Better Athletes NFL or NBA players?

[nzd07]

NFL pretty easily here.

[JDR720]

So is JJ Watt a Better Athlete than Westbrook?

probably Watt.

from his combine stats

4.84 40 yard dash
37 inch standing vert (Westbrooks combine standing vert was 30, his max was 36.5)
120 inch broad jump
4.21 40 yard shuffle

for a guy his size (6-5, 290+) those are quite impressive.


and obviously Watt is much stronger


[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqrxc-7tYs0[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ6YiA75qbg[/youtube]

[D.Brasco]

Watt is an absolute beast but i'd be curious if he'd do better than Westbrook in an Ironman competition for example due to the difference in stamina they'd have?

Also a lot of NBA players seem to improve on their verts once they get into the league. They are mostly younger than NFL players when entering the league and have less emphasis on weight training until they get access to NBA training.

Dwight I think increased his vert from 36" in the draft to about 39" when he was tested on ESPN a few seasons ago.

[bigbreakfast]

depends on how you define athleticism. ppl on this board generally only think of sprinting, strength and jumping as athleticism. I would argue that body control, endurance, flexibility, hand eye coordination are also forms of athleticism.

I'd argue nfl skill position players have to build much better body control, endurance, and eye coordination cuz they are constantly hitting or hit.

I'm sure everybody has played both sports, which is more difficult at the end? Much more fatigued playing football, it takes more endurance and perseverance. Not only physically but mentally cuz u know u are going to be crushed if ur head is not on a swivel, it takes conscious effort to be aware

Is dribbling really an example of athleticism? Why arent javale McGee and most uber athletic high flying big men not good at it then? Because while it is better with athleticism, dribbling is a skill like shooting, it's not an indication of athleticism.

I didn't mention anything about dribbling. I would say basketball is much more aerobically challenging than football, and outside of a few "skilled positions" like u mentioned, basketball overall requires more body control, coordination, and flexibility. My point is it really depends on how u define athleticism, obviously the type of athleticism required in the nfl (explosive strength, speed, jumping) are the ones that impress the average joe the most.

[JMac1]

Lebron is the best athlete in the world IMO. So the NBA has the best top athlete. There are a lot of NBA players better than NFL and worse than. Bottomline, all of these guys are beasts.

Ever heard of Calvin Johnson?

Dude is 6'5 240 ran a 4.35 unprepared laser time. That's olympic speed lebron isn't running a laser 40 in under 4.55. Calvin had an 11.7 broad jump which is insane and he had a 42" standing vertical STANDING. Derrick Rose had a 42" running vertical the great Zach LaVine had a 44" running vert he beats Calvin's standing vert by 2".


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How about Marquise Goodwin, 4.27 40, 6.69 60 meters, 10.24 100 meters HS, 27'4 feet PB just placed 2nd in the Toronto Pan am games, world junior champion in long jump, the best and probably the only 2 sport athlete in Pro-sports and he will have another chance to medal in Rio as the Bills gave him the green light to participate in the off-season.

Lebron is 6'8 250..... Calvin is 230 not 240. Don't know Lebron measurable and don't need to know, all I know is he moves like he is 6'0.

Nobody would be able to stop Lebron in football, nobody! He'd make Calvin look like a midget!!

LOL 6'8 250 with his speed and quickness. Best athlete in sports. One of the most freakish ever....

[qm22]

So is JJ Watt a Better Athlete than Westbrook?

probably Watt.

from his combine stats

4.84 40 yard dash
37 inch standing vert (Westbrooks combine standing vert was 30, his max was 36.5)
120 inch broad jump
4.21 40 yard shuffle

for a guy his size (6-5, 290+) those are quite impressive.

4.84 40 times by NFL standards = 5.09+ by others. I think Westbrook would beat him badly in that and other speed tests. I don't know if it is reliable, but the average college basketball player was claimed to have a 4.81 40 time, http://www.livestrong.com/article/430460-the-average-speed-of-a-basketball-player/.

I won't repeat it but I think there is no general translation of vertical measurements to jumping ability in the NBA and there measurement is not very rigorous and there are different incentives to game the system in the NFL, different ages of tested athletes, different motivation to focus on vertical jump measurements, etc etc etc.
Watt might be an exception as an NFL player and be able to outjump Westbrook from a standstill off of 2 legs. But I'd bet my house Westbrook jumps way better off of one leg and on the move.

