What is the best major sport
 

I'm a big fan of hockey, the speed, hitting etc.
It's far more exciting to watch then say baseball or football.

I agree with you... Hockey ..especially playoff hockey is just soo intense. Its physical, fast, and very exciting. Something about it its just awesome to watch..

Well I hate to be a follower but hockey hands down.

Baseball. Hands down, for reasons opposite of the ones metioned already. Baseball is slower, with an easy-going diffinitive pace. Its a great spectator sport. Finally, you can have the Cubs game on and get work done, play around - its great comfort. Its - having the game on.

Baseball has all the stats for hardcore junkies. It has all the provenance and history. It did not just begin, for instance to record sacks in the last fifteen years.

Baseball is an everymans game, which makes it all the more spectacular when transfered to a level that is above the everyman level. Cause you played the game and your son will too. Not always the case with hockey and football, which require a bit more girth.

Finally, hitting a baseball is time and time again said to be the most difficult thing to do in sport. Here are your most honed athletes. There are no "special teamers," "long-snappers," or "enforcers."

does all sport in the US have to be 'Major'?

although my fav sport is Rugby Union, its not major, so i'd have to say that my fav major sport has to be American Football. for the spectacle that is superbowl (the only match we ever get to see).

it's really hard to chose between football and basketball. it's a tie folks.

<center>BASKETBALL</center>

It's become the world's most poular sport. Well, that's actually still debated quite a bit. I've seen some articles say it's hoops and other say it's soccer. http://www.boomspeed.com/sixate/icon_rolleyes.gif

basketball

duh i am form indiana of course its basketball

Hockey, eh! Can't beat the excitement of the NHL playoffs.

And every players and fans goal of the Stanley Cup.

f1 =)

I'd have to say baseball, thought sadly football is eclipsing it money wise and popularity wise. Damn americans. (yes, i'm one of them)

Hockey, no explanation needed just watch a game.

Maybe because I'm Canadian and grew up playing and wathcing it ... or maybe not,

either way, it's hockey for me.

.

Hockey is a great sport to watch but they should go to the international rules with the bigger rinks and get rid of the red line.

Basketball is all about dunking or 3 point shots. It gets real old, real fast.

Baseball can give you high scores or shutouts. It is a great game but 162 makes the regular season mean not as much. DH and interleague games have messed it up also.

Football has the same thing as far as high scoring and shutouts but there are only 16 games and that makes each one important.

Soccer is kind of like hockey but with less hitting and scoring. Indoor soccer rocks.

Lacrosse is the most fast paced and hardest hitting sport..:)

Art

To play I would say basketball, but since I will never play it at a major level put me in the gov135 and deepinjello group in favor of Baseball.

Sure, it's a subjective question. Baseball, for me, is about the possibilities of what might happen at any given time. Each moment is pregnant with potential. What actually happens may be anticlimactic but the build up to that point is what is so interesting and therefore enjoyable. Also, being a game of abundant statistics, one can enjoy the sport after the fact in the morning’s sports section.

Go 'stros!
-GH

baseball

ditto

this should be a poll!

I'm def down wit bak-sketball... fun to play and fun to watch.. the most event and spectator friendly league (well i ignore hockey, so i might be wron g about "most," that sport seems very event and spectator driven)..

iverson driving past three alls tars to the hoop and dropping a layup on a guy a foot and a half taller.. Yeeah..

Pierce on a good night (for him) yeeah.. or toine, or bremer, or delk, or battie...
Kobe.. every other play...

I like the whole league nowadays.. i gotta get into a town to pick one

Baseball is in my heart too, thoug it is the worst league for event and spectator considerations ( and i'm ignoring football in that NFL is the worst business that doesn't itself create a specifically death dealing device in the country, i'll never go to another NFL game, unless specifically invited by a visiting team cheerleader)...

