I guess Bill Simmons is right

[Wheels]

Hey Wheels how's it going bro?

sorry you sent this just as I left for work lol. Going good man! Cant wait for the 19th! Wish I could be there though.

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

Yeah, I would say that the basic job of a running back is based almost exclusively on speed and power rather than skill. No argument here. What was your point exactly?

Using the motor skills of a two year old to make a point about the differences in two professional sports is silly, that's all.

 

[oldmangrouch]

So, in summation: baseball is based on hand/eye coordination, while soccer is based on running.

You have just explained the out-come of 2 world wars.

 

[Wheels]

Obviously being competitive in either at a high level requires a lot of skill, but that can be said of anything. My point was that the most basic method of moving a soccer ball up and down the field requires no more rudimentary motor skill than is possessed by an average toddler, whereas the most basic method of moving a basketball up and down the court requires a greater degree of coordination. This (in my mind) was what Mick was referring to when he made his statement.

I Brought up Basketball Mick only talked about Baseball.. unless I missed it, cause I am still not fully awake lol.

In my personal opinion/experience (which is what most of this is) Dribbling a Basketball is much easier than dribbling a soccer ball. I have the use of my thumbs to change the direction of a basketball, and can palm it etc. I dont have even the use of fingers to help with the ball control in Soccer. But I grew up with Basketball, and it was "my first love" so to speak. So that could be why its easier for me than a soccer ball.

 

[Wheels]

headed into a meeting... I'll join back later

 

[Eastoff]

If your body can't handle 162 games in a season, you're certainly no athlete.

You're probably a soccer player.

I didn't realize Pitchers are soccer players.

 

[Eastoff]

So, in summation: baseball is based on hand/eye coordination, while soccer is based on running.

You have just explained the out-come of 2 world wars.

WTF does that mean?

 

[RR7]

. The average soccer player runs 6 miles alone in a game.

A mile is 5,280 feet. 6 miles would be 31,680 feet. A soccer field is, what, 100 yards long? So 300 feet. So in an average 90 minute game, the AVERAGE soccer player runs the full length of the field, you're telling me, over 100 times? So every single minute of play, every player has run further than the length of the field? GTFO.

 

[Wheels]

A mile is 5,280 feet. 6 miles would be 31,680 feet. A soccer field is, what, 100 yards long? So 300 feet. GTFO.

Soccer pitches varie in width there is no set one. But FIFA regulations require a MINIMUM of 105 Meters in Length and a width of 68 Meters. or 114.8 Yards x 74.5 Yards. The Width of a soccer pitch is 75% of the length of a Soccer field almost.

 

[Wheels]

A mile is 5,280 feet. 6 miles would be 31,680 feet. A soccer field is, what, 100 yards long? So 300 feet. So in an average 90 minute game, the AVERAGE soccer player runs the full length of the field, you're telling me, over 100 times? So every single minute of play, every player has run further than the length of the field? GTFO.

And there is a lot of covering in Soccer. So its not just running up and down the field, its left to right a lot. Covering to another player's position across the pitch etc. Defenders run up the field to aid the attack then have to get all the way back to cover lines in the Defensive half. The 6 miles is accurate, and some reports have mentioned more.

 

[RR7]

Soccer pitches varie in width there is no set one. But FIFA regulations require a MINIMUM of 105 Meters in Length and a width of 68 Meters. or 114.8 Yards x 74.5 Yards. The Width of a soccer pitch is 75% of the length of a Soccer field almost.

Alright, let's say it works out to 90 times up and down. Still, i call bullshit. How often does a player whose zone is on one corner of the field ever make it all the way down to the other corner? Let alone the opposite corner on the same side. I am not trying to say they don't run a lot, and aren't great athletes. 6 miles seems like a stretch, though.

 

[RR7]

Yeah, they run up the field to aid an attack,a nd are generally a lot closer to the mid field line than the end line. So if they go from their end line(not usually positioned all the way down there) to a little past mid field, it's going to be the most exciting futbol match ever to see them doing that 150 times or so.

 

[Wheels]

Also by contrast a Football field is 53. something yards wide.

 

[Wheels]

Studies my friend.. its not like we are trying to feed you BS.

Average Distance
According to research compiled and studied by Don Kirkendall, co-author of the book ""Exercise and Sport Science," the average soccer player runs 10,000 m a game. Research shows that this distance was recorded as 8,800 in the 1970s. The growth is explained by evolution of game play and growing training and intensity of the players. 10,000 m, or about 6 miles, works out to be an average speed of 4 mph.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/387950-how-far-does-a-soccer-player-run-during-a-game/

 

[Wheels]

Yeah, they run up the field to aid an attack,a nd are generally a lot closer to the mid field line than the end line. So if they go from their end line(not usually positioned all the way down there) to a little past mid field, it's going to be the most exciting futbol match ever to see them doing that 150 times or so.

you might be referring to Center Backs who stay around the midfield line. Right and Left Backs regularly work their way to the opposing 18 Yard box to cross in, while the midfielders cut towards the middle to receive the cross.

