Yes, but......

If we look at those athletic endeavors which involve man against a clock, or man against a previous record, I think it's safe to say that today's athletes (as is everyone, generally) are bigger, stronger, and faster.

Could the lighter weight football players of years ago, for example, compete against today's behemoths?

How about the slower and smaller basketball players?

I think if you could somehow take the Babe Ruth of 1920-1930, and plunk him down in 2005, he'd be way too fat and slow to play today's modern game.

But if you took today's Barry Bonds and put him on the 1927 Yankees, there's no telling what he would have done.

He possibly would have been the fastest and strongest player in the game, and with the small stadiums and not having to worry about catching up with 95 MPH fastballs, who knows?

But it's a specious argument.

If Ruth were born in 1975 and playing today, I'm sure he still would have been one of the best ever.

And if Bonds were born 1n 1900 and playing in 1927, he would have been great, too, maybe even the best player in baseball, but I don't think he would have been hitting .400 with 100 homers a year like the present day Bonds might if you could transport him back into time.