How it got like this:
Bball: \alcindor.. Abdul Jabbar with Oscar Robertson in 71,72.. NBA champ milwaukee Bucks.. the ideal tandem, talented youth getting his first of many great tastes, and unparalleled all star finally getting his due.
littlewhiteball: St Louis cards 64 -68.. three league pennants, two world series champs.. Bob Gibson crushing lineups, McCarver, Cepeda, Flood, Maxville, and hokey good fun old time Busch Stadium... Riding the red bird express form Ucity with my dad.. whee

I gotta say its a tie between Soccer and Basketball for me. Although, the fact that players get killed for blowing a game in soccer doesn't help its standings in my mind...

Hockey

Football.
-Toughness, speed, quickness, strength, accuracy, hands, and strategy.
-The only season where EVERY game matters.
-Postseason isn't 6 months long.
-Great draft (only beaten by NBA).
-The biggest championship.
-No financial problems, unlike MLB and NHL, where you have to worry about your team leaving town or just dying.
-Less greedy players. Less players making 10 mil while not producing.
-Ditka
-Most balanced league. Don't have to worry about Yankees/Lakers/RedWings.

im also down with football.

I'm with these guys. It's what I grew up doing. I'm a big fan of all sport except basketball and soccor.

Basketball used to be great but the action stops every time down court, usually with a foul, you can walk all the way down court without dribbleing (only slight exageration), three secons is never called and nobody plays defense. College basketball is slightly better, but good match-ups are hard to come by. Usually it's a good team playing a shitty team.

And soccor is just lame.

I wish I knew more bout hockey, it seems like a great sport but I grew up in Houston so I have no background for hockey. Although I did see Gordie Howe play with the old Aroes a few times when I was a wee tot.

Hey, GH, what's the f'ing deal with the 'stros. I love 'em, but they're pissing me off. When are they gonna get their shit together and win. My roomate is a bandwagon Yankees fan and I can't take much more of his shit.

Nothing beats playoff hockey. But as far as the reg. Season goes Football is the most entertaining. Sundays are made for sitting back, tailgating and watching football

There's two different perspectives though.

TV - Has to be football. Great suspense, every game matters, and there is the break between every play to bs with friends or cuss out the ref because he's blind. Also it's always good to see why a guy reacts in such a way (such as Kyle Turley when he ripped that stupid Jets helmet off after the Jet tried ripping Aaron Brooks's head off) because they show replays about 50 times

Live- Hockey. You can see the puck much better (the people who always argue "You can't see the puck!" are too used to easy sports like basketball) you can watch the play develop. The only downside is you don't get to listen to some of the good analysists, but being able to see the game winning breakaway in game 7 open up is a hell of alot better.

Hockey. No question.

The sport has got the greatest fans and the players are first class.

Hockey is my favorite spectator sport too.
I never understood the complaint about not seeing the puck. I watch the plays and checking rather than the puck. If you think you're not getting good analysis then you must be watching FOX network. If you watched CBC, you'd change your mind quick.

The thing I hate about baseball is all the stinkin' analysists, talk about a slow game. Watching baseball live is ok, but not on TV.

Basketball is the same thing repeated over and over, once you've seen one layup you've seen em' all. It's not too bad live.

Agreeing with what others have already said...Football - because it is the only one that makes me care about each and every game.

Hockey playoffs and baseball in september are pretty good.

I love basketball, but the last 2 minutes of a close game (2-4 possession lead) are the worst in any sport.

soccer

football to watch...basketball to play

I don't get CBC, so my experience with most hockey announcers are on ESPN. Some of them are good, like Steve Levy and Darren Pang, but around the fourth tier team ESPN fields for any sport, the end result are like nails scraping on a chalkboard.

Baseball, it's fun to watch the skill and strategy develop on the field.

Re: What is the best major sport
 

What...are you daft man? :D
Football rules!

Does "naked twister" count as a sport?

As a spectator - I adore Hockey, especially playoff Hockey. Live is best.

