Arena Which sport has the greatest athletes?

Which sport's athletes do you think have the most raw talent?

In terms of raw athleticism, I say basketball. For the whole package, I say basketball and tennis. The thing that most people don't realize about these two sports is how much endurance one needs. Play a pickup game of fullcourt basketball with your friends. You'll be spent after 10 minutes. Tennis also, which also absolutely crushes your knee joints.

I also have major respect for hockey players; it's a prerequisite to be a very strong ice-skater, not to mention the dexterity needed to handle the puck.

In terms of being cerebral, quarterback, no question.

 

Darts.

 

Decathlon.

 

Track.

 

Track. Depending on the event, you need different sets of skills.

 

I'm going to say it. F1 drivers.

1. Stamina, be in a car for two hours and lose up to four pounds of sweat, and still have the mental capacity to move the car at those speeds with accuracy while your body is getting dehydrated.

2. Strengh, Driving the car while being thrown around by those G forces with accuracy is hard enough. Keeping your arms up for two hours and turning the wheel while it's fighting you back is also difficult.

3. Cerebral, Studying tracks, apexes of turns, commit it all to memmory, all that during the race and staying alert. Knowing when to commit the car into a pass attempt so you don't kill your self and the next guy.

Feel free to bash me now.

 

And what if they really need to go to the bathroom? My God, the horror!

 

I think they go before.

 

swimming

 

American football has by far the best athletes in the world. They are the biggest, strongest and the fastest.

The sport itself is basically entirely dependent on athletic abilities, there is very little skill involved.

No other sport even comes close in terms of athleticism.

 

But honestly, how do you define "greatest athletes"?

 

Disagree here. What about Rugby? They barely stop, don't wear pads, and do pretty much the same thing.

 

They pretty much do the same thing, except they are smaller, slower and less powerful.

I also believe that not wearing pads actually makes it safer.

 

That's a general statement that can't be proven and I can't prove that they are, but I disagree nontheless. Fat offensive and defensive linemen in the NFL could easily be out run by the "props" in Rugby. I'd also bet that the "backs" in Rugby are a lot tougher than the wide receivers of the NFL, save a few. Those backs are all hard runners and get mashed up when attacking the opposing forwards.

There's no downs either in Rugby so the game is fluid, except for line outs and throw ins. Those NFL linemen may bench more than Rugby's big guys, maybe, but their athleticism is IMO a lot better. Tightends and running backs would be the closest to Rugby's players.

 

Agreed in terms of those attributes, but the hand-eye coordination of basketball players is just insane off the charts.

 

Not even...athletics?

 

"Athletics" is a sport?

 

Track and field is also known as athletics, though it more generally covers track/field, racewalking and crosscountry.

 

I'd probably say decathletes, but rugby players are way up there, too.

 

I'll say tennis. Like you said it kills the knees, which is why tennis players have the shortest primes. Also they must sometimes play 4-5 hour matches without halftimes or substitutions. The longest break that is allowed is 90 seconds on change-overs.

 

Over Poker Players? Really?

 

In terms of skills its tennis,baseball and golf. Each require specific hand-eye skills that you must have naturally and just being a great thlete sometimes isn't enough.

 

This. How are we defining it again?

 

I'm going to throw gymnastics out there. You have to have balance, agility, perfect timing, and scary upper and lower body strength.