Hardest Things To Do In Sports

2008-09-10T07:12:54-04:00

2008-06-12T12:24:25-04:00

2008-09-10T06:39:49-04:00

2008-06-21T17:37:31-04:00

BTO - TCB

No City 443626

I had a stint in the Padres farm system 3 years ago and i would say the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a 100 MPH fastball. You have to swing as soon(or before) the ball is released to hit it, its crazy. Hitting for the cycle and unassisted triple plays are right up there too. 2035353

2008-06-19T11:49:36-04:00

jbriggs23

Wharton 442896

There are two separate issues -- an accomplishment over a period of time, such as hitting .400 for a season, and performing a specific athletic feat, e.g. hitting a major league fastball. Give a top athlete 12 months of training and he's going to be a lot closer to hitting a baseball or returning a tennis serve than he is pole vaulting any decent height. 2015740

2008-06-17T12:17:46-04:00

soccerman17

Herndon 23832

Much, much, much harder is to repeat as World Cup Champion. It's happened only twice - Italy (1934 & 38) and Brazil (1958 & 62) and the most recent was 46 years ago! 1997177

2008-06-16T16:33:33-04:00

BigDipper

Arlington 91948

What about scoring 100 points in a single NBA game? What about averaging 50.4 points a game for a whole year! Ever hear of a guy named Wilt Chamberlain???? 1991531

2008-06-16T09:46:53-04:00

wkellyxc2000

Columbia 441264

ARE YOU KIDDING ME, GUARDING KOBE BRYANT!!!!! How lame is that??!!! There are much harder things in sports to accoplish than guarding Kobe Bryant!!! How about winning the Triple Crown in Baseball, complete the Ironman in Hawaii, or win back-to-back World Cup's, the last team to do that was Brazil in 1958 and 1962. 1986735

2008-06-16T09:15:55-04:00

ben's_jamin

Egnar 94232

How about winning a Grand Slam in Tennis? Rod Laver is the only one to ever have achieved that. Today Roger Federer is being thwarted again and again by Rafael Nadal. No one else is even close to having a serious chance to make it. 1986468

2008-06-16T04:35:23-04:00

ruraldinho

No City 441219

Coming from a soccer background...Winning the quadruple of competitions...The league, the champions league, and both domestic cups...Only done by Celtic FC in 1967... 1985861

2008-06-15T12:09:38-04:00

roby21

No City 440866

how about winning the tennis calendar year grand slam?? nobody's done it since 1969!!!! (by aussie legend rod laver) 1983703

2008-06-14T23:40:16-04:00

hubcaps

Chicago 440702

Kobe? Only a Laker fan who's less than 20 would say that. He's probably the best player today, but not of all time. What about running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days? 1982212

2008-06-14T17:23:48-04:00

mhsDAWG4714

Powder Springs 95167

winning a treble in European football, seeing as how it has been done just 4 times in the history of the game, for those who dont know, a treble is won when one team wins their league championship, their domestic cup tournament, and the European tournament in the same season 1981377

Hitting a baseball or golf ball (in a straight line) are often cited as the most difficult things to do in sports, but it seemed to us that plenty of people on the planet can do them, and even do them well enough to be successful in the major leagues or qualify for professional golf tournaments. Likewise for returning a tennis serve, finishing a triathlon or competing in a downhill ski event.So when it came time to ponder ultimate difficulty, we tried to pick things that even elite athletes in a variety of sports <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/extramustard/06/12/ten.tough.things/index.html" target="_blank">find almost impossible to achieve</a>. Now's it's your turn: Tell us what you think are the hardest things to do in sports? 2194

The SI Staff

New York City 21244