USA +0.5 at Mexico (WC Qual, Wed 4 pm ET, Telemundo2)

[BrutusMaximus]

but they shouldn't have better athletes/team than the USA.

Hence why I always said that Soccer isnt a sport

 

[Bernini]

Hence why I always said that Soccer isnt a sport

I can't discern if you are joking or not.

If not, in your book a sport is defined by which games the majority of Americans elect to play. Which just happens to be those created in America. Not a provincial attitude at all.

I was an all-around athlete who played in and succeeded at a plethora of games classified as sports. And in my opinion, clearly the two which contained the most impressive displays of athleticism were basketball and soccer. Every position in those two sports require some or an immense amount of ability to control one's body and push it to the limit of what's humanly possible.

A pitcher in baseball is like a glorified dart or horseshoe thrower from a sheer athletic standpoint. The average field players get 2 chances per game to exhibit their athleticism, and half of that time they barely have to move. Running the bases is not particularly athletic unless it's someone like Juan Pierre who can display his fluidity on turns from base to base. Anybody who isn't crippled can run in a straight line....that's not difficult.

In football, at least 9 of the 22 players on the field would be at least rigidly classified as obese by a doctor. Their jobs in part are to be a human wall to prevent the opponent from invading their territory. As a result they aren't asked to move much, nor could they because of the diet demands of the position as well. And even some of the players who are considered great athletes, if you asked them to change directions a couple times upon request they'd have to briefly stop first or they'd fall flat on their faces. Their athleticism is constrained to running fast in a straight line and jumping. Of course Deion Sanders was maybe the most athletic person on the planet in his heydey, but players of his style/type of all around athleticism in football are in the minority, not the majority.

That's not to detract from the enjoyment of the spectacle, competition, and strategy of those sports, which obviously I'm a big fan of (well, football at least), but if you want to define a sport as which require the most athleticism, they'd deserve to lag behind soccer.

 

[jlb1705]

Well, I think we can take it a bit easier on Donovan for his part in giving up those two goals. Turns out he had swine flu.

Fuckers.

Landon Donovan Has H1N1 Flu Virus | FanNation

 

[Bernini]

Well, I think we can take it a bit easier on Donovan for his part in giving up those two goals. Turns out he had swine flu.

[censored]ers.

Landon Donovan Has H1N1 Flu Virus | FanNation

Wow! That's the best excuse for a bad performance ever. He's absolved. And it somewhat mitigates the entire team's disappointing play. His recent form was the cause for me being semi confident the Nats could come away with a point in Azteca this time around. Hard to have a palatable outcome when your best player is a shell of himself through no fault of his own. And if he's had that shit since the weekend then God knows how many of his teammates contracted it, which would explain their lethargy also. Can we get a ruling from FIFA on this?

On their way up the airplane tunnel upon re-entering the States, the whole team should be gunned down as they flea, 28 Weeks Later-style. Can't take too many chances.

 

[BrutusMaximus]

clearly the two which contained the most impressive displays of athleticism were basketball and soccer. Every position in those two sports require some or an immense amount of ability to control one's body and push it to the limit of what's humanly possible.

Hah, no. I was actually just messin with everybody in the thread. I cant stand soccer, but its not because I dont think the participants are athletes. Its because it is boring as piss and it takes 4 days to get down the field. In my book, hockey requires the most athleticism. Basketball requires more showboating than any of the others. Baseball doesnt require much of anything. Football - I noticed you mentioned about 9 players being classified as obese. I think those positions require the MOST athleticism to be able to do what they do, at that size. JMO.