Wherever there’s talk of sports, sparks are sure to fly whenever the topic turns to “the best ever” in any given sport or competitive event. Such arguments mostly focus on cold, hard statistics. But intangibles—heart, character, an ability to deliver in the clutch and overall impact—must factor into any serious discussion. Here, we’ve prepared our list of all-time game-changers. Your own list may be different but we stand by our picks and challenge you to agree, disagree, argue and add to the list. Let the games begin!

BABE RUTH

Sure, other baseball players have hit more home runs in a single season or career. But only two—Roger Maris in the former category and Hank Aaron in the latter—can lay legitimate claim to besting either of “The Bambino’s” most famous milestones. But Ruth, who once held a mind-numbing 56 major league records (without the aid of steroids!), impacted the sport in three ways: He made the exciting home run a much more frequent part of the game; (2) his popularity saved baseball from folding after the infamous “Black Sox” scandal of the 1919 season and (3) his on-field feats and iconic status turned a simple tourist venue, Yankee Stadium, “The House That Ruth Built”, into the famed mecca of baseball. Born in 1895 and reaching the majors with the Red Sox in 1914, Ruth was a standout left-handed pitcher who won 23 games with a league-leading 1.75 ERA in just his second full season. That was before he became a full-time hitter. Behind his pitching, the Red Sox won the World Series in 1916 and 1918. Then, in 1919, the previously title-less Yankees purchased Babe’s contract and rode his bat to seven pennants and four Series wins, while the Sox waited 86 years for their next Series victory. Can you say “impact player?”

Jesse Owens leaps forward from the starting line of the 100 meter dash at the Olympiastradion in Berlin, Germany on August 2, 1936.

JESSE OWENS

The grandson of a slave, Jesse Owens was a track prodigy from the moment he first ran a race. Born in 1913, he began setting records early. As a senior in high school, Jesse set a broad jump world record and tied the 100-yard dash world record the next week. Representing Ohio State at the Big 10 Championships in 1935, he performed the all-but-unimaginable feat of setting three world records and tying a fourth, all within 45 minutes. This came in spite of severe back pain resulting from a fall down the stairs. If he had done nothing else, Jesse’s place in athletic history would have been secure, but he saved his most historic effort for the 1936 Olympics in Adolf Hitler’s Berlin. Demolishing the Nazi belief that German "Aryan" people were the dominant race, Jesse was the first American track and field athlete ever to win four gold medals at a single Olympics. And he did it in the Fuhrer’s face, striking a resounding blow for freedom and equality, not just in Germany but in Jesse’s own racially troubled nation as well. Through it all, he was the epitome of class and spent his post-competitive days helping underprivileged youth.  A true champion and role model, any way you measure it.

 Arnold Palmer's swing

ARNOLD PALMER

Yes, we’ve chosen Arnold Palmer over Jack and Tiger, each of whom has won more majors than “The King.” But when it comes to overall influence, major championships tell only part of the story. For Arnie, born in 1929, an even greater factor was his serendipitous arrival on the national golf stage at the same time another fledgling entity was taking its first tentative steps toward television. Throughout the ‘60s, as Arnold was winning six of his seven majors and 43 of his total 62 PGA tour victories, television showcased his charisma, likability and daring style of play to the masses, attracting ever-larger galleries of fans, eventually dubbed “Arnie’s Army.” The first golfer ever to win $1 million in his career, Arnie and his friend and manager Mark McCormack also pioneered the sports marketing industry, which paved the way for Tiger and many others to make some seriously large cash decades later. Outside the ropes, Arnie and his company have designed more than 300 golf courses worldwide and he helped secure $80 million to launch the Golf Channel in 1995. In keeping with Arnie’s big-hearted character, the world-class Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando opened in 1989. On the course or off, Arnold’s still “The King.”

Lance Armstrong celebrates as he wins stage 17 of the Tour de France on July 22, 2004.

LANCE ARMSTRONG

Lance Armstrong shouldn’t even be alive. Diagnosed with testicular cancer that had metastasized to his brain and lungs in 1996, the then 25-year-old Texas native endured brain and testicular surgery, along with intensive chemotherapy, to overcome his doctor’s grim prognosis of a 40 percent chance of survival. Not content to simply survive, Lance—already a rising cycling superstar—literally jumped back into the saddle after his recovery and resumed his quest to be the best cyclist in the world. He left no doubt that he had achieved that goal when he won the Tour de France in 1999-2005, becoming the only person ever to win the grueling 21-day event seven times. Lance’s success on the world cycling stage led to an explosion of interest in the sport in the U.S. Along the way, he also launched the Lance Armstrong Foundation and a worldwide craze for yellow LiveStrong wristbands. Selling for $1 each, more than 80 million of the wristbands have been purchased thus far and, in combination with countless fundraising races, clothing sales and other LiveStrong events, have made good on Lance’s commitment to “improve the lives of people affected by cancer.” Lance Armstrong is, without question, the most influential cyclist in history.