What sport's position produces the best athletes?

Ted-P

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This is a more specific version of the overdone which sports is the most athletic topic.

We always had the which sports has best athletes discussions, but I feel like even within the specific sports had large variance of the certain type of athletes playing certain positions.

So what position in a certain sports would produce athletes that would likely be rather successful in other athletic endeavors.

My pick would be the Guards in the NBA.
A certain size/strength/coordination/endurance combination would be required to be able to play as an NBA guard and I think those attributes would transfer well to other sports.
 
CBs in the NFL, although if you're factoring in P4P, DEs are pretty monstrous
 
CBs in the NFL, although if you're factoring in P4P, DEs are pretty monstrous

I don't disagree, but I was thinking more along the lines of athletes being able to transfer their talents to other sports.

For example, such of playing Tennis!

In which, CB's could make a pretty strong case, but I'm not so sure DE's could.
 
This has been done to all hell and the conclusion is ALWAYS that "The best athletes" don't come from any specific sport or position. The best athletes adapt to the position they grow up playing.

Lebron James would have been a fantastic football player.

Usain Bolt could have been a great cricket player.

If Bo Jackson played soccer as a child you'd better believe he'd be one of the all time greats.

Calvin Johnson would have been an excellent basketball player.

Sports don't choose their athletes, athletes choose their sports
 
This has been done to all hell and the conclusion is ALWAYS that "The best athletes" don't come from any specific sport or position. The best athletes adapt to the positin they grow up playing.

Lebron James would have been a fantastic football player.

Usain Bolt could have been a great cricket player.

If Bo Jackson played soccer as a child you'd better believe he'd be one of the all time greats.

Calvin Johnson would have been an excellent basketball player.

Sports don't choose their athletes, athletes choose their sports

Interesting, I always thought the opposite.

From my limited knowledge, genetic pre-disposition will always drive the athlete toward the sports that they are most likely to excel in.
 
From my limited knowledge, genetic pre-disposition will always drive the athlete toward the sports that they are most likely to excel in.

A large fraction of the best players in any given sport started in junior high school or high school at the latest. At that time in your life, things like the overall popularity of the sport with your peers matters a lot.

In the US this means that a great many well rounded athletes are going to choose football or basketball before choosing other sports for which they might be better suited, because of the social incentives involved. In sports, culture matters as much or more than genetics when it comes to choosing a sport to commit oneself to.
 
Australian Football League midfielders. Sprint a half-marathon during a game? No problem.
 
This has been done to all hell and the conclusion is ALWAYS that "The best athletes" don't come from any specific sport or position. The best athletes adapt to the position they grow up playing.

Lebron James would have been a fantastic football player.

Usain Bolt could have been a great cricket player.

If Bo Jackson played soccer as a child you'd better believe he'd be one of the all time greats.

Calvin Johnson would have been an excellent basketball player.

Sports don't choose their athletes, athletes choose their sports

Leo "The roiding midget" Messi wouldn't make a freshman high school basketball team. There are levels of athleticism at play here.
 
I read somewhere that centerfielders are the most talented athletes out there.

They have to hit, they have to have the reaction time and tracking skills for fielding and then they have to have the throwing ability to get it to the in-field fast and accurately.

Very few other athletes are asked to handle ball skills and non-ball skills and stick skills at the same time.
 
No need for futbol or beisbol to be involved in this discussion. I'll go with NBA shooting guards. If you aren't an elite A+++ athlete you better be a deadeye shooter. You typically have to be a hybrid of both tho to make it as a starting SG in the NBA
 
T&F -> Decathletes, Sprinters
NBA -> Shooting Guard, Small Forward
NFL -> Cornerbacks, Tight Ends, some Defensive Ends & Outside Linebackers
Combat Sports -> 170+ lb weight class fighters

I would add the 75-105kg weight classes for something like Oly Lifting, but it's hard to give mention to athletes who never move their feet as potential world-beaters in crossover talent. Powerlifting is handicapped by this as well as the fact that it requires less flexibility & coordination than Oly lifting, but principally due to the lack of a speed element. Pure strength athletes. I wouldn't name marathon runners, either. I'd add center midfielders from soccer, but soccer players typically can't jump for shit.
 
This is a more specific version of the overdone which sports is the most athletic topic.

We always had the which sports has best athletes discussions, but I feel like even within the specific sports had large variance of the certain type of athletes playing certain positions.

So what position in a certain sports would produce athletes that would likely be rather successful in other athletic endeavors.

My pick would be the Guards in the NBA.
A certain size/strength/coordination/endurance combination would be required to be able to play as an NBA guard and I think those attributes would transfer well to other sports.

What strength? If they get strong by working out, that may or may not benefit the actual position does that count?

Are you talking about athletes that dont do anything outside of just playing that position? What if the NFL cornerback likes to run marathons during the off season?
 
This has been done to all hell and the conclusion is ALWAYS that "The best athletes" don't come from any specific sport or position. The best athletes adapt to the position they grow up playing.

Lebron James would have been a fantastic football player.

Usain Bolt could have been a great cricket player.

If Bo Jackson played soccer as a child you'd better believe he'd be one of the all time greats.

Calvin Johnson would have been an excellent basketball player.

Sports don't choose their athletes, athletes choose their sports

So basically which sport has the best or most depth of naturally gifted athletes.

Then it has to be soccer, since it is played by more people than any other sport.
 
Leo "The roiding midget" Messi wouldn't make a freshman high school basketball team. There are levels of athleticism at play here.

There are plenty of short high school BBall stars. They wont make it past high school though.

I think BBall should have height classes, like boxing and wrestling have weight classes. Like there should be two leagues. One for guys over 6'3" and one for under. Or maybe they can break that up by position.
 
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