Poll: Delete one sport forever.

[NIGHTBRINGER]

One sport is gone forever. Erased from history. No more playing and no more watching. Which of the following four do you eliminate?

 

[Scalenex]

You are cruel. You always want to eliminate TV shows, or food, or sports.

I don't care about sports that much, but I don't want to deprive other people of things they like.

I have lots of fond memories playing baseball with my dad.

I have some fond memories watching basketball with my dad.

I have a few fond memories watching football with my friends.

I don't care really care for soccer, but I don't want to take soccer from other people. Of these three sports, soccer is the most popular world wide. Soccer is also the easiest sport to play on a low budget. I don't want to take that from people.

 

[ASSASSIN_NR_1]

I would not mind deleting all of them honestly
But if I had to choose one, it would be Football (Soccer). Though if that was gone, one of the other 3 would probably just take its place and nothing would really have changed - I think I just don't like these kinds of sports in general, neither watching, hearing or playing or really anything related to them.

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

I had to choose one it'd be what Americans call "Football" but isn't, as it's just a more violent version of Rugby which is itself a thug's game. But really like @ASSASSIN_NR_1 I absolutely couldn't care less about any of these sports. Baseball and Basketball are also American fare and can quite happily disappear, and actual Football has become rotten to the core - more of a business to fill the pockets of Ferengi club owners and primadonna 'star' players than an actual game anymore. I also despise how it's become the national sport of the UK and relegated far better games like Cricket to the sidelines in terms of popularity and broadcasting.

I'd be quite happy to see all four removed from human civilisation.

 

[Imrahil]

I used to be the sporty type, mostly during age 10-26, nothing serious, but I loved doing it.

After saying this I currently only keep track of the Dutch soccer competition, some champions league or Euro league and I enjoy watching the international games of our Orange Lions together with my kids

Of all the above I have never played American 'football' and therefore an easy pick.

Grrr, !mrahil

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

You are cruel. You always want to eliminate TV shows, or food, or sports.

but I don't want to deprive other people of things they like.

Not to worry, it's purely theoretical... for now.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

I think I just don't like these kinds of sports in general, neither watching, hearing or playing or really anything related to them.

What type of sports do you enjoy?

and actual Football has become rotten to the core - more of a business to fill the pockets of Ferengi club owners and primadonna 'star' players than an actual game anymore

Hmmm... possible residual effects of my hexing (and subsequent elimination) of England in the previous World Cup... perhaps I should be more careful in the application of my prodigious powers.

I also despise how it's become the national sport of the UK and relegated far better games like Cricket to the sidelines

Cricket?! That's just an equally boring but longer version of Baseball (and yes, I recognize that cricket was created first). I guess to each their own.

Of all the above I have never played American 'football' and therefore an easy pick.

I suppose it isn't very prevalent over there in Europe.

but I don't want to deprive other people of things they like.

Luckily as a Sith Lord Chaos Dwarf, I am not limited by such concerns. So for my elimination, it's easily Baseball. Way too slow paced with very little action. A lazy sport. Boring to play and even worse to watch.

Soccer is the best of the bunch. I'd eliminate all three of the other choices without hesitation before I'd delete soccer. Basketball slightly edges out American football, and Baseball brings up the very distant rear.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

You are cruel. You always want to eliminate TV shows, or food, or sports.

Funny you should mention that... I already had my next "elimination" poll primed and ready to go, but maybe I'll find something else to break things up a bit.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

You said:
No context. Delete one of the following four sports forever. Football (American), Basketball, Baseball, Soccer.

ChatGPT said:


Baseball.

You said:
Rationale?

ChatGPT said:
Baseball is the most logical choice if you're forced to delete one of the four based purely on global impact, cultural relevance, and current popularity:

1. Global Popularity:
   
   • Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide by a massive margin—untouchable globally.
     
     
   • Basketball has grown rapidly worldwide, especially in Asia and Europe, and has a huge youth and pop culture following.
     
     
   • American Football is relatively confined to the U.S., but its economic power (NFL), cultural impact, and viewership are unmatched domestically.
     
     
   • Baseball, while historic and beloved, has seen declining domestic attention (especially among youth) and has less global traction compared to the others.
     
2. Pace and Evolution:
   Baseball struggles with its slower pace and limited appeal to younger audiences. It’s made efforts to modernize, but the other sports have adapted faster and more effectively.
   
   
3. Star Power & Narrative:
   Basketball and football create superstars who drive stories, rivalries, and social media engagement. Soccer is legendary for this. Baseball’s stars don’t have the same reach or cultural footprint.
   
   
4. If You Delete It...
   Removing baseball would have the least overall ripple effect on the current global sports ecosystem. It’s big—but not that big anymore.
   