Of course Watt would be stronger and Westbrook is way more agile and has better conditioning. I think a 1 on 1 game with Watt and Westbrook would have Watt out of breath in one or two plays. It's really subjective which qualities you want to say make someone better. I think we shouldn't count things that they have to avoid in their own sport. E.g., Kobe bulked up one summer and said the disadvantages really outweighed the advantages. Obviously sacrificing power-bursts for endurance wouldn't be wise in the NFL either.

[Braggins]

I seriously think there is a bias towards the nfl cuz there are a lot of workout warriors who arent actually athletic enough to play sports that well that want to believe that their bench press numbers and such equal real athleticism. Very specific workout measurements that can be trained for have to be taken with a grain of salt. What do you think guys like Lebron, Westbrook, Wall, Blake, Rose, etc, would put up at the NFL combine if they trained for months and months to maximize their 40 times and vert tests when they were 21/22 years old? Do you guys really think that every random WR or CB in the NFL would be flying around like a more athletic Russell Westbrook if they played basketball? We've seen elite NFL athletes get on the court and they never look that special in terms of athleticism. You guys fall prey to the NFL media endlessly obsessing over and promoting their players athletic measurements even though they clearly dont directly translate to actual usable athleticism in a lot of cases. When you have like 10x the people trying out for the NFL than the NBA and training hardcore to specifically improve their workout measurements you are obviously going to have more instances of guys putting up atypical numbers in those measurements.

[Yoshun]

I seriously think there is a bias towards the nfl cuz there are a lot of workout warriors who arent actually athletic enough to play sports that well that want to believe that their bench press numbers and such equal real athleticism. Very specific workout measurements that can be trained for have to be taken with a grain of salt. What do you think guys like Lebron, Westbrook, Wall, Blake, Rose, etc, would put up at the NFL combine if they trained for months and months to maximize their 40 times and vert tests when they were 21/22 years old? Do you guys really think that every random WR or CB in the NFL would be flying around like a more athletic Russell Westbrook if they played basketball? We've seen elite NFL athletes get on the court and they never look that special in terms of athleticism. You guys fall prey to the NFL media endlessly obsessing over and promoting their players athletic measurements even though they clearly dont directly translate to actual usable athleticism in a lot of cases. When you have like 10x the people trying out for the NFL than the NBA and training hardcore to specifically improve their workout measurements you are obviously going to have more instances of guys putting up atypical numbers in those measurements.

Which NFL athletes have we seen on the court that were nothing special? Are you saying all of these guys who are putting up crazy numbers in every known measure of athleticism aren't athletic? Also how would you measure athleticism?

[Braggins]

Jimmy Graham didnt look especially athletic playing basketball but is considered a freak by NFL standards. He ran a 4.5 40 and had a 39" vert, but clearly isnt even close to as fast or as good a leaper as guys like Lebron and the guys i mentioned earlier despite combine stats that suggest that he should be superior.

[Braggins]

I seriously think there is a bias towards the nfl cuz there are a lot of workout warriors who arent actually athletic enough to play sports that well that want to believe that their bench press numbers and such equal real athleticism. Very specific workout measurements that can be trained for have to be taken with a grain of salt. What do you think guys like Lebron, Westbrook, Wall, Blake, Rose, etc, would put up at the NFL combine if they trained for months and months to maximize their 40 times and vert tests when they were 21/22 years old? Do you guys really think that every random WR or CB in the NFL would be flying around like a more athletic Russell Westbrook if they played basketball? We've seen elite NFL athletes get on the court and they never look that special in terms of athleticism. You guys fall prey to the NFL media endlessly obsessing over and promoting their players athletic measurements even though they clearly dont directly translate to actual usable athleticism in a lot of cases. When you have like 10x the people trying out for the NFL than the NBA and training hardcore to specifically improve their workout measurements you are obviously going to have more instances of guys putting up atypical numbers in those measurements.

Which NFL athletes have we seen on the court that were nothing special? Are you saying all of these guys who are putting up crazy numbers in every known measure of athleticism aren't athletic? Also how would you measure athleticism?

Im saying that their athletic measurements are misleading compared to guys from other sports who dont obsessively train to perform in specific drills the way they do, and that combined with the sheer number of people that try out for the NFL make the NFL combine measurements not really the end all be all of the argument like people are claiming. We've seen guys like Moss, Owens, Graham, etc play basketball but they werent flying around the court like more athletic versions of Russell Westbrook like their combine stats would suggest they would. In fact, they didnt even look impressive at all.