 

[hasoos]

What is the goal of this post except to really either try to insult a bunch of people and act superior to all of them? GTFO.

 

[Wheels]

this thread was effectively hijacked lol. I dont even remember what it was about to begin with.

 

[oldmangrouch]

WTF does that mean?

Sorry, very old joke.

Hand/eye coordination (the prime talent needed in baseball) helps you fight or shoot. Running (the prime talent needed in soccer) helps you run away.

 

[MARIS61]

Running, or jogging which is what soccer players do 99% of the time, requires no more talent or athleticism than walking or clapping one's hands does.

 

[Wheels]

cool

 

[Minstrel]

Alright, let's say it works out to 90 times up and down. Still, i call bullshit. How often does a player whose zone is on one corner of the field ever make it all the way down to the other corner? Let alone the opposite corner on the same side..

Why do they have to run those 6 miles in 90 sprints of the same length? They're running back and forth, in reaction to the ball. So I'm sure they very rarely run corner to corner, but if they have to run 10 yards in this direction, 20 in that, 15 in a new direction, 50 towards the goal, etc, it can definitely add up.

 

[PapaG]

Running 6 miles in 90 minutes, with a 20 minute break (which makes it 110 minutes), is not that big of a deal.

It's like walking at ~3.5 mph on a treadmill for 110 minutes. Running 6 miles doesn't really sound all that impressive when you break down the time and the average mph.

 

[Wheels]

Running 6 miles in 90 minutes, with a 20 minute break (which makes it 110 minutes), is not that big of a deal.

It's like walking at ~3.5 mph on a treadmill for 110 minutes. Running 6 miles doesn't really sound all that impressive when you break down the time and the average mph.

that makes it sound wussy when an NBA player gets tired playing 42 minutes during a 48 minute game with a lot of stops in the action.

 

[Minstrel]

Running 6 miles in 90 minutes, with a 20 minute break (which makes it 110 minutes), is not that big of a deal.

It's like walking at ~3.5 mph on a treadmill for 110 minutes. Running 6 miles doesn't really sound all that impressive when you break down the time and the average mph.

It's 4 MPH continuously for the 90 minutes. If that's all they were doing, it wouldn't be impressive for elite athletes, but they're also playing the game. Dribbling, tackling, jumping and bodying for position.

Hockey, basketball and soccer are all strenuous games, they just are paced differently and the number of breaks reflect it. Soccer players are going the slowest (in terms of energy burned), but take virtually no breaks except at half time. Basketball players probably expend more energy per minute and take more breaks (counting both timeouts and bench time). Hockey players expend the most and are forced to take the most breaks.

Football and baseball are completely different games (and I wouldn't say baseball is strenuous at all except for catchers) so are hard to compare to those three, which are more of the "perpetual movement" sports.

 

[maxiep]

this thread was effectively hijacked lol. I dont even remember what it was about to begin with.

I think the hijacking of the thread and the subsequent conversation proves Simmons' thesis.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I forgot hockeydads to my list.

Baseball is a real sport that requires more than one athletic skill (outside of being a pitcher).

Soccer is kicking a ball. Toddlers can kick a ball.

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

Bill Simmons is Spurs fan

 

[BrianFromWA]

going back a bit:

PapaG, are your girls at an age where soccer is still a mob of kids running around, or can you break out skill-wise?

I watched a couple of my nieces' games (slightly younger than your girls) and it looked a lot like the picture above. I couldn't tell if my nieces were the best, worst, most uncoordinated or fastest...just that one of them stopped for a few minutes to pick up grass off the field and wave at us.

 

[PapaG]

going back a bit:

PapaG, are your girls at an age where soccer is still a mob of kids running around, or can you break out skill-wise?
I watched a couple of my nieces' games (slightly younger than your girls) and it looked a lot like the picture above. I couldn't tell if my nieces were the best, worst, most uncoordinated or fastest...just that one of them stopped for a few minutes to pick up grass off the field and wave at us.

My 2nd-grader is at the age where skills are separated and the girls can be coached. My daughter pretty much always played striker/forward, although she was only the second-best girl on the team. The best player basically played mid-field, because the coach wanted to develop her all-around game. The coach actually thinks my daughter will be a solid offensive mid-fielder, but he wanted to give her a nose for the goal this year, which she developed over the year, scoring a few goals out of 5 on the team/game.

My kindergartner plays mob ball. She's agressive, though, so she was one of the kids always breaking away with the ball and scoring. My 2nd-grader lacked that instinct until she was told to do it by her coach.