This was in the Scuttlebutt that I received tonight. Go to the link at the end to read the whole blog. And then there is a link from there to the ESPN report. I wonder if this is the only Olympic sport that did not make their list. Apparently, even billiards requires more athleticism than sailing.:(

NOT ON THE LIST
When ESPN went about listing the top 60 most demanding sports, they identified 10 categories, or skills, that go into athleticism, and then assigned a number from 1 to 10 to the demands each sport makes of each of those 10 skills. By totaling and averaging their responses, they arrived at a degree-of-difficulty number for each sport on a 1 to 100 scale. That number places the difficulty of performing each sport in context with the other sports they rated. When the list was done, they found that Boxing (1) is the most demanding sport -- and that Fishing (60) is the least demanding sport. Where was sailing? It was not on the list. -- Scuttleblog, full post:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2007/01/not-on-list.html

This was on Sailing Anarchy almost a week ago. Go look around the sailing forum there and you can read alot of pretty interesting stuff.

My conclusion was that if they put sailing on the list it would make all the other sports look so meaningless thay just decided to leave it off.

Okay back to reality. I can understand boxing and some of the others above sailing but Bowling and fishing? I work alot harder when I go sailing than when I go fishing!!!
But what am I saying, the boat does all the work right...espn is stupid. They give spelling bees more time on the air than sailing!

I feel better now, because I can't find motocross on the list, either.

Did you know that in a test in the 80's when they studied a many different athlete's motocross riders where the most fit. Above Swimmers, Wrestlers, and distance runners.

I live in NZ right. Sailing mad. Is there any coverage of sailing? No
Let's just face it... not a spectator sport... no box office, no advertising revenue... we don't exist.

I know. That's why I feel better. Rick used to race motocross, and he said it is one of the most physically demanding sports there is.

Anyway, if sailing WERE on the list, where do you all think it should be ranked, based on their criteria?

Never mind. After I have gone over that list, I realize that the whole thing is completely bogus. It must be some kind of joke thing.

I didn't REALLY mean it is a joke thing. I meant that ESPN has to be really dumb, because that whole list is a joke. It appears to be something that they meant to be legitimate. After reading that list, it is hard to believe it came from a major television SPORTS channel.

Their coverage and reports have been getting worse and worse. I will admit that some of those sports are very tough but I do alot of them and I know that some of them do not even compare to sailing.

What kind of toughness does it take for someone to solo a ship around the world? Not as much as fishing I guess.

I taught what was known as the toughest X training course in a big gym in Auckland. My peoiple always won the gym push up competition for women and men. Many people who thought they were fit and strong went away with tails between legs. The only people who came in and did quite well off the mark were rugby loose forwards and MOTOCROSS riders, They are rugged inividuals.

Where does it say that those are the 60 most demanding sports? It just says "here are 60 sports that we ranked". So sailing isn't less demanding that fishing, it just isn't on the list.

Of course, any such comparison is more-or-less worthless, and that one is comically unscientific.

It is still valid to ask, "why didn't they include sailing?"

Paul

I mentioned that there is little or no advertising revenue. But we also have a lot of sailing specific understandings and language. Not an easy sport for the never sailed to start watching.
Also, isn't sailing seen as a rich persons sport in the US?
It is even seen as that here..actually a white, rich persons sport.
I certainly understand that F18 is a rich mans games here. There is a feeling that money buys wins. I certainly think that about big boat sailing.
This attitude may in a sports broadcasters sense create a predgudice.

In this country a crappy (from outside the sport this boat must be seen as the cheapest enry level boat) little laser is 14K for a top one. Anyone from the outside would look at that and think..crappy little thing hardly bigger than
a kayak. In this country that boat is as much as a tidy four year old mid sized car with leather, sunroof, electric everything.

Sailing is not everymans sport and a lot of Monday night football is about the watchablity but also the fact thst most young boys have played the game, know the lingo and want to see themselves making the plays.

This is also a truth... pool tables are easily filmed. Maybe the list is about TV sports.

My problem is that you would think that they would AT LEAST include all the Olympic sports.

I always get a kick out of the "lazy man's sport" label for sailing. I think I mentioned it when it happened, but a couple of years back at one of our local events, we'd been out for a good day of sailing. There were two guys 20 years my junior, that were I think, football players in college. They were both beat by the time they reached the beach. I was tired too, but not like them! Sure made this old geezer feel good! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Well...sailing CAN be a lazy sport. My wife and I just sold our 23.5' mono that was very relaxing to tool around on. Unless we were trying for max performance, it was comfortable cruising all the way.

It's all a matter of perception. If the general public were exposed, and by that I mean close-up, of what small, high-performance cats/skiffs are capable of, I think sailing would be regarded more highly as the real athletic activity it is.

Key
ENDURANCE: The ability to continue to perform a skill or action for long periods of time. Example: Lance Armstrong
STRENGTH: The ability to produce force. Example: NFL linebackers.
POWER: The ability to produce strength in the shortest possible time. Example: Barry Bonds.
SPEED: The ability to move quickly. Example: Marion Jones, Maurice Green.
AGILITY: The ability to change direction quickly. Example: Derek Jeter, Mia Hamm.
FLEXIBILITY: The ability to stretch the joints across a large range of motion. Example: Gymnasts, divers.
NERVE: The ability to overcome fear. Example: High-board divers, race-car drivers, ski jumpers.
DURABILITY: The ability to withstand physical punishment over a long period of time. Example: NBA/NHL players.
HAND-EYE COORDINATION: The ability to react quickly to sensory perception. Example: A hitter reacting to a breaking pitch; a drag racer timing acceleration to the green light.
ANALYTIC APTITUDE: The ability to evaluate and react appropriately to strategic situations. Example: Joe Montana reading a defense; basketball point guard on a fast break.




No doubt based on the above top MX riders would be #2.

ESPN, These are the the same "Einsteins" that picked Ohio over the Gators. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Number one (in my view) would be one other group of athletes that gets overlooked.

The elite warriors of our military.

Bollocks, they might be your soldiers sport but to a whole lot of others on the planet they are IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME DOING THE WRONG THING!!!
You forgot the stunning intellect of their commander in chief who has made your country a laughing stock!
This is a sailing forum so keep it in your pants.

warbird,

Read the next sentences slowly and carefully.

I was speaking about "athletes".

If you want to debate whether or not S.E.A.L.s are athletes then go for it.

I made no mention of politics or that issue. You did.

I would not waste my time debating that issue or for that matter any issue with you.

I believe you do not possess the life experience, intelligence, or the ability to think past tomorrow.

Your reply displays the usual mendacity of a "moral" majority.
Read this slowly.
LIKE I SAID... SAILING FORUM.

It's all my fault for mentioning motocross. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />