What's Your Favorite Sport

[John Dailey]

Baal:

~ It's 'all in the mind.' You're paying more attention to your birthdays than to your exercising and it's affecting your observations. (I'm assuming you don't smoke, have no infirmities [a la Stephen Hawking] and do such exercising 'regularly.')

~ Cripes; look at Jack La Lanne. He's been around since Christ died.

LLAP

J:D

PS: I smoke; I got an excuse ;)

Edited October 12, 2007 by John Dailey

[jeff]

Any form of auto racing.

Very fun to participate, almost as fun to watch.

Fast, loud, dangerous, exciting.

Combines physical skill, strategy, engineering, manufacturing, financial planning.

Technology developed in auto racing benefits passenger cars in terms of safety, performance and fuel efficiency.

[syrakusos]

Mine is baseball for sure. Baseball is pretty much my obsession. It's a complex game that uses a lot of different skills (running, throwing, eye hand coordination), and it takes a long time to learn. Plus, once you get to the higher levels, it's a game for complete hardasses, sliding into each other, collisions at the plate. It's great. America's past time'll do just fine for me.

I agree about baseball, except that I prefer to play softball because it is a hitter's game and a fielder's game. I agree with the mix of skills -- running, throwing, hitting, coordinating plays; each player responsible for his area, but playing together; and baseball (and cricket) is the only sport where the defense controls the ball. I am not into the crashing, that's exceptional to me -- and the rules state that the runner owns the baseline balanced by the fact that the runner cannot touch the ball.

The team captain is the catcher, the inert guy who doesn't hit well because he sees everything from the offense point of view and he controls home, the goal.

Communication relies on secret codes. On defense the catcher and pitcher exchange signals. On offense the baseline coaches send to the batter and runners.

In pro baseball, we have the 300-lb bench, but fundamentally, baseball (softball) can be played well by people of any size because the mix of skills does not favor sheer size. Smaller player can still dominate the infield well and bat in the middle of the lineup. Great pitchers do not have to hit well. Etc. Baseball is very American, very democratic. You can have mixed sex teams with no loss of advantage. (I love watching women play softball.)

The statistics reflect the game. You can go down two times out of three and still be a leader with .333 hitting. You can hit a home run every game even if you play for a team in the cellar. The RBI counts, even it is a sacrifice fly. Doubles, triples, ... put-outs and double plays ... strike-outs count for the pitcher and against the batter.

You can knock the ball out of the park, or you can drop a bunt down the third base line. or (my favorite because I am not a power hitter and not very fast) get on base with a Texas leaguer. Babe Ruth led the league in batting in the same year he led in strike-outs. Dominicans are agressive batters because every kid knows that you can't walk off the island.

I could go on forever about baseball. I like playing it more than watching, but watching is OK, too. I like college ball, women and minor leagues. Love sandlot games.

For all of that, I agree, also with Ba'al about the loneliness of the long distance runner. Sports do not have to be competitive -- except against yourself -- and they do not need to involve teams or spectators.

[Over43]

Basbeall has always been my favorite sport to watch. I tried playing it throughout my younger years but, aside from a few spotty moments of glory it never really was something I excelled at. I became hooked watching baseball in 1976 when Chris Chambliss hit the 9th inning homerun to win the pennant for the Yankees. Overall I am an Oakland A's fan and have enjoyed many fun moments at the Colosseum watching some incredible baseball as well as players.

I play pick up basketball, which I am awful at, and do a lot of skiing in the winter. When I have access I also enjoy racquetball. I have have also "picked up" Russian kettlebell lifting but dought I will ever compete in those events.

As far as sex is concerned it works either as a full on participation sport or a spectator event. ;)

O43

Edited February 6, 2009 by Over43

[jademko2]

Well, top of my most fave sport would be basketball among many others...

BallGames

[jeffrey smith]

I prefer the Dorothy Parker approach to exercise:

"Whenever I get the feeling I should exercise, I go lie down until the feeling passes."

Jeffrey S.

[Dragonfly]

I prefer the Dorothy Parker approach to exercise:

"Whenever I get the feeling I should exercise, I go lie down until the feeling passes."

Ha ha, that reminds me of Bertie Wooster. When asked "Do you do Swedish exercises before breakfast?", he answers "I wouldn't dream of such a thing. Leave these excesses to the Swedes, I say."

[Xray]

I prefer the Dorothy Parker approach to exercise:

"Whenever I get the feeling I should exercise, I go lie down until the feeling passes."

Jeffrey S.

I can relate to that.

I'm on my feet a lot in my job and also do quite a bit of dancing with the kids which I enjoy very much, so I always 'appease' myself that this plus walking our dog is enough. My interest in sport is zero really.

[Selene]

I prefer the Dorothy Parker approach to exercise:

"Whenever I get the feeling I should exercise, I go lie down until the feeling passes."

Jeffrey S.

I can relate to that.

I'm on my feet a lot in my job and also do quite a bit of dancing with the kids which I enjoy very much, so I always 'appease' myself that this plus walking our dog is enough. My interest in sport is zero really.

Ms. Xray:

Zero is a subjective value, I feel it is more like - 7.

Adam

unsurprised at Ms. Xray's subjective opinion of exercise...

[Xray]

unsurprised at Ms. Xray's subjective opinion of exercise...

unsurprised at Mr Selene's picking on my subjective choices.

Edited November 17, 2009 by Xray

[Max Eichelberger]

I love basketball.

My team: Phoenix Suns. ;)

[Selene]

I love basketball.

My team: Phoenix Suns. ;)

Good ball club. Western Basketball - fast with great passing. Nash is always a pleasure to watch. Good front line, but how is their bench this year?

[Max Eichelberger]

I love basketball.

My team: Phoenix Suns. ;)

Good ball club. Western Basketball - fast with great passing. Nash is always a pleasure to watch. Good front line, but how is their bench this year?

It's hard to say, Phoenix is excellent (lost but 2) at home; half and half away. So there's definitely quality game happening, and there's a lot of activity coming from the bench though... There's just as much inactivity. Leandro Barbosa is a one man fast break, and I can't wait until Jason Richardson's contract expires. I think if Barbosa had a tad more finesse, and wasn't injured, he'd be a starter already. Dragvic (or whatever his name is), also called NashLite, is doing fairly well but still needs to get used to the NBA. Amundson is also getting the hang of pro-ball too, and is apparently a fan favorite (though, not to me).

Yet all conversations on the integrity of the bench immediately crashes down when the words "Robin" and "Lopez" are spoken together. I don't know why one would draft a Stanford post, but Phoenix did, and he's been nothing but crap. Dudley ain't bad, but Hill is impossibly good for his age (or, really, any age) so he's going to continue to post bad numbers until he gets more minutes, gets a better feel...

That said though, they are going to the Finals and they'll do well but not win it. After you get over the Nash-Stoudemire there really isn't that much depth. Channing is dead weight (like all posts on the Phoenix Suns' offense), Hill is playing amazing but isn't so much a foundation as he is a convenience and Richardson... Well, it's Richardson. Best days are definitely behind him.

[psychoanaleesis]

Swimming in general... love the resistance water gives, the pressure when I dive and the contemplating period it offers as I glide through the water.