[MHGinTN]

Try swinging different irons and woods three or four hundred times per day, hitting a ball toward a target. It is exhausting. Stamina is something athletes have to work at daily to maintain. The word ‘play’ may be in the job description, but true athletes work hard at their chosen craft. Try telling John Havlichek or Bill Russell that he was only 'playing' and basketball was not work. I doubt seriously that the linemen of the Super Bowl players would agree with your characterizations. Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Arthur Ashe, or John Newcombe need to be told they were only playing, right?

[JudyinCanada]

I’m not saying they don’t put a lot of effort into becoming the best at their “game”. They enjoy what they do - it’s nothing like the poor guy who slugs it out, say, in the steel mills, the mines, etc. There are a lot of very tough jobs out there, and, sorry, but sports isn’t one of them...just my humble opinion.