2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Breaking down the toughest sports
Steve Appelhans
Issue date: 5/2/07 Section: Sports
If you follow any kind of sport, you understand that certain qualities are desirable. Characteristics such as speed, power, and agility are a few desirable attributes for athletes to possess. Another trait associated with various sports is toughness. Being tough can mean different things to different individuals, but the general idea that you need a certain level of fortitude to engage in sports is universal.
I decided to attempt to figure out what sport you have to be physically toughest to play. Since toughness can be interpreted in so many different ways, I elected to create some criteria upon which I will base my selections. I have come up with five ways to measure the toughness of a sport.
The first criterion is the risk for injury. While you can get injured playing virtually any sport, the threat of being hurt playing ping pong differs greatly from playing football. In my eyes, a sport that has a high risk for injury takes a tougher person to play.
Second is the tolerance for pain. This factor has to be looked at in the broadness of the sport rather than the narrowness of each individual. Some athletes can endure more than others, but sports such as marathon running and Olympic lifting innately require a high pain tolerance.
The third aspect is the nature of reckless abandon in the sport. We have all heard the term "sacrificing your body," and that is exactly what I am referring to. An example would be going after a puck when you know you will be smashed into the boards, which takes plenty of courage and toughness.
Next, the length of one's career in a sport is a good indicator of how tough it is. Usually, the shorter the career, the more physically challenging the sport is. Boxing is notorious for fighters retiring early in their careers because of the physical demands of the sport.
The final criterion is the average person's willingness to participate in the sport. I am basing this off of my assessment, but I would be willing to bet that most would agree with me when I say that I would rather try swimming than head down to Australia and get assaulted playing rugby. The exception would be rugby players, of course.
I decided to attempt to figure out what sport you have to be physically toughest to play. Since toughness can be interpreted in so many different ways, I elected to create some criteria upon which I will base my selections. I have come up with five ways to measure the toughness of a sport.
The first criterion is the risk for injury. While you can get injured playing virtually any sport, the threat of being hurt playing ping pong differs greatly from playing football. In my eyes, a sport that has a high risk for injury takes a tougher person to play.
Second is the tolerance for pain. This factor has to be looked at in the broadness of the sport rather than the narrowness of each individual. Some athletes can endure more than others, but sports such as marathon running and Olympic lifting innately require a high pain tolerance.
The third aspect is the nature of reckless abandon in the sport. We have all heard the term "sacrificing your body," and that is exactly what I am referring to. An example would be going after a puck when you know you will be smashed into the boards, which takes plenty of courage and toughness.
Next, the length of one's career in a sport is a good indicator of how tough it is. Usually, the shorter the career, the more physically challenging the sport is. Boxing is notorious for fighters retiring early in their careers because of the physical demands of the sport.
The final criterion is the average person's willingness to participate in the sport. I am basing this off of my assessment, but I would be willing to bet that most would agree with me when I say that I would rather try swimming than head down to Australia and get assaulted playing rugby. The exception would be rugby players, of course.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Jose Pablo
posted 8/31/07 @ 3:22 PM CST
Your knowledge of sports seems to be quite limited. Waterpolo is the only contact sport played in water and the only one where 85% of all contact cannot be seen by the referee. (Continued…)
john doe
posted 10/04/07 @ 7:54 PM CST
I believe that wrestling should be right behind Boxing. It is one of the most demanding sports there is. Not only is there the sport but working hard on keeping your weight down is tough to. (Continued…)
L
posted 10/23/07 @ 5:20 PM CST
I agree with Jose Pablo. I have been a swimmer for 17 years and sometimes think I will drown during an hour long game of water polo. Maybe you should consider the odds of a member of one sports team successfully completing another teams practice. (Continued…)
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