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What is the hardest sport?
- Thread starter UNIowaHawk
- Start date
I would say that Rugby is the toughest to play. Listened to a former rugby player talk about his playing days, and those guys make football players look like weenies. The only way you leave a game is if you have broken bones protruding from your skin. Your teammates will expect you to limp onto the field if you can move at all.
Baseball = fat person sport. CC Sabathia, Prince Fielder, David Ortiz are elite players and go 300+ and not in a good way...
Golf. You can never "beat" the game...never. The opponent is the toughest opponent one can ever face....him/herself. Your opponent never touches your ball and cannot alter the course. It's a man, his skill and his brain. Very lonely feeling.
Having the toughest players does not make it the toughest sport. I've played both competitively as an adult; rugby players are tough sons-of-guns, but it's not a tougher sport. Not having pads is definitely tough, but because of that people actually know how to form tackle and don't just fly into you with their helmet.
Yes I have. The 6'6 320 pound linemen are in so much better shape than the players I mentioned it's unbelievable. Brandon Scherff, Bryan Bulaga, Riley Reiff, Robert Gallery, Marshall Yonda, etc etc all go over 300 pounds and all are in incredible shape. Prince Fielder? Strong, yes, in shape? No way.
I don't understand why people think golf is the hardest. Sports are a combination of physical ability and skill. Physical or athletic ability is usually inherent from birth. Skill can be acquired through hard work and persistence. If someone had all the money in the world and a strong work ethic they can probably become good at golf. It's all about repetition. On the other hand, if a normal person spent all their time and resources trying to get good at basketball, football, or soccer they still may suck. You have to have some god given athletic ability. Out of the major sports, I would say basketball is the hardest sport when combining athletic ability and skill.
Obviously you haven't seen Charles Barkley or other famous athletes play golf.
True I think they are in better athletic shape but I bet only Scherff could hit a 95 mph fastball with a round bat on a round ball.
Also, remember these people train their bodies for their particular sports. You could take some players from different sports and give them a few years of specific training and would probably be amazed at the results.
Could he hit a Bob Feller fastball? Could he be a crack World War fighter pilot?
I once watched two 70+ year old retired farmers hobble up to the tee, grab the club with gnarled and unbending fingers, and then swing with a frozen shoulder (couldn't bring his elbow away from his ribs) and absolutely crush the ball straight down the fairway.
The big problem with golf is that the time and cost necessary to play keep people from playing frequently enough to get very good.
The big problem with golf is that the time and cost necessary to play keep people from playing frequently enough to get very good.
Wrestling is the right answer. Most grueling, man/man (or wo), incredibly strategic, strength, stamina, etc.
I'll throw one out not yet mentioned. Rowing.
The highest lactic acid levels ever recorded were in rowers. Incredibly technically demanding. Hands torn to dog meat. Ultimate team sport: 8 people in perfect unison and balance or the boat rolls a few inches and comes to a complete halt.
What's your point? I don't need to see Zach Johnson play linebacker or see Tiger Woods wrestle Metcalf to know they would suck at those sports also.
Well documented? Where? Football players outclass basketball players in every measure of athletics? Say what?
Now, I agree guys like Bo Jackson are freak athletes that could probably play any sport. That isn't the question that was asked here and he's a one of a kind athlete. On the whole, basketball players are MUCH better athletes than football players. Even if you look at RBs and WRs. Quickness, Jumping ability, change of direction, body control, hand-eye coordination...elite basketball players have it in spades. Elite football players have some of that but not the whole package.
Look at their combine numbers. How many football players at the highschool and college level are also track stars. How many basketball players can throw up 285 on the bench many times. Also, when people try to make up this argument about basketball they tend to only bring up the most elite. Sure there are a handful of NBA players that are such great athletes that they could play any sport they dedicated themselves to. That can be said about any sport. The average NFL player is a far better athlete than the average NBA player. Even some of the lineman are more athletic. RB's and receivers, and CB's are ridiculously better athletes than basketball player. They are faster, quicker, better coordination and stronger.
Here is a link to some documentation.
There isn't much to directly compare, but there is the vertical jump.
In 2012 18 NFL players had a higher vertical than the best NBA player during the combine.
http://nflmocks.com/2013/06/08/nfl-vs-nba-which-sport-has-the-better-athletes/
There isn't much to directly compare, but there is the vertical jump.
In 2012 18 NFL players had a higher vertical than the best NBA player during the combine.
http://nflmocks.com/2013/06/08/nfl-vs-nba-which-sport-has-the-better-athletes/
Are you sure it was a couple of farmers? You sure your not telling me you watched Moe Norman swing a golf club? BTW...Moe is perhaps the GREATEST ball striker in the history of the game..and he looks just like the guys you described. Plus Moe had a learning disability.
