Hmm, this seems more based on opinion('better'?) and I'd argue that endurance costs you and is a worse 'value'. Successful long-distance running requires a high ratio of Type I muscle fiber as opposed to the coveted Type IIx fibers of a sprinter. I'd agree on boxing but argue that the type of 'endurance' required in marathon running has no place in the ring. Boxing is a sport where the more power you can produce in X amount of time, the better. Otherwise everyone would train to slap each other 18 million times.
I could put this in a more scientific tone but I'd rather keep it light hearted and I think I'm making my point. There's a very good reason the 40 yard dash is a hallmark of the NFL Combine, in any team sport(just as in any sort of stand-up fighting... MMA, boxing, etc) mobility is the absolute most important ability. To move the ball to the goal, to move to the ball, to move to or away from your opponent.... it's the single most basic, important skill and to do so more quickly is infinitely advantageous.
I understand that you find feats of endurance more impressive or more fun to watch but I completely disagree that they're a better display or measure of athletic ability. I also think they're very boring to watch for the same reason people watch professional auto racing instead of their buddy driving his wifes minivan around in a parking lot. I'll not argue on that basis though as this isn't about what you or I like, it's about what's a better marker of useful athletic ability.
On that note, I'd argue that the abilities of a world-class sprinter are much more useful than those of a top marathoner. A sprinter is surely the healthier as they're often muscular and well built while marathoners are often underweight(again, talking elite/olympic level athletes here) and the more likely to be able to fight, by a landslide. Again, the sprinter is sure to have a major advantage in just about any common team sport. The marathoner would probably have terrific lung function. A marathoner wouldn't have such a hard time if his car broke down and forgot his phone.
Really, I don't think any random sprinter is going to just excel in any sport but it's probably the one most useful skill. Even in the few scenarios where it can't be applied directly(swimming, golf, bowling) the attributes that a sprinter should possess(once again, height, medium-wiry build, high ratio of type IIx fibers, advantageous levers and coordination) make a natural athlete. Maybe there are other sports that are popular elsewhere that I don't know about that benefit from distance running or swimming ability? I dunno, just seems every *popular* sport around here(the US, sort of the center of the world) benefits from sprinting if not being *based around* it.
EDIT: Okay, this is long and I say the same thing like 9 different ways to kind of make sure my points are beyond-clear but I think it's actually not too bad. Of course by 'keep it light hearted' I'd rather not get into trying to one-up each other with some BS references and 'studies' and what not and soon be linking up 14 fuckin 'references' to read through. I leave that type of shit to people just a *bit* more bored than me. I am pretty bored though, wish someone'd respond to more of my posts. I'll be hitting #150 in a lil, had like 86 this morning.