Im not even saying the NFL doesnt have great athletes, just that you cant act like their combine measurements are the crux of this argument when athletes in other sports dont even usually have any available measurements in those drills and ones they do (like vert) are measured differently and arent obsessively trained for like at the NFL combine.

[qm22]

I seriously think there is a bias towards the nfl cuz there are a lot of workout warriors who arent actually athletic enough to play sports that well that want to believe that their bench press numbers and such equal real athleticism. Very specific workout measurements that can be trained for have to be taken with a grain of salt. What do you think guys like Lebron, Westbrook, Wall, Blake, Rose, etc, would put up at the NFL combine if they trained for months and months to maximize their 40 times and vert tests when they were 21/22 years old? Do you guys really think that every random WR or CB in the NFL would be flying around like a more athletic Russell Westbrook if they played basketball? We've seen elite NFL athletes get on the court and they never look that special in terms of athleticism. You guys fall prey to the NFL media endlessly obsessing over and promoting their players athletic measurements even though they clearly dont directly translate to actual usable athleticism in a lot of cases. When you have like 10x the people trying out for the NFL than the NBA and training hardcore to specifically improve their workout measurements you are obviously going to have more instances of guys putting up atypical numbers in those measurements.

The NFL makes a huge deal of their combine and specialized measurements in draft stock and evaluations.

Workout warriors who want to use some narrowly useful gym accomplishments to elevate their athletic status makes me think of cross fit guys with their weird-ass pull-ups.

[Yoshun]

Jimmy Graham didnt look especially athletic playing basketball but is considered a freak by NFL standards. He ran a 4.5 40 and had a 39" vert, but clearly isnt even close to as fast or as good a leaper as guys like Lebron and the guys i mentioned earlier despite combine stats that suggest that he should be.

Jimmy Graham did fine on the court in terms of his athleticism. His problems were the same as Gates, Gonzalez, etc... Poor on-ball skills. They were not talented basketball players because they lacked basketball skills. They were poor handlers, passers, shooters, etc... Athletically, they could keep up with anyone. The same problem exists with Moss, Owens, etc... They looked terrible on the court because they have poor ball skills and low bball IQs, they don't know what to do.

Most of the NBA players being mentioned in this thread are exceptonal not due simply to their athleticism, but because they are supremely skilled with a basketball.

[hype_2004]

I seriously think there is a bias towards the nfl cuz there are a lot of workout warriors who arent actually athletic enough to play sports that well that want to believe that their bench press numbers and such equal real athleticism. Very specific workout measurements that can be trained for have to be taken with a grain of salt. What do you think guys like Lebron, Westbrook, Wall, Blake, Rose, etc, would put up at the NFL combine if they trained for months and months to maximize their 40 times and vert tests when they were 21/22 years old? Do you guys really think that every random WR or CB in the NFL would be flying around like a more athletic Russell Westbrook if they played basketball? We've seen elite NFL athletes get on the court and they never look that special in terms of athleticism. You guys fall prey to the NFL media endlessly obsessing over and promoting their players athletic measurements even though they clearly dont directly translate to actual usable athleticism in a lot of cases. When you have like 10x the people trying out for the NFL than the NBA and training hardcore to specifically improve their workout measurements you are obviously going to have more instances of guys putting up atypical numbers in those measurements.

I have a question for you do you think guys like Westbrook, Rose, wall can beat guys like Jerome Simpson,Ginn,Goodwin, Holliday, Ford in a footrace or jumping contest? do you think a guy like Howard can beat a guy like Margus Hunt on athletic strength events?
There was a record on wall and Aries Merritt racing on a track, wall who has been training sprints with Merrit on the same track challenged Olympic gold medallist Aries merrit to a race, Merritt blew him out of the water without even trying Wall was dead serious that he can beat Merritt in the 100 meters, merrit ust toyed with him all throughout the race. What's the significance of this result well Merrit got his ass handed to him by non other than Ted Ginn in the 110 meter hurdles in HS, this proves the fact that NFL players have world class athletes that are on par with Olympians.

