This is what causes you to return from your self-imposed exile?

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athlete ( ) n. A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise.

Based upon this definintion the MMA guys are the best athletes.
Brock Lesnar, Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell, B.J. Penn...

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@audioidkid

I voted soccer as it was the best option given.
The MMA vote is a very good one as well.
However, I have another idea.
By putting forward my "other" option, I realize I'm setting myself up for a beating with burrito themed wiseassery, but figure skaters are excellent athletes. Strength, endurance and agility are all present and in great quantity.

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Stupidity irritates the crap outta me... and yes, I irritate myself far too often.

Soccer. I'm not a fan, but I respect the skill and the conditioning you need in order to play that sport.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

About to get his ass whipped.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Olympic Decathlon.

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"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.

As much as I love baseball, it does not belong as an aswer to this question. Yes, 162 games is a grind and you put your body through a lot, but if guys that look like Mo Vaughn, Babe Ruth, David Wells, and Rod Beck can make it in MLB, it is clear that they are nowhere near the "best" atheletes in the world.

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decathelete

Mathlete

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Yeah, 6 minutes yet the average career in the NFL spans something like 3.something years? And most of them can't get out of bed Monday morning? Not saying they're the best in the world, but they're up there.

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I voted football. Size, speed, strength, and ajility are traits of most football players. You can put a linebacker or wide receiver in any of those other sports, and they can do well (with the exception of hitting a 95 mph fastball). The same can't be said for soccer or baseball players.

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Nothing to fear but fear itself, and me.

I voted Football. Why? Cause it's sure to irritate KS.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

i voted for football (more specifically, running back and cornerback).

here is my reasoning, regardless whether you think it's flawed or not:

Ladainian Tomlinson CAN play soccer. If he put in the work and dedication, he would probably be pretty good. he's that good of an athelete. Deion Sanders, putting in the same hard work and dedication, may be a world class track/field guy.

Conversely, there is NO WAY david beckham could be an nfl running back. Bruce Jenner? His nickname would be "White Toast" if he were to play cornerback in the NFL.

Soccer

IMO - can't be soccer. Playing soccer requires only slightly more athletic ability than long-distance running. I admire their endurance, but athleticism? Not so much.....

I'll go with hockey - requires pieces of skill from all of the other sports, but played at a high rate of speed on ice.

However, in certain situations, adult film stars are far more athletic than any of the others that are listed. For instance - "How are they doing that?"

I disagree. Did you see the Countdown to UFC 83?

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@audioidkid

Porn stars

I didn't catch it, but I might be speaking with my heart. I want to see Frank Mir whip Brock's ass.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Lesnar looks super focussed. Mir seems to be too rockstar.

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@audioidkid

Dodgeballers.

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What about NASCAR?

Danica = not part of NASCAR

but,
Danica = HOT


and,
Danica = I wish she was a porn star

I'm sure she will be soon enough

I don't buy soccer for a second. It's a lot of running, but really not much else. I agree with the logic that says a great football player could become a great soccer player but not visa versa. They don't have nearly the strength.

Soccer needs incredible stamina and agility, but not a ton of strength or power.

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Rugby is a combination of soccer and football, but I would not say they are the best atheletes.

I picked hockey because they skate most of the time on the ice, the best athletes are on the ice for 30 something minutes and they need to be tough. Soccer guys walk around a lot and run in bursts other than a constant run like a distance runner. That's my thought but who really cares.

soccer absolutely; Irish Boy, you clearly don't understand the game so I'm discounting what you said. If all you see is them "running around" you're not paying attention to what they're doing with their feet. It's basically the equivalent to what a basketball player's "touch" with dribbling is. There is incredible strength involved--but it's mainly coming from the hips and legs. Soccer players look paper thin on the upper torso but their legs are big. of course they couldn't play American Football, and most American Football players couldn't run around for 45 straight minutes with only a 15 minute break.

There is a lot involved in playing the sport. What do you think is harder? Throwing a pass with your arm or your foot? Try it sometime.

I give a lot of credit to hockey players as well, I agree with the ability to skate on ice AND control a hockey stick and a puck--that requires a lot mentally and physically.

Also, boxing has a lot of great athletes as well.

I'm not saying there isn't skill. Skill and athleticism are two different things. A pianist has a ton of skill in his hands and tremendous finger strength, that doesn't mean he's a great athlete. Athleticism to me means speed and strength; all the other things are aquired skills, and all sports are probably equal in that since it's roughly equally difficult to become a world-class player in any sport.

In terms of raw athleticism, football players have the edge. In fact, I'd argue that ball-handling takes away from athleticism in soccer, because it forces you to slow down rather than go full blast. There may be more skill to passing a soccer ball. But the football player will be the better athlete.

I'd dare say a group of wide receivers and running backs could easily run around for 45 straight minutes. They also take repeated hits and are expected to put their body through a constant start-and-sprint which is more taxing than the flowing nature of soccer. Linemen may not be able to run like that, but linemen are also going full sprint a few seconds at a time while doing the equivalent of a 500 pound bench press 60 times a game. It's a rare type of athlete that can do that.