Grondar

A few months ago I would have argued soccer, but lately I noticed that when the ball isn't on their end, they stand around a bit, so that has swayed me from soccer a little..

There are a lot of good arguments for football, but the fact that a player is only on the field "half" of the time makes me reluctant to give it to football right away. I think 2-way college players, like Chris Gamble, are very high on the list, but once they enter the NFL they generally play either offense or defense.

A catcher in baseball is an incredibly tough position. They need brains (call signs, work with pitcher, etc.) strength (squatting for about an hour and a half every game), and also have to be reasonable hitters, although they are valued for their defense and game management more than they are their hitting.

Boxers are also high, as they are pretty impressive in all categories except brains IMO. I am not saying they are dumb and don't think a lot, but compared to other sports, I am under the impression that they think less, and instead rely on physical skills, endurance, and training, but don't necessarily think on the spot as much.

Adding thinking/brains into the equation really makes it a difficult decision, because it seems many of the sports that rely on strength and agility, may not necessarily include brains also.

Having just read a well-written aritcle about catchers in Major League Baseball, I am going to select them. I would have never considered them prior to reading the article, but after reading it and thinking about it, they really are the most "complete" baseball player IMO. And given the fact that they do so much defensively and also are expected to hold their own offensively, I consider them to be up there with other positions in other sports in the "complete athlete" race.

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sailor

I dont believe that. Think about cycling. Try riding 130 miles at 25-30 mph over a 5 hour time period. Somehow I doubt a guy who rides a motor-powered bike could handle that.

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snoop

Aussie rules football, hands down!!

S

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KWSN

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.

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highthief

As an overall athlete, obviously guys like Decatheletes and Triathletes are capable of mastering many sports and competing in them at very high levels.

But I think the sport you need the most god given ability to be successful at is boxing: speed, strength, endurance, durability, reflexes, intelligence (not school taught but ring generalship), will power - you need it all in spades to be a great boxer.

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Quadraton

I think this is really a relative question. You could make an argument that most sports are the toughest to play, and it's true that most sports do require talent, skill, and practice. However, I think most people are going to call the sport of their choice, rather than the sport they think is the toughest, mostly because they have little interest in other sports, nor have they ever played any of them.

With that said, hockey is definitely the toughest sport out there. You have a 200'x85' ice surface, 12 guys, and one little eensy-weensy puck that you have to control with a stick. There are 6 positions to play, and each position has its chunk of ice to guard, but there are many cases when you must take a risk and venture outside of your territory. On top of that, you're on skates, which isn't natural for most people, and requires a hell of a lot more effort to move than running does. It has strategies (i.e. breakout plays, scoring plays, etc...), and unless you want to make your stay in the game a short one, you had better use your head.

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KWSN

Agreed, and Hockey is really the only sport where you have to be able to do EVERYTHING. Every defensemen has to be able to think like a forward from time to time and vice versa. The centers (at least the good ones) have to do both all the time. Defensemen even have to think like the goalie in that they have to stay out of his way and also cut off guys' lanes. And in hockey you also have to be REALLY tough, tough as any football player, easily. I remember hearing a story about Brent Gilchrist, where he was playing during the Stanley Cup Finals i think the year the Wings faced the Caps, and his groin was literally seperating from the bone. Between periods he had to go in and get pins literally jammed in to hold it in place... and he STILL PLAYED. That is fucking tough right there. Also, football is a lot more forgiving to the players. You get to stop all the damn time, plays only last for like 30 seconds apiece if that. And when your side isnt on the field, you get a looong break. Hockey the shifts can go on for several minutes and you're ALWAYS moving.... if you're not you just get burned. When your line goes off, it's always nice, but it's never for very long.

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powerclown

I would also vote Triathlete:
swim 1 mile
bike 62 miles
run 26 miles

...consecutively, on the same day.

nein991

Without a doubt amature wrestling. My son wrestles on Junior High in school. To
wrestle and be succesful at the state level
it takes a lot of hard work and discipline.
Wrestling is like a chess match where have to be able to attack and defend against your opponets every move.

sailor

I too am gonna have to go with tri, especially of the Ironman variety. Its even worse; Swim 2.5 miles, bike 112, run 26. Utter madness, you have to be a masochist to even start one of those things, much less finish it.

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--Plato

siddhartha

I say this as a rugby player for thirteen years, my vote would have to go to hockey, rugby, or water polo. I can see arguments though, for a fair number of other sports. Just be glad that you can get out there and do something.

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SuperJay

Any sport that involves swimming would have to be up there, so triathlon of course and water polo.

I would have to say though, that in the last 10 years the level of athletes in all sports has become better. Remember the over weight baseball players and slow moving hockey players. Not to mention all the really bad linebackers who could barely stand up for 4 downs without needing oxygen. Athletes have started to improve overall physically and I think it is starting to show with better sports and more challenging match ups.

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splck

I dunno man, baseball players sorta sit around alot and when they do have to run it's only for a short burst and that's it. Much the same for football. Sit around and run for 10 seconds. I can't see how that would qualify one as the toughest sport out there.

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nice line eh?

Scipio

I'd say MLB or hockey. Triathlon is all pure athletics, not skill. Sure, race car drivers have to be in shape, but it's nothing like the NFL. If you go back and read the first post, you have to go for something well rounded.

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BigGov

Race car drivers don't have to be in shape, but they have to pay attention to every detail and push their vehicles just to that limit. If they don't, they lose, if they go beyond they could die. http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...threadid=60295 check that thread for reference.

Baseball isn't even close. Besides hitting, which is extremely difficult, the running isn't that difficult, the catching isn't that difficult unless you're going for a catch only pros make on a regular basis, and the running is far less than that of other sports.

I think a triathlete should be disqualified just because it's just mindless competition. There's no strategy, it's just go out and swim, go out and ride a bike, go out and run. A race car driver on the other hand posesses a lot of skill and uses a lot of strategy, especially in compairison to a triathlete.

Hockey is still top in my opinion. First of all it's on skates, which is difficult enough for some people. Then throw in controlling a puck in traffic and it becomes much more difficult. Throw in the pure physical contact and the different strategies and positioning and the skill required of the goalies and it has to be number one.

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Nocturnal

A midfielder in the Australian Football League has to have power, speed and endurance (runs the equivalent of a 1/2 marathon each game) and also plays full contact without any pads. You need to be a good athlete to be able to do that in my books.

Jackebear

Hockey for sure.

How about cycling?? Go for 6 Lance!!!!!!!

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oberon04

Here is on that hasn't been mentioned but should be near the top: Downhill Ski Racing
Most of the racers have each course memorized when they start, and thay still have to remain focused throughout the race.
You need to be ripped to flex the skis that the World Cup athletes uses, not your ordinary everyday ski.
It takes alot of agility and coordination to manuever around slalom and GS gates.
Speed: 80 mph on ice with very little protection, thats just insane.

Ohh and skiers have won the last two competitions in which athletes of various sports face off against one another in various agitility, speed and coordination competitions.

almostaugust

Id say Aussie Rules Football or Soccer.

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Keedo

Middle linebacker