This isn’t a knock on baseball’s legacy—it just loses the battle of modern relevance and global weight.

 

[Scalenex]

Not to worry, it's purely theoretical... for now.

The important part is I read in my head in the voice of John Colicos

Though all the voice actors for Apocalypse are pretty badass, Colicos is best.

 

[J.Logan]

American "Football", the game that barely uses one's feet - in fact, you do more carrying the ball than you do actually having your foot touch said ball.

Now, I'll admit that this is from an outsider perspective, and might well be getting things wrong as pop culture "knowledge" might be contaminating the well, but... I hate how it has been culturally bigged-up to the point that those who are good at it in high school are elevated and get to be carried through their education based on being such a sport star.

Not to say proper football doesn't have its bugbears with me - I hate football hooliganism, and how people get so fixated that there is violence over a god-damned sport.

But at least proper football, here in the UK, gets some hilarious moments from the audience. UK humour at its finest. Just a pity it's focused on footie.

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

Hmmm... possible residual effects of my hexing (and subsequent elimination) of England in the previous World Cup... perhaps I should be more careful in the application of my prodigious powers.

Hah, I was wondering if you'd think my viewpoint on this being because of that little spat between us, but in truth my intense dislike of how corporatised football has become dates to long before that.

Cricket?! That's just an equally boring but longer version of Baseball (and yes, I recognize that cricket was created first). I guess to each their own.

I won't deny that Cricket is a much slower-paced game than football, but I find it quite a nice thing to just tune in and out of every so often (the few times it's on Freeview TV, when it's not sidelined for bloody football ) in between watching other things, just to see how England (or my home county of Hampshire if it's a County match) is faring. To be honest though I personally actually find Football to be the duller game, what with each team now more of a business than a sporting institution and how the fat-cat big clubs always sit at the top of the highest league while the less wealthy teams (like my own Southampton ) can do nothing to knock them off their perch because they can just get away with cheating on the part of their primadonna 'star players' from across the world (diving in the penalty area to get free kicks being the biggest offence that can often be flat-out ignored). Not to mention that said big clubs can use their wealth to bribe away any investigations into worse behaviour off the pitch (look at Manchester City - hit with allegations of breaking the rules of the Premier League several years ago that are no doubt true, yet nothing has become of said allegations lately... coincidence? I think not). When one considers that football was originally just local people playing for their local teams (which Cricket thankfully still is in the County leagues), it's rather sad to see a game become so commercialised and monetised.

Moreover, my main point in my previous post is probably something only a Brit would probably understand - in the past Cricket used to have special status here as The Gentleman's Game, The Civilised Man's Game, the game that Britain exported to pretty much every nation across its Empire (apart from your own Canada it seems sadly... too much American influence from Baseball ) when Football, as a professional game, was very much in its infancy and was sneered upon as a sport of the lower classes (which still isn't far from the truth to be honest, given the rowdiness of football crowds and the hooliganism from a portion of fans). Even today Cricket still retains decorum when Football has none, has a more sedate and relaxed pace, and is pretty much the national sport of our long-lost cousins in Australia... yet here it is very much ignored by broadcasting companies and viewers alike in favour of Football (probably due to lower-class snobbery being the one accepted general viewpoint here nowadays), and that's what I really dislike.

As for Baseball, funnily enough we have a version of that too, called Rounders (which I'm pretty sure Baseball is a later Americanisation of), with the bat being a 'hand weapon' rather than a 'great weapon'... unfortunately I'm unsure it even has a televised presence, or if there are full-on professional teams for it. I quite enjoyed playing that at school to be honest, alongside Cricket (whenever I could have a chance to play either of them... usually it was boring Athletics in the Summer ).

Soccer is the best of the bunch. I'd eliminate all three of the other choices without hesitation before I'd delete soccer. Basketball slightly edges out American football, and Baseball brings up the very distant rear.

You said:
No context. Delete one of the following four sports forever. Football (American), Basketball, Baseball, Soccer.

ChatGPT said:


Baseball.

You said:
Rationale?

ChatGPT said:
Baseball is the most logical choice if you're forced to delete one of the four based purely on global impact, cultural relevance, and current popularity:

1. Global Popularity:
   • Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide by a massive margin—untouchable globally.
     
     
   • Basketball has grown rapidly worldwide, especially in Asia and Europe, and has a huge youth and pop culture following.
     
     
   • American Football is relatively confined to the U.S., but its economic power (NFL), cultural impact, and viewership are unmatched domestically.
     
     
   • Baseball, while historic and beloved, has seen declining domestic attention (especially among youth) and has less global traction compared to the others.
2. Pace and Evolution:
   Baseball struggles with its slower pace and limited appeal to younger audiences. It’s made efforts to modernize, but the other sports have adapted faster and more effectively.
   
