armchairgm
all sports, all you
+ Add Friends
You are not logged-in.
Sign Up - Log In
Main Page
Sports
Write
Articles
Hot Links
Images
Meet People
Fun
Explore
MLB - NFL - NBA - NHL - College Basketball - College Football - Soccer - Nascar - Other
Article - Locker Room Discussion
All Articles - New Articles - Today's Articles
Submit a Link - Approve Links
Picture Game - Ratings - Polls - Pick Game - Quiz Game - Spring Silliness
Random Page - Random Image - Random Fan
Edit
Page history Discuss pageWhat links here

Which sport requires the most intelligence?

8
Vote

by user Simms1156

I was reading the topic titled "Does anyone care about baseball or are we waiting for football?" and people slightly debated which sport required the most intlelligence to play. This got me to thinking what my opinion on the subject is. In my opinion football is the sport that requires the most intelligence. In football everyplayer needs to know an entire playbook of plays, they also need to watch film and study the other players to the point where they no what the other players are going to do before they do it. I dont understand the argument that baseball is "a thinking mans game". How much thought could really be involved? I mean you put lefty pitchers against lefty hitters when you get later in the game and need to start using your bullpen. You pinch hit and run when needed and you occasionally give players days off. Other sports dont require much mental study, in basketball you run the same plays from child hood through the NBA and it is based off skill and not knowledge. I dont know enough about hockey to make an accurate judgement so I will leave that up to other people.

Basically my main point of my argument is that in football you can be the most gifted player ever but if you dont know how to read a defense or offense, or if you cant figure out your assignments you wont be in the league long. In other sports you are either skilled or not unless you are extremely done your sporting intelligence isnt that important.

What are your opinions on the most mentally challenging sport? How about the least?


Enable Comment Auto-Refresher
KelsdadAll-Star
902 days ago
Score 5+-
People who don't like baseball, don't understand it.
Permalink | Reply
RomiezzoLegend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
Agreed. Many people believe that just because it's a sport where you swing a bat, that's all you have to do. There's so much more to it. SO MUCH MORE. There are some things that even I might not know. Like who knew what the umps were doing with George Brett's bat before they called him out when they set it at home plate. There's a lot to learn. But, in terms of strategy, I'm gonna have to go with football. If a coach and a quarterback (or the captain) master the game, they'll win a LOT. A LOT!!
Permalink
I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer
902 days ago
Score 2+-
I don't think it comes down to sports necessarily as much as individual positions. NFL Quarterbacks and Pitchers and Catchers in baseball require the most memory and analysis.
Permalink | Reply
JuTMSY4Legend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
a lot of it is really instinctual and decision making...is that intelligence...maybe...intelligence is really a difficult word to explain...is it knowledge or insticts or the ability to understand...quickly?
Permalink | Reply
JuTMSY4Legend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
Not applying it to baseball...sports in general... Baseball is certainly a lot more behavior...football requires a lot more studying than behavioral change...this is a very deep conversation...something I'm probably not qualified to really weigh in on...
Permalink
SashaDiv-I Stud
902 days ago
Score 0+-
If you want to reduce baseball to those basics then you could say football is just trying to hit the man with the ball or trying not to be hit.
Permalink | Reply
JuTMSY4Legend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
or trying to score more points than the other team? All sports, at its basic level, are instincts and behavior...
Permalink
JamelAll-American
902 days ago
Score -3+-
Sasha you can't exactely break down football like that.. Okay look at baseball this way-- yeah it takes skill to hit a curveball, slider, whatever- then you run the bases- BUT even in baseball you have a third base coach telling you what to do- you just keep running along as hard as you can- HE DOES THE THINKING FOR YOU!- sorry but the biggest thinking in baseball are the probably the shortstop and outfield players and where to throw the ball and 99% of the time that's already decided before the next pitch is thrown- at least in hockey and football when the action takes place the players have to make their own decisions. Shit in baseball they even tell you went to bunt
Permalink
Simms1156Div-I Stud
902 days ago
Score -1+-
I never said I do not like baseball. I am a baseball fan and as a matter of fact I watch almost every Phillies game I have a great amount of respect for the people who play the game I just dont think that baseball requires the intellegence of football. And I am using intelligence as an all ecompassing word like intelligence knowledge awareness...
Permalink | Reply
JuTMSY4Legend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
well, learning/memorizing the plays is one thing...but much like baseball, its the application of the situations...baseball just doesn't have a playbook, but its the same idea... Personally, I'm more of a football fan than baseball (not by much)...I sorta agree with you, but there's 2 sides to every argument...
Permalink
Simms1156Div-I Stud
902 days ago
Score 0+-
What else is in baseball, i mean there is the pinch hit the steal bunt sac fly ect. but in football their are endless combinations of plays and formations
Permalink | Reply
KelsdadAll-Star
902 days ago
Score 0+-
There's endless combinations in baseball, too.
Permalink
EkomVarsity
902 days ago
Score -1+-
There's 8 ways to first base, there's one way to a first down (10 yards)
Permalink
RomiezzoLegend
902 days ago
Score -1+-
Actually there's like...23, I believe that was the number. I saw something on the net.
Permalink
JamelAll-American
902 days ago
Score 0+-
Ekom that makes no sense at all- go smack yourself for pulling a Manny
Permalink
KelsdadAll-Star
902 days ago
Score 3+-
While not necessarily an intelligence, but here's another way to look at it.

