[MikeCF]

I've boxed (in a ring), fought MMA, and only played high school football.

My football injuries were the worst.

Training MMA is harder because it's more technical and the cardio demands and lactate thresholds are insane. But nothing fucks your body up like football.

I'll put it like this: My kid can box, train MMA, even fight in the street. There's no way he's going to play football.

[Aliblahba]

^^^ My pops wouldn't let me play football growing up due to potential injuries. Looking back I'm glad, because a lot of my friends got jacked up in high school and college. 2 have rubber bands for knee ligaments.

I quit playing sports due to my line of work. If I get hurt, I can't work and that would cost me a lot of bank. It's just not worth it.

The only thing I'd get back into is martial arts or MMA. I know enough to not get jacked up. But football or rugby? Fuck no. My knees couldn't take getting clipped. That'd be the end of Ali-b.

[Jim Kirk]

The hardest sport, although its only played in Celitc countries - is hurling. Its the type of thing you have to grow up doing in order to play.

[alecks]

jim i actually agree as well. all my mates play hurling and they say its one of the hardest sporst to play

im irish and all my mates have been playing it for years,sliotars to the arse at 100km/h and broken hands constantly from the hurls is no joke!

[Jim Kirk]

alecks -

There are two or three hurling teams in New York - all made of up Irish born. Even putting aside injury for a moment - try running full steam with a stone balanced on the stick across a field. Literally you would have to start at 3 years of age to learn the game.

[defguy]

I may be biased but I say Fighting (Boxing/MMA/kickboxing), Wrestling, and Triathlon athletes (particularly the Iron Man). Ive always admired Gymnasts as well...

fighting is obvious- its true combat, wrestling is there because of all the crazy and legendary shit the greats do to excel at that sport look up Alexander Karelin and Dan Gable, and the people who do the ironman are the baddest motherfuckers on the planet.

[Screwston]

Gymnasts....I don't even know how you would start training for that.

[Luckystar]

(10-26-2011 10:16 PM)defguy Wrote:  

I may be biased but I say Fighting (Boxing/MMA/kickboxing), Wrestling, and Triathlon athletes (particularly the Iron Man). Ive always admired Gymnasts as well...

fighting is obvious- its true combat, wrestling is there because of all the crazy and legendary shit the greats do to excel at that sport look up Alexander Karelin and Dan Gable, and the people who do the ironman are the baddest motherfuckers on the planet.

I think fighting is one of the most difficult because of the pain threshold involved. The mental aspect of dealing with a beat down is unlike any other sport. The skills, the endurance, the physical strength can be had...it's that mental aspect that makes it very demanding.

[naughtynomad]

(10-26-2011 03:58 PM)Jim Kirk Wrote:  

The hardest sport, although its only played in Celitc countries - is hurling. Its the type of thing you have to grow up doing in order to play.

Agree, hurling is fucking hardcore.

[mofo]

I think all sports are hard if somebody does it on the highest level he possibly can. But the least hard phisically is certainly chess

[JayMillz]

(10-27-2011 07:40 AM)naughtynomad Wrote:  

(10-26-2011 03:58 PM)Jim Kirk Wrote:  

The hardest sport, although its only played in Celitc countries - is hurling. Its the type of thing you have to grow up doing in order to play.

Agree, hurling is fucking hardcore.

[JayMillz]

Water polo you are treading water the whole time, plus fighting dudes off, plus trying to score. How is this not the hardest sport?

[hoops330]

Any sport in which you don't rely on teammates. Boxing and MMA.
I'm biased but to me boxers are the best athletes. I boxed for many years and it was the hardest conditioning in my opinion. Not here to argue boxing and mma because the condition is brutal for both. In both, you cannot lose concentration for a split second because if you do it could be the end of the contest or the end of your career. To go three minutes non-stop with that much focus is grueling.

I'm just glad that nobody has said NASCAR.

[Luckystar]

(10-28-2011 04:42 PM)hoops330 Wrote:  

Any sport in which you don't rely on teammates. Boxing and MMA.
I'm biased but to me boxers are the best athletes. I boxed for many years and it was the hardest conditioning in my opinion. Not here to argue boxing and mma because the condition is brutal for both. In both, you cannot lose concentration for a split second because if you do it could be the end of the contest or the end of your career. To go three minutes non-stop with that much focus is grueling.

