<p>This is too funny. Baseball is based on rounders, a game that English school children play. It has to be one of the most useless, boring, and untalented sports ever. Its all right, not everyone on this planet can enjoy the game that gentlemen prefer. Your average cricketeer is much more fitter and cultured than the average baseball hick. Americans just can't stand any sport they cannot win.</p>
<p>Cultured? Since when are athletes supposed to be cultured? Most athletes come from rural areas, the slums, ghettos, etc. </p>
<p>Hitting a homer in baseball is recognized as one of the toughest tasks in any sport. The mental and physical stress a pitcher goes through are immense. A catcher's brain for the game must be razor sharp.</p>
<p>True, Americans don't like sports they're not good at. Why should they though? It's not like they lack enough talent in other sports. Brazil, England, and Italy all cling to soccer like life support because it's their Alamo of athletic glory. They'd lose big in a game of basketball, baseball, hockey, football, etc.</p>
<p>PS I am aware of the "Dream Team's" failures in the Olympics, but that is not an accurate representation of the best of the NBA. Plus, that squad only had 2 weeks of practice together, while teams like Argentina, China, Serbia, and Italy play together a lot.</p>
<p>...aren't we being a bit off topic...?</p>
<p>Yea ok. Baseball players are tough men, with their giant leather gloves to catch the ball. You don't see cricket players do that. Hitting a homerun is very amusing. I can say with great certainty that cricket players have cleared the ball similar distances. Also, the baseball doesn't lose any of its velocity, thus a homer requires much less effort and skill than a sixer of similar distances. Just face it, its a rather rustic game.</p>
<p>
[quote]
They'd lose big in a game of basketball, baseball, hockey, football, etc
[/quote]
Just like America would lose in football or rugby or cricket or hockey.</p>
<p>Cultures in different nations are different. I tried watching a few soccer games myself but couldn't stand it, it's so boring. The game is extremely slow and you could easily miss like 30 minutes at a time and still know exactly what's going on. I love playing soccer, but I can't stand watching it.</p>
<p>Argue if you want, but it doesn't really matter, Americans like different sports than other countries, just leave it at that.</p>
<p>And don't try saying that soccer players are so much better and more "skilled" than those from other sports. The professional sports players in any sport always train extremely hard and must have amazing skills to get to where they are, it doesn't matter which sport it is.</p>
<p>I know I'm much older here, but they used to have a competition between professional sports atheletes called Superstars waaay back in the 70's. All the major US sports were represented by all pros and other sports atheletes and even some Rodeo and Stock car drivers. </p>
<p>It was basically a decathalon of sorts involving different atheletic events from sprints, bowling, powerlifting, swimming, biking, distance runs, etc.. </p>
<p>For the few years it was on the soccer players always won or were inthe top 3. Kyle Rote Jr. beat everybody the couple of years he was invited to do it. I think they stopped inviting him because nobody was really coming close the north american soccer league player.</p>
<p>ilovegoodbrew,</p>
<p>You try hitting a 95mph fastball or even try fielding the hot corner. Then tell me it is a sport little girls play. Oh and did I mention it is a game of speed one hesitation when fielding a ball could cost you the out. It is THE game of hand eye coordination.</p>
<p>95? Thats it? Cricketeers who face Shoaib Akhtar face 100mph balls. And they don't have fancy leather gloves for catching the ball either. Look up 'rounders' in an encyclopedia.</p>
<p>I think boxers, or any other kind of combatant-athlete, are the best athletes in the world. They have the be quick, strong, fit, tough, etc.</p>
<p>^ Yea most definitely. Add to that list those iron man competitors, mountain climbers, etc.</p>
<p>95 isnt the fastest I was watching the minor league all-star game yesterday and a pitcher was routinely hitting 101mph. This pitcher is in the minors and not even in the majors yet. I know about rounders and the origins of baseball. I have also seen quite a few cricket matches in England.(I have family living in England)</p>
<p>Ya, boxing is great if you want to lose half of your braincells. I have read that some former boxers are having trouble reading and remembering things</p>
<p>But of course, sports isn't always about who is the best raw athlete, but who can perform extremely difficult tasks, such as hitting a home run.</p>
<p>Americans are not athletic. Look at football, each player gets tens of minuets of playing time in each game. Look at baseball, for half of the game, half of the players are sitting on benches waiting. There is hardly any movement and when there it, it is short and sporadic. Baseball players are severely out of shape when compared to soccer, even (american)football players. Soccer is a sport where there is a minimum of 8 players (only IF 3 subs were made) run around a field for no less than 90 minuets. What about overtimes.....what if no subs were made. You have 11 incredibly strong and athletic players, who at one moment are thrown onto the pitch due to a hard tackle, and the next moment they are running full speed ahead. Once a team lets its guard down for even 10 seconds they risk giving up a goal. Americans are inferior, redneck, conservative people who dotn care to travel to foreign countries to see museams, historic cities, or famous art. They prefer sitting home to the endless string of ESPN shows while whorshipping their tobacco chewing, overweight '""""Atheletes""""". These same atheleetes who care about nothing but money, no pride, no history, its all about 80 million dollar contracts to them, not pride or spirit. Tune into ESPNEws, or Cold Pizza, or any sports show, most of the time they discuss contracts, negotiations, etc. But America will be America, hated by the world and united by hotdogs.</p>
<p>Um, I have been to Europe 3 times.....</p>
<p>Athleticism is not all about who is in shape.( oh and Footbal and baseball player pump heavy iron). Most soccer players I have seen are quick, but not too strong .
