What makes an athlete?

[4WideRacing]

An athlete is someone who's doing a physical and mentality demanding sport and his/her body's build up.There are different levels of athletes...e.g. runners, soccer players and so on could never compete with the physical and mental strenght of a football player, pro soccer players (sissies) wouldn't win against a high school or college player.

I say football players are the ultimate athletes, and I'm playing football for like 17 years now.

About NASCAR, the drivers have to meet specific physical and mental reqs and I'm sure they have to work out in the gym and/or home pumping to keep they bodies in good condition because of all the forces and heats while racing.

Of course, drivers don't have to work out like a football player.

So, a driver in whatever motorsport isn't an actual athlete because of racing, but if he's/she's doing other sports (or athletic work outs), they can be...but in first place they are race drivers.

Sports - Athletes
Motorsport - Race Drivers

Tho, I wouldn't call the average golf player an athlete...but a few may have an athletic body because of being an athlete aside playing golf.

Racing is very mentally and physically demanding. I would love to see you get behind the wheel of a cup car, then maybe you will know that they are true athletes....

 

[BredCooper]

@4WideRacing

You didn't understand me

I know that racing is very mentally and physically demanding.I devided a sport from a motorsport, these are two different things.

About NASCAR, the drivers have to meet specific physical and mental reqs and I'm sure they have to work out in the gym and/or home pumping to keep they bodies in good condition because of all the forces and heats while racing.

The difference is, an athlete isn't a race driver, a race driver isn't an athlete.

A driver isn't an athlete because of driving a race car, but they might be athletes because of the work-outs they're doing to be able to drive a race car or just work-out for other personal reason like health, hobbies, interets...

Motorsports and sports demand both mentality and physical strenght.Yet, a driver won't need the physical strenght of a football player, but he might need the mental strenght of a QB.

Sure, drivers need a lot physical strenght to handle the pressure and forces hitting their body.

 

[4WideRacing]

I would still love to see you behind the wheel of a cup car. Imagine racing a (especially if it's ill-handling) car for 500 miles with under 10 breaks that consist of driving at like 35-55 mph and only being stopped for 18 seconds or something like that. I'm sure your viewpoint would change.

 

[BredCooper]

I never doubt the amount of physical and mental strenght you need for racing, especially in NASCAR there all your decision are made upon experience.

Race driver and athlete, are two different words with two different meanings, but they share the same demanding skills.A driver isn't althete when he's driving a race car, he's a race driver.The things he does to be able to drive and handle the forces on his body make him an athlete or at least athletic.

If a driver's lifting-weights, running and/or maybe playing some sports like football, baseball, surfing, swimming...means he's being athletic (athlete) aside being a race driver.

 

[Doyle9]

Are you serious Bred? Football? No offense to you, I'm sure you work hard at what you do, but football players are not the world's greatest athletes.

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[David24]

Donovan McNabb is right, race car drivers are not athletes. They are something far more impressive..

Same discussion came up at RuRa and someone over there wrote this. Nails it IMO

 

[Mystical]

Donovan McNabb is right, race car drivers are not athletes. They are something far more impressive..

Same discussion came up at RuRa and someone over there wrote this. Nails it IMO

That is something I've used against people in the past who hated racing. I'd basically ask them "have you been in a wreck before or close to one?" and usually they would reply with "yes". I told them to imagine that feeling for 3+ hours because that is what it feels like to hit a concrete wall at 200 mph or be on the edge for such a long period of time in racing.

It usually shut them up for good since they finally understood that is what drivers do and have to control in racing.

 

[BredCooper]

Are you serious Bred? Football? No offense to you, I'm sure you work hard at what you do, but football players are not the world's greatest athletes.

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We work very hard, we play very hard, every game, every play, every second can be your last forever.

We are gladiators, and why aren't we the greatest athletes? we combine strenght, speed, agility, precision, accuracy, moveablility, reading, ...much more.

 

[Mcc457]

We work very hard, we play very hard, every game, every play, every second can be your last forever.

We are gladiators, and why aren't we the greatest athletes? we combine strenght, speed, agility, precision, accuracy, moveablility, reading, ...much more.

Yes, football players are great athletes, but you guys always seem to forget the fact you call the game football when you only use your feet once (other than running)

All those attributes you listed can also apply to real football, baseball, track and field, quiz competitions(if you look at them metaphorically), cricket, volley ball, basketball, hockey, a child's four square game, rugby, swimming, cross country and the list goes on and on.