I'm just glad that nobody has said NASCAR.

I think Boxing and MMA are among the most difficult, but think the dynamics of team sports are very very complex and can make them more difficult than individual sports.

[Malekhit]

dunno for me is air race, takes balls, skill, and experience. Bodybuilding is hardest not because of skill but because of crazy amount of dedication to train for decades to even start in mr. olympia.

From my experience I played on competitive level computer games and tennis and basically its the same amount of work you have to put it to be the best. So Truly there is no hardest sport cause you still have to put hours upon hours and years to get somewhere.

[tomtud]

Hard to learn or make it pro or hard to play?

Every sport has certain nuances that can make it difficult.
Rugby is roughly in the same category as football but with no padding. So it wins.
Ice hockey ,,,, you have to learn to skate, learn to fight, hit and handle a stick with a puck. Now how many can do that well?
Fighting,,,,, many martial arts involved and the conditioning make it tough

Those putting basketball in the picture have clearly not been involved in other sports. Or didn't have an open mind when watching other sports.

[theIVth]

In my opinion: boxing, basketball and tennis

Basketball is one of those sports where watching a game would have you thinking you can just get out there and play like they do. Wrong. There are so many nuances in basketball and the shape that you have to be in to be able to compete at a high level is extreme. A bullshit pick up game with some damn near 40 year olds at the gym is light years away from playing with some young college athletes trying to make it to the pros. Generally speaking it just looks a lot easier than it is.

Boxing for obvious reasons is a difficult sport: getting hit and having to have endurance to go 36 mins in the ring while staying active is extremely difficult. The average person probably couldn't box one good round without being near death in a real fight.

Tennis at a high level, I would assume, requires ten times the hand and eye coordination of a baseball player. The return serve is coming back at you at speeds of like 70+ miles constantly. Not to mention having to be in shape enough to be able to run around all game. High degree of difficulty

[rudebwoy]

Water Polo
Basketball
American Football

I would say most guys in the NFL could play rugby but not the other way round. The injuries these guys suffer are brutal, knee injuries are very common.

[Cr33pin]

bingo and couponing

[rationalize_this]

Once you get to a certain level in competitive sports, especially internationally, what separates the best from the very best is mental toughness. Everyone at that level has put in thousands if not millions of hours. It comes down to who wants it more, and who can handle the pressure. That being said, this is compounded in individual sports.

This thread needs to be broken down further into categories: toughest physically, skill level required etc.

[sixsix]

Rugby is definitely the sport that is the biggest DHV.

"Football is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans; rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen.”

This applies to both American football and actual football (soccer). Rugby is a brutal sport but with a spirit of respect and class. The fights happen on the field and afterwards everyone drinks beer together.

Why is it the biggest DHV? I have definitely noticed and I think it is because it's the combination of roughness and gentleness. Fighting is definitely badass and takes immense skill and dedication. However, many girls associate it with lower class and aggression. Football (as in European) is just kind of sissy with all the millionaire guys crying like little girls when they get a little push.

Seriously though, you'll be respected as a man with many sports if you show your hard work and skill.

[BrownBear]

Ice hockey? I've had my fair share of broken bones/scars/lost teeth.

[DVY]

100 mile ultra-marathon. Good god, running 1 marathon isnt enough?

@brown bear- used to play hockey. Just wear a full face-mask, you wont lose any more teeth!

[Hencredible Casanova]

Water polo is probably the toughest sport.

Gymnastics is pretty tough but competitive gymnasts start from an early age so they can develop their ability in the sport.

Boxing/MMA is tough. MMA has more variables so it's tougher than boxing. You need to know how to throw punches, kicks, and wrestling/grappling. You also have to avoid getting hit, taken down, or grappled by your competitor. Extremely tough.

I think most sports at a competitive level are tough. You're either competing against yourself or someone who is also exceptionally talented.

[CMan0928]

Ultramarathoners. David Goggins in particular. Being a Navy SEAL wasn't enough for him, he also runs a hundred miles at a clip. Really inspiring guy.

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Goggins