top athletes

[Douglas342@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/27/99 7:42:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca writes:

> Without showing complete and utter disrespect for members of the golfing 
> fraternity, there are none that I know of who can compare as an athlete 
with 
> those who compete in the other major sports.  Not in athleticism, stamina, 
> endurance etc.  Some of the worst conditioned individuals I know are 
> outstanding golfers, but are unable to do what some of us would call the 
most 
> simple of other athletic skills.  Many pro athletes are very good golfers, 
> but I'm not sure that the golfers cam reciprocate at a similar level.  

Were anyone to come up with a definitive answer to this one, hundreds of bars 
would go out of business.  The answer is that who is the greatest depends on 
your criteria, and they are totally subjective.  I certainly find Nicklaus' 
accomplishments to be pretty awesome, and we can argue where he belongs on 
the list from now til Sunday.

Many years ago (maybe 20-30? Lordy, maybe 30-40????!!), Playboy ran a 
terrific story entitled "The Toughest Job in Sports."  The author or authors 
listed criteria needed in sports, some of which were general physical 
condition, need for specialized training, frequency of injury, severity of 
injuries, frequency of crucial moments, etc.  I think there were about 25 
categories.  They then took about 30 sports and scored each one in each 
criterion and totalled the points.  One example I remember was that race 
drivers ranked ninth:  they didn't have to be in great shape, but had to 
concentrate 100% for two to four hours at a time, and the possibility of 
death was very real.  Figure skaters also ranked very high.  Football players 
spend half the game on the sidelines.  Golfers didn't rank too high, but 
scored very high for concentration:  the pressure when you're facing a ten 
foot putt for the US Open is pretty intense.  Etc. Etc.  Basketball players, 
they said, were probably the best overall conditioned athletes.

At any rate, boxers ranked #1, and I think basketball players were in the top 
three.  Maybe some day (I've been thinking this for years) I'll write to ol' 
Hef and see if they have archives.