Sports fans have debated this topic for years.
There has never been a conclusion to this argument and probably never will.
It is difficult to provide facts as oppose to personal opinion. Every sport or all athletic competition requires a different skill set.
I have been an athlete for the majority of my life and as I kid, I played soccer in grade school. I had fun playing, but like most Americans it didn’t appeal to me as much as Football, Basketball and Baseball did.
I can recall spending some time in Germany and watching several soccer matches, it was then that I gained a strong appreciation for the sport. It was then that I learned the term American football.
I can say the same for the sport of Hockey.
Hockey isn’t played in the inner cities due to economics, the cost of equipment, getting to and from the arena, the specialized coaching, etc. There are a tremendous amount of foreign players and the American players are from the northeast, Northern Midwest or the state of Colorado.
I’ll even go as far as to say that a large number of American hockey players live in or near the cities of the “Original Six.”
I love the competitiveness of the athletes in the sport and the fierce battles that happen on the ice.
The heightened intensity of the playoffs is outstanding. The majority of the players are good guys, great athletes and solid citizens that aren’t portrayed negatively in the media.
Their skill level, as high as it is, doesn’t necessarily translate to being able to have success at sports other than hockey.
To find an answer to this age old question and come to a conclusion: we need to look at it in more than one-way.
The Most Physically Demanding Sports
1) Football
2) Boxing
3)Today's Must Reads
4) Basketball
5) Soccer / Cycling
The list above shows which sports require not only a high level of conditioning, endurance, athleticism and skill but also ones where an athlete’s body has to dish out as well as take a beating.
The top four are the epitome of competition you want to accomplish a certain goal and someone is right there to stop you. These sports represent the best pound-for-pound athletes.
The above-mentioned sports also have athletes whose skill level will allow them to make a smooth transition to other sports. Several top basketball players have outstanding footwork due to playing soccer earlier in life.
Athletes like Hakeem Olajuwon & Steve Nash come to mind.
The sports listed one through four also represents the sports that require the most mental toughness as well. The skill to disregard what has happened in the past and to live in the moment and to accomplish the task at hand with a sense of urgency.
Baseball, Tennis and Golf are sports that require a great deal of hand and eye coordination and mental toughness, but don’t translate well to the more physically demanding sports mentioned above. Some might even assume that baseball needs to be on the above list.
The fact of the matter is if I was a baseball player it probably would be there.
Despite the fact that several athletes that play football, basketball and soccer more than likely played baseball as a youth. Sports helps in the development of a child, teaches teamwork, camaraderie, sharing, working in a group setting to accomplish a common goal.
I feel that the sport that has the best athletes is Football— American Football.
I have a great deal of respect for Boxing, Cycling and soccer, and the skill and athleticism it takes to participate in these sports. I’ve also taken into account that there are no timeouts in these sports and that you are in constant motion which is impressive.
Equally impressive is the sport of boxing and the eye and hand coordination, skills, endurance, intestinal fortitude, mental toughness necessary to be a pugilist. It is a demanding individual sport that you have to be a little crazy to compete in.
That can be said for other sports like football and hockey as well.
However, soccer doesn’t provide the trench warfare in a confined area that football does. It doesn’t provide the combination that the word athlete describes a person trained to in exercises or games requiring strength and skills.
Soccer is the most popular sport, in every country except the USA.
Which leads me to several unanswered questions.
Why is men’s soccer in the US, always handily beaten by other countries?
Why isn’t Mexico a world power in the sport of soccer?
One has to wonder how great of a nation of soccer players America would be if our best athletes played soccer.
Take a moment and imagine if you will, LeBron, Kobe, LaDainian Tomlinson, Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Hakeem Olajuwon, Christian Okoye all playing soccer for the US National team in their prime.
It was a nice thought while it lasted, but the reality is that it wouldn’t happen.
Kids growing up in the America play soccer and have some love for the sport, but the lure of money and success as well as everything that comes with it and the love for football, basketball and baseball is stronger.
Kids realize that if they can master the skills of these sports at an early age, have some success and acquire the necessary coaching that will allow them to get better and separate them from their peers.
There is a chance that they can play in the big leagues and financially make enough money to take care of their families as well as themselves.
Economics definitely play a role; this not to say that a kid can’t be a successful soccer player or Boxer and financially take care of their families, because they can.
But the chances of having success and the opportunities on and off the field or court are greater in football, basketball and baseball in the USA.
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2 months ago
Jeff, from looking at your picture you look like any fat and out shape American Football and that other American sport, Boreball player. You're a moron. Soccer is the most demanding sport there is.Now go and eat more food.
from 2 months ago
Interesting take blind man. I'm 175 lbs. with a 31" waist and in better shape then you've been in entire life. You need to read the article oh but you just like to look at the pictures apparently that is too tough for you. The commenting Jeff has had too much Martell and not enough common sense. Save your takes for someone who cares weakling!
