You're not really suggesting soccer players lack coordination, are you?

If anything, American football players don't require coordination except at the position of receiver. Other than that it's fat guys protecting an arm and other fat guys trying to give the head of the arm a concussion.

No, that was in response to the swimmer comment.

I don’t hate soccer. I think they’re fine athletes. Probably somewhere on a scale below NFL skill players but above athletic baseball players.

Athletes ought to demonstrate some level of coordination

the head of the arm

I don't really like soccer, but it's a difficult and demanding game to play and at the top level one must be EXTREMELY athletic to play.

Past the grade school level, soccer requires more than running up and down a field, you know.

Not really. Certainly not the way the game is currently played.

How do the most physically superior athletes from each of the sport compare to one another:

LBJ probably the best combination of size, speed, strength, and agility. A soccer player may be faster and a football player may be slightly stronger, perhaps a linebacker in particular, but I'm not sure if any athlete combines all these traits in one package like LBJ and other basketball players do.

If you are referring to 3 point shooters like Curry, soccer has plenty of specialists too. There are plenty of defenders who rarely even attempt a shot on goal.

Not really. Certainly not the way the game is currently played.

The issue with today’s game is probably more that it prioritizes athleticism over skill

Not really. Certainly not the way the game is currently played.

More often than not, outside a basketball court his size is limiting.

I can accept that the top 1% of athletes are basketball players. But there simply aren't very many 6'7" guys that are as coordinated as even a "mediocre" soccer player on the elite level. If you want to say that LeBron and a few others are the best athletes in the world, I'm not going to argue. But it quickly goes down hill from there as the typical big basketball player isn't anywhere near as athletic as an average soccer player. More often than not, outside a basketball court his size is limiting.

The pool of soccer players is simply so much larger than any other sport. To get to the top, you have to pass a lot of guys.

What coordination is needed in soccer that isn't in basketball? It's just the difference between hands and feet. LeBron probably can't dribble his way through a college level soccer defense but the best soccer players would also be embarrassed if they ever had to bring the ball up against a college level basketball player.

I see that as a matter of practice. Coordination is coordination. I'm sure Messi could figure out how to dribble with his hands if his sport required it. And I'm sure Steph Curry could probably dribble with his feet if he needed to.

But I think we need to define what we mean by "athletic." Obviously size and speed are components of athleticism. But in what measure? LeBron James is extremely coordinated for a 6'8" guy. You don't expect him to handle the ball like Allen Iverson. I don't want to get into a conversation where the same people who usually say Shaq "is just big" are now stating that size is the overriding factor in athleticism.

To me, "athleticism" is who is the most well rounded and could compete in the most sports at an elite level. Most sports don't have 5'7 guys dominating.

There are plenty of sports that a 6'6" guy can't even play though. So I think that's a poor definition.

There just aren’t that many athletic, freakishly tall people out there.

There are plenty of sports that a 6'6" guy can't even play though. So I think that's a poor definition.

The best athletes keep their possession in tight quarters, pass with precision, score the ball and sometimes dominate through bullyball.

You share a boyfriend with Spiral? That's awfully open minded of you...