Which sport has the best all-round athletes?

1. 65

   rcrm89posted 12 years ago

   Excluding darts () and multi-event sports like heptathlon/decathlon.
   
   I would say rugby.

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   1. 61

      qwarkposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      ....rugby and pro tennis!
      Tennis takes incredible endurance, eye hand coordination, quick thinking and response. Try playing tennis on a hot day for 5 hours non-stop!
      Rugby? These guys are big,strong, have incredible endurance and play without any body protection! They tackle and smash into each other on a full run and they don't do substitutions unless a player is hurt and can't continue.
      Every man plays the whole game running!
      It puts American football to shame.
      Those are my choices.
      I love the fighters in the UFC, but they are proof that man has about as much athletic ability as "cattle."
      Qwark

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   2. 47

      pixmafiaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I would say the triathlon athletes are the complete alrounders, who else has to swim, cycle and do a marathon all in one race?

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      1. 77

         Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         That is a strong one

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2. 96

   wildernessposted 12 years ago

   Swimming, snow skiing (particularly nordic as it requires greater upper body development) and mountain climbing all come to mind.
   
   They are all open to women as well, which helps in the concept of all-round athletes.

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3. 75

   shoganposted 12 years ago

   "All around" is tough.  Soccer players are in amazing shape, but they aren't necessarily going to do well in other sports.

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4. 76

   Rob Wintersposted 12 years ago

   Rugby - Got to have speed, skill, power, strength and endurance as well as good helping of grit. Some positions have more or less of each quality but certain positions such as centre or wing  pretty much got to have them all covered.

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   1. 0

      Texasbetaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I wouldn't say that. Rugby has brawlers, quick for sure. However, an NFL outside linebacker will squash any Rugby player on the planet in any measure. Swimming is something you do as an instinct to not drown, and skiing is riding on wood down a mountain. That is a skill for sure, but a measure of an athlete? NFL players and soccer players I would say are the greatest athletes...though mountain climbers are mean. That is SO difficult.

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      1. 77

         Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I was tops in a few sports, I must say for all round, water polo required a lot of different skills and endurance

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      2. 96

         wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Soccer players are speedy and run around a lot but no upper body strength and although they must have a good set lungs they do all their work at low altitudes (never crossing 10,000 feet) and thus don't have to be THAT good there, either.
         
         NFL players just a bunch of overweight flabby slugs that stand around and actually play only a few seconds out of every few minutes.  Worthless for anything but weight lifting.
         
         Funny how sports you don't enjoy or participate in have only wimps for athletes isn't it?
         
         Seriously, I would probably go with competitive swimmers.  Great upper and lower body strength both (although mostly in the long stringy muscle tissue for endurance not outright strength).  Tremendous lung and heart capacity, with probably the best ability to use oxygen of any athlete.  No fat allowed; it interferes with movement through the water.  Perhaps not much for balance (skiers and gymnasts) or reaction time (fencing maybe) but superior everywhere else.

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         1. 0

            Texasbetaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Hurl 265 lbs of pure muscle, hardly any body fat (i.e. Julius Peppers), at 6'8", at 4.2 forty speed, with perfect technique in leveraging body weight against another larger and just as fast athlete, around the tackle and to the quarterback before he pulls back a shotgun arm motion. My best friend has repped some of those players, and you are far from the truth. This isn't swimming in a pool with goggles..this is absolute war with the most powerful and speedy athletes on the planet. Soccer players are as speedy and in shape as anyone, but have them avoid 12 semis going around the field at 40 mph for 60 minutes.
            If you want true endurance, try MMA, not swimming.

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5. 61

   SomewayOuttaHereposted 12 years ago

   surfing

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6. 60

   dutchman1951posted 12 years ago

   Basketball, possibly Hockey, but basketball I think

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7. 75

   LakeShow Tposted 12 years ago

   Basketball with all of the non-stop action, running and high-flying. If you're a male or female in average-to-good physical condition just try going all out on both ends of the basketball court for a couple of minutes. You'll gain one heck of a respect and admiration for the phenomenal condition NBA players are in. Not only that, but many of these guys can either jump 35-45 inches in the air or are 7'0'' tall and are able to hold there own.

