# Ten most-fun-to-watch athletes? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 29, 2022, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806 "2022-07-29T21:44:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/21 "2022-07-31T01:31:38Z")
…Jonah. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nKoTGdIhO-U/maxresdefault.jpg "He was IMPOSSIBLE to stop! | Jonah Lomu") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKoTGdIhO-U) ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/22 "2022-07-31T04:53:39Z")
In sumo wresting, the pink-belted wonder Ura is always fun to watch, both in and out of the ring. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6Lczn_efj00/maxresdefault.jpg "Why do Sumo Fans love Ura? | Sumo Wrestler Spotlight | Ep. 1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lczn_efj00) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/23 "2022-07-31T13:44:05Z")
All of the most-fun-to-watch athletes will be professional wrestlers, and comic acrobats, followed by rodeo clowns. Athletes in competitive sports don’t stand a chance next to those who play strictly to amuse. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/24 "2022-07-31T14:29:08Z")
Are you saying that sumo is not a competitive sport and they’re playing strictly to amuse? While there is comic sumo, you will be able to tell the difference when they’re playing for laughs and when they’re deadly serious. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/25 "2022-07-31T14:45:18Z")
If I hit reply to your post I didn’t mean to, it was just a general comment, not about sumo. Interesting sumo video though. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/26 "2022-07-31T14:48:05Z")
I only have one to add, as I’m not much of a sports fan: Yannick Noah That guy made shots I wouldn’t believe a human could physically make. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/27 "2022-07-31T14:49:18Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CXECh7l6oCk/hqdefault.jpg "David Beckham : Top 10 Long Shot Goals @ Manchester United") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXECh7l6oCk) Beckham threading the needle. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/28 "2022-07-31T14:54:37Z")
No worries. Without any other indicators, you can never tell with Discourse if a post is a reply to that immediately preceding or just the next post. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/29 "2022-07-31T15:01:14Z")
Mark Fidrych ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/30 "2022-07-31T15:56:25Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/k6WBSIZllGY/hqdefault.jpg "Harlem Wizards Marcus Haynes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6WBSIZllGY) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/31 "2022-07-31T16:53:57Z")
Eddie Shack Radek Stepanek The Great One Eden Hazard (best modern dribbler?) Ja Morant Tiger Williams Mike Trout Messi Usain Bolt (in the relatively short amount of time there was to do so) Ozzie Smith McEnroe (while his obnoxiousness got super tedious, the lefty’s game - starting from his singles serve, often taken way out by the first tram line - was mesmerizing to take in.) > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Yannick Noah > > That guy made shots I wouldn’t believe a human could physically make. Indeed, I recall, with much relish, seeing him up at the net and jumping _way_ up to send an overhead smash up into the 30th row. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/32 "2022-07-31T18:17:34Z")
I’ll add Steph Curry. That man has hit shots that impressed even Kobe Bryant. After getting posterized on like a 35-footer, Kobe patted him on the butt and smiled. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/33 "2022-07-31T19:00:39Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > All of the most-fun-to-watch athletes will be professional wrestlers, and comic acrobats, followed by rodeo clowns. Athletes in competitive sports don’t stand a chance next to those who play strictly to amuse. Well this opens up a whole different line of thinking. I’ve had some involvement in the entertainment world and seen some wonderful jugglers, unicyclists and other variety artists that I think should be called athletes. Here are a few: [Francis Brunn, as much a dancer as a juggler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NIE5HB59FQ) [Michael Moschen and his triangle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjHoedoSUXY) (also known for doing the contact juggling for David Bowie in Labyrinth) [The Flying Karamazov Brothers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfnxA8K6j3o) - None of them elite jugglers, but definitely among the most entertaining as a group. This particular piece is probably their best technical juggling, which doesn’t matter all that much. Great technical jugglers are often amazing, but not very entertaining (see Sergei Ignatov). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/34 "2022-07-31T19:37:12Z")
I recall him being up at the net, opponent lobs one _way_ over his head for a point, Noah turns and _flies_ to the service line, jumps over the ball (which was inside the line for a score) and returns it perfectly _between his legs!_ I believe he scored, too. Phenomenal. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/35 "2022-07-31T19:43:59Z")
I don’t know if anyone else here knows him, but top of my list would be Kerry Kittles, of the Villanova basketball team, and then the Nets. You know how, in some RPGs, there’s a class with auras that buff their party-members? That was him. His own stats were good, but nothing that’d particularly stand out when compared with other top NCAA players… but whenever he was on the court, everyone else on his team played better. And he always, always, had a huge smile on his face. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/36 "2022-07-31T19:51:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You know how, in some RPGs, there’s a class with auras that buff their party-members? That was him. Basketball Court Bard? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/37 "2022-07-31T20:00:57Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > Well this opens up a whole different line of thinking. I’ve had some involvement in the entertainment world and seen some wonderful jugglers, unicyclists and other variety artists that I think should be called athletes. I didn’t intend to imply there weren’t other athletes who were primarily entertaining instead of competing. Many such performers are great athletes. This shouldn’t detract from the competitive athletes who are fun to watch when they have the opportunity. Some competitive athletes have more opportunities to focus on the fun that other also. Freestyle gymnasts can entertain and perform technically to perfection at the same time. They have a script though, they may slip, but they don’t have to chase a ball that a competitor is trying to keep away from them. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/38 "2022-08-01T02:02:15Z")
Stefan Holm Pietro Mennea Peter Daicos Dustin Martin Matt Le Tissier/Roberto Baggio/Maradona/Ronaldinho - pick one. Barry Sanders Jason Williams ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/39 "2022-08-01T02:19:42Z")
My favorite guy to watch bat was Rickey Henderson. My favorite guy to watch pitch was Nolan Ryan. (Incidentally, Rickey was Ryan’s 5,000 strikeout). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806/40 "2022-08-01T02:51:27Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > My favorite guy to watch bat was Rickey Henderson. He was awesome. And he could RUN! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-most-fun-to-watch-athletes/968806.md?page=3)