Take all the so-called "multi-sport" athletes. Almost without exception, those players were less successful at baseball. Brian Jordan? Not a bad baseball player, but a great football player, multiple Pro-Bowls? Deion Sanders? Hall of Fame football player, terrible baseball player, only in the league to sell tickets. Michael Jordan? Worst baseball player I've ever seen. Bo Jackson? Not a bad baseball player, but no one would argue he wasn't a better football player.

Baseball may be a less physically demanding sport than the others, but is certainly more difficult to play.
Permalink | Reply
JuTMSY4Legend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
no way MJ was the worse baseball player you've ever seen...
Permalink
RomiezzoLegend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
I think there are the same amount of rules in baseball and football, but a lot applies more to one game in football. There are a lot more plays that you can think about using, whereas in baseball, you have your starting 9, and you pinch hit, sub pitcher, etc whenever you want.
Permalink | Reply
KelsdadAll-Star
902 days ago
Score 0+-
He was the worst I've seen that was getting paid. Trust me, he sucked BIG TIME. And I saw him in person, too, not just on TV. He was effin' awful.
Permalink
Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer
902 days ago
Score 1+-
MJ > Neifi Perez (yes baseball)
Permalink
Simms1156Div-I Stud
902 days ago
Score 0+-
I think that baseball is a sport that you have to be truly gifted at. I look at it like this in football you can train and train and become a better player even without tons of natural athletic ability. In baseball you can either hit or you can't. No matter how hard I practice at baseball I cant hit a 95 mph fastball or tell whats coming at me a slider or a curve. But when it comes to football I can train and lift and get stronger. Also in football I can strenghthen my awareness of the game by studying how other people play, but I cant learn to play baseball by watching Griffey, you can either swing like him or you cant. So I say that though baseball requires some mental capacity it is a sport in which you rely more on your physical capabilities than football
Permalink | Reply
JuTMSY4Legend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
you can't learn from watching griffey...every high school coach will disagree...
Permalink
JuTMSY4Legend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
on that note, baseball players study film all the time...
Permalink
Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer
902 days ago
Score 0+-
Kosar's IQ actually increased after all those concussions from (cough, cough) scrambling. Only in Cleveland...
Permalink
EkomVarsity
902 days ago
Score -1+-
They don't count Errors in football because that's what makes every big play happen in football. You can be dumb and play either (plenty of examples out there). The Smartest baseball players have long careers, the smartest football players retire early.
Permalink | Reply
JuTMSY4Legend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
because they can or have to? Bernie Kosar retired at age 33...he also graduated from college with a dual-degree...in 2 years, IMO that's pretty smart
Permalink
JamelAll-American
902 days ago
Score -1+-
If people want to argue about smarts and baseball than hockey wins hands down!
Permalink
JamelAll-American
902 days ago
Score 2+-
Wow I'm honored- a column created from my column-- wheres that Alex dude-- eventhough I don't think it's a real real sport I think snooker takes some brains. But yeah football unfortunately does require some brains--- I have read everyone's thoughts on baseball but I still don't see what's so hard about it. I'll give the pitcher and catcher have to study each batter but still that's a stretch- at least in football the guys have to memorize a million different plays.

After reading Simms I have to agree 100% with the guy-- some people just have great hand eye coordination- that's baseball and that's it-

What about curling???
Permalink | Reply
RomiezzoLegend
902 days ago
Score 0+-
That's exactly what I said. In terms of strategy, I think football definitely beats baseball, besides the fact that you have to memorize where certain hitters like the pitch best so that you don't throw it there. And sure for baseball, there are certain defensive plays like double play depth, sac bunt situation, etc, but there more than a 1000000000000 plays for football. The players just memorize the important ones and some to just fool the defense completely. As far as offensively plays for baseball goes, besides moving to a certain place in the batter's box and whether you wanna hit a fly ball or a grounder, you don't really have offensive plays..
Permalink
JamelAll-American
902 days ago
Score 0+-
Shit can't we agree that any retard douchebag can be a professional athlete- heck even Manny said he should have made the big leagues if only he used his left hand
Permalink
Anonymous Fanatic #1
902 days ago
Score 0+-
http://sport.news-free.tu1.ru/
Permalink | Reply
Willf123JV Squad
901 days ago
Score 0+-
From Miriam-Webster

Main Entry: in·tel·li·gence Pronunciation: in-'te-l&-j&n(t)s Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin intelligentia, from intelligent-, intelligens intelligent 1 a (1) : the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations : REASON; also : the skilled use of reason (2) : the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria (as tests) b Christian Science : the basic eternal quality of divine Mind c : mental acuteness : SHREWDNESS 2 a : an intelligent entity; especially : ANGEL b : intelligent minds or mind <cosmic intelligence> 3 : the act of understanding : COMPREHENSION 4 a : INFORMATION, NEWS b : information concerning an enemy or possible enemy or an area; also : an agency engaged in obtaining such information

5 : the ability to perform computer functions
Permalink | Reply
JamelAll-American
901 days ago
Score 1+-
Well that clears everything up- thanks Will
Permalink
Add your Comment
ArmchairGM welcomes all comments. If you don't want to be anonymous, Register or Login. It's free


Retrieved from "http://armchairgm.wikia.com/Which_sport_requires_the_most_intelligence%3F"

This page was last modified 21:21, 27 June 2007. Content is available under the GFDL.

Contribute

ArmchairGM's pages can be edited.
Is this page incomplete? Is there anything wrong?
Change it!

Edit this page Discuss this page Page history

Recent contributors to this page

The following people recently contributed to this article.

Embed this on your site

Main Page About Special Pages Help Terms of Use Advertise