Marks of Greatness

A hundred years ago, no one thought a mile could be run in under four minutes. And then part-time runner Roger Bannister changed all that.

Fifty years ago, no one thought a player could hit 755 home runs. And then full-time slugger Hank Aaron changed all that.

So what about the new century? What about Dan Marino’s 420 touchdown passes and 61,000 yards passing or Mark McGwire’s 70 home runs in one season? Can anybody ever match Oscar Robertson’s feat of averaging a triple-double for an NBA season or Wayne Gretzky’s 92 goals?

Who knows what the next generation of athletes can achieve?

Perhaps the most remarkable sports achievements of the 20th century were in track and field, first with Bannister’s 3:59.4 in the mile and then with Bob Beamon’s 29-foot, 2 1/2-inch long jump. Both broke barriers believed unreachable, and both records were later broken.

In 1935, Jesse Owens set a world record at 26 feet, 8 1/4 inches for the long jump. In the next 33 years, the record progressed just 8 1/2 inches. Then, in one incredible jump at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Beamon increased that record by 21 3/4 inches.

Beamon’s record lasted 23 years until Mike Powell pushed the mark to 29-4 1/2, where it has remained since 1991. Beamon said the setting often determines the distance.

“The world record was broken but the Olympic record still stands,” said Beamon, now working at Florida Atlantic University. “The circumstances in world championships are less tense than in Olympic competition.

“In normal competition, 30 feet or more is approachable. I think somebody will jump that. In Olympics, it’s a different story. Right now, it’s a record that stands past the year 2000. It’s difficult to say how far is possible. Maybe 31 feet. I don’t know. But I do know there’s more involved than the physical part.”

Bannister’s record lasted just 46 days in 1954 before it was shattered by John Landy’s 3:58. Now, the 4-minute mile is routine with the barrier lowered to Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13

How low can it go?

“I never give an absolute,” Bannister said from his home in Oxford, England. “If you can find someone to run 3:43, you’ll find someone who’ll do 3:42. It will get more difficult at 3 1/2 minutes for physiological reasons. Unless you get some great mutation, the size of lungs and heart will limit you. You are limited by the makeup of the human body.”

Improved facilities are a factor, too.

“In the last century, there was a five-second jump with new tracks much faster than the ordinary cinder we ran on,” Bannister said.

John Lucas, professor emeritus in the department of kinesiology and sports history at Penn State, agrees with Bannister and Beamon that new marks will continue to be set -- for a while.

“With better nutrition and sophisticated training, records can be broken at smaller incremental levels,” he said. “But not forever. It’s an educated guess but having seen records broken and why they are broken, I think by the middle of the 21st century 3:35 is possible for the mile.

“The long jump has been stalled for six or seven years. That doesn’t mean we’re near the maximum. We have come to a troth at the moment. By 2020 an athlete like Beamon with a scientific coach and strength training will jump 32 feet.”

When Aaron hit his first home run in 1954, Babe Ruth was the ultimate baseball slugger with standards for a single season (60) and a career (714).

Roger Maris broke Ruth’s single season mark with 61 in 1961 and now the record is McGwire’s astounding 70.

“I amaze myself and I’m in awe that I did what I did,” McGwire said. “Everybody thought getting to 60 or 61 would be a feat.”

He pushed the single season record 10 past that and followed his 70-homer season with 65 last year. When manager Tony La Russa talked about 75, McGwire winced.

Aaron believes Ken Griffey Jr. has the best chance at cracking 755. After hitting 48 last season, he has 398 for his career at age 30.

“If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he can break it.” Aaron said. “The only thing that can get in the way is if he gets hurt or gets complacent. That’s the worst thing than can happen. You start thinking you’re better than you are.”

In 1961-62, his second year in the NBA, Oscar Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 11.4 assists and 12.5 rebounds a game, the only time in history a player has averaged a triple double.

Can it happen again?

“Any record can be broken, but it will be difficult to do,” Robertson said. “What you have to ask is whether guys put in that much time on the court. Do they have the stamina? Do they attack the basket?

“I thought Michael Jordan might have done it, but he was more of a shooter than I was. Today, it’s easier to get an assist. Now, if a guy makes a pass and the other guy scores, it’s an assist. I had to make a play to get one.

“If a guy is a good scorer, they should get doubles -- scoring and assists -- all the time. Rebounds take a little more effort.”

No one is prouder of his records than quarterback Dan Marino, who has thrown for more yards (61,243) and more touchdowns (420) than any quarterback in NFL history.

“The records show I’ve been consistent over time,” he said. “The one that means the most to me is the touchdown record since that is directly related to producing points.

“It takes a lot of factors to set those records -- good health, productivity and outstanding teammates. But there are a few quarterbacks playing now like (Brett) Favre, (Drew) Bledsoe, and (Peyton) Manning who can challenge my marks if they stay healthy a long time.”

Some of Wayne Gretzky’s 61 NHL records might never be challenged. When he was inducted into the Hall of Fame just months after he retired, Gretzky was asked about his approach to his sport.

“I felt like I’d never done enough,” he said. “If I had three goals, I wanted five goals. If I had seven points, I wanted to get the eighth point. I kept going every night, played 80 games every year as hard as I could, whether it was October 1 or April 1.

“Maybe that’s why I was able to have the records that I did eventually get.”

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Major Records, Major Sports

BASEBALL

Home Runs, Career: Hank Aaron, 755

Home Runs, Season: Mark McGwire, 70

Batting Average, Career: Ty Cobb, .367

Batting Average, Season: Rogers Hornsby, .424

RBIs, Career: Hank Aaron, 2,297

RBIs, Season: Hack Wilson, 191

Wins, Career: Cy Young, 511

Wins, Season: Jack Chesbro, 41

***

FOOTBALL

Yards Rushing, Career: Walter Payton, 16,726

Yards Rushing, Season: Eric Dickerson, 2,105

Yards Passing, Career: Dan Marino, 61,243

Yards Passing, Season: Dan Marino, 5,084

Yards Receiving, Career: Jerry Rice, 18,299

Yards Receiving, Season: Jerry Rice, 1,848

***

BASKETBALL

Points, Career: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 38,387

Points, Season: Wilt Chamberlain, 4,029

Points Game: Wilt Chamberlain, 100

Rebounds, Career: Wilt Chamberlain, 29,934

Rebounds, Season: Wilt Chamberlain, 2,149

Rebounds, Game: Wilt Chamberlain, 55

***

HOCKEY

Goals, Career: Wayne Gretzky, 894

Goals, Season: Wayne Gretzky, 92

Goals, Game: Joe Malone, 7

Assists, Career: Wayne Gretzky, 1,963

Assists, Season: Wayne Gretzky, 163

Assists, Game: Billy Taylor, Wayne Gretzky, 7