ESPN Rates Baseball as the 9th Most Difficult Sport

[Justin_Case]

As I'm sure most of you know, ESPN has been comparing sports and athletes. ESPN just came out with their highly scientific (seriously it was) study using sports scientists, athletes, Journalists etc.

Boxing was rated the most difficult sport based on the categories of:
ENDURANCE; STRENGTH; POWER; SPEED; AGILITY: FLEXIBILITY;
NERVE; DURABILITY; HAND-EYE COORDINATION:
ANALYTIC APTITUDE:

Overall I agree with most of the list, Basketball may be a little high.

What do you think?

Check out the article at:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills

[Amazinz]

They have Badminton ranked 30.

[Slow Pitch]

Since when is Roller Skating a sport

No way is roller skating more difficult than Equestrain or Billiards.


Golf is 51st!!! Behind such difficult sports as Water Skiing!!

This looks to be a joke to be me....look at some of the sports.

[Transmogrifier]

I think this is silly. I'm a highly coordinated guy, and if I lifted weights enough and practiced enough, I could do boxing well--I'm not saying world class, but well. You can't do that with baseball.

[Justin_Case]

I'm assuming for all of these sports they are only looking at professional levels. The pro badminton people can hit it like 100MPH.

I think Golf should be higher, there's a lot of flexibility and balance involved. Even more so than strength.[/quote]

[Nomar4prez]

I think this is silly. I'm a highly coordinated guy, and if I lifted weights enough and practiced enough, I could do boxing well--I'm not saying world class, but well. You can't do that with baseball.

Take a Mike Tyson uppercut, then tell me if boxing is easy. It's not just about talent, but about guts, and determination. I don't agree with the list, but boxing has to be in the top 3.

[afromangettindrunk]

it isnt ranking the sports based upon the difficulty in excelling at it...but rather, on the physical demands and fitness levels demanded.

otherwise golf and billiards would be top 5ish material haha.

[Transmogrifier]

I think this is silly. I'm a highly coordinated guy, and if I lifted weights enough and practiced enough, I could do boxing well--I'm not saying world class, but well. You can't do that with baseball.

Take a Mike Tyson uppercut, then tell me if boxing is easy. It's not just about talent, but about guts, and determination. I don't agree with the list, but boxing has to be in the top 3.

Good point. But guts wasn't a variable. It was all about athletic skill.

But, I should, I guess, correct myself after looking over the variables.

All of the variables measure one thing -- athleticism. IN that sense, boxing is more athletic than baseball. Take John Kruk, for example.

The thread title is misleading--this does not mean that boxing is the hardest sport to do well. It just takes the most athleticism, according to this panel, and I might agree with that.

[Nomar4prez]

Actually "guts" was a variable, but it was labeled "nerve."

[Amazinz]

I'm assuming for all of these sports they are only looking at professional levels. The pro badminton people can hit it like 100MPH.

I think Golf should be higher, there's a lot of flexibility and balance involved. Even more so than strength.

[/quote]

There is a pro badminton league? I missed my calling.