USA Todays Top Ten "Hardest Things to do in Sports"

[Fritz]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ten-hardest-splash.htm

1.) Hitting a baseball
2.) Race car driving
3.) Pole Vaulting
4.) Hitting a long straight tee shot
5.) Returning a serve
6.) Landing a quad
7.) Running a marathon
8.) Tour de France
9.) Saving a penalty kick
10.) The Downhill

[rkmsuf]

I don't see how hitting a baseball is #1...if you are just talking about doing it, not necessarily well, anyone can stick the bat out there and make contact...

[vex]

7.) Running a marathon
8.) Tour de France
9.) Saving a penalty kick


These 3 should be WAY up there.

[vex]

5.) Returning a serve


And is this at 10 or 110 MPH?

[rkmsuf]

saving a penalty kick should not be on this list...

[vex]

Originally posted by rkmsuf
saving a penalty kick should not be on this list...

You ever tried it? Probably one of the hardest things to do.

[rkmsuf]

I guess what takes away from it for me is that it appears to be blind luck. The goalie basically guesses a side and hopes that the guy kicks it that way. There no great skill to it as far as I can see.

Oh course it's hard but guessing is too much a part of it...

[Honolulu_Blue]

Running a marathon should not be on that list either. It's not that it aint hard, but I know a ton of people who have done it. A ton! High jumping has to be harder than that. Or any of that gymnastic stuff. Balance beam, those rings. Those rings. Thos rings that hang from ropes and people swing around while holding on to them. That looks near impossible. The parrallel bars. Pomel horse. All that stuff has to be harder to do and do well than running a marathon.

[vex]

Originally posted by Honolulu_Blue
Running a marathon should not be on that list either. It's not that it aint hard, but I know a ton of people who have done it.

They should have said, a top 10 finish in a marathon.

[Fritz]

whenever I see "one trick" athletes, even very good ones, I think about the difficulty of a decathalon.

[stkelly52]

Finishing a marathon may be a great achievement, but my grand father just did it last year.

The Iron Cross (on the rings) vastly out classes most of the things on this list.

[Alf]

2.) Race car driving

Shouldn't even be on the list

[Coffee Warlord]

Here's my top three.

1) Tour de France
2) Triathalon
3) Distance swimming

Notice a trend? Having both the physical and mental stamina to successfully compete in any of those three has gotta be the hardest thing to do in sports.

A lot of those other ones listed rely on more than a little luck.

[Samdari]

Originally posted by rkmsuf
I don't see how hitting a baseball is #1...if you are just talking about doing it, not necessarily well, anyone can stick the bat out there and make contact...

Against a major league pitcher, 90% of the population would not even get the bat on the ball, and none would hit it so that it landed outside of the infield. It IS the hardest single act (apologies to those soccer types - I know the penalty kick thing is hard).

It is hard to compare this with longer type acts such as the marathon/tour-de-France thing. To me they are different lists.

I would like to see hitting a 50 yard field goal on the list. We are spoiled with the success rate, and forget how hard this is.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I think we are all in agreeance (thanks Fred Durst) that this list is somewhat lacking and poorly executed. A nice idea though.

[Alf]

Originally posted by Samdari

I would like to see hitting a 50 yard field goal on the list. We are spoiled with the success rate, and forget how hard this is.

I know I can kick 35 yarders, but 50...

[Ksyrup]

Hitting a round ball with a round bat ain't easy.

[Fritz]

Hitting a round basketball with a round bat ain't smart.

[ColtCrazy]

Saving a penalty kick is extremely difficult, but is that because of athletics or the fact that its a lot of luck? You basically have to committ to an area just before the player strikes the ball. I agree that it should be up there, probably a little higher than it is.

As for the toughest thing in sports, I would have thought it would be watching the Bengals play football.

[QuikSand]

This list, in its many forms, always amuses me.

If "kick a 50 yard FG" should be on the list... then how about "kick a 90 yard FG" - where should we rank that?

How about "run a 3 minute mile" or "pole vault 500 feet" - both of those are pretty tough, too, right?

I understand the point... but then again, what is the point?

[rkmsuf]

pole vault 500 feet"

Overheard after the historic jump:

"that's quite a pole you have there..."

