For quite some time, I've been thinking about writing a book, but I'm having a hard time getting started... I actually didn't have a clue what to write about or even what kind of book I wanted to write.

I've recently decided that I am going to look into writing about the most dominant athlete ever in the four major sports. I'm not planning on being published or anything like that at this point... for now it would just be something to keep me busy in my spare time.

Anyway, the problem is... I know very little about football and basketball. I don't intend to write about just two sports, so I could use some help with opinions/research. Let me know if you'd be interested in helping out.

This is just an idea, I haven't started anything yet.

if you do well, I will pay you to kill Dan Lebetard in the press box somewhere.

throw in mike lupica and i'll triple the amount.

as for dominance, for basketball it almost has to be wilt chamberlain. i mean, he scored a hundred points in one game and averaged 50 over an entire season. for football, the only thing i'd say is it would make sense to have it be a defensive player. i have no idea who, maybe lawrence taylor or someone like that. linebackers or defensive ends are the most typically dominating.

throw in j.a adande and bill plashke and i'll forever be in your debt

Here's my basic plan... narrow each league down to ten or so players... spend a few pages discussing their stats, compare them to the rest of the league and era, pick one from each sport. I don't know HOW I could compare between sports, but that will come in time...

you'd have to have some kind of a metric that ascribed win amounts to players, then adjust after that. or something along those lines.

for research, just look at the halls of fame of the sports and search the top twenty or so guys.

I just don't know enough about football or basketball to understand stats and the importance of certain stats.

heh, nobody really does. basketball is pretty easy. i mean, points, rebounds and assists give you a lot of info on offensive value. if a player has two good categories on offense and made a few all-defensive teams it's pretty safe to say they were dominating.

or you could just say wilt, bill russell, michael jordan, oscar robertson, bird, magic, shaq, abdul-jabbar, elvin hayes, george mikan, pete maravich, elgin baylor and maybe a few others.

use jerry rice. he's the only undisputably best player ever at his possition in football. there's no clear cut "best" anything in football, except for jerry rice. not only that, but he is one of the greatest players ever, he would be a perfect choice.

Jim Brown.

Just write an entire book about Gretzky. We both know that would sell like hot cakes in Canada, even if there have been an ungodly number of books already devoted to him.