he is huge in Europe but its not a global penetration at all.

[The Yugoslavian]

I'm pretty sure it's either Jordan or Bush at the top. If Bush wasn't completely worthless it'd be Jordan by a wiiiiiiiiiiiide margin.

Yugoslav

[jessicaalbiel]

Why are you putting Yao up there? Yeah there's a billion people in China, but I doubt the 600 million peasant farmers who have never looked at a tv or newspaper know who he is. And outside of the US basketball isn't even all that popular.