[Braggins]

Jimmy Graham didnt look especially athletic playing basketball but is considered a freak by NFL standards. He ran a 4.5 40 and had a 39" vert, but clearly isnt even close to as fast or as good a leaper as guys like Lebron and the guys i mentioned earlier despite combine stats that suggest that he should be.

Jimmy Graham did fine on the court in terms of his athleticism. His problems were the same as Gates, Gonzalez, etc... Poor on-ball skills. They were not talented basketball players because they lacked basketball skills. They were poor handlers, passers, shooters, etc... Athletically, they could keep up with anyone. The same problem exists with Moss, Owens, etc... They looked terrible on the court because they have poor ball skills and low bball IQs, they don't know what to do.

Most of the NBA players being mentioned in this thread are exceptonal not due simply to their athleticism, but because they are supremely skilled with a basketball.

They didnt look especially impressive in terms of athleticism though even though their combine measurements suggest they should be more athletic than elite NBA athletes. Im not even considering how good they actually were at basketball. None of those guys looked faster or more explosive than top NBA guys. Thats my point. A guy running a 4.3 40 and 40" vert at the NFL combine doesnt necessarily mean he is faster or a better leaper than a guy like Westbrook. If you think that it does then youd have to believe that Jimmy Graham is as athletic as Lebron, even though he isnt even close.

[Braggins]

I seriously think there is a bias towards the nfl cuz there are a lot of workout warriors who arent actually athletic enough to play sports that well that want to believe that their bench press numbers and such equal real athleticism. Very specific workout measurements that can be trained for have to be taken with a grain of salt. What do you think guys like Lebron, Westbrook, Wall, Blake, Rose, etc, would put up at the NFL combine if they trained for months and months to maximize their 40 times and vert tests when they were 21/22 years old? Do you guys really think that every random WR or CB in the NFL would be flying around like a more athletic Russell Westbrook if they played basketball? We've seen elite NFL athletes get on the court and they never look that special in terms of athleticism. You guys fall prey to the NFL media endlessly obsessing over and promoting their players athletic measurements even though they clearly dont directly translate to actual usable athleticism in a lot of cases. When you have like 10x the people trying out for the NFL than the NBA and training hardcore to specifically improve their workout measurements you are obviously going to have more instances of guys putting up atypical numbers in those measurements.

I have a question for you do you think guys like Westbrook, Rose, wall can beat guys like Jerome Simpson,Ginn,Goodwin, Holliday, Ford in a footrace or jumping contest? do you think a guy like Howard can beat a guy like Margus Hunt on athletic strength events?
There was a record on wall and Aries Merritt racing on a track, wall who has been training sprints with Merrit on the same track challenged Olympic gold medallist Aries merrit to a race, Merritt blew him out of the water without even trying Wall was dead serious that he can beat Merritt in the 100 meters, merrit ust toyed with him all throughout the race. What's the significance of this result well Merrit got his ass handed to him by non other than Ted Ginn in the 110 meter hurdles in HS, this proves the fact that NFL players have world class athletes that are on par with Olympians.

I didnt say they dont have world class athletes, just that their combine measurements can be misleading and arent a good thing to base the argument on.

Obviously, someone who specializes in running in a straight line over a specific distance is going to beat people at that measurement that dont specialize in it and someone winning a foot race doesnt automatically make him the superior athlete. Its more complicated than that. Ted Ginn very well may be faster than Westbrook, but hes also 5'11 and weighs 185 pounds. Westbrook certainly has some advantages in other athletic areas.

You cant just pick and choose the top specialists in certain areas and use them to say that NFL players are better overall athletes. You can probably find a random 5'10 corner is faster than any NBA player but doesnt have the strength, size or coordination to play in the NBA or even other football positions. There have been guys like Allen Iverson at that size in the NBA who were just as quick/fast/explosive, if not more, than any NFL corner. You can also surely find a 6'4 265 pound linebacker who is way stronger than any 6'4 NBA player, but isnt nearly as quick or agile as top NBA athletes of that height. Its really difficult to compare the two sports honestly. I tend to prefer the top NBA athletes because they seem to be more well rounded and their often absurd height just makes them seem more impressive. Some of the giant athletic freaks in the NBA don't even seem like they could possibly be the same species as the rest of us. They are much rarer than the athletic freaks of the NFL. That might not be the fairest way to ultimately decide, but idk. I can't help but be much more impressed by a Lebron James or Wilt Chamberlain type than anything I've ever seen in the NFL.

