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What Sport has the Best Athletes? (1 Viewer)

Sport with best athletes

  • Baseball

    Votes: 4 3.3%

  • Basketball

    Votes: 49 39.8%

  • Boxing/MMA

    Votes: 9 7.3%

  • Football - American

    Votes: 14 11.4%

  • Hockey

    Votes: 18 14.6%

  • Lacrosse

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Rugby

    Votes: 1 0.8%

  • Soccer

    Votes: 16 13.0%

  • Tennis

    Votes: 2 1.6%

  • Track and Field

    Votes: 7 5.7%

  • Other

    Votes: 3 2.4%
  • Total voters
    123
Bull Dozier said:
I would say it is impossible to compare the specific skills of each of the sports and say which is harder.  Tipping a puck out of the air while on skates is impressive, I will admit, and I don't think you can take anyone off a baseball, basketball, football or any other team, put them on skates and think they could do it.  However, I don't think a hockey player, or any other athelte could jump in the box and hit a Kershawn curveball when they don't know if it will be a curve, slider, or fastball in the ear hole coming at them.  Nor do I think any other athelete could jump on the pitch and bend one in over a line of defenders past the goalie in the corner of the net.  None of these sport specific skills translate to each other, and if any were easy to do, they wouldn't be making millions of dollars a year to do them while people watch.
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I agree. Was jsut adding the hand-eye coordination ;)

 
WhatDoIKnow said:
Football is very specialized and has short bursts of action (I guess so does bball).  Most pros only play one side of the ball.  I would give you track if we are talking about decathletes.
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Tracks best athletes often play football.  From sprinters to shot putters.

 
Bull Dozier said:
I would say it is impossible to compare the specific skills of each of the sports and say which is harder.  Tipping a puck out of the air while on skates is impressive, I will admit, and I don't think you can take anyone off a baseball, basketball, football or any other team, put them on skates and think they could do it.  However, I don't think a hockey player, or any other athelte could jump in the box and hit a Kershawn curveball when they don't know if it will be a curve, slider, or fastball in the ear hole coming at them.  Nor do I think any other athelete could jump on the pitch and bend one in over a line of defenders past the goalie in the corner of the net.  None of these sport specific skills translate to each other, and if any were easy to do, they wouldn't be making millions of dollars a year to do them while people watch.
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Slight nitpick, but jumping all the way up to Kershaw isn't a fair comparison to @belljr's hockey examples. Maybe take it down to an average MLB starter? Even then, I agree with you that other athletes aren't going to jump in and get a hit - may not even get a bat on the ball. I think the more interesting way to think about it is: How long would it take to get a hit? How many ABs would an average NBA player need before he gets the ball out of the infield against an average MLB pitcher? How many possessions would an average MLB player need before he can stop an average NBA player from scoring? How many slap shots by an average NHL player before an average soccer player can deflect one towards the goal while on skates?

 
shader said:
I think the nfl skill position player is the elite athlete.  Thanks for playing.
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I would agree - I was thinking wide receiver / cornerback / safety  / running back is about as complete as it gets. Yes, you have some small wr's, and some fat rb's, but in general terms, I think these are the best pure athletes in sports. 

 
dgreen said:
Slight nitpick, but jumping all the way up to Kershaw isn't a fair comparison to @belljr's hockey examples. Maybe take it down to an average MLB starter? Even then, I agree with you that other athletes aren't going to jump in and get a hit - may not even get a bat on the ball. I think the more interesting way to think about it is: How long would it take to get a hit? How many ABs would an average NBA player need before he gets the ball out of the infield against an average MLB pitcher? How many possessions would an average MLB player need before he can stop an average NBA player from scoring? How many slap shots by an average NHL player before an average soccer player can deflect one towards the goal while on skates?
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Your nitpick is fair enough, agreed on that point. 

My answer for the comparison quesions is that they would all be exceeding long durations, and they would all likely happen the first time due to luck rather than that player having actually achieved a proficient skill level.

 
Best athlete? It's basketball.  The stopping, starting, explosion, and coordination is not paralleled by any other sport.  But many of these guys are soft and/or lazy, I'd argue because they are so genetically gifted and have just adapted to being naturally better than everyone - so it doesn't always translate to the floor.  Not saying pros in other sports aren't also soft and/or lazy - they are, sure seems as though there's a disproportionate number of basketball players though.

 
If you say baseball, you are joking right?   I am almost 50 and I can play a number of positions and it may take innings to people to realize I stink.   It wouldn't take long to be exposed at almost any other sport.  

 
MAC_32 said:
Best athlete? It's basketball.  The stopping, starting, explosion, and coordination is not paralleled by any other sport.  But many of these guys are soft and/or lazy, I'd argue because they are so genetically gifted and have just adapted to being naturally better than everyone - so it doesn't always translate to the floor.  Not saying pros in other sports aren't also soft and/or lazy - they are, sure seems as though there's a disproportionate number of basketball players though.
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I've heard another theory about the perceived basketball player laziness. Maybe many NBA just don't love basketball. They're basketball players because they're tall and not because they pursued the game growing up.