Minx, "Naked twister" with you is now my fav. sport by far !!

badminton..no wait major right..ok. soccer

http://www.freshangles.com/images/2364.jpg

FOOTBALL! :D

definately football.

WRC, motoGP, F1...you get the drift.

Lacrosse all the way for me.

I think that for the football lovers who love the hitting, just think about a hockey player who is traveling faster on skates and has the boards and the player who is hitting him to worry about.
Booboo, with the NLL getting stronger everyday it wont be long until it becomes a major.

My favorite is English Premier Football but at home MLB is my fave.

Hockey all the way.

It is the funnest to watch, and to play. Nothing else can keep a fan riveted to the game for a 6 hour 3 overtime periods game of ice hockey.

Although I think the NHL should change some rules to the european rules they should NEVER GO TO THE SHOOTOUT ENDING.

If any NHL execs are listening....NEVER GO TO A SHOOTOUT !

Speaking of overtime - how is the current NFL overtime rule considered fair. Win the coin toss win the game ? or is this another thread ?

I'll watch any team play hockey. I'll watch squirt hockey, college, highschool, or any variation of pro. That said- go Avs (F- you Wirtz)

I can only watch baseball if it's the Cubs, and football if it's the Bears. And if this season is any indiaction, apparently I can only watch basketball if the Lakers are losing.

Football is the sport that rules the American Culture. It is Americas newest pastime. But there is always baseball to kill the time between the Super Bowl and the Preseason.

Its gotta be Hockey!!!!

The Speed, the Power, The Agility......
They say hitting a baseball is the hardest thing in professional sports, but how about redirecting a 95 MPH slapshot, with a 5' stick that has a curved end, into a 4' x 6' goal being guarded by a 2' x 4' goalie all while skating on 1/8" pieces of cold steel and being kncked around by 6' 250# defensemen???

I used to play college basketball, played everyday until I got into playing hockey. Now I can't even watch basketball anymore. The game is just to slow. Besides the Ego's that todays players have is outrageous. Quit talking and just play the damn game. And they have way too many timeouts, hell the last 2 mins of the game can take an hour to watch!

As for Baseball, anysport where they put someone on the D.L because they have a blister on their finger, or a slight strain doesn't deserve to be number one. If you look at hockey the guys go into the locker room to get stitched up and then COME BACK to play some more. Baseball players just don't play hurt.

Football.....Well football has the power and agility, but it doesn't have the speed or the flow of hockey. And these guys play hurt as well. Sometimes you wonder though.....The announcer says "well he has a sprained knee, he'll most likely be back in the second half." Makes you wonder what the hell they give these guys. But its mostly the short season that makes these guys play like this. 16 game season is rather short, alot to play for.

So all in all its got to be HOCKEY. You get the speed of track, the playmaking of the NBA, the power of the NFL and the strategy of the MLB, all rolled into one.

It has to be football.

I love baseball, but I can see that the pace of the game is not for everyone. Hockey has the best action, but following it on TV is a world of difference since you can't even see the line changes.

Football has the best parity and is killer to watch on TV as well as in person. It also has that small amount of "Roman Coliseum" Lions vs. Christians thing going. When some LB sets his crosshairs on a helpless QB....by by baby!

sorry, but basketball is monotonous and irritates the hell out of me. My fav is definitely baseball, then football, then amateur wrestling.

I can't decide. Here are the sports I really watch:

Hockey (love it)
Baseball (best to play as I am a former college player and spent some time with a minor league team)
College Hoops
Football both college and pro

I used to watch the NBA until it was ruined by high schoolers and no talent hacks that can only dunk.
Loathe Soccer for some reason

That's funny - I was playing goalie in rec league, and broke a small corner off my jawbone with a slapper to the head. Finished the game though, cause there are not usually backup goaltenders on rec-league teams. :-)

Hockey is the best.. !!!

