Just saw this article on ESPN.com's Page 2 where they "scientifically" ranked 60 sports based on how tough they are. Here is a sample from the list:
1. Boxing
2. Hockey
3. Football (American)
4. Basketball
5. Wrestling
6. Martial Arts
7. Tennis
8. Gymnastics
9. Baseball/softball
10. Soccer
...
56. Curling
57. Bowling
58. Shooting
59. Billiards
60. Fishing
For the most part I agree with the rankings. (I've always argued that hockey was tougher than real football which is tougher than soccer.) However, I'm surprised about some of them, such as that rugby (13) and bull riding (42) aren't higher and that gymnastics (8) and figure skating (19) aren't lower.
I find it interesting that the 4 major US sports are all in the top 10 in toughness. Is that because we like tough sports, or are we overvaluing the toughness of sports that we like?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I would lean towards overvaluing the toughness of them. Maybe they're defining toughness in a different way? I grant that basketball takes a lot of athleticism, but toughness compared to rugby and bull riding?
On a somewhat related note, my dad likes to remind my sisters every now and then that horseback riding in any form is one of the most dangerous sports (in terms of fatalities I believe, though I'm not sure where his numbers come from).
I agree. I think rugby should be in the top 4. Definitely ahead of basketball.
Post a Comment