What's the most overrated accomplishment in sports?

Some guy threw a no-hitter yesterday in MLB. He also had 6 walks. While nowhere near a perfect game it was still a great accomplishment. But how great? Better than a 1-hit shutout with no walks? I'm not so sure. What about a hole in one that was a pure fluke? It makes a great story (no it doesn't), but do it again!

There are dozens of overrated accomplishemts in sports. What's your take?

Flutie hail Mary

Double Double possibly

I was leaning toward "hole in one", but as a single event, I voted "Other" after being reminded of Flutie's hail mary. He threw the ball into traffic in the endzone - woot. It's not on the QB any more than it was Bills QB Joe Whatshisname's fault that Johnny Whosit dropped that game winning TD last season (right in his GD mitts!)..

Exactly. He wasn't specifically aiming for anyone, just threw it into a busy area.

Finishing a half marathon is also not worthy of bragging.

I went with finishing a marathon.  I based my answer because of the word "finishing."  While I am not a runner, I have run in a few races (5K, 10K and half marathons).  Finishing a marathon is not a huge accomplishment.  Competing in one is another matter.  I am not trying to say that you have to finish in the top third or anything, but actually competing to finish high is much different than just "finishing."

"Being in the stands" doesn't make sense alongside the other selections, and I don't think that people really overrate a double double or finishing a marathon as it is. Finishing a marathon is definitely the easiest, though (assuming of course that the sports listed are all professional).

Absolutely is "Finishing a Marathon"

Every year Boston gets invaded by smug "runners' who stumble across the finish line 7.5hrs after starting the Boston Marathon and then parade around town all week in their congratulatory "Boston Marathon" Windbreakers.

I mean I guess if they run for charity they can be a bit smug about it but its still annoying.

As much as I enjoy the Boston marathon (it starts in my town), that has to be up there. I have three friends who decided, on marathon monday, to join in on a whim at the starting line. They are all athletes, but none of them are runners and none of them had trained a lick. Then finished in about 5 hours. None of them could pitch a no hitter, score a hat trick, get a double double, or bowl 300.

As someone who has actually run and finished several marathons, my best nearly 30 years ago on a hilly course in 2 hours and 53 minutes I think the doubters should  consider that it is the only accomplishment on this list that does not have an element of luck.  The posts that refer to finishing in 5 hours or one stated 7.5 hours, well five hours is just under a 12 minute mile pace, basically an easy jog, 7.5 hours is walking. That is like comparing my intramural double double in HS to and NBA double double, meanaingless. I have had a hole in one, bowled a 299, ringing 10 on the final ball, the marathon was much more of an accomplishement, rememember my somewhat ordinary time was slightly over 6.5 minutes per mile.  The best are about 4.50 minutes a mile pace. For this poll to be worthwhile you have to compare equivalent participants.

Being in the stands.  Anyone can buy a ticket to a game, no big deal there.

Ding ding ding!!!

That was the only one on the list that doesn't vary with the competition level. A marathon is a marathon. But there are probably some marathons more overrated than others. Finishing a marathon in the rockies has to be more difficult than one at sea level for example.

And the hole in one.

Not the year I ran the Palm Beach Marathon which started in the 70s and was near 80 at the finish...there were a lot of IVs that year.  Allin, running a 2:53 at Boston is a feat. My wife did her Boston PR in 3:28 which was due to serious training and a just under 8 minute mile pace for 26.2 miles.

Sitting in the stands takes the prize even over the Hail Mary. With the Flutie pass, he had to have the arm to chuck it down there.

Nah, wasn't the Boston Marathon,  although at the time I ran it it would have met the qualifying standard to enter the Boston race at that time as an offricial entrant.  It would have cost more than I could afford to go there run and come back home at that time. My actual bes performance was a 1.46.4 in 800 meters, my best natural distance.

Still, running a 2:53 is amazing and probably the equivalent of "scratch" or +1.

I'm going with "being there" as it really isn't a sporting accomplishment.

Quote:

A no-hitter with a lot of walks was the first thing I thought of when I read the title of this thread (before looking at the poll). I remember watching this game. Liriano had just two strikeouts, threw almost 130 pitches (barely half for strikes), and was bailed out by double plays multiple times. A 0.33 K/BB ratio is crap (small sample size obviously, but still). Josh Beckett against Tampa Bay a couple weeks ago was much more impressive IMO. His one-hitter with no walks, six strikeouts and just 97 pitches was an absolute gem.