 
WhatDoIKnow said:
 Many at the HS level.  Fewer at the College level.  Fewer yet at the NFL level.  I was looking at upper-level overall.   Not many both sprint and shot put.  That's why I gave the nod to decathletes. 

I get it though.  I didn't mean to say they were not great athletes.

There is something to be said about hockey players and their eye-hand coordination.  I know many are good golfers.  If I had to choose players from a different sport to stand in the batters box against a great pitcher, I would choose hockey players to make the most contact.

ETA:  I am also looking at this from an entire roster perspective.  Not just individual position groups.
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Golf is a game.. not a sport.  Darts require hand eye coordination.  Bowling.  Frisbee golf.  Cornhole.  Horseshoes.  You know.. #### you do when you are drunk.

Baseball borderline as a sport...  Golf may require more physical exertion.  Unless you are a pitcher/catcher you are spending 80%++ of the game doing quite literally nothing.

 
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The General said:
Tennis not getting enough love. I'd put it right there with soccer in terms of athleticism.
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It's gets a lot of love from me.  They aren't the "best" athletes, but tennis combines strategy, skill and athleticism like no other sport can.

And try to return a 120+ mph serve.  Good luck.  Might be just as hard as hitting a 95+mph MLB pitch.

 
matuski said:
Golf is a game.. not a sport.  Darts require hand eye coordination.  Bowling.  Frisbee golf.  Cornhole.  Horseshoes.  You know.. #### you do when you are drunk.

Baseball borderline as a sport...  Golf may require more physical exertion.  Unless you are a pitcher you are spending 80%++ of the game doing quite literally nothing.
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while I agree with you (I would go so far as to call it a skill competition), this could be a whole different thread

 
matuski said:
Golf is a game.. not a sport.  Darts require hand eye coordination.  Bowling.  Frisbee golf.  Cornhole.  Horseshoes.  You know.. #### you do when you are drunk.

Baseball borderline as a sport...  Golf may require more physical exertion.  Unless you are a pitcher you are spending 80%++ of the game doing quite literally nothing.
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I don't agree with you about golf, but I see where the argument stems from.  But the bolded is bordering on hot taekery.  Rec? Softball?  Sure, but pro baseball? It's a grind.  Not a game or two in a vacuum, but the whole season? It will get to you if you're not physically prepared.

 
Basketball players seemed to get much better once there were allowed to travel with the ball. Traveling was a stupid rule..it is hard to make a great athletic move and have to dribble as well.

 
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NBA or NFL. I don't have much to say besides that. Just the biggest, most awe-inspiring athletes in any game, and I was once a baseball and still am a hockey guy.  

 
Bottom tier guys eliminate football, baseball and basketball for me. All have poorly conditioned (relatively speaking) players who can get by on talent alone with limited athletic ability or conditioning. Old out of shape pitchers, DHs, kickers, NBA big men, etc. In other sports (soccer, tennis, probably hockey) I think they have to maintain a higher level of fitness to compete. For top-to-bottom athletic ability and fitness/conditioning I would go with soccer.

 
Besides the obvious answer being hockey, you need to keep in midn that these guys are playing w broken bones/sprains/tears etc, and still play full tilt, full contact.

If you've ever played even a level below semi pro, youd know that even the greatest player is on the verge on of death after a 2min shift.

INSANE athleticism

 
Soulfly3 said:
Besides the obvious answer being hockey, you need to keep in midn that these guys are playing w broken bones/sprains/tears etc, and still play full tilt, full contact.

If you've ever played even a level below semi pro, youd know that even the greatest player is on the verge on of death after a 2min shift.

INSANE athleticism
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So Gretzky was a better athlete than LeBron or Jim Brown?

 
For my hazy definition of an "athlete", Bo Jackson's the best I've ever seen. 

But I think elite NBA players are the best as a group.

 
fightingillini said:
It's gets a lot of love from me.  They aren't the "best" athletes, but tennis combines strategy, skill and athleticism like no other sport can.

And try to return a 120+ mph serve.  Good luck.  Might be just as hard as hitting a 95+mph MLB pitch.
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120 not that tough for a male halfway decent player.  130-140 is where you start backing up.

I was hitting 120 in high school.  I think many women are hitting 120+ now.

 
Super King said:
NFL players. Cornerbacks, specifically. Dude's can run a 4.3 40, while still being able to bench over 300 lbs. Some over 400. Nevermind the insane change of direction skills. 
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But the overall fitness of the rest of the NFL brings it down. Like the linemen who get winded waddling out to the field before the game even starts.

 
The best athletes in the world are probably NFL Linebackers, Corners, RBs and WRs. Strength, speed, conditioning and skill  

Basketball or hockey have the highest ‘average’ athleticism I would imagine. 

Soccer lacks any need for strength. Endurance is only one part of athleticism. 

Golf is probably the most skilled sport/game but obviously Patrick Reed/Duffner/Daly wining majors...

LeBron James is probably the most athletic male on the planet right now. 

 
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