[Mr. E]

I would love to see a professional athlete only Olympic Games.

Athletics is the only real way of measuring athleticism on an even playing field.

I like this idea so much! It could be a lot of fun and a great ratings draw!

[qm22]

I would love to see a professional athlete only Olympic Games.

Athletics is the only real way of measuring athleticism on an even playing field.

I like this idea so much! It could be a lot of fun and a great ratings draw!

What competition tho? 100 M? Swimming?
It's hard to choose one that isn't biased towards specialities of another. Hence, swimming & archery may as well be in it too

[hype_2004]

I seriously think there is a bias towards the nfl cuz there are a lot of workout warriors who arent actually athletic enough to play sports that well that want to believe that their bench press numbers and such equal real athleticism. Very specific workout measurements that can be trained for have to be taken with a grain of salt. What do you think guys like Lebron, Westbrook, Wall, Blake, Rose, etc, would put up at the NFL combine if they trained for months and months to maximize their 40 times and vert tests when they were 21/22 years old? Do you guys really think that every random WR or CB in the NFL would be flying around like a more athletic Russell Westbrook if they played basketball? We've seen elite NFL athletes get on the court and they never look that special in terms of athleticism. You guys fall prey to the NFL media endlessly obsessing over and promoting their players athletic measurements even though they clearly dont directly translate to actual usable athleticism in a lot of cases. When you have like 10x the people trying out for the NFL than the NBA and training hardcore to specifically improve their workout measurements you are obviously going to have more instances of guys putting up atypical numbers in those measurements.

I have a question for you do you think guys like Westbrook, Rose, wall can beat guys like Jerome Simpson,Ginn,Goodwin, Holliday, Ford in a footrace or jumping contest? do you think a guy like Howard can beat a guy like Margus Hunt on athletic strength events?
There was a record on wall and Aries Merritt racing on a track, wall who has been training sprints with Merrit on the same track challenged Olympic gold medallist Aries merrit to a race, Merritt blew him out of the water without even trying Wall was dead serious that he can beat Merritt in the 100 meters, merrit ust toyed with him all throughout the race. What's the significance of this result well Merrit got his ass handed to him by non other than Ted Ginn in the 110 meter hurdles in HS, this proves the fact that NFL players have world class athletes that are on par with Olympians.

I didnt say they dont have world class athletes, just that their combine measurements can be misleading and arent a good thing to base the argument on.

Obviously, someone who specializes in running in a straight line over a specific distance is going to beat people at that measurement that dont specialize in it and someone winning a foot race doesnt automatically make him the superior athlete. Its more complicated than that. Ted Ginn very well may be faster than Westbrook, but hes also 5'11 and weighs 185 pounds. Westbrook certainly has some advantages in other athletic areas.

You cant just pick and choose the top specialists in certain areas and use them to say that NFL players are better overall athletes. You can probably find a random 5'10 corner is faster than any NBA player but doesnt have the strength, size or coordination to play in the NBA or even other football positions. There have been guys like Allen Iverson at that size in the NBA who were just as quick/fast/explosive, if not more, than any NFL corner. You can also surely find a 6'4 265 pound linebacker who is way stronger than any 6'4 NBA player, but isnt nearly as quick or agile as top NBA athletes of that height. Its really difficult to compare the two sports honestly. I tend to prefer the top NBA athletes because they seem to be more well rounded and their often absurd height just makes them seem more impressive. Some of the giant athletic freaks in the NBA don't even seem like they could possibly be the same species as the rest of us. They are much rarer than the athletic freaks of the NFL. That might not be the fairest way to ultimately decide, but idk. I can't help but be much more impressed by a Lebron James or Wilt Chamberlain type than anything I've ever seen in the NFL.

So your more impressed by TALL guys who move fast than short guys who are absolutely world class in terms of athletic talents? fair enough but that doesn't mean these tall dudes they are more ATHLETIC frankly I don't give a rats ass if they guys is 7 feet or 5 feet when it comes to pure athleticism.It's not that diffucult to gauge the best athletes in the 2 sports make them compete in athletic testings give them weeks months to train in speed/agility/jumping/strength tests on a level playing field. The best of the best athletes on each league like Westbrook/Rose vs Ted Ginn/Marquise Goodwin 50 meters, Dwight Howard vs Margus Hunt on strongman events that combine strength,agility and speed, let's see who comes out on top, also your wrong about NFL having no strength/size or co-ordination, these qualities are essential/mandatory on every 'specialized" NFl athlete esp the CB position where hip movement, change of direction are of the utmost importance, what you said is typically ignorant.