[digamma]

I actually just completed my first marathon yesterday. Having done it, I agree with vexroid and others that while finishing is a great accomplishment, I'm not sure if it is one of the 10 hardest things to do in sports.

If you look at the link, you will see that the article actually says running a 2+ hour marathon.
I was quite pleased with my finishing time of 3:49, but I can't imagine bettering that by more than about 15 or so minutes, ever.

On the other hand, a world class runner once said that he considered the average distance runner's marathon equally or more challenging than the top runner's. I'm paraphasing here, but his quote was something like, "I can't imagine running for four hours."

[Leonidas]

[quote]Originally posted by Fritz
[b]http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ten-hardest-splash.htm

1.) Hitting a baseball
I agree, I couldn't hit worth a darn in senior league. Against Randy Johnson...

2.) Race car driving
Please. I have driven a car in the 120 mph range and lived to tell about it. Matter of fact, one of the dumber things I've ever done, therefore it really doesn't belong on the list.

3.) Pole Vaulting
Track was my sport in HS and college. I've dpne every event in track, except this one. You couldn't get me out there for it. I agree with htis on the list. Now for every other event in track, it's a toss up between the 800m run and 400m hurdles. They both hurt, a lot.

4.) Hitting a long straight tee shot
Like auto racing, I have actually done this. Granted not very often, but certainly more often than I could hith a major league curveball. Take it off the list.

5.) Returning a serve
If it's from my dad, take it off the list. If it's from John McEnroe, you may have a point.

6.) Landing a quad
OK, skating is not a sport, therefore take it off the list. There are thousands of things ballet dancers do I couldn't dream of, but they aren't hear, neither should this.

7.) Running a marathon
Tens of thousands of people do it virtually every weekend. Granted, it's not easy, but it is doable for the person willing to train for it. Take it off.

8.) Tour de France
The equivilant of running a marathon a day for three weeks. Yeah, it can stay.

9.) Saving a penalty kick
Maybe, but not being a soccer fan I disqualify myself from stating an opinion.

10.) The Downhill
Like number 9.

[RPI-Fan]

This list is just awful, IMO. There's absolutely no way to rank what it hardest. Unless they tell me they took 1,000 average, ordinary people, and had them try each of these things with set training (maybe 1 week), and ranked them based on success, I put no faith in it.

It's some jackass's opinion of what he thinks is hard to do.

Oh, and saying skating isn't a sport is ridiculous. That's just like saying cheerleading isn't a sport. If either of those don't meet the requirements of a sport (Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. according to dictionary.com), how does baseball? Skating and cheerleading take more athletic ability than, say, baseball, and is much,much more competitive.

If anybody wants to take me up on this argument, I'd be glad to refute any weak attempts you make to discount me.

[McSweeny]

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
Oh, and saying skating isn't a sport is ridiculous. That's just like saying cheerleading isn't a sport. If either of those don't meet the requirements of a sport (Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. according to dictionary.com), how does baseball? Skating and cheerleading take more athletic ability than, say, baseball, and is much,much more competitive.

hahahahaha!!!

[Blade6119]

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
This list is just awful, IMO. There's absolutely no way to rank what it hardest. Unless they tell me they took 1,000 average, ordinary people, and had them try each of these things with set training (maybe 1 week), and ranked them based on success, I put no faith in it.

It's some jackass's opinion of what he thinks is hard to do.

Oh, and saying skating isn't a sport is ridiculous. That's just like saying cheerleading isn't a sport. If either of those don't meet the requirements of a sport (Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. according to dictionary.com), how does baseball? Skating and cheerleading take more athletic ability than, say, baseball, and is much,much more competitive.

If anybody wants to take me up on this argument, I'd be glad to refute any weak attempts you make to discount me.

Well...in my mind, cheerleading is not a sport the way we think of it, and either is skating...the both are competitions against many teams, but only 1 team competes at a time. All of the other sports, at least 2 teams(playes) are competing at the same time.

Now to me a sport is two teams actually competing against one another, and you may say they do compete against one another but i mean at the same time. Now don't tell my sister or the girls at my school this, as we are the reigning national champs ans my sister is the capatin...but i hope this weak attempt was good enough for you RPI...

Your argument is all based on opinion of definition, with yours and mine varying. To try to prove whos right and wrong will not occur for some time with no end, so please try. As you say: If anybody wants to take me up on this argument, I'd be glad to refute any weak attempts you make to discount me. . its all opinion, and my opinion is as valid as yours.

