I think we need to find out which sport has the oldest 1st time world champions (on average). That way we can presume that that sport takes the most practice to excel at it and is therefore the most difficult to become number 1 in.
Most popular sports are straight out of the window since so many world champions become champions in their early 20’s or even younger in some cases.
I love how people rag on baseball… if you think you could take steroids and be able to hit a baseball you are fooling yourself. also, every sport has bad drug abuse, MLB is one of the few that aggressively tests the players.
Snooker.
[quote]malonetd wrote:
stokedporcupine8 wrote:
malonetd wrote:
LOL@ all the people calling golf not a sport. I’d love to hear your definition of a sport. And yes, I’ve heard them all before and they’ve all been torn apart.
LOL@ stokedporcupine for bringing math and probability into this discussion.
I’m not bringing probability into the discussion, I’m bringing common sense into it. Almost everyone in this thread is talking about anything BUT what sport it is the hardest to become the best in.
Some people are talking about which sport is the hardest to play, some people are talking about which sport is the hardest to rate who’s the best in, some people are having an overall “my sport is more badass then your sport” argument, etc.
Most of you guys are also confusing how hard a sport potentially is with how high the actual skill players of the game have. I’ll given an example. Say that it’s really really hard to hit a baseball which is thrown at 90 mph… this doesn’t mean that there’s something intrinsically hard about hitting a baseball, it just means that the current level in skill in baseball is really high.
If there were only a hand full of people playing baseball as a hobby the fastest pitches might only be 50 mph, and in that case hitting a baseball wouldn’t be hard at all.
Anyway the point is that even the skills or athleticism needed to play a sport depends largely on who’s playing, not the sport itself. Since more people playing tends to create higher standards, again even this comes down to how many people play the game.
The predominant factor at how hard it is to become the best at a sport is how many people play the sport–the more people that play the more people there are to compete against and the higher the standards of competition will be raised.
EDIT: I’m not the only one in this thread who’s made this point either.
I was LOL’ing in a good way. And I basically agree with you.[/quote]
Sorry, I thought so. My response wasn’t really meant for you, just an overall reiteration of my point.
[quote]Cockney Blue wrote:
legendaryblaze wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
Sorry dude, you lost me with this comment.
I’ll leave you to your opinion that something requiring high levels of fitness, skill, co-ordination and mental and physical fortitude is not a sport.
But before I go, I should point out that I (or anyone on this site, I would guess) could get a hell of a lot further in a triathlon than in a formula one car. I would bet that not a man here could even get an F1 car out of the pits, without multiple stalls due to the hypersensitive nature of the clutch, tyres, etc.
But put me in the water and I can swim, put me on a bike and I can cycle and I can run (with difficulty, due to flat feet, lol). Sure, I might not finish the race, but in an F1 car, you wouldn’t even be able to start the race.
Ergo, it would be much easier to compete in triathlon or ultra-endurance , than in F1. Which would be harder to become #1 in? I honestly don’t know, I’m beyond caring, haha.
BBB
High levels of fitness? No.
High level of skill? Yes.
Physical fortitude? Not really.
Mental fortitude? Negative.
You see? You are attributing my ability to drive an F1 car to skill and skill ONLY. I’m saying you can’t do an ironman because you are physically unable to and you lack the skill.
A skill is not the only determining point of what is and what isn’t a sport.
When that skill is mixed with a demanding physical effort (turning the steering and applying the cluth are not deemed difficult physical efforts ) then we’re talking about a sport.
That’s my problem with calling F1 driving a sport. I’m not saying it’s easy. Far from it.
Being able to apply the clutch properly and change gear with an F1 car is a matter of muscle memory and skill. Physical fortitude has nothing to do with it.
malonetd wrote:
legendaryblaze wrote:
malonetd wrote:
legendaryblaze wrote:
Would you consider darts a sport?
Yes
You’ll have to elaborate.
While we’re at it, do you think chess is a sport?
I think people are confusing activity with sport.
I don’t have to elaborate. I’m not making claims of what is and isn’t a sport. You asked me a simple question and I answered. And, yes, chess is a sport. So is poker, bowling, spelling bee’s, rock-paper-scissors, and competitive eating. A sport doesn’t have to be physical.
Elaborate means i would like you to define the word sport.
Did you watch the video I posted? You would not physically be able to drive an F1 car around a track. Forget the technical difficulty of controlling it, your neck muscles would not be up to it, when you hit the accelerator you would not be able to breath. When you got to a corner you would not be able to turn the wheel. It is incredibly physically demanding.[/quote]
Yes i did watch it. I saw an old man who was able to handle driving while speaking for lengthy periods of time in an F1 car.
I doubt i wouldn’t be able to handle it.