Plus you have to take into consideration that other players also put tons of dedication into their sport, maybe even some more than football players. Sorry for my little rant, I'm just needed to vent thoughts on the American football state of mind that it's the only existing sport on Earth...

 

[EatSpit24]

We work very hard, we play very hard, every game, every play, every second can be your last forever.

We are gladiators, and why aren't we the greatest athletes? we combine strenght, speed, agility, precision, accuracy, moveablility, reading, ...much more.

I giggled reading this. WEH R GLAHDEATURS.

I think you forget that football players run around for 6 seconds than get a 1 minute break, then you get a halftime.
Could you imagine racing for 6 seconds then having a caution? (Indy 08)Then taking it to the garage during the halfway point so everyone can catch their breath and get a gameplan together?

I'm not going to say that drivers are the best athletes because I haven't played every sport.

But I have played football, and it ain't football. Lol

 

[BredCooper]

I don't wanna fight with ya...but

It's the Football that was invented in the United States, we call it Football, deal with it.Hundreds of years ago serveral types of football were invented, you have Soccer (AsSOCCation Football), Rugby Football and [American] Football.

I can't and never will respect soccer, tho.

Actually, the origin of the word football was defining sports involving running and a ball, it wasn't meant that the ball requires contact with your foot.

However, in the early days of Football the foot and ball contact had a bigger role.

And then, we still kick the ball for the kickoff and punts, fg's...

700 students died in football to this day, tell me a sport, tell me a sport that is that dangerous and a risk that all players take!

I don't think there's any other sport, where the players take it dead serious! Starting as a little kid, learning pain, army like drills, lifting weights for hours, every day, being proud to ya team, your town and your school....there's a lot of drama in football, a win is like you conquer the world, a lose is like someone took your dreams and heart...the dedication we give to football, is unreachable, blood, pain, love, dreams, pride and glory...


Football takes the highest level of all skills and strengthen.


Oh, and I'm not saying racing is easy, I never did.

 

[JeffJordan]

I'm sorry, what? No respect for soccer? I'm not anything CLOSE to a soccer fan but you need to be in prime physical fitness in order to participate. Same with rugby, which is even more brutal. Football you can just be tall and strong, you don't need to be fit. You can be somewhere in the realm of 275-350 pounds and still be able you play football. Again, you do not need to be fit.

At the top of the list of "most athletic sports" mixed martial arts and boxing are always going to be there. As far as team sports, I still think soccer or hockey is the hardest. Both of them require peak physical fitness, speed, agility, and endurance for every position.

 

[moppenheimer]

Football you can just be tall and strong, you don't need to be fit. You can be somewhere in the realm of 275-350 pounds and still be able you play football. Again, you do not need to be fit.

A 300 pound NFL lineman is most certainly fit...They are literally freaks of nature. That combination of size, speed and strength can't be found anywhere else in sport.

I played both soccer and football growing up (still play football). Both require a different type of athleticism for sure, but both are challenging athletically and professionals in either are world class athletes.

 

[The Captain]

tell me a sport that is that dangerous and a risk that all players take!

Auto racing




Public golf courses can be pretty risky as well.

 

[BredCooper]

You're mistaken big time.

In Football you have to be fit! We don't spent hours of practice with pain for show....running in the very morning, sun ain't up, running for hours.

Every single player has to be fast and moveable, and don't forget, we are taller and we are bigger, more muscles and the gear we have to carry with us...we build up our bodies for years!

The d-line, doesn't have to be fast as a back or receiver, but fast enough to react to the offense plays, same with the offense, they have to be very fast to not get caught by the d.

People who don't know much about football, think the defense is just fat, but this sir is well mass of muscle.

Some runnings backs are almost as fast as bolt (johnson is the fastest so far, 26.xmph, 1 mile slower than bolt), and some players would win against him on a 40 yard dash.

If you think you don't need to be fit in a football game, I can't help ya...we give 200%, our all maximum at every play, there's no time to be slow, slower than the other.

Rugby is no way more brutal than Football, in compare, the target of rugby isn't to take down the opponent, it's just to make him lose the ball, not to knock him out.In Football, it's every inch counts, take him down in any possible way with full speed!

That's why there's any gear in rugby, it doesn't need it.

Sport science tested both, football hits (4500lbs+) are the triple of rugby (1500 lbs)

Auto racing




Public golf courses can be pretty risky as well.