Great point as Sammy S. was/is on the DL because he's lost a toe nail and yet a hocky player will play with a broken foot.
Speed and toughness looks like a winning combo. on this thread anyway, you don't see that in basketball, baseball or for that matter football.

women's tennis--I just like to hear girls GRUNT

It's gotta be Football, I mean look at all the substitutes we have on the TV right now. AFL and NFL Europe just to keep football on for a whole year.

If you go to any other country though, it'll be soccer, hands down

Yeah thats the thing I'm thinking that it all depends on where your at as to the "MAJOR"

Australian Rules Football!! It has it all, hard hitting without padding, skills, power, speed, endurance athletes and plenty of scoring. There is no other sport like it.

NFL is a great game too and is my second favorite football code. Cricket is my 2nd favorite sport behind Aussie Rules. NBA basketball is good too and I think they have the best athletes in the world that play that sport.

Football is the best sport because you cannot make a mistake. 16 weeks and 1 mistake, there goes the playoffs..

To watch on TV, hockey, but for the strategy and everything else that goes on along with it, baseball is by far my favorite. With this trade deadline approaching, I am going nuts.

I would have to say hockey for sure, first sport I ever loved, I like soccer, football, basketball, baseball, driving, but I always come back to hockey :).

The new american past time: Football

Thank you so much... I could not have said this any better.

I would have to go with baseball. The season stretches through my favorite time of year in Florida (summer),when the old people stay indoors and off the streets and most of the snowbirds have flown back north! It's easy going and slow enough paced where you can clean the garage and have the game on in the background (if your lucky enough to have satellite TV in your garage, like me, of course).

Second favorite, by far and away, is NFL football (GO BUCS!) Love the hype and buildup between games (during the work week) and the anticipation of Sunday afternoon with a bunch of buddy's (and my wife) drinking beer, yelling at the TV, jumping around the living room like a bunch of amped-up teenagers on Jolt Cola!

Has to be football and I mean proper football (or soc-cah as some uneducated people call it). The greatest and most popular major sport on the planet.

I like playoff hockey but for regular season sports, I like American football.

football all the way.

not pro football, but college football.

there's nuthin i'd rather watch than 2 good teams goin @ it.

NFL by far.

Soccer any day, hands down. Its the best to watch and support. Its the world game. You can be tall or short or any nationality. All the players need to be fit and usually run hard for 90minutes. Can you beat it? No.

American Football. Love watching it and love playing it even more.

Has to be football the (the world version) that is referred to as soccer in the states. Anyone can play the game just by using jumpers for goal posts. Once you have played the game you can then start to appreciate the different styles of play which not only vary from league to league but from nation to nation.

Without question it is the worlds most popular sport.

SOCCER!!

For speed, I'd say F1. For stupidity, WRC. Overall, NFL (Go 49ers!)

A lot of stuff that isn't good for them in the long run. But in the end, it's the player's decision.

Football hits and Hockey hits are different. Both are painful and devastating in their own respect, but they have major differences. In Football, there's constant contact with the ground, meaning more traction, meaning more...hrm...omph, if you will, provided by the player. In Hockey, most hits are on the boards, which is delivered via speed only, and in most cases the player has a chance to brace themselves and flatten themselves out. A hit from Brian Dawkins while you're running full speed in the opposite direction is a hit that can knock you out. Since a power hit can be found numerous times in one football game, and since the runner is often looking for blockers and such before defenders so he can't see the hit before it's too late, football is given an edge in the hitting department. However, Hockey does have the harder hits. 99% of the time, delivered by Scott Stevens to morons who skate with their heads down, like Paul Kariya, or with their heads up their ass, such as Eric Lindros.

Football, with NASCAR in a close second.

Baseball - sucks
Football (american)- sucks even more
Basketball - sucks more than football

Football (soccer) - cool game
Hockey - dosn't get any better than this.

My favorite "major" sport is hockey I was at almost every Ducks home game last season.

My other favorites in no particular order are motogp, wsb, ama superbike, motocross, and any other racing that involves 2 wheels and a motor.

football, as in soccer not american.