Sorry, but I just don't view golf as a sport. My definition of a sport is any game where athletic ability gives you a distinct advantage. And golf doesn't meet that measure.
For example, let's say that I have to cover a hall of fame wide receiver in a charity game who happens to be 75 years old. Even though I never played football in high school and know next to nothing about being a defensive back, this 75 year will get shut down. His skill far surpasses mine. He knows infinitely more about football, running routes, plays, and technique. But he is 75, while I am less than half that age. My athletic ability will be able to easily swat down any ball that comes his way since I am faster, stronger, quicker, and can jump higher.
Now to contrast that with golf. I also never played golf, but a 75 year old golfer, he doesn't even need to be a pro, just an average golfer, will destroy me. Even though my athletic skills far surpass his, they will do very little to compensate for his knowledge and experience.
Hence, why golf is a game and not a sport.
As for my answer, I think that free diving is the hardest sport. Not only does it require superb control of your body, to conserve as much oxygen as possible, and take insane amounts of mental focus to hold your breath as you dive hundreds of feet, if done wrong, you will die.
I'm not going to disagree that football players are more athletic than basketball players. However, saying they are more skilled and coordinated is wrong. The only position in football close to the skill of basketball players is the quarterback.
Generally, pro basketball players make much more money, the game is easier on their bodies, and they play professionally longer. If a good athlete is coordinated enough, they're more likely to gravitate toward basketball over football.
Generally, pro basketball players make much more money, the game is easier on their bodies, and they play professionally longer. If a good athlete is coordinated enough, they're more likely to gravitate toward basketball over football.
Moe was Canadian...so what's your point? Which golfer had a largest disadvantage to overcome?
So your documentation is an article written on an NFL football site from an author that admits he is biased toward football players at the beginning of the article and admits throughout the article that all of his comparisons are not apples to apples? Give me a break.
Not to mention, the guy says at the beginning of the article his definition of athleticism is: "anything you see in a workout. Nothing related to coordination"
I, along with most, use coordination as a criteria for athleticism. The ability to have body control, contort in the air, side step quickly, etc, etc. How can that not be factored in when you talk about athleticism?
Anyway, we definitely won't agree on the topic but that article you posted is simply ridiculous.
Just showing in the one area where direct testing compares the two, NFL players blow NBA players out of the water. That is cold hard fact.
There is ample other evidence like the number of football players that have made the Olympics as an athlete.
Agree that we aren't going to come to an agreement, but I do have some measurables on my side.
Measurables taken on different surfaces under different conditions are hardly "concrete."
At the end of the day, athleticism is subjective so we are arguing what we believe to be the important measurables.
Google search the topic and you get opinions both ways. I could post articles arguing for basketball. I still say basketball requires more athleticism individually and it certainly has better athletes top to bottom.
Baseball, then golf I believe.
Football and basketball take more pure athletic ability but watch professional athletes try to throw out a first pitch. That isn't event trying to hit a ball or field a ball, just play catch with someone. The number one recruit in the country didn't even know what shoulder pads were a year ago. Natural ability and physical size are huge for basketball and football.http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...iku-is-college-footballs-most-unlikely-5-star
Then look at a lot of athletes swing a golf club. For the guy saying it is not a sport, you are wrong.
Football and basketball take more pure athletic ability but watch professional athletes try to throw out a first pitch. That isn't event trying to hit a ball or field a ball, just play catch with someone. The number one recruit in the country didn't even know what shoulder pads were a year ago. Natural ability and physical size are huge for basketball and football.http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...iku-is-college-footballs-most-unlikely-5-star
Then look at a lot of athletes swing a golf club. For the guy saying it is not a sport, you are wrong.
Gymnastics. It takes years. They have to practice year around to even become a good gymnast. Their margin of error is very small. They are freakishly strong and have to have a good work ethic and a very strong will to succeed. To become great they have to sacrifice a lot at a young age.
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It's pretty simple. Plenty of guys who played D1 basketball and couldn't hack it in the NBA have gone on to become all pro football players. Has a guy ever not been able to hack it in the NFL, quit, and gone on to the NBA? Hasn't everyone almost always said that LeBron James would be amazing wide receiver or tight end or defensive end just based on his amazing athletic ability? In the end the NFL guys are wowed by the things the NBA guys can do.
You've never tried hitting a 90 mph fastball have you? I didn't think so.
It takes more hand eye coordination to hit a baseball than anything else in any other sport.
I guess it's why you don't see too many fat asses playing in the MLB.
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