[Karim]

Not a surprise that none of the skills involved in hockey are included...

[Swaggs]

I think hitting a field goal or foul shot with the game on the line and time running out should be there.

[RPI-Fan]

Umm, a foul shot with the game on the line isn't that hard comparitively. If you take an average player, he'll hit it AT LEAST 40% of the time. How often does a GREAT baseball player get a clutch/late hit? ALMOST NEVER 40% of the time.

[GoldenEagle]

This list is absurd. As a soccer goalkepper, who has played all other common sports, I can tell you that being a keeper is very difficult.

It is not just a pentaly kick, those aren't that bad, its all parts of the game.

Having to keep a ball that is maybe a 10th of your size out of goal that is 10 times your size width-wise is very difficult.

If you have played baseball and made a divng catch, that is the closet thing you can compre it to. Except you have to do that about 15 times a game.

Race car driving? Are you kidding me?

[tucker342]

hitting a baseball might be hard, but I think the Tour De France would be alot harder.



Overall, that list sucks.

[Travis]

Tour de France is something you can train for, and make your body able to take.

Hitting a ball that takes approximately .02 seconds to cover 60 feet 6 inches while breaking anywhere from 2 to 10 inches over that distance just isn't something most of the population could do, no matter how much training they did.

No disrespect meant to bikers, as the Tour de France is grueling and would take a hell of a lot of training, but there is a reason why baseball is the only sport to really applaud failure (when you consider that a .300 batting average is generally considered to be a fairly good accomplishment).

[RPI-Fan]

Hey! In hockey you get a point if you lose!

(Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

[Travis]

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
Hey! In hockey you get a point if you lose!

(Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

That's only if you're tied after regulation and lose in OT, though I do hope they do away with that once the CBA hits, same with the 4 on 4 OT.

If they really want to prevent a lot of ties, just change it to unlimited time, amazing how the players will go for that goal when faced with the prospect of playing all night, then playing again the next day.

[RPI-Fan]

I love the 4-on-4 OT with the extra point. It seems perfect to me. Happens often enough that we get the touch of excitement often, but not too much that it's gotten old.

Just my opinion, though.

~rpi-fan

[Travis]

Only problem with 4 on 4 is that at the end of regulation, both teams just play for that sure point, then in OT, if they are in the same conference, more often than not, they're too scared to open it up for fear of letting the other team score. As for the 4 on 4, I just don't understand why they change the rules for regular season OT when the rest of the season, and for post season OT they stick with 5 on 5. Open it up to limitless OT (ala post season style), and that would be more exciting than 5 minutes of 4 on 4 inner conference play.

Of course when it's an Eastern team vs a Western team, then they actually play some, which is fun to watch, but that's beside the point

[vtbub]

Hitting a baseball, they have right.

The rest of the list, I have trouble with. Not everyody will ski downhill or run a marathon. The Tour de France? How can you compare that with anything.

Most of us have tried to hit, very few could ride a bike for three weeks.

Where is the Ironman triatholon? Run a marathon, swim 2 miles and ride a bike for 115? That sounds pretty tough to me.

[Airhog]

I could add some extreme sports to the list. Things that most normal people wouldnt try, but I do think that a baseball pitched from a pro pitcher, not from your dad throwing underhand to ya would be awful hard to hit.

[JPhillips]

What about returning a punt for a TD? (assuming of course that we are talking at the highest professional level)

Of course the most difficult might be watching a WNBA game!

[mrushh]

Those of you saying a keeper stopping a penalty is luck...that is the point, exactly. As a keeper from WAY back, if the shooter has any skill at all, you have NO SHOT at stopping it. Remember the world cup (probably not ) when Baggio lost the Cup by striking his penalty over the bar. It wasn't great keeper play. It was luck. A good player will always beat a great keeper, barring luck (or a crappy shot, which is equivalent).

[Blackadar]

2.) Race car driving
Please. I have driven a car in the 120 mph range and lived to tell about it. Matter of fact, one of the dumber things I've ever done, therefore it really doesn't belong on the list.

Just because you've driven at 120 MPH once doesn't have anything to do with race car driving. That's like going to the batting cage, hitting a 40 MPH softball and equating it to staring down the barrel of a Roger Clemens fastball.

