h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I just had a tea-room chat with a colleague about the relative merits of different sports, from a spectator's point of view. I realised the ones we enjoyed most were those which invoked a gladiatorial spirit. Rugby and cricket were more exciting than, say, golf.

Is this true? And which modern sport is the most gladiatorial?

http://youtu.be/4ZIsc6KPkKA?t=274

I was expecting American Gladiators.
That was such a silly show.

No, no, no. Clearly you need more exposure to silliness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Qz7YpqxFQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrceW7_BJJM

Surely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7KP_W-e_cM

MMF

Above link broken.

Try this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3HvT3gWNi4


MMF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3HvT3gWNi4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7KP_W-e_cM

MMF

I don't think a dearth of silliness is likely to be a problem at this site.

I'm not very familiar with football - North American or European sorts. Baseball is rather tame in the close combat consideration. So with limited exposure to many things - I would say our "national" hockey league is pretty danged combative. Sticks and fists causing broken bones and concussions, by-passing the gashes in flesh by sharp metal on the feets'es . . .

Aussie Rules Football is just about the most violent team sport I've seen.

Unless you count war

Can Civil War reenactments be considered a sport?

Shirling is a good sport too.

http://youtu.be/6gu3mbl8SAk

I have known a number of chaps that do war-time re-enactments. While the premise is the worst sort of violence imaginable, it is all pretend. It is very rare that any one becomes actually injured beyond bruises or (off-season) . . . frost bite

Also, the outcome is predetermined. I do not consider it a sport at all.

Fake sports! Bad!!! No good!


Speaking of fake sports...
IIWK, here's how I'd remake the olympics. No more fake sports in the olympics. If it requires judges, it ain't a sport. No more gymnastics, ice dancing, or freestyle ski jumping. The winners will be determined by scoring goals, going the farthest, jumping the highest, or reaching the finish first. Martial sports will be decided by submission.

I'm not saying I don't think things like gymnastics and figure skating aren't athletic, they surely are, but they ain't sports. I just want objective victories.


That said, I really don't care about sports and even if this were the rules, I probably wouldn't watch them.

Dressage is the only real sport, IMO ...

" freestyle ski jumping. The winners will be determined by scoring goals, going the farthest, jumping the highest, or reaching the finish first." [Baron Grim]

I'm not sure what "freesyle" means when applied to ski jumping. Ski jumping itself involves going the farthest, doesn't it?

Freestyle is when they do flips and twists and get scored on difficulty. It's the figure skating of downhill skiing.