These days there is an acronym for everything; LOL, BOGO, FOMO, etc. In the world of sports, however, there is no other acronym used as often as “G.O.A.T.” We all know what it means, but do we all know where it comes from? It is said to have emerged in the 1960s when Muhammad Ali, who referred to himself as “The Greatest.,” which morphed into “The Greatest Of All Time.” The term was also popularized in the 1990s in the world of hip-hop, and used in 2000 when LL Cool J released an album with the title “G.O.A.T.”
Recently, there have been numerous discussions about who is the greatest, sparked primarily by the emergence of Caitlin Clark and her logo-three prowess. It seems as though a lot of goats have come out of the walls to voice their opinions. In fact, there are so many “G.O.A.T.’s” that the mountain on which they graze is getting pretty crowded.
made it official ✅ pic.twitter.com/CaSRvtxHJf
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) April 16, 2024
Of course, the term seems fairly limited to the sporting world. I suppose however that other fields have their G.O.A.T.s; physics, economics, literature, peace, medicine, and chemistry. Those folks don’t get a big fat multi-year contract, but rather a chunk of cash and a little bauble known as the Nobel Prize.
Origin of G.O.A.T. and its Biblical Beginnings
There was a time when the term “goat” meant something entirely different. Its roots are in the Bible as a matter of fact. In Leviticus, a goat was released into the wilderness, enduring all the sins of the community, which have been put on the goat’s head by a priest. To put it in other words, the “goat” was the original patsy who took the rap for everyone else screwing up.
In the film, “The Natural,” Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs, an aging rookie who comes out of nowhere to astound the baseball world. In one scene, Robert Duvall, playing a crusty sports writer and something of a cartoonist, draws a cartoon of Roy Hobbs, and it says “will he be a hero or a goat?” So apparently being a “goat” way back when wasn’t such an ideal title to merit. But thanks to Muhammad Ali and his glorious and well-deserved ego, he changed that for all time.
I’ve been thinking that rather than an MVP award, there should be an annual G.O.A.T. award. But then, one would think, “of all time?” How can that be? What about the person who won last year? Do they become the Ex-G.O.A.T, G.O.A.T. emeritus, or simply, the old goat? And what about rookies? Do we call them KOTY (Kid of the Year)?
The G.O.A.T Debate Goes On
Somewhere there is a solution for this tantalizing conundrum. In the meantime, the debate will go on and on, with all the G.O.A.T.s locking horns on a hillside in a never-ending battle for dominance of the herd.
You know how when you repeat a word over and over it starts to lose its significance or meaning? That seems to be what is happening to the word GOAT. Maybe it is time to replace it. After all, there’s a big animal kingdom out there. How about F.O.X.? Frightfully Overrated Xcess? Have at it.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of sports.
