Re: top athletes

[opi@unesco.org]

Kestutis Kveraga wrote:

>   Basketball players,
> they said, were probably the best overall conditioned athletes.
> --- end of quote ---
>
> I'm sure these yahoos didn't include soccer, for there's no way basketball players are better conditioned than soccer players. It is possible to play professional basketball without being in top physical shape. Heck, there are some players in the NBA who are *overweight*.  It is simply NOT possible to run all over the field that's at least 110 x 70 yards at full speed for 90 minutes without being in incredible shape. There's no such thing as an out-of-shape soccer player, at least not among those who get to play.

Interest. I guess I'd put basketball and soccer about even (after boxing). It seems to me you can generally catch your breath playing soccer and even stand around a bit, unless you are a midfielder. I think it takes a ton of conditioning to guard any good player man-to-man over 92 feet, especially since you don't have to guard them in soccer if they run "offsides".

But definitely conditioning in soccer is probably as important as in man-to-man basketball, and I suppose this may be why they call soccer managers "trainers" rather than "coaches". I'm surprised the rules don't allow more substitutions, along with reentry into games after a substitution. That's definitely a tough rule.

Still boxing has to demand the toughest conditioning regimen, because I just can't picture Antoine getting out the door before 5:00am every morning to jog 10 miles, eat a light breakfast, weigh himself, and then train pretty much all day long for months before each match.

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