You might want to read the article again soccer fan your sport got their props but until soccer becomes as physical as football the take remains the same, you can continue to run around in your tight little shorts and bad attitude and pretend to be someone playing a game that is relevent. There is more to demanding the constantly running genius. Perhaps one day you'll learn until then go outside and play with the rest of the children.
from 2 months ago
Yeah I agree with Jeff (author) here, football is an extremely demanding sport and the opinion either way on the football/american football depends on your perspective. If you watch more football than american football then you will think that football is more demanding and vice-versa. By the way, is it just me or does that guy in Jeff (Little)'s picture look kind of like Zach Crockett?
Also, imagining the dream or Okoye playing soccer is flat out hilarious. Olajuwon was too tall and gangly to succeed in soccer and Okoye was always more of a bruiser than a speedster.
Good article other than that.
~Max
from 2 months ago
Max,
Thanks for the comments, compliments and feedback. To answer your question that is Zach Crockett. The article is of course my opinion and everyone has one. The real funny thing is Hakeem Olajuwon played soccer all his life in Nigeria and didn't start playing basketball until he came to the US. Christian Okoye, also from Nigeria played soccer and excelled at track and field, his track speed was unusual for a guy his size.
2 months ago
all
2 months ago
Ok I have one point to make to Jeff. Once your sport stops flopping and being babies all the time to the refs, it is only good to be on the most physically demanding sports list as high as number 3.
from 2 months ago
Thanks for the comments and feedback, Jordan. I didn't know hockey was my sport because I enjoyed but I'll play the last time I checked hockey is a very demanding sport and I've yet to see anyone flopping, nor have I seen a large amount of hockey players being babies all the time to the refs.
It sounds like you're referring to basketball and if you are it is #4 and not #3.
2 months ago
offensive.
American football is not even close to being the most physically demanding sport ... not even on YOUR list.
What is this snap the ball, run 4-8 yards, fall down, sit there like you're exhausted, get helped up, mosey back to huddle, come out for passing down, thing anyway.
You just took over 5 minutes of my life for a 5 yard gain, you're coming out for an extras End and now I gotta watch the SAME beer commercial again.
Your list is upside down or something, Right ? When you say "football" you mean running backs like your picture right ? Maybe a linebacker right ?
You surely aren't talking about a Guard or DT that has to come out on passing/running plays or a spindlely WR with soft hand, eh ?
LAX and Rugby my man, only a few of your precious, padded and pumped American footballers could or would play.
1 Rugby
2 LAX
3 Basketball
4 Ice Hockey
5 Field Hockey
Take note that WOMEN play this list proficiently, violence and with grace.
from 2 months ago
Thanks for the comments and feedback, LJ.
I am at a loss I find it hard to believe that what was written was offensive perhaps you could explain that one to me. I would also like to know how someone who states that Art Donovan owes you money for his wedding, could have such a hatred for the game of football, seeing as this is totally different take from the guy who stated he was a Baltimore Colts guy?
Everyone is entitled to thier own opinion and if someone disagrees with mine thats cool. In regards to your list Rugby is a demanding sport although not the most popular sport. A number of sports are descendants of a common form of Rugby. I'll give you that, but just because they're playing their sport without pads doesn't make it the most demanding in my book. That is your opinion and you're entitled to it. It does deserve to be on the list. LAX is a demanding sport it is a full contact team sport but again not the most popular, and yes there've been NFL players that have played both. Jim Brown comes to mind. As far as, #4 & #5 wouldn't it make sense to just say hockey and refer to both?
Oh and I'm waiting to see these WOMEN you speak of take the field in a high level American Football game and then we can find out how much violence and grace there is. You have the topic Perhaps you should write a story about Rugby & LAX.
2 months ago
I obviously out of sorts when I wrote that. I haven't made that many bad key strokes in years.
You're right. No offense but you've misunderstood or misread one or two of my points, i.e. the women comment, as I may have yours, i.e. no mention of "popular" sports.
Physically it takes around 30 minutes to play an entire game of American Football. Not much physical demand there.
And yes, I'm still pissed that the Colts moved and I'm pissed that American Football is perceived as a better game than Baseball. It's a long standing, never ending grudge I guess.
Although I must say that American Football players in Artie Donovan's day WERE true athletes compared to the girls that play the game today.
But ... I didn't think this was about "popular" demanding sports ... am I wrong ? I don't see any mention of "popular" in the original although I do see a mention of "inner cities" in your reply which may infer that in some vague manner. I assumed your "Best Athletes" debate included ALL sports not just what we get to see on TV.
And when you say LAX isn't popular you need to define "popular" ... we've got 17 junior teams, a high school team and a college team that's always in the hunt for a division III championship. Oh, and John Hopkins is right across the Bay. In my world LAX is number one. I had no idea it wasn't popular worldwide.
As far as #'s 4 and 5 ... I can not believe that a sportsman such as yourself would view Ice Hockey and Field Hockey as one in the same. Make that comment to a Field or Ice Hockey player and you better step back and by the next 5 rounds 'cause you gonna be there all night. You tip your hand there as an NFL xenophobe.
I offer your "inner city" and "popular" reference as evidence.
Ice Hockey is currently available in any city, town or village that can freeze water and has a Ice Skating Club. As an example, inner city Baltimore has a number of facilities and my rural county of 12,000 has one. My boy had the same opportunity here as any inner city kid has in Pig Town or Hollins Market, inner city, Baltimore. It does require supervision, a unique playing field and specialized equipment, also which is available at no charge at the club level.
