Here we go again: ESPN ranks the "toughest sports".

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: tigerbait
what a joke....rugby 13th

I played football for 8 years (offensive line) and rugby for 5 years (front row) and rugby is definitely tougher

the physical abuse plus the non-stop running without any substitutions...easily qualifies it as top 5 on any list of tough sports

I would agree, plus those Rugby guys are friggen nuts.

yeah. i forgot about rugby and the few times i got to see it on TV i was amazed.

those guys are nuts! but wow it was fun to watch!

Yep rugby is pretty manly.

 

[FrogDog]

I think many of you are missing the point of this. By 'tough' they don't mean just mentally or physically tough. They've ranked them in many categories and added all the scores up to get the total. So rugby could be the "manliest" sport in the world and still score low.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: FrogDog
I think many of you are missing the point of this. By 'tough' they don't mean just mentally or physically tough. They've ranked them in many categories and added all the scores up to get the total. So rugby could be the "manliest" sport in the world and still score low.

well put

 

[MoPHo]

I'm a rower and can tell you that it should be higher than 39th. That poll is just @ss in general, especially when fishing makes the list.

 

[NuclearNed]

They left out Men's Being Eaten by a Crocodile

 

[GoodToGo]

This list is probably dreamt by a boxer who took a few knocks on his head or had his share of steroids:roll:

Soccer as hard as baseball?? Ya right, the amount of skill, endurance is fvcking nuts. Running from one side of the field to another many times during the game is crazy. Baskbetball requires skills but not too much endurance as soccer or rugby. Also where is cricket? Thats a game that requires just about everyting (except maybe power) and it is no where on the list. Like I said, someone should lay off the pills and then think up a better list.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: tigerbait
what a joke....rugby 13th

I played football for 8 years (offensive line) and rugby for 5 years (front row) and rugby is definitely tougher

the physical abuse plus the non-stop running without any substitutions...easily qualifies it as top 5 on any list of tough sports

I would agree, plus those Rugby guys are friggen nuts.

yeah. i forgot about rugby and the few times i got to see it on TV i was amazed.

those guys are nuts! but wow it was fun to watch!

Yep rugby is pretty manly.

I played D1 college football as well as intramural rugby in college and rugby is not nearly as violent as football is. Without padding the guy doing the tackling is conscious of his own vulnerability. Since the head and shoulders are exposed tackles are made more carefully. In football with the helmet protecting the head and the shoulder pads protecting the collarbones (that's really the key, the collarbones) the entire body is a weapon. The hard plastic is used as a battering ram and players are taught to apply it to relatively unprotected areas like ribs and legs. The injury rate in football is much higher than it is in rugby. Rugby was vastly underrated in speed, flexibility and endurance though.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
"DURABILITY: The ability to withstand physical punishment over a long period of time. Example: NBA/NHL players."

Auto Racing: 4.38

The ability to sustain high G forces for hour(s) isn't durability? And it isn't very easy, most high end racers are very fit (ie: F1) It scored lower that sprint cycling! Sprint means sprint, not endurance.

Fools.

Yeah and in an F1 car during the course of one race a driver will lose about 3-4 lbs in water alone. They train for hours every day to remain in top physical shape and they test constantly between races sometimes completing 2 or 3 race distances per day. Not to mention the toxic fumes they are breathing from other cars and the physical danger involved. Man, other than boxing I don't see any sport on there where your body could be subjected to more abuse (well, maybe football).

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Lonyo
"DURABILITY: The ability to withstand physical punishment over a long period of time. Example: NBA/NHL players."

Auto Racing: 4.38

The ability to sustain high G forces for hour(s) isn't durability? And it isn't very easy, most high end racers are very fit (ie: F1) It scored lower that sprint cycling! Sprint means sprint, not endurance.

Fools.

Yeah and in an F1 car during the course of one race a driver will lose about 3-4 lbs in water alone. They train for hours every day to remain in top physical shape and they test constantly between races sometimes completing 2 or 3 race distances per day. Not to mention the toxic fumes they are breathing from other cars and the physical danger involved. Man, other than boxing I don't see any sport on there where your body could be subjected to more abuse (well, maybe football).

Try playing rugby for more than 10 seconds.

 

[cyclistca]

I would put Nordic skiing a lot higher. Certainly higher then Alpine skiing.

I think ice hockey is right up there.

Baseball should be a lot lower.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: cyclistca
I would put Nordic skiing a lot higher. Certainly higher then Alpine skiing.

I think ice hockey is right up there.

Baseball should be a lot lower.

No doubt, beyond catching up with a 100mph fastball, baseball doesn't have a lot that puts it near the top of sports that requires elite athleticism...

 

[Saulbadguy]

haha...I always knew water polo was tougher than auto racing

 

[rudder]

How the hell did badminton make the list?

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: tigerbait
what a joke....rugby 13th

I played football for 8 years (offensive line) and rugby for 5 years (front row) and rugby is definitely tougher

the physical abuse plus the non-stop running without any substitutions...easily qualifies it as top 5 on any list of tough sports

I would agree, plus those Rugby guys are friggen nuts.

yeah. i forgot about rugby and the few times i got to see it on TV i was amazed.

those guys are nuts! but wow it was fun to watch!

Yep rugby is pretty manly.