   
3. Star Power & Narrative:
   Basketball and football create superstars who drive stories, rivalries, and social media engagement. Soccer is legendary for this. Baseball’s stars don’t have the same reach or cultural footprint.
   
   
4. If You Delete It...
   Removing baseball would have the least overall ripple effect on the current global sports ecosystem. It’s big—but not that big anymore.

This isn’t a knock on baseball’s legacy—it just loses the battle of modern relevance and global weight.

I'm surprised Baseball is considered to have less global relevance and weight than American football... because years spent watching Takeshi's Castle meant I do know that Baseball is (or at least certainly was) popular in Japan and has made it across the Pacific, whereas as far as I know American Football has not (indeed the Japanese prefer to play Rugby as far as I gather, as they made an appearance in the Rugby World Cup).

American "Football", the game that barely uses one's feet - in fact, you do more carrying the ball than you do actually having your foot touch said ball.

Now, I'll admit that this is from an outsider perspective, and might well be getting things wrong as pop culture "knowledge" might be contaminating the well, but... I hate how it has been culturally bigged-up to the point that those who are good at it in high school are elevated and get to be carried through their education based on being such a sport star.

That is another good point I had forgotten... historically Americans had beef with British society because of the aristocracy making it 'elitist', but in that regard US society is just as bad if not worse... simply that over there it's those with the sheer dumb brawn required to be a high-profile American Football player are the ones who get fast-tracked to the best universities... not to mention how American culture glorifies the said dumb brawniness of American Football players and what they call the 'jock' mentality (of course not to be excused with Scotsmen over here ) to be the peak of male attractiveness

Not to say proper football doesn't have its bugbears with me - I hate football hooliganism, and how people get so fixated that there is violence over a god-damned sport.

Absolutely that is also a problem with proper football... but it's far less of an issue now than it was in the '70s and '80s. Now the real issue is the corruption and greed behind the game.

 

[ASSASSIN_NR_1]

What type of sports do you enjoy?

If you are asking what type of sports I enjoy watching then:
Absolutely none - I've never enjoyed watching any kind of sports. It's always seemed boring to me, and I had no impact on the outcome anyway, and none of it was ever informative for me.
The only reason I might watch, would then be if I do the sport myself and might glean some tricks, but that's not so much watching the sport, as it is studying technique.

If your question is more what kind of sports i enjoy in general, therefore also what I enjoy doing myself then:
Climbing, Jiu-jitsu (previously), parkour and sports like those. In general I like sports where I can just do them by myself if I want to, and challenge myself as well.
If I then want to, I can also do the sport with others, but more as a shared individual thing, than a team sport - meaning challenges between people is fine, but the challenge itself is still on an individual basis. I do like the support you can give each other when in a group, but I want to do the actual thing myself.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

The important part is I read in my head in the voice of John Colicos

Though all the voice actors for Apocalypse are pretty badass, Colicos is best.

Colicos' voice portrayal was so good, he really sold that character. No one else can match that performance; it's permanently etched into my brain. Apocalypse was easily my favourite character in X-men animated series.

American "Football", the game that barely uses one's feet - in fact, you do more carrying the ball than you do actually having your foot touch said ball.

It should be called hand-egg.

Hah, I was wondering if you'd think my viewpoint on this being because of that little spat between us

You know I can never let such a moment go!

I'm surprised Baseball is considered to have less global relevance and weight than American football

I can't speak to how things are across the pond, but over here, NFL football is WAAAY bigger than baseball. It isn't even close. The NFL is the single most dominant sports league in the USA.

I wonder how the totality of their global fanbases would compare.

 

[Killer Angel]

I would say american football. but baseball was really close.

It would be a pity in both cases

 

[Just A Skink]

Reluctantly, I would also have to pick Baseball to disappear.

I was not great at sports b/c I wasn't really motivated, but I can appreciate why my parents wanted me to play. Looking back, I'm glad I did.

I agree that part of Baseball's decline seems to be that it's a slower game. But, I believe that was part of it's appeal, back in the day. Not unlike Cricket (I assume), to which it bears at least a passing resemblance, baseball was about shared experiences and a relaxing/exciting day watching a sport outdoors. The audience didn't necessarily need it to be a frenetic, something constantly happening, activity. Many in-person group sports are an excuse to eat, drink, and shout for our gladiators with the rest of the plebeians.

Honestly, the pacing of a lot of sports have grown to accommodate TV. In America, that tone is set by American Football and the two have grown together.

Teams come onto the field. National Anthem (if they show it). Coin toss. *Commercials* Kick off. Kick off return. *Commercials* Set up for Down 1. Go! Set up for Down 2. Go!. Set up for Down 3. Go!. (Repeat any as necessary) Set up for down 4. Touchdown or punt! *Commercials* If things run too long during any of those Downs *TV Timeout for Commercials*.

