The Superior Sport?
I love sports.
So do you. That’s probably why you’re reading this blog (except for you, Mom). That means that you probably watch more than one sport, which is good, because all of them are great, but which one is the best? That’s what I’m going to try to decide here.
I’ll be using a complicated (not) grading system based on four factors. Each factor, excitement, popularity, clarity, and live experience, will be graded out of five, and the total results will be converted into a score out of 100. I’m only going to grade the four biggest sports in America: football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Hopefully, this will all go according to plan, and the top dog in the wide world of sports will showcase itself.
Football:
Excitement: 4/5- Football is pretty damn great, let’s be honest. There’s at least one mildly exciting game every Sunday, and the really exciting ones go down in sports history, like last year’s Super Bowl between the Patriots and Seahawks. However, to truly understand a lot of the weight that some football games carry, you need to know some background context about each team. On top of that, the time between plays is not well-used and there are too many commercials for (now illegal) daily fantasy companies.
Popularity: 5/5- The top 21 most-watched TV programs in American history are all Super Bowls, so that should say something about the draw of watching grown men run into each other. In 2014, 35 percent of sports fans called football their favorite, the largest portion of any sport in America, according to a Harris poll released by ESPN. That means the sport gets big points in this category.
Clarity: 3/5- Other than the obvious, “run-to-the-end-zone-and-don’t-get-tackled” concepts, football is very, very difficult to understand. To be a casual fan is to barely understand half of the penalties that could get called over the course of one game. Not to mention all of the complex play calls that most fanatics try to understand, but can never accurately predict when watching from their couches.
Live Experience: 4/5 Football excels when it comes to this. there’s never a bad seat in any stadium, and the camaraderie between like-minded fans is at an all-time high in the friendly confines of the glorious home stadium. Heckling opposing fans is even nastier than most other sports, which is just as entertaining as the actual game. The only knocks are that it can be absolutely frigid in the middle of the season and sitting in below-freezing temperatures during timeouts, commercial breaks, and quarter and halftime breaks is unenjoyable.
Total: 16/20 or 80/100
Baseball:
Excitement: 3.5/5- The biggest knock on baseball is that it’s so slow, especially on TV. Not many people want to watch a game that could easily surpass three-and-a-half hours, but fanaticism is as fanaticism does. However, baseball is unique in that it is the only sport that allows for a walk-off scenario multiple times in a game. There’s nothing like a come-from-behind win in the bottom of the 9th…or the 16th.
Popularity: 4/5- Baseball ranks second behind football in the same ESPN/Harris poll, but has around 100 million more fans according to sporteology.com. Their big grade comes from the fact that it may be the most international sport on this list, with fans from Japan to America and the Caribbean to its budding life in Europe. As the national pastime of our country already, it’s more potent in its ability to travel globally.
Clarity: 3.5/5- There’s a basic understanding of the game like their is in football, but there isn’t such a deep understanding that’s vital to watching the game like in football. Superfans are crazed with sabremetrics and pitching matchups, but it’s not completely necessary because the basic stats can get you by.
Live Experience: 5/5- Going a baseball game is so great that there’s even a song about it. That alone is enough to give it a perfect grade. There’s something about ballpark food, although overpriced, that’s just magical, and watching a homer fly through the air live is more graceful than anything else in sports.
Total: 16/20 or 80/100
Basketball:
Excitement: 4.5/5- Basketball, along with hockey, is constant action, which makes them the most exciting sports of the four. In addition, breakaway dunks and long three-pointers are pure ocular ecstasy. Buzzer beaters are right up there with walk off homers as far as game-ending drama. Plus, the NBA Finals always have at least one great game. Like the NFL, however, there are too many commercials that break up the continuity of the contests.
Popularity: 4/5- Like baseball, basketball is also multi-national, with leagues in China, the Philippines, Australia, Spain, and more. China is becoming a hotbed for fans and pretty decent players. Basketball shoes might be the most popular footwear item in the history of western civilization, and everyone knows Jordan, LeBron, and Kobe, amongst others. Every suburban driveway has a basketball hoop, not field goal posts or a pitcher’s mound.
Clarity: 4/5- Every sport has its technicalities, but basketball also might be the easiest to understand. Run, dribble, put the ball in the hoop, and try to stop the other team without getting too touchy-feely. Travels are pretty self-explanatory, and if a player scores a lot of points, then they’re good. Stats are really unnecessary to be a huge fan of basketball, save for the “per game” stats (points, rebounds, assists).
Live Experience: 3/5- Arenas may be the most aesthetically pleasing venue except for baseball stadiums. Aside from that, basketball gets pretty boring live, watching the two teams trot back and forth, save for the occasional breakaway, which I guess is why someone would want to watch an entire contest live. The potential for late-game dramatics is also the draw for going out to a game. Overall, it’s not much of a spectacle, like football or baseball.
Total: 15.5/20 or 77.5/100
Hockey:
Excitement: 4.5/5- High marks for hockey for its intense level of play and the rarity of goals. When someone scores, every fan goes crazy like they already won the game. Fights are exhilarating too, and it’s the only sport where they’re allowed, if not encouraged. It’s also another game where play is nearly constant, and there are less frequent commercials. The half-point gets taken off for the short stoppages of play every time the whistle blows.
Popularity: 3/5- Outside of Canada and parts of the northern U.S., most sports fans on this continent don’t care for hockey all that much. You’ll find some hotspots of fandom, but overall real hockey fans are few and far between. That being said, hockey is huge in northern Europe and Russia, which is what drags this rating over the halfway mark.
Clarity: 3/5- There are a lot of rules that are confusing to the casual fan (what the hell is icing?), but once you watch long enough, you’ll get the most salient points. Still, there are some rules that are always in effect that won’t usually be at the forefront of a game, like where the goalie can and can’t handle the puck, or penalty box time for each infraction committed.
Live Experience: 4/5- Hockey arenas are great because you won’t get overheated wearing a nice sweater and a hat because, you know, it’s played on ice. They’re also really loud which makes it even more enjoyable, because the energy spreads around the seats. Plus, high-fiving that random guy next to you after your team scores is awesome, because that guy is probably drunk.
Total: 14.5/20 or 72.5/100
So there you have it. Baseball and football are the best sports ever, followed by basketball and hockey. I know it’s kind of anti-climactic, but that numbers never lie. Just be grateful that we have these four sports, though, every time you sit down to watch ESPN and billiards is on. Blah.
The Underdog 