I played D1 college football as well as intramural rugby in college and rugby is not nearly as violent as football is. Without padding the guy doing the tackling is conscious of his own vulnerability. Since the head and shoulders are exposed tackles are made more carefully. In football with the helmet protecting the head and the shoulder pads protecting the collarbones (that's really the key, the collarbones) the entire body is a weapon. The hard plastic is used as a battering ram and players are taught to apply it to relatively unprotected areas like ribs and legs. The injury rate in football is much higher than it is in rugby. Rugby was vastly underrated in speed, flexibility and endurance though.

I have to agree with you on this aspect. Tackling is where the big distinction is made. Some of the shots those linebackers and cornerbacks get when they line up a receiver are ridiculous(I know people who have been on either side of the hit). That's what I don't like about the game anymore, is that coaches are telling kids to use their heads and put them through a man. And when a 180-220lb guy who runs a 4.1-4.4 40 lines you up, you're not getting up without feeling it.

My Physics teacher (a former D1 player) has shown me tape and told me stories about the games he played in. He played Free Safety at 218lbs running a 4.3 40, maxing out at a ~430lb bench, being able to put up 225lbs 40times, and was an absolute monster of a man (still is). He'd tell me stories about how he'd hear the crack as he put his shoulder through a guys ribs, and hear the air escape out of the guys lungs. He also told me how bad he felt after he "cut" a guy when he was making a tackle. Completely tore the guys ACL, MCL and Meniscus, and managed to break his kneecap in the process. That guy never played college football again.

But I have to say this, Rugby players are absolutely fvcking nuts, and it is a hell of a sport. You have to be a hell of an athlete to be good at it. Should definitely be in the top 5, along with wrestling (another insanely difficult sport), hockey, boxing, and football.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy
haha...I always knew water polo was tougher than auto racing

Have you ever played? Try swimming with a 200lb professional wrestler on your back who is trying to drown you!

 

[tigerbait]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt


I played D1 college football as well as intramural rugby in college and rugby is not nearly as violent as football is. Without padding the guy doing the tackling is conscious of his own vulnerability. Since the head and shoulders are exposed tackles are made more carefully. In football with the helmet protecting the head and the shoulder pads protecting the collarbones (that's really the key, the collarbones) the entire body is a weapon. The hard plastic is used as a battering ram and players are taught to apply it to relatively unprotected areas like ribs and legs. The injury rate in football is much higher than it is in rugby. Rugby was vastly underrated in speed, flexibility and endurance though.

I agree with you. Football definitely has more viscious hits, and because of that, you see more serious injuries.

But I think rugby on the whole is tougher to play because of the extra endurance required. Ball out to the wing, chase it, ruck, ball hands across to the outer wing, chase, ruck, stupid back knocks it on, scrum, 8 man knocks it on, scrum. That's a hell of a sequence.

Another thing you'll never experience in football is being on the bottom of a ruck watching a boot loaded with metal studs coming straight for your head. :evil:

 

[guapo337]

That listed sucked. Soccer should be higher, as should sprint and distance swimming.

 

[Adul]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It can be hard to compare sports, but nobody would call bowling tough. Bowling is THE EASIEST sport on the planet. The fact that the pros (and I use that term so bloody loosly, since the pros are generally chubby men in sweat pants with chronic masturbation issues) can't even get all pins down every time is a tribute to the stupidity of those who play at the top tiers of the "sport". I'm convinced that a real athlete with about 15 hours training could get each and every pin down every damn time

it is not that easy to knock all those pins down. It not all about power. You need to get the pins at the proper angel, take account for the lane conditions, traction you get with the ball, the way the pins are setup and set. A slight variance in anything could mean you miss a pin. And being consitant is tough.

 

[Chumpman]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
baseball above soccer? HAH

indeed ...

 

[MrDingleDangle]

Originally posted by: rh71
ironically my buddy owns hockeyfights.com

how is this ironic at all?

 

[Anubis]

WTF soccer is derfinitly harder then baseball and tennis and gymnastics also

 

[Apathetic]

Since when is skateboarding more demanding than swimming?

Dave

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Fausto
I dare you people to tell this guy that cycling is for wussies.

I looked up some other pictures of him. My god he has some huge legs! he also looks a little scarry =)

Match sprinters are definitely kinda whacko. They're all humongous guys with gladiator attitudes.

he had one interview about the beard.

The Beard.

Hilarious.

he was asked why he shaves his legs but not his beard. his reply was "i like how they feel in bed" bwhahaha

It actually does feel pretty nice. Freshly shaved legs + nice cool cotton sheets = :Q

 

[lobadobadingdong]

I can't believe pro-fishing is set as the lowest. it takes years of biologicle study, tedious training, extremely good boat driving skills (to avoid the occassional moron on a jet-ski, and to handle rough water), sight, and motor skills. It's not the toughest on your short bursts of energy like hockey or football, but a 4-day tourny in rough weather will beat the sh!t out of you like nothing else. (imagine sitting in a poorly coushioned chair free falling 5-6ft on a concrete floor repeatedly for 3-4 hours a day) pro-golf should be at the bottom of the list, at worst you pull a shoulder/back muscle.

I used to play football, baseball, and ran cross country in high school, and gorilla basketball with friends during the summer, and occasionally played golf on the weekends. None of these where as tough as fishing a 1-day bass tournament. (I fished in the pro-am division of anglers choice while in college)

 

[xenocyd3]

i think baseball is the toughest... do you think getting hit in the balls with a baseball doesnt hurt?