LT was definitely the greatest RB for a couple years. If he had a different QB or a different offensive line, would he still have been the best? A lot of baseball is highly independent. You can have a best hitter, a best power hitter and a best pitcher. The team around that player would not matter as much.
Look at Tony Gwynn. He was without a doubt the best hitter for average for years with a terrible group of players around him. Nolan Ryan was one of the best pitchers to ever play the game and he was on many shitty teams.
Anyone that says baseball is easy is a fool and ignorant…very very ignorant
Golf is a sport. same with formula1 and anything that takes a crap load of skill and done on a competitive level.
Ping pong, seriously. Not that i think that is the hardest sport to become #1 at, but it can’t be forgotten.
[quote]JaX Un wrote:
and anything that takes a crap load of skill and done on a competitive level.
[/quote]
Sex
[quote]Alpha F wrote:
JaX Un wrote:
and anything that takes a crap load of skill and done on a competitive level.
Sex
[/quote]
good response. Thank you for sharing an activity that is not considered a sport.
[quote]legendaryblaze wrote:
Cockney Blue wrote:
legendaryblaze wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
Sorry dude, you lost me with this comment.
I’ll leave you to your opinion that something requiring high levels of fitness, skill, co-ordination and mental and physical fortitude is not a sport.
But before I go, I should point out that I (or anyone on this site, I would guess) could get a hell of a lot further in a triathlon than in a formula one car. I would bet that not a man here could even get an F1 car out of the pits, without multiple stalls due to the hypersensitive nature of the clutch, tyres, etc.
But put me in the water and I can swim, put me on a bike and I can cycle and I can run (with difficulty, due to flat feet, lol). Sure, I might not finish the race, but in an F1 car, you wouldn’t even be able to start the race.
Ergo, it would be much easier to compete in triathlon or ultra-endurance , than in F1. Which would be harder to become #1 in? I honestly don’t know, I’m beyond caring, haha.
BBB
High levels of fitness? No.
High level of skill? Yes.
Physical fortitude? Not really.
Mental fortitude? Negative.
You see? You are attributing my ability to drive an F1 car to skill and skill ONLY. I’m saying you can’t do an ironman because you are physically unable to and you lack the skill.
A skill is not the only determining point of what is and what isn’t a sport.
When that skill is mixed with a demanding physical effort (turning the steering and applying the cluth are not deemed difficult physical efforts ) then we’re talking about a sport.
That’s my problem with calling F1 driving a sport. I’m not saying it’s easy. Far from it.
Being able to apply the clutch properly and change gear with an F1 car is a matter of muscle memory and skill. Physical fortitude has nothing to do with it.
malonetd wrote:
legendaryblaze wrote:
malonetd wrote:
legendaryblaze wrote:
Would you consider darts a sport?
Yes
You’ll have to elaborate.
While we’re at it, do you think chess is a sport?
I think people are confusing activity with sport.
I don’t have to elaborate. I’m not making claims of what is and isn’t a sport. You asked me a simple question and I answered. And, yes, chess is a sport. So is poker, bowling, spelling bee’s, rock-paper-scissors, and competitive eating. A sport doesn’t have to be physical.
Elaborate means i would like you to define the word sport.
Did you watch the video I posted? You would not physically be able to drive an F1 car around a track. Forget the technical difficulty of controlling it, your neck muscles would not be up to it, when you hit the accelerator you would not be able to breath. When you got to a corner you would not be able to turn the wheel. It is incredibly physically demanding.
Yes i did watch it. I saw an old man who was able to handle driving while speaking for lengthy periods of time in an F1 car.
I doubt i wouldn’t be able to handle it.[/quote]
That ‘old man’ is a retired F1 driver who was driving at far below race speeds.
getting away from the F1 sidetrack, I don’t think you can give 1 sport. The hardest sport for me to be #1 would be different from someone else. With my build and genetics I would never be the number 1 power lifter or sprinter but had I played from a very you age with dedication, maybe I could have been #1 in golf, or tennis or BJJ (I didn’t so who knows.)
For someone else, they might be short and stocky and suited to powerlifting. They could have a shot at powerlifting but would never be a top basketball player.
[quote]TDub301 wrote:
I second the swimming. But I’ll have you know that the NHL has it’s own minor league as does the MLS. In fact, every professional sport has it’s own version of minor leagues.
That being said, I feel like what sport is the hardest to be number 1 in depends on what sport has the greatest athlete. Every sport has it’s hard points and there is noone that can do let alone be good at every one of them.[/quote]
Well by your definition then Baseball and Football are not them because one of the greatest played both.
