Favourite sports? And why?

[Arcadian222]

[abc3643]

I think my favorite sport is box lacrosse as played in the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
(In fact, as I type, I am watching the Georgia Swarm at Colorado Mammoth game on ESPN+. Update: Swarm won.)

Box lacrosse aka indoor lacrosse is the National Summer Sport of Canada and was invented in the 1930s as a way for Canadians to use their hockey rinks during the warm months. So, in a nutshell, box lacrosse is 6-on-6 lacrosse played in a "box" (hockey rink).
While it is lacrosse, it is also like hockey and basketball.
The sport is very fast and very physical; much more so that "field" lacrosse which we just call lacrosse in the US.

The NLL is almost 40 years old and is a well-attended sport. Among professional sports, the NLL had been the #3 sport for attendance for professional arena sports behind the NBA and NHL. In fact, in some markets, like Buffalo, the NLL team has a larger higher attendance than the NHL team. The NLL season goes from Black Friday to around Memorial Day.

Things can get rather intense during NLL games. Often, there are fights. Last week, for the first time in God knows how long (and I've never seen this but followed this league for over 25 years), there was a fight between goalies of the Philadelphia Wings and the Rochester Knighthawks. This made it on ESPN Sports Center's highlights. This is from someone's recording of the ESPN+ broadcast near the end of the game when tempers often flare.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/uYia5VG0VCY

Right now, the current champion is the Buffalo Bandits who 3-peated this past season. They have 7 total championships, the most of any team.

These videos are highlights from the Best-of-3 2025 Championship between Buffalo and the Saskatchewan Rush.

Game 1 in Buffalo, New York, USA

https://www.youtube.com/embed/dordqVpmFBQ

Game 2 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

https://www.youtube.com/embed/4K99fFcXqAA

Game 3 in Buffalo, New York, USA

https://www.youtube.com/embed/A7hbptUZgKk

Something great about the NLL is that tickets are relatively cheap. The value for your money to attend a game is unmatched. No players have enormous salaries and they all have other jobs in their real life.

In fact, the greatest player in NLL history is John Tavares aka "JT". He is currently the coach of the Buffalo Bandits. He is already in the NLL Hall of Fame as a player but likely to be reinducted as a coach one day.

JT's nephew is the NHL star John Tavares who is named after JT. The NHL star is a millionaire plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs, after starting with the NY Islanders. Meanwhile, the NLL star/coach is a mathematics teacher at a Catholic school near Toronto and was featured in the New York Times in 2013.

John Tavares, Uncle of Islanders star Also Knows How to Find the Net.A Lacrosse Star Who Is a Math Teacher Firsthttps://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/sports/john-tavares-uncle-of-islanders-star-also-knows-how-to-find-the-net.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AFA.8a0K._l4IuDr-Msvz&smid=url-share

From captions of photos in the photo gallery of the story:

Tavares earns $30,000 a year playing for the Bandits, making him one of the highest-paid players in the National Lacrosse League.

Three of Tavares’s Bandits teammates are also teachers; two are landscapers. Others are accountants, bartenders, electricians, car salesmen and pipe fitters.

===

Last Friday Tavares repeated the routine he has followed for the better part of two decades: he taught two Grade 9 advanced math classes and one university-level Grade 11 math class, went home for dinner with his family, gathered his lacrosse gear and made the 90-minute drive to Buffalo.

On Saturday he was in uniform to play the Rochester Knighthawks.

===

So, these athletes are real people, not prima donnas. Yet, in Buffalo, they play in front of sell-outs of over 19000 people. The connection between the fan and the team is unsurpassed; players meet with fans after games.

Oh, and we can't forget the bagpipe introductions...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/NLNQuCmIay0

[AviatorTom]

My father and I often went to baseball games when I was growing up. Baseball is my favorite sport. I played it as a kid, played friendly softball at companies I worked for, and coached youth baseball when I was older.

Baseball involves both physical and intellectual skill, and a bit of luck.

[trumpetplayerforlife]

Hockey... have you seen them stretch just saying the women will know what I mean lol

[AI Opinion]

Tennis is my favorite sport. It combines physical agility, strategy, and mental toughness, creating a dynamic and challenging game. The exhilaration of a fast-paced rally, the precision of a well-placed serve, and the satisfaction of a perfectly executed shot are unmatched. Tennis also fosters personal growth, as it encourages discipline, focus, and perseverance. 🌟🎾

[exitseven]

I ran marathons. I liked the individualistic aspects of the sport. The discipline it takes as well as the preparation. Then the grueling event itself. The excitement of the starting gun and the range of emotions t the finish.

[fish5505_87]

Football, Baseball, Hockey, Basketball, Tennis, Boxing. There are certain times of the year I will prefer one more than the rest, example, July - Baseball - March - Hockey. Etc. Football (American is the King)

[NathanDavis]

to actually play... Soccer

to watch... American Football

[Massageman]

In college I was on the intramural volleyball team and got 2nd place in dorm table tennis. Racquetball, tennis, then golf. Now mini-golf.

[Iron_Man]

American tackle Football 🏈the thriller of victory and the agony of defeat

[Anonymous]

I like team sports and combat sports (martial arts). They are the most interesting.

[queenofcardio]

I like watching basketball

[FunkyMonkee]

Naked Twister. Why not?

[Fireguy17]

most forms or motorsports except for NASCAR.

[In_Trance]

Muff diving