[FreedominJesusChrist]

Soccer players are the best all around athletes in professional sports, period. Any professional soccer player could outrun Dennis Rodman or the average NBA player. As for football and basketball players--lifting weights is not the best form of exercise, it's not even aerobic. I always chuckle at all these football players at school who believe that just because they can bench-press hundreds of pounds, they are in top physical condition. Usually (with exception for the quarterback), they are around 20-50 pounds overweight, while the average soccer player is in top physical condition.

[gg188]

Soccer players are the best all around athletes in professional sports

Wrong. "All around" would most defintintely include all things related to hand and eye athleticism, and it certainly would include hand and eye athleticism, coordination, and dexterity to Westerners. Only Third-worlders---people who can't figure out not to mix drinking water with their effluent water, despite our telling them over and freaking over for decades to the tune of billions in foreign aid---could find such a goofy game, in which you don't use your HANDS, interesting. How stupid is that?

[luvbach1]

Irrelevant. In the respective sports you mentioned, the players are in the condition they need to be in to excel. Or are you suggesting that soccer players could step right in to the NBA or NFL?

[AmishDude]

Soccer players are the best all around athletes in professional sports, period.

No.

Upper body strength is a detriment. Essentially you have 10 distance runners on a side.

[Dan from Michigan]

Usually (with exception for the quarterback), they are around 20-50 pounds overweight, while the average soccer player is in top physical condition.

QUARTERBACK? What? Bwhahahah. I used to kick quarterbacks around in my sleep.

Signed
A Defensive back

BTW - I'll take 100 DB's(and probably 1/2 the outside linebackers) over any soccer player in an overall athletic test. Speed, endurance, and strength. The total package. IMO, they are second to Decathletes.