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It’s a bit surprising Paddy Power is even offering odds on “The Greatest Irish Sportsperson Ever” poll sponsored by RTÉ One. The Irish television network will be counting down the top 10 on Christmas Day, with results determined by popular vote. While not surprising that the Paddy would be offering a prop bet on this ultra-local event, the shock comes with the table of favorites. I mean, surely this is a two-man race at most, innit?

The Best in action

It’s tempting to go so far as to call it a one-man show, as this thing has clearly got to be considered George Best’s contest to win. Going off at just 5/2, how can Best lose? Look, he’s the single greatest Irishman ever to play the world’s (and probably even Ireland’s) favorite sport. Sure, Best never managed to get his North Ireland teams into the World Cup qualification round, but come on! The man played for Manchester United (including for the European Cup champion side of 1968) and the North American Soccer League, which means … something.

In addition, Best has been named to numerous “best of” (so to speak) lists – among many accolades in this area, he bagged the 11th spot in the IFFHS European Player of the Century poll in 1999. He’s even got a local saying about his legend: “Maradona good, Pelé better, George Best.”

So who can stand in the way of the Best one? Perhaps no man or woman could, but time and memory are the only factors that could overcome the football hero.

Representing the “What Have You Done for Me Lately?” contingent so deafening in modern sports fandom today is Padraig Harrington at 5/1. For those who think everything in the sportsworld started yesterday, Harrington’s your man as the most dominant Irish athlete out there, particularly in the past few years.

Since joining the European Golf Tour in 1996, Harrington has emerged as one of the few golfers who might be mentioned in the same breath as Tiger Woods. This Irishman has now racked up 19 professional tour wins, including the Open Championship in 2007 and 2008, plus the PGA Championship itself in 2008. Add this to player-of-the-year awards based on the European Tour (2006), the PGA (2007, 2008), and the PGA Tour (2008), and you’ve got one great Irish athlete. But no George Best.

For the older set, there’s Christy Ring (7/1 at Paddy Power), who competed for over a quarter-century in the oh-so-Irish sport of curling. Without knowing a damn thing about the game, one can still admire his standing record of 64 appearances in championship games – and Ring retired in 1967!

Which, of course, is the problem. Anyone under 45 is utterly incapable of recalling the man’s play and since Ring died in 1979, he probably has the same resonance among Irish youth as a Babe Ruth does in America: An iconic figure to be sure, but that was a different time…

Figure Ring to dominate among the sport-loving senior-citizen set, but to finish no higher than fifth or so in the poll.

Distance runner Sonia O’Sullivan is near the top of Paddy’s table as well at 8/1, blowing away most other ladies here. O’Sullivan has the benefit of recent history as a dominant force as late as 2007 at World Athletics Championships and Olympic Games.

Sounds good, but, um, Ms. O’Sullivan is, well, a woman, and let’s face it: Women fare poorly in such contests.

It’s Best in a walk on this one. Surely. (Oh, all right, throw a few pounds at Harrington if you *must* hedge, but that could very well be good money after bad…)