However ... Field Hockey, like Soccer can be played on any empty space in various spaces. other than a curved stick there is little if any equipment and supervision required. That makes it available to anyone in the world, any place in the world. Unlike Soccer it is a contact sport pitting strength vs strength and endurance.
Both sports are readily available to the "inner city".
Women excel at all of the sports that I listed and can cross gender lines on short handed teams with ease.
Although there are Women's American Football leagues the play is very strange and without grace.
We have a county athletics field here and when I see young people playing pick up games there on the weekends I see men and women, girls and boys playing on the same pick up teams together. I see LAX teams, Field Hockey teams, Soccer teams ... all mixed gender, all playing hard with their own level of subdued violence and grace for 60 minutes straight.
You make the point well ... you can't have that with American Football.
There are a lot more sports out there than we see on TV Jeff and a great number of them are far more demanding than a 5 minute "situational linebacker" or a "nickle back" could handle for 60 minutes.
In closing ... what kind of LAX story would you like ? The season doesn't start for another couple of months. I don't want re-hash to the Syracuse vs Hopkins final ... too much pain.
Perhaps a retrospective on the Gaits brothers ?
p.s. My favorite American Football game from history? Boise State vs Oklahoma downloaded from iTunes. 28 minutes, yah ... 28 minutes to watch an entire football game, every snap from coin toss to final gun. No timeouts, no commentary, no interviews, no commercials, no nothing, just snap-whistle, snap-whistle, snap-whistle. It took TV 4 hours to show 28 minutes of Football.
That's the way to watch American Football.
from 2 months ago
Wow L.J. where do I start ... Obviously the article was written weighing in the age old question. It was based on my opinion at the time. Lacrosse, Ice Hockey and Field Hockey are all physically demanding sports, no doubt about it. I chose not to include them due to a my selecting a list of 5 as oppose to the my original thought of 15, my mistake. All three could've and probably should've been included.
I realize that there is a difference between Field Hockey and Ice Hockey but when discussing the sport it is difficult to argue that although different the sport is still Hockey. This is not a slight or a way of downgrading either version.
Contrary to popular belief I've attended a few Lacrosse matches. I'm a sports fan that truly enjoys athletic competition. There is a Los Angeles Lacrosse League, There is a greater Los Angeles Chapter of US Lacrosse, There is also professional Lacrosse with the Los Angeles Riptide, There is also the Powell Lacrosse camps named after you guessed it 2-time MLL MVP Ryan Powell.
MLL began playing thier regular season in 2001, the league was founded by Jake Steinfeld, Dave Morrow and Tim Robertson in 1999. Steinfeld is well-known for creating the "Body By Jake" line of exercise equipment and videos. Morrow is a former All-American lacrosse player and the president of Warrior Lacrosse.
I am aware of it's existence and as stated I've watched games I just don't feel that it is as popular as the other sports on TV or off and this again isn't a slight against the sport at all. As you know, when sports are discussed in the USA we discuss the Big Four NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL.
Mentioning more infor you already know but relevant at this time - When you go to any Sports site, Print publication (i.e. Newspaper, magazine) the sports listed NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, Nascar, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MMA and then More. The majority of the sports mentioned will be in this section.
When it comes to the majority of the sports you mentioned these are all specialized sports meaning that every kid isn't exposed to all of these sports at an early age. This is a problem but also a reality.
I have played and watched several American Football games and it took longer than 30 minutes to play and watch the games. I have watched several games the same way you mentioned to able to discuss the game with others later. I like watching games that way but it different and far more physical than you give it credit for but that is your opinion and everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Oh and I have to mention that my comments were not a slight toward women in any way shape or form either. I love seeing women participating in any sport.
In closing, the reason for mentioning that you should write a Lacrosse or Rugby article is that this is a large community and there could be readers out there that have been searching for articles about their sports on the web and upset that they haven't found them. You could provide that. It could also help to inform other who know nothing about those sports to learn more. I love sports and I have no problem learning more about all sports and I'll read the articles as well. I know for a fact that they'd be informative.
Thanks for the feedback and your take on the sports discussed and making a strong case as to why I should've included them.
2 months ago
Cool. I'm good.
Listen ... a man died today ... a sportsman.
I just posted my version of his obituary on my profile.
If you could just take a look and drop a note on his behalf I'd appreciate it.
from 2 months ago
L.J.
This was a terrible tragedy. I commented on the article. I'm truly saddened by the event. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.
2 months ago
You guys need to read "The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner". That could be the most demanding sport. I agree about Rugby. I played one time in the 60s and I'm still hurting.
About the only demanding one you can do in old age is swimming.
A man from Toledo once told me that playing cards was the most dangerous sport. Can get you killed.
from 2 months ago
I'll have to read "The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner". The man from Toledo was right, by the way. Thanks for stopping by.
2 months ago
You are a first class writer Jeff. Really enjoy your work. I keep you in my favorites.
from 2 months ago
I'm honored to read that and I'll work hard to remain there. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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