Dylan Stinson
Assistant Sports Editor
Athletes often times are perceived as men and women who have it all. They get to do what they love as a profession, have tons of money, drive really nice cars, live in luxurious homes and get to pretty much do whatever they please. Do they really deserve all of this? Their jobs aren’t even hard work, right? Wrong.
The common misconception that comes with being a professional athlete is you have the easy life, but what most fans fail to recognize is being an athlete is hard labor. When thinking of the hardest jobs in sports there are three positions that stand above the rest as not only the most physically exhausting, but the most stressful and toughest shoes to fill.
No. 3 NHL Goalie
Imagine having to stop 100-mph rubber pucks with your body as giant Canadian guys smelling of maple syrup and Crown Royal whiz all around you. It’s all in a day’s work for a goalie, the team’s anchor and, quite literally, its last line of defense. Contrary to popular belief, goaltenders are often the best skaters and the most skilled players on the team, and they require amazing agility, instincts and hand-eye coordination in order to get their job done. Although the physical demands of being a goalie are quite grueling, the stress of being the team’s backbone is something only a number of people can handle. If your team loses it’s because you allowed the goals to pass through you.
No. 2 MLB Catcher
No position in sports requires as much multitasking as a catcher. A good catcher must handle pitchers with many different styles, know the tendencies of each opposing batter, throw out base stealers and be a tackling dummy in the event of a close play at home. As if that weren’t demanding enough, they also have to run out to the mound upon occasion and say something nice and encouraging to a pitcher who is cursing and winding up to throw his rosin bag at the umpire. They also have to squat in a position for more than two hours that resembles a bear pooping in the woods.
No. 1 NFL Quarterback
There are many reasons why quarterbacks receive all the glory and all the blame. They act as a general would in a battle preparing for war. Quarterbacks must know what every single player on his own offense is doing on every play, while also knowing, or trying to know, how the opposing defense will attack. He must know and avoid the strengths of the opposing defense and also know and capitalize on weaknesses. The quarterback must know how to communicate, when to be audible and what to do when things are going wrong. On top of all of these difficult tasks, he must lead. Every team looks to its quarterback for leadership, direction and motivation.
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