ESPN's World Toughest Sports

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I would have added cycling ( assuming this is at the pro level in the top 5) there is almost nothing as physically demanding as the Tour.

Except when you add running and swimming to it! Personally, I think an Ironman/Triathlon is about as tough as it gets in terms of the whole package of physical and mental toughness. Having to combine three different skill sets, for such a long time, just seems brutal to me.

[Itse]

A list like this really should take into account the level of competition to reach the top level, meaning the ratio of people seriously trying to reach the top vs. the amount of people that can get there.

Because you really only need to be as good or better than the competition in your sport, no matter the sport itself.

That's why I don't agree that hockey is more difficult than soccer. Sure, you can argue that hockey is physically more demanding (for example), but you only need to be better than most other hockey players to reach the NHL, not better than most athletes in general.

By the same logic, I'd say that winning a marathon is harder than winning in triathlon, and thus marathon is actually a more demanding sport. You have to have an even more optimal combinatio of fitness, speed and analytical aptitude (pacing) to win.

I saw a list like based only on that ratio something like 10-15 years ago, and it had I think soccer and ballet at the top. (Obviously that list didn't only include sports.)

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Itse

That's why I don't agree that hockey is more difficult than soccer. Sure, you can argue that hockey is physically more demanding (for example), but you only need to be better than most other hockey players to reach the NHL, not better than most athletes in general.

Huh? Hockey players "only" have to be better than other hockey players, but soccer players have to be better than everybody? How does that work?

[Itse]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Huh? Hockey players "only" have to be better than other hockey players, but soccer players have to be better than everybody? How does that work?

Obviously it works for all sports, but there's a LOT more soccer players or soccer player wannabes in the world than in propably any other sport.

[wpgflamesfan]

Originally Posted by Itse

Obviously it works for all sports, but there's a LOT more soccer players or soccer player wannabes in the world than in propably any other sport.

There's also how many pro leagues you can play in?

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Except when you add running and swimming to it! Personally, I think an Ironman/Triathlon is about as tough as it gets in terms of the whole package of physical and mental toughness. Having to combine three different skill sets, for such a long time, just seems brutal to me.

Except the day after a triathalon you get to stay in bed as long as you like and then go out for a big pancake breakfast, the day after a 300 km stage in the tour you get to do another 300 km stage, and another, and another.

If you did 20 triathlons in one month you would be approaching the tour.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Poker didn't make the list??

[Matata]

Originally Posted by wpgflamesfan

There's also how many pro leagues you can play in?

Being the #1 soccer player would still be a greater achievement than being the best in any other sport, in terms of competitiveness.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

Except the day after a triathalon you get to stay in bed as long as you like and then go out for a big pancake breakfast, the day after a 300 km stage in the tour you get to do another 300 km stage, and another, and another.

The tour is no doubt grueling, there's no debating that, but I think that the amount of sheer pain and effort an Ironman triathlete packs into one day is the most concentrated amount of tough there is. Having to run a frickin' marathon after you just did two already grueling stints boggles my mind.

Both sports get my respect. Although with all the roidbots in professional cycling these days, much less so.

[Table 5]

Despite the crappy (and yet deserved) reputation the diving sissies give it, soccer's a pretty hard sport to play well. A good player requires pretty much every sports skill out there....stamina, technique, mental creativity, and physical skill. Mix in the fact that you're doing this on a giant field for 45 minutes at a time, it's hard to beat.

I only play pick-up soccer and am admittedly not that good, but man can it be take a lot out of me. That constant stop-and-go is the toughest part imo.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by wpgflamesfan

There's also how many pro leagues you can play in?

The NHL equivalent in soccer is, I'd say, the Champions league, which is essentially a 32 team league (although there is a 76 team qualifying phase in which the lower tier teams compete for a spot in the 32 team group stage). It's pretty much where all the best players play in and want to play in.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Table 5

The tour is no doubt grueling, there's no debating that, but I think that the amount of sheer pain and effort an Ironman triathlete packs into one day is the most concentrated amount of tough there is. Having to run a frickin' marathon after you just did two already grueling stints boggles my mind.

Both sports get my respect. Although with all the roidbots in professional cycling these days, much less so.

Roids have always been a part of the tour, as has coke, amphetimines, booze, anything to get them through the alps day in and day out.

In terms of physical endurance I don't think anything comes close, maybe the Iditarod.

[RougeUnderoos]

Funny - the toughest part about last nights' heavyweight title fight was trying to keep the spectator's awake.

Then this morning in their fancy white clothes and the Royals watching, the Wimbledon final had plenty of all those attributes listed above. They displayed a lot more toughness and everything else than the boxers.

On a related note, very few people play tennis, but it'd be a difficult argument to convince anyone that soccer is harder than tennis after watching that.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Funny - the toughest part about last nights' heavyweight title fight was trying to keep the spectator's awake.

Then this morning in their fancy white clothes and the Royals watching, the Wimbledon final had plenty of all those attributes listed above. They displayed a lot more toughness and everything else than the boxers.

On a related note, very few people play tennis, but it'd be a difficult argument to convince anyone that soccer is harder than tennis after watching that.

I play both tennis and soccer recreationally and it's not even close. Tennis takes a lot more out of me, physically and mentally for that matter. A lot of tennis is between the ears.

[Rutuu]

It will sound ridiculous, but I'd throw surfing on there. I've never tried any sport where I've tried as hard and not been able to get the rudimentary parts of the game down. Plus the fitness level needed to get out to even moderate sized waves is incredible. Throw in the danger of currents, sharp fins/boards and waves driving you into the sea floor/reef and I consider the guys that are good tough as nails and incredibly skilled. The effortlessness look of a pro hurts the tough angle, but anyone that's tried to ride a wave will be able to atest to what I'm talking about.

[bcb]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Boxing is a brutal sport. The 10 count that allows combatants to get there brains totally eff-ed... but as long as they can stand up in 10 seconds they can continue... is ruining so many peoples minds.

It needs to be reevaluated, there is nothing wrong with a guy being knocked out, and if he is done, he is done, let the ref make the call. Don't know if purists would ever allow it though.

Chess is also a brutal sport. Look what it did to Bobby Fischer's mind.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

On a related note, very few people play tennis, but it'd be a difficult argument to convince anyone that soccer is harder than tennis after watching that.

LOL, tennis is the most popular individual sport in the world

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Table 5

The tour is no doubt grueling, there's no debating that, but I think that the amount of sheer pain and effort an Ironman triathlete packs into one day is the most concentrated amount of tough there is. Having to run a frickin' marathon after you just did two already grueling stints boggles my mind.

Both sports get my respect. Although with all the roidbots in professional cycling these days, much less so.

I did the Transrockies in 08, a 7 day mountain bike stage race. One of the guys I rode with a lot was an experienced Ironman triathlete. After day 2, he had this comment: "Ironman's for (pansies)".

[Northendzone]

What no sherling or monster truck racing?

It must have been a slow sports month for them to come up with such a banal list

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Itse

LOL, tennis is the most popular individual sport in the world

LOL indeed.

Tennis is a rich man's game. Not many people play it in comparison to soccer, which is the point. The same point applies to cycling, Iron Man-ing, decathloning...

Going by your argument, that makes it (them) not as tough as soccer, and that's still wrong.