Its listing of the greatest sports athletes of the century granted ESPN another superb chance to snub soccer, which the network finished in glorious fashion.

Technically, ESPN covered itself by declaring that only North American athletes were eligible. And it’s true that of the top 50, only tennis star Martina Navratilova is foreign-born, and the native of Czechoslovakia is a naturalized U.S. citizen. A damn good player, too.

While listening to a local San Francisco sports talk radio station, KNBR, which also carries ESPN Radio programming, I heard several callers mention Pele during discussions of the ESPN listings.

While pointing out the North American bias, none of the announcers mentioned Pele’s feats in the NASL. Well, here’s a refresher.

For a few years, at least, the NASL and the Cosmos were big-time, in the U.S. as well as around the world, but I guess that doesn’t count.

He turned New York on its ear, and jolted America out of its soccer coma. He changed America irrevocably as well as the world.

In a poll of Olympic sports federations asked to pick their favorite athlete, the winner was Pele รน despite the fact he never played in an Olympic match or tournament. He transcended national and cultural boundaries as no man has ever done.

While growing up, I idolized the gods of baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. Willie Mays was the first athlete I fell in love with. I admire Michael Jordan, and I heartily concur that Babe Ruth is a legend. I’m not going to make a case for Hugo Sanchez, although being a native of Mexico, he’s North American-friendly.

But for the worldwide leader in sports to ignore the most famous player in the world’s most popular sport and a name familiar even to Americans is a terrible injustice. Yet I’m not surprised in the least.

Martina got in on a technicality. Why not Pele?

FANS, LET’S HEAR YOUR VIEW Click here to log onto (Soccer) American Graffiti. Then click on the topic titled “YOUR VIEW: Why not Pele?” and respond to RIDGE MAHONEY in 200 words or less. Best responses may be reprinted in Soccer America Magazine. If YOUR View is selected, we’ll send you a cool T-shirt and pin… Because You’re FANATIC.