Trust me, bucky, driving a car at 150MPH when it feels like you're sliding all over the track because the car is loose and you're less than a foot from 2-3 other cars is not easy. Frankly, most people freak out. I did this for a year or so when I was younger and I'll tell you, it's incredibly tough. Not to mention that the car is 100 degrees and you feel like you're breathing pure exhaust. I'm not sure it should be #2, but it should be pretty high on the list.

[oykib]

The list is stupid because it equates special skills with basic skills. Hitting a baseball successfully is a necessary basic skill of the sport. Marathons and the Tour de France are entire events.

Saving a penalty kick is a special skill. It's a situation that may come up once in three matches.

Returning a serve is something that we can equate to hitting a baseball. It's a skill that must be repeated over and over every competition for you to be successful.

This is just a stupid, stupid list.

BTW, hitting a baseball well is the most difficult basic skill of any of the sports we care about. That can be easily assessed by its low success rate.

[Fidatelo]

Originally posted by Karim
Not a surprise that none of the skills involved in hockey are included...

I think that's because there isn't any one individual aspect of hockey that is all that difficult. In fact so many people are amazing hockey players that in a lot of cases it's heart and determination that seperates an NHL caliber player from the legions upon legions of minor leaguers.

Unless the skill was "stopping Mario Lemieux on a breakaway"... that might be pretty f'in tough

[Maple Leafs]

Originally posted by Fidatelo
I think that's because there isn't any one individual aspect of hockey that is all that difficult. In fact so many people are amazing hockey players that in a lot of cases it's heart and determination that seperates an NHL caliber player from the legions upon legions of minor leaguers.

How about "having the sack to throw your body in front of a 100 mph slapshot with the game on the line"?

[Dutch]

It is not just a pentaly kick, those aren't that bad, its all parts of the game.

I agree! I played goalkeeper 2 seasons ago and was absolutely amazed at how much there is to do and learn. Never stopped a penalty kick...but that would have been mostly luck, I agree, had I stopped one.

It's the contant concern about keeping track of all the opponents strikers, the angle between you and the ball, the distance from the goal, who to kick too, when to charge the ball, when to wait for help, when to talk trash , when to get a little physical with a "crowder"....my oh my, I had no idea what I was getting involved with, but thankfully I had a center defender who was an excellent coach.

[Dutch]

Just because you've driven at 120 MPH once doesn't have anything to do with race car driving. That's like going to the batting cage, hitting a 40 MPH softball and equating it to staring down the barrel of a Roger Clemens fastball.

I think of not only NASCAR, but what about those F1 drivers? First you have to get your car around a track as fast as possible...and the only way to do that is to drive on the edge between traction and no traction. Then you actually have to try and win by beating 20+ other cars. And passing in F1 is tough if there are two competatively close cars going at it.

Probably harder though would be those people who invest their own money in racing and understanding that one good crash will put you out of commission for the rest of the year because money don't grow on trees.

[3ric]

Saving a penalty kick? How about hitting a free kick from outside the penalty box, bending the shot around the wall? Now THAT'S hard!!!

[rkmsuf]

well when all you have to worry about is your feet you have time to perfect it...

"I don't like any sport where you can't use your hands..."

"It's real cute how you bounce that ball off your heads..."

anyone?

[oykib]

Originally posted by 3ric
Saving a penalty kick? How about hitting a free kick from outside the penalty box, bending the shot around the wall? Now THAT'S hard!!!

Yeah, but that's still not a basic skill. That's not something that we expect anyone to be able to do consistently. I compare that to hitting a buzzer beater from half court in a basketball game. It's a little more common. But it's on the same order of diffficulty and is only slightly more frequent.

Tjis list is off because there are things on there that are not comparable to each other.

Landing a quadruple jump. You can win a gold medal at the Olympics without even attempting one. Running a marathon. If you train the right way ( and you're moderately healthy ), then you can do it. Hell there are thousands of senior citizens who do it.

The Tour de France is a greuling competition. But it's not a standard cycling event and it combines more skills than I could count.

Dumb list.

[oykib]

Originally posted by rkmsuf
well when all you have to worry about is your feet you have time to perfect it...

"I don't like any sport where you can't use your hands..."

"It's real cute how you bounce that ball off your heads..."

anyone?

"Coming to America"