And imagination has certainly been fired up in efforts to stay engaged with their readership.
It is ultimately an exercise in futility as most lists involve comparing generations and choices that will never be tested in the white heat of combat.
Everyone has their reasons for making their choices and they are often more interesting than the choices themselves.
One especially difficult group of lists has been doing the rounds this week, the choice of the 'hardest' players in rugby.
Inevitably, selections tend to be about as deep as the owner's memory which can be 20 years or 40 years.
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But rugby was being played a long time before that.
Two lists this week have been completed by Stuart Barnes and Graham Price, both British & Irish Lions, from England and Wales respectively.
Barnes' top 10 was: Gareth Chilcott (England), Gerard Cholley (France), Jonny Wilkinson (England), Graham Price (Wales), Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), Wayne Shelford (New Zealand), David Pocock (Australia), Richie McCaw (New Zealand), Scott Gibbs (Wales), Jim Telfer (Scotland).
Price's list was: Cholley, Michel Palmie (France), Alain Esteve (France), Colin Meads (New Zealand), Frank Oliver (New Zealand), Fran Cotton (England), Shelford, Jerry Collins (New Zealand, Bakkies Botha (South Africa), Etzebeth.
For what it's worth, some notable omissions would appear to be: Alex Wyllie (New Zealand), Alain Plantefol (France), Mark Shaw (New Zealand), Morne du Plessis (South Africa), Sebastian Chabal (France), Ken Gray (New Zealand), Mervyn Davies (Wales), Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa), Kevin Skinner (New Zealand), Chris Koch (South Africa), Keith Murdoch (New Zealand) and that's without dipping back into the pre-World War Two era.
Wyllie's reputation is well known and was to the fore in South Africa in 1970 and Britain and France in 1972-73 but most notably with Canterbury who enjoyed a fearsome reputation in the late-1960s and early 1970s as the Lions discovered in 1971.
Plantefol was the player who took on Colin Meads in the Test many All Blacks said was the toughest they ever played, against France on the 1967 tour. It was his actions that resulted in Meads wearing a prolific amount of bandaging under a scrum cap in the Test against Scotland a week later where he was ordered off.
Shaw was a handy player to have around when the going got willing during the mid-1980s while Morne du Plessis, the Springbok captain during the 1976 series against the All Blacks, was a constant menace among a very big pack, several of whom could also have joined the list.
Sebastian Chabal with his long hair and beard, and more than a little ability, was tough as teak and a fearsome player to run into, just ask Ali Williams who had his jaw broken in a clash.
When Colin Meads said Ken Gray was one of the strongest men he ever scrummaged with the commendation doesn't come much higher.
Mervyn Davies' contribution was an often forgotten part of the 1971 Lions' structure in their series win over the All Blacks. But his work at No 8 gave Gareth Edwards and Barry John the ride that allowed them to dictate their side's success.
Hooker Bismarck du Plessis wasn't afraid to mix it in all company while Kevin Skinner and Chris Koch had plenty of history in 1949 and 1956 to the point Skinner's involvement became folklore, even if Skinner maintained it wasn't as bad as was made out.
And it can be safely said that no one ever got the better of Keith Murdoch. Playing through a Test match and then being operated on for appendicitis says it all. His career was short but he made a big impact with his crowning glory his try in the 19-16 win over Wales that preceded his sending home.
Memory is selective and some of the toughest players are known only to their opponents, doing their job buried in the tight and winning little obvious recognition but gaining respect nonetheless.
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