 

[Imrahil]

Teams come onto the field. National Anthem (if they show it). Coin toss. *Commercials* Kick off. Kick off return. *Commercials* Set up for Down 1. Go! Set up for Down 2. Go!. Set up for Down 3. Go!. (Repeat any as necessary) Set up for down 4. Touchdown or punt! *Commercials* If things run too long during any of those Downs *TV Timeout for Commercials*.

I really think this is a tragic development. Where Baseball is a slow game in itself, all the add-breaks makes American football even slower.

Grrr, !mrahil

 

[Scalenex]

I agree that part of Baseball's decline seems to be that it's a slower game. But, I believe that was part of it's appeal, back in the day. Not unlike Cricket (I assume), to which it bears at least a passing resemblance, baseball was about shared experiences and a relaxing/exciting day watching a sport outdoors. The audience didn't necessarily need it to be a frenetic, something constantly happening, activity. Many in-person group sports are an excuse to eat, drink, and shout for our gladiators with the rest of the plebeians.

Golfing is even more baseball than baseball.

I remember in my twenties my friend talk about when his dad asked him to attend a professional golf event together as a bonding event. But really, his dad wanted a designated driver.

If you ever watch a televised golf event, the cameras only show you the class stuff and small crowds of dignified onlookers clapping politely, but really my friend that the spectators just follow the alcohol vending carts and drink high end booze while kind of sort of watching the golf. Really they are there to drink, enjoy sunshine, drink, chat with friends, drink, and cheer on their favorite golfers.

I had more of an attention span 20+ years ago. Baseball games were never my favorite thing in the world, but I did enjoy them with family and friends and the slow pace was a selling point, not a hindrance. Now I find it boring to watch.

I think you are right, football is the most TV-friendly and that's why it's so big. My freshman and sophomore year my parents bought me season tickets to my college teams' game but I didn't really enjoy it. I guess I seldom had friends to watch games with, and watching a live football game is very similar to watching a game on TV. They even ran commercials on the jumbotron during TV commercial breaks...

As a child, I went to baseball games with my dad. As an adult I went to basketball games with my dad and my mom showed up about most of the time. She liked basketball a lot better than baseball.

I liked the pacing and the breaks, and they had t-shirt cannons, goofy songs, and other fun intermissions. I used to know this dance, but if you put me back there, it's pretty easy to follow along.

Crowd View

Close View

Same concept of the Seventh Inning Stretch in baseball but it's more modern and has the Robot. It sort of feels like the Electric Slide and the other goofy songs that you normally hear at wedding receptions.

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

Luckily as a Sith Lord Chaos Dwarf, I am not limited by such concerns. So for my elimination, it's easily Baseball. Way too slow paced with very little action. A lazy sport. Boring to play and even worse to watch.

Baseball brings up the very distant rear.

You said:
No context. Delete one of the following four sports forever. Football (American), Basketball, Baseball, Soccer.

ChatGPT said:


Baseball.

You said:
Rationale?

ChatGPT said:
Baseball is the most logical choice if you're forced to delete one of the four based purely on global impact, cultural relevance, and current popularity:

1. Global Popularity:
   • Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide by a massive margin—untouchable globally.
     
     
   • Basketball has grown rapidly worldwide, especially in Asia and Europe, and has a huge youth and pop culture following.
     
     
   • American Football is relatively confined to the U.S., but its economic power (NFL), cultural impact, and viewership are unmatched domestically.
     
     
   • Baseball, while historic and beloved, has seen declining domestic attention (especially among youth) and has less global traction compared to the others.
2. Pace and Evolution:
   Baseball struggles with its slower pace and limited appeal to younger audiences. It’s made efforts to modernize, but the other sports have adapted faster and more effectively.
   
   
3. Star Power & Narrative:
   Basketball and football create superstars who drive stories, rivalries, and social media engagement. Soccer is legendary for this. Baseball’s stars don’t have the same reach or cultural footprint.
   
   
4. If You Delete It...
   Removing baseball would have the least overall ripple effect on the current global sports ecosystem. It’s big—but not that big anymore.

This isn’t a knock on baseball’s legacy—it just loses the battle of modern relevance and global weight.

I can't speak to how things are across the pond, but over here, NFL football is WAAAY bigger than baseball. It isn't even close.

Reluctantly, I would also have to pick Baseball to disappear.

Captain Sisko would not be pleased to see so many threats to his beloved Baseball

 

[Killer Angel]

Captain Sisko would not be pleased to see so many threats to his beloved Baseball

Baseball got also a pretty unique feeling (AFAIK... i don't recall similar sports, but i could be wrong)