Its all about college football. Only soccer has more heated rivalries.

Who is defining "major" and what is it's definition? There are a hell of a lot of whitewater kayakers around here. I'm going with whitewater kayaking because it is unrelenting. In a river in flood there is no time out or bench time. It keeps commiing at you unrelenting. If you fuck up you pay the price.

Then again after looking at my avatar perhaps skiing is the best major sport. I dunno but what I do know is that the best sporst are not team sports IMHO.

football

Hands down, baseball.

It's compelling all the year around.

What is the best major sport ...

IMHO [rant]

I'm surprised that more people haven't said Football (Soccer).

Has Football (American) or Hockey or Baskteball as much appeal as the humble Soccer game? Is it played in more countries around the world - followed and reported in more languages around the world than any of the three mentioned above??

I'll err with suspicision to say no. We don't see a regular World Cup of Hockey / Basketball / American Football. Baseball may have a World Series but I can't recall when it also involved other countries competing.

Why Soccer - it's considered a global game.
Soccer however is and has been so for more than a few years been considered the "Best Major Sport".

I can't recall when American Football / Hockey / Baseball , as part of its own sporting charter goes out of its way to assist the development of the game in thrid world countries. Food for thought.

[/rant]

MLB and the players do spend money developing the game and players throughout Central and South America and the Carribean.

Sorry ... good to see MLB does - thanks for the correction.

[corrected]
I can't recall when American Football / Hockey, as part of its own sporting charter goes out of its way to assist the development of the game in thrid world countries. Food for thought.

There are already hockey leagues in other countries, and the NFL has NFL Europe. Besides, why does the NFL need to spread itself out when it's already making a lot of money right now and takes priorities by focusing more on how things are run. They also are working on establishing things like the AFL and are also helping with many national youth programs.

MLB on the other hand is a complete joke. One of the reasons why teams are "developing the game" in the Carribean and Americas is that they don't need to draft the talent they create there. Meanwhile, the good sports players in the good ol' USA are going to basketball and football instead of baseball because of all the "developing" MLB is doing. Oh, and it's dirt cheap too, forgot to mention that part.

Football, American style.

Football and Basketball I can't pick one I love the level of energy in both

Tie Between NASCAR and Hockey. Much better than soccar or basketball.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/3...an300allsp.jpg

Rugby Union. No contest at all.

CARN THE WALLABIES

Hockey does have a world cup, it's called the Olympics.

Definately hockey the speed and flow of the game prevents boredom and maintains tension.

Baseball

When did they start tracking saves?

[QUOTE]Here are your most honed athletes. [QUOTE]
Not sure what you mean by honed. Basketball guys are leaner, football guys stronger and hockey guys are tougher.

As far as "enforcers", what are savers, middle relievers, pinch hitters and the DH?

Football, playoff hockey and college hoops

-Jeff

Hockey, always. Played it, watched it, and loved it. I am Canadian, though..

To me, Baseball - then College Basketball (mens and womens)

I love it all. Can't stand the NBA (whining pussies) but love college Basketball (they just nail the pussy). Love baseball (its a thinking sport--if you don't get it, you may be impatient or may not think). Football is king, hockey is great but much better in person than on TV -- and i'm gonna say that hockey will benefit more than any other sport from HDTV, cause it fucking BLOWS on tv compared to in person. Thank god for sports.
Fuck pro bball. Just my opinion.
Cheese

If Hockey wants to do better, it needs to do two things.

1) Widen the TV shots. The players look smaller and the puck might be harder to see, which leads to...

2) BRING BACK THE GLOWING PUCK. That was one of the BEST inventions in TV sports. That 1st down line is nice for football, that K-Zone for baseball is a nice little gadget, that...ok, basketball has nothing, maybe the floor cam but that's useless...Anyways, that little glowing puck Fox created was the best invention for TV sports, and one of the best things for Hockey in a long time. Screw the cost, this is the biggest key to gaining new fans for the NHL.