Ice race

[icesled]

I always get a laugh when people talk about pro sports like football, baseball, basketball and so on the the player deserve the money they get paid you know 2,3,4, 10 million a year and most only play into there 30's. And how hard it is on there bodies and so on. I do not think any of them are worth it. This brings me to my point. I follow the Iditarod Sled dog race every year and have been for some 20 years. The race is from Anchorage to Nome which is about 1200 miles. The Musher and a  team of 16 dogs in the most unforgiving area of the US winds of 40 miles and hour or more temps of -45 or better at times Little or no sleep. Any thing can happen out there. At the end od the race the winner gets about $69,000 and a new truck. To prepare for this race it takes all that money($50,000 or more) and training for a good 8. 9. 10 months for you and you dog team. The man and women who run this race are real people and have not forgot where they came from and do it for the love of the sport NOT THE MONEY unlike the pro sports player. This is The Last Great Race on Earth         

[kimball07]

I always get a laugh when people talk about pro sports like football, baseball, basketball and so on the the player deserve the money they get paid you know 2,3,4, 10 million a year and most only play into there 30's. And how hard it is on there bodies and so on. I do not think any of them are worth it. This brings me to my point. I follow the Iditarod Sled dog race every year and have been for some 20 years. The race is from Anchorage to Nome which is about 1200 miles. The Musher and a  team of 16 dogs in the most unforgiving area of the US winds of 40 miles and hour or more temps of -45 or better at times Little or no sleep. Any thing can happen out there. At the end od the race the winner gets about $69,000 and a new truck. To prepare for this race it takes all that money($50,000 or more) and training for a good 8. 9. 10 months for you and you dog team. The man and women who run this race are real people and have not forgot where they came from and do it for the love of the sport NOT THE MONEY unlike the pro sports player. This is The Last Great Race on Earth         

you are correct

[Greenz]

Great point 8)

[vermonner]

Although hockey players are well paid, they are the LOWEST paid of those who play Baseball, football, basketball and hockey and I respect the guts it takes to play even 1 NHL game.  You ever see an injured hoops/football/baseball player return after leaving the bench?  Doubtful.  Hockey players on the other hand lose 2 front teeth, get stitches and return for the 2nd period.  When asked why he came back from such an injury after the game, Steve Begin of the Montreal Canadiens simply replied "..it's a long way from the heart".  Hoops players would rather thump a fan in the stands.  As a fan I respect those athletes who do it for love of the game/event not money.

[dooberhoopa]

those iditarod guys are definatly tough i used to watch it every year but then we lost that channel on th tv. but hockey players are definatly the warriors of pro sports...any other sport if u twist your ankle ur done for almost a month hockey players just keep skating..anyone see the guy from the islanders slash that guy?? brutal ud be done forever if u pulled something like that anywhere else

[Buck1985]

 The Iditarod race is a truly grueling race, one thing you forgot to mention are the psychotic Moose that roam around. I am on a semi-pro football team, just started this year and people have asked if I get paid for playing and I honestly respond no, I don't get paid, as a matter of fact, I have to pay to play and obviously they ask me why I would pay to play and I have to simply tell them for the love of the game. My head coach has already talked about the possibility of me playing arena or pro ball. People ask if I'd do it if I got a chance, and honestly I don't know. Between all the steroids people are taking, the attitudes of a bunch of the players, and the whining and complaining, I dunno if I would wanna deal with it. The reason I'm getting back into football after 3 1/2 years off the gridiron, is, for the love of the game. I wrestled in high school too, I know what pain and playin with it is like, I agree a lot of pros whine too much about injuries. My senior year I hit a guy hard enough that I stress fractured my cheek from the bottom of my left eye socket almost down to my teeth. That was a Friday night, the following Tuesday I was back in pads playin 100%. That was the most extreme, I don't count broken fingers, toes, or sprains. That stuff is childs play

[rgfixit]

If you like a good read, check out Gary Paulson's "Winterdance, the fine madness of running the iditarod".

One of the best written books I've read.
RG

[Buck1985]

 I read "Guts" by Gary Paulson, he talks about his real life experiences, running and training for the Iditarod. Also about other stories and events in his life.

[JerryofWNY]

Dogsong was also by Gary Paulson and deals with the training of sled dogs. It was also published under the title Windsong. Good read and really lets you come to understand the bond between the musher and his dogs. They think alike and become one.

[pizalm]

One thing I want to add is you can't forget the minors where most players make next to nothing unless they're big time prospects. And hockey has some of the toughest, but not neccesarily the smartest, guys around. Guys will try to play after almost anything, I knocked a couple guys out cold bantam with hits and they were both back on the ice 5 minutes after getting up.

But the Iditarod is nuts, it would take some serious balls to do that going 1200 miles with no support teams in some of the nastiest conditions around. Another race that would be tough would be the Dakar rally, riding a motorcycle through the desert for a whole day with no trails or roads to follow through the dunes.