I'll give you that with racing, but that's a motorsport

And ya, some golf balls are flying in wrong directions

 

[canadienhits]

I can't believe I'm going to waste post 8,500 on this.

All sports have their merits that make them special. You can't compare what a defensive lineman in Texas goes through versus a right wing in Minnesota versus a power forward in North Carolina. All different. Each will argue that their sport is hardest or most athletic, but you really can't compare. You can't put a RB on skates and expect him to be an instant star, or a point guard to put on a set of pads and go right out to cover, or a goalie with some sneakers and say, cover the shooting guard.

Just can't do it.

There is one point I want to make on athletes. The great ones, your guys who win in the Olympics, or play pro ball (even college), have to have some brains. You just can't throw someone out in a sport who doesn't have an understanding of what is the little things that can make me a winner. Too much of this has been about muscle, speed, agility, and not enough has been on brains.

I've played football, hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, and drove dirt tracks. They are all sports in my book.

 

[4WideRacing]

We work very hard, we play very hard, every game, every play, every second can be your last forever.

Every second? Even when you are just standing around letting the clock run down??? :-/ Unless you are referring to how anyone can die at any time which you are that would also apply to drivers.

I can't and never will respect soccer, tho.

Why? Because the players "combine strength, speed, agility, precision, accuracy, moveablility, reading, ...much more" Recognize that?

700 students died in football to this day, tell me a sport, tell me a sport that is that dangerous and a risk that all players take!

But what about percentages? 700 of how many?

I don't think there's any other sport, where the players take it dead serious! Starting as a little kid, learning pain, army like drills, lifting weights for hours, every day, being proud to ya team, your town and your school....there's a lot of drama in football, a win is like you conquer the world, a lose is like someone took your dreams and heart...the dedication we give to football, is unreachable, blood, pain, love, dreams, pride and glory...

Maybe for some but not all people....

Football takes the highest level of all skills and strengthen.

Maybe (and I mean maybe) if talking about just sports. Fighting in combat (especially now that the enemy doesn't wear uniforms) would in my opinion be what would take the highest level of skills and strengths.

You're mistaken big time.

In Football you have to be fit! We don't spent hours of practice with pain for show....running in the very morning, sun ain't up, running for hours.

Every single player has to be fast and moveable, and don't forget, we are taller and we are bigger, more muscles and the gear we have to carry with us...we build up our bodies for years!

The d-line, doesn't have to be fast as a back or receiver, but fast enough to react to the offense plays, same with the offense, they have to be very fast to not get caught by the d.

People who don't know much about football, think the defense is just fat, but this sir is well mass of muscle.

Some runnings backs are almost as fast as bolt (johnson is the fastest so far, 26.xmph, 1 mile slower than bolt), and some players would win against him on a 40 yard dash.

If you think you don't need to be fit in a football game, I can't help ya...we give 200%, our all maximum at every play, there's no time to be slow, slower than the other.

Rugby is no way more brutal than Football, in compare, the target of rugby isn't to take down the opponent, it's just to make him lose the ball, not to knock him out.In Football, it's every inch counts, take him down in any possible way with full speed!

That's why there's any gear in rugby, it doesn't need it.

Sport science tested both, football hits (4500lbs+) are the triple of rugby (1500 lbs)

Not to be mean but it seems like you are a little too into football. And of coarse football players would be able to run faster than Johnson, they train specifically to be able to run fast while Johnson does it to get as fit as possible but doesn't have to worry about speed.

 

[moppenheimer]

Not to be mean but it seems like you are a little too into football. And of coarse football players would be able to run faster than Johnson, they train specifically to be able to run fast while Johnson does it to get as fit as possible but doesn't have to worry about speed.

He meant Chris Johnson, NFL Running Back. Not that he's necessarily even the fastest football player of all time (Just since the combine has kept times)...nor could he or any other NFL player out-sprint Usain Bolt....

 

[labontefanboy]

Not to be mean but it seems like you are a little too into football. And of coarse football players would be able to run faster than Johnson, they train specifically to be able to run fast while Johnson does it to get as fit as possible but doesn't have to worry about speed.

The Johnson he is talking about is Chris Johnson, the runningback for the Tennessee Titans who tied an all-time record with a 4.24 40 yd dash at the '08 NFL Combine.

 

[4WideRacing]

Oh. Okay. Sorry about that.