[Braggins]

I have a question for you do you think guys like Westbrook, Rose, wall can beat guys like Jerome Simpson,Ginn,Goodwin, Holliday, Ford in a footrace or jumping contest? do you think a guy like Howard can beat a guy like Margus Hunt on athletic strength events?
There was a record on wall and Aries Merritt racing on a track, wall who has been training sprints with Merrit on the same track challenged Olympic gold medallist Aries merrit to a race, Merritt blew him out of the water without even trying Wall was dead serious that he can beat Merritt in the 100 meters, merrit ust toyed with him all throughout the race. What's the significance of this result well Merrit got his ass handed to him by non other than Ted Ginn in the 110 meter hurdles in HS, this proves the fact that NFL players have world class athletes that are on par with Olympians.

I didnt say they dont have world class athletes, just that their combine measurements can be misleading and arent a good thing to base the argument on.

Obviously, someone who specializes in running in a straight line over a specific distance is going to beat people at that measurement that dont specialize in it and someone winning a foot race doesnt automatically make him the superior athlete. Its more complicated than that. Ted Ginn very well may be faster than Westbrook, but hes also 5'11 and weighs 185 pounds. Westbrook certainly has some advantages in other athletic areas.

You cant just pick and choose the top specialists in certain areas and use them to say that NFL players are better overall athletes. You can probably find a random 5'10 corner is faster than any NBA player but doesnt have the strength, size or coordination to play in the NBA or even other football positions. There have been guys like Allen Iverson at that size in the NBA who were just as quick/fast/explosive, if not more, than any NFL corner. You can also surely find a 6'4 265 pound linebacker who is way stronger than any 6'4 NBA player, but isnt nearly as quick or agile as top NBA athletes of that height. Its really difficult to compare the two sports honestly. I tend to prefer the top NBA athletes because they seem to be more well rounded and their often absurd height just makes them seem more impressive. Some of the giant athletic freaks in the NBA don't even seem like they could possibly be the same species as the rest of us. They are much rarer than the athletic freaks of the NFL. That might not be the fairest way to ultimately decide, but idk. I can't help but be much more impressed by a Lebron James or Wilt Chamberlain type than anything I've ever seen in the NFL.

So your more impressed by TALL guys who move fast than short guys who are absolutely world class in terms of athletic talents? fair enough but that doesn't mean these tall dudes they are more ATHLETIC frankly I don't give a rats ass if they guys is 7 feet or 5 feet when it comes to pure athleticism.

I was specifically referring to guys that have world class athleticism and are also giant. I'm not saying I think Marcin Gortat is a more impressive athlete than Calvin Johnson, but I absolutely find Lebron, Wilt, and other giant athletic freaks to be more impressive than anyone I've ever seen in the NFL. What is more rare, a 6'4 guy with elite athleticism or a 7'1 guy with elite athleticism? Do NFL fans not consider Calvin Johnson to be one of the most impressive athletes because he has elite speed and leaping ability and is also 3-6 inches taller than other guys with comparable ability? If he was 5'11 hed be just another fast guy instead of OMG MERGATRON OMG BEST ATHLETE EVA!! Fact of the matter is that Lebron is just as fast, can jump as high, and is probably more explosive, and hes 3'4 inches taller and 40 pounds heavier. He is clearly the more impressive athlete. Don't act like even NFL fans don't use size as part of their criteria for what makes an athlete special. You just don't want to use that criteria now since we are comparing your preferred athletes to people from another sport who have a very clear advantage in that regard. I'm sorry, but use your brain before acting like I'm the one making a silly point.

[Mr. E]

I like this idea so much! It could be a lot of fun and a great ratings draw!

What competition tho? 100 M? Swimming?
It's hard to choose one that isn't biased towards specialities of another. Hence, swimming & archery may as well be in it too

Shot put.
Discus
Javelin
Hammer Throw
Long Jump
High Jump
Triple Jump
100M
200M
400M
1600M
Any "M" with Hurdles
Marathon
Pole Vault

The traditional Athletics events. I think that you could get some fun stuff out of all of that with the elite athletes in the NBA, NFL, MLB, ETC.