How do you think baseball player hit homeruns, by skill alone, no they lift weights and work out like all other athletes. How do think baseball players beat throws,by working on speed and explosion out of the box. The baseball players you see out of shape are pitchers.(and thats even rare)</p>
<p>"How do you think baseball player hit homeruns, by skill alone.."</p>
<p>Well....:) you see there's this substance you can inject, rub on or take in pill form... :) Baseballers aren't the best examples. I could beat David Wells in a race..:) Hot dog eating contest he'd kill me.:)</p>
<p>Although to be serious, Ken Griffy would have been the greatest baseball player in history had he stayed healthy. Perfect body for alot of sports, great competitor, just alot of injuries. He actually should be the one chasing Arron, he's clean.</p>
<p>Although to counter with a soccer player..</p>
<p>There isn't a soul on the planet that could drink Georgie Best under the table and then play a match.</p>
<p>ya David Wells is an exception.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Americans are not athletic. Look at football, each player gets tens of minuets of playing time in each game.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Football is like a sprint, while soccer is like a marathon. You can't compare the two. Any BTW, I see plenty of soccer players dogging it when the ball is on the other side of the pitch. Plus, all their fake injuries give them time to breathe.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Look at baseball, for half of the game, half of the players are sitting on benches waiting. There is hardly any movement and when there it, it is short and sporadic. Baseball players are severely out of shape when compared to soccer, even (american)football players. Soccer is a sport where there is a minimum of 8 players (only IF 3 subs were made) run around a field for no less than 90 minuets. What about overtimes.....what if no subs were made. You have 11 incredibly strong and athletic players, who at one moment are thrown onto the pitch due to a hard tackle, and the next moment they are running full speed ahead. Once a team lets its guard down for even 10 seconds they risk giving up a goal.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Baseball is more of a skill game than raw athleticism. Yes some of their players are out of shape, but let's see Joe Everyman pitch a whole game, hit a home run, or throw a baseball from right field to third base. If you want to watch the best raw athletes, go watch two apes wrestle.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Americans are inferior, redneck, conservative people who dotn care to travel to foreign countries to see museams, historic cities, or famous art. They prefer sitting home to the endless string of ESPN shows while whorshipping their tobacco chewing, overweight '""""Atheletes""""". These same atheleetes who care about nothing but money, no pride, no history, its all about 80 million dollar contracts to them, not pride or spirit. Tune into ESPNEws, or Cold Pizza, or any sports show, most of the time they discuss contracts, negotiations, etc. But America will be America, hated by the world and united by hotdogs.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Wow, unbelievable ignorance.</p>
<p>xsuubiex you are an idiot.</p>
<p>This is an idiotic thread.</p>
<p>I'm betting half of you don't know or haven't even met someone who is a serious (as in high colliegiate or pro) athlete. Even sports or positions you don't think are athletic need way more athleticism and skill than you think. Do you know anyone who is a good (American) football lineman or pitcher? Sure they're not endurance positions, but they require a ton of thinking (batter vs pitcher, and offensive linemen are usually the smartest players on the team next to the QB), technique, and explosive power. Do you know how many fat, supposedly sluggish 300 pound linemen out there can dunk a basketball? Way, way more than you think, and I've seen it with my own eyes. You don't bench 700 and squat 900 pounds (like a top lineman) by being a lazy fat slug.</p>
<p>I'll say this about real athletes, game respects game. You just don't see basketball players dissing soccer players dissing baseball players just because of the game they play. They all realize just how hard you have to work at something to be good at it. It takes a different breed to be a sumo wrestler than it does a soccer player. Doesn't mean one is better than another. Can't we just enjoy sports for what they are? They're just games after all. My favorite sports are basketball and football. I play Ultimate Frisbee competitively (college level). That being said, I enjoyed watching the World Cup even if soccer isn't something I usually watch. I appreciate just how tough those rugby guys are no matter how much of our field space they take. I even find cricket amusing. I wouldn't mind playing those games sometime (I played some soccer as a kid and wasn't very good). Why must we get all morally superior up in here?</p>