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8. 63

   I am DB Cooperposted 12 years ago

   MMA, boxing, certain football positions (and particularly defensive positions, as they need to be fast and powerful enough to hit someone hard), and let's not forget about tennis players. They have to have endurance, agility, and upper body strength as well. I know the tennis players in high school were usually geeks (at least at my school), but at the pro level those guys are absolute beasts.

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9. 60

   optimus grimlockposted 12 years ago

   all around I'd say mma guys they have strength stamina speed quickness. Linebackers would fit into this as well since many players are doing mma training to help there all around games.
   water polo and soccer have stamina and thats it, basketball I would put a little above that. basketball players arent really that strong they use leverage and quickness

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   1. 77

      Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      optimus
      water polo have stamina and thats it,
      
      
      You have not played serious water polo
      
      1. You got wrestling and some martial art  under water
      2. You throw the ball around like a basket ball player
      3. You swim more than swimmer
      4. You lift yourself out of the water like a Synchronized swimmer
      
      And more

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10. 76

    Shadesbreathposted 12 years ago

    I'd say gymnasts.

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11. 69

    Richard83posted 12 years ago

    It has to be football.

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12. 60

    optimus grimlockposted 12 years ago

    wrestling and martial arts under water your arguements has just ended. Nothin like under water tae qwan do or ju jitsu!!!! lol

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13. 60

    Chris Fryposted 12 years ago

    This is ridiculous, to compare one athlete from sport x with an athlete from sport y is to compare apples and oranges - it is not like for like. Each athlete is trained to achieve success within that sport, sure there overlaps of fitness components, but essentially comparisons are hard to make.

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    1. 77

       Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       True, when people are world class in each of their sports. The cross over generally would be weaker broken down.
       
       In my own personal experience even with my world class in amateur wresting background and some martial arts. I got punched, kicked and wrestled to the point were water polo was a much tougher sport for me.
       I think mainly the public and ref's cannot see well what happens under water.
       
       Like grabbing two balls and then drowning

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14. 61

    qwarkposted 12 years ago

    Regardless of the sport, we humans, as I said before, are about as athletic as cattle.
    
    We didn't evolve because we had muscle tooth and claw!
    
    We are the earths greatest "mind" athletes!
    
    The question wasn't what's the best sport.
    
    He asked which sport has the best all-around athletes.
    
    Of course ya can compare the athleticism needed by players in any sport against those of others, relative to his question.
    
    The best human athletes are going to be strong, durable, have incredible endurance, eye and hand coordination, and a natural genetic talent for the sport.
    
    I'll stick with rugby and tennis.
    
    But we're not, genetically, an athletic species...nope!
    
    Qwark

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15. 60

    Chris Fryposted 12 years ago

    I'd argue we are incredibly athletic - the adaptations to given stimuli, be it changes in muscle fibre and enzymes to long distance running or  hypertrophy and increased neural activity following strength training are, at the elite level, phenomenal, and the ability to repeat a certain movement pattern, a tennis serve or a football shot, with consistent accuracy/timing/etc is remarkable.

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    1. 77

       Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       It is more rare today, than in my athletic days to even cross over from one sport into another sport, Like Clara Huges from Canada won medals in Ice skating in the winter and a medaled in bikes in the summer championships, no one esle has done it that well.
       
       One sport is like a full time job to master alone , over one hit of acid I refocus my sport ego and turn it all over to the Art profession.

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16. 57

    Ign Andyposted 12 years ago

    Badminton? It looks simple but pro badminton athletes require endurance, reflex, coordination, on site strategy.

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17. 61

    American Viewposted 12 years ago

    Hockey

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