[quote]malonetd wrote:
And, yes, chess is a sport. So is poker, bowling, spelling bee’s, rock-paper-scissors, and competitive eating. A sport doesn’t have to be physical.[/quote]
That’s really questionable. Plenty of things will say that in order for something to be a sport it needs to be physical/athletic, and other things will say that all it needs is skill. I personally thing you need both.
Regardless, I don’t think that rock-paper-scissors has either. That’s really stretching it to say there is skill involoved in that.
[quote]JaX Un wrote:
LT was definitely the greatest RB for a couple years. If he had a different QB or a different offensive line, would he still have been the best?[/quote]
There is a big difference in being the best, and appearing to be the best. You’re focused more on who appears to be the best. Being the best is not influenced by teammates; that is just the appearance. If you are the best, you are the best regardless of who your teammates are. Some people just may not know it.
A sport can be defined as anything requiring motorskills to reach a desired goal. Darts, golf, bowling, F1, can all be considered sports even though each requires different physical and mental exertions. The hardest sport to become #1 in would have to be Supercross/Motocross. The combination of mental and physical strength, and pure skill required surpasses any other sport. What makes this sport unique is that you need a combination of everything to truly succeed, you can’t make it with just skill alone. If you only have one or two, you will never rise to be # 1. No athlete in history has been as dominant as Ricky Carmichael, ever. His win percentage surpasses that of even Tiger Woods.
Going back to the original question, I would argue that hardest sport in which to be the best must have three factors:
IMO, the two sports that best meet all three criteria are soccer and basketball.
It’s unusual enough for any one person to be skilled enough or athletically gifted enough to exist at the professional level of any sport, but it’s one-in-a-billion to be both. In soccer and basketball, there is no place at the elite levels for a relatively un-athletic “grinder”, nor for a relatively unskilled genetic freak.
If you are not a supremely gifted athlete with finely honed skills, you will be quickly unmasked at the higher levels of basketball and soccer.
Fucking posting
Because X has all us little bitches fucking pwned…
(I did not read the whole thread, this may be a repeat. I don’t give a shit.)
No, no…MY sport is the hardest to be the best at!!!111
[quote]Eielson wrote:
No, no…MY sport is the hardest to be the best at!!!111[/quote]
Another vote for masturbation?
Shit I’m with Eielson too then…
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
on edge wrote:
You guys saying sports like tennis, golf, formula one, etc are crazy. Those are sports that the best athletes don’t even try, except as hobbies. The hardest sport to be the best at would be the one that the most people do and take seriously. I think, world wide, that would be soccer.
In the US it’s probably basketball. It’s widely played and all the best athletes try it out. It’s the hardest to make to the top level. I base that statement on only 12 make an NBA roster vs over 50 for football and 25 for MLB. There’s also the genetic factor mentioned earlier. Hardwork won’t make up for being 5’8 in the NBA. David Eckstein isn’t as tall as my wife and hard work has made him a very successful shortstop.
Hmmm, ‘hobbies’ you say. I don’t think so, lol.
I don’t know if you realise, but motorsport drivers, especially formula one or 24 hour endurance drivers, have to be extremely fit. For example just a couple of weeks ago, the Porsche endurance team drivers broke the world record for the number of miles run in (I think) 48 hours.
They have to have some of the sharpest reflexes and the best vision on the planet, travelling at close to 200 mph in rain, mist, heat, etc.
A formula one race is over an hour of non-stop (well one or two short pit-stops but that’s all) concentration. Plus you have to listen to and drive to, the team orders.
Leading the race requires extreme mental fortitude, to be able to continuously push, push, push, right on the knife edge of handling and speed. Consistency is key - for over an hour, whilst slowly cooking in your fire-proof clothing, becoming more dehydrated by the minute.
One slip and you risk possibly your life, but certainly many millions of dollars worth of motorcar. Yes, you are just one man, but you represent a massive investment and a huge team of people behind you. Pressure? There’s nothing else like it, I’m sure.
The days of the ‘gentleman racer’ are long gone my friend. It’s not rich toffs, out for a caper in their latest speed machine. It’s cutting edge racing and performance and the drivers are expected to be at their peak of physical and mental conditioning.
Basketball might have more people try out for it, therefore statistically it is hard to be ‘the best’, in that sense. But to win a formula one championship is much harder IMO, due to all the extrinsic factors that make up the season.
BBB
EDIT: The question is ‘hardest sport to become #1 in’. Does basketball even have an official #1 position? I’m pretty ignorant of that game so forgive me. Formula one definitely has, and it’s not judged subjectively, but on a points system, based upon race finish positions.[/quote]
Blah blah blah. None of what you said matters. The hardest sport to be number one at is the one where there is the most competition. Period. Sure it takes great skill to race Formula One, but too few people ever try it to consider it the hardest to become number one at.
how is car racing a sport anyways, get outta here