What sport has the most criminals?
September 19, 2011 6:53 AM Subscribe
What professional sport has the most criminals?
After some discussion at work about Michael Vick and the boxing match, the question came up about which sports have the most criminals. I'm guessing the top three are likely NFL, NBA, and Boxing, but that is just a guess based on what I've seen in the news. Are there are statistics out there on this? I failed miserably with Google, but I'm generally just pretty bad at Googlin'. Thanks!
After some discussion at work about Michael Vick and the boxing match, the question came up about which sports have the most criminals. I'm guessing the top three are likely NFL, NBA, and Boxing, but that is just a guess based on what I've seen in the news. Are there are statistics out there on this? I failed miserably with Google, but I'm generally just pretty bad at Googlin'. Thanks!
Also, do you mean total or in percentage to the amount of other players? There's many fewer professional boxers than there are members of the NFL or NBA.
posted by griphus at 7:00 AM on September 19, 2011
posted by griphus at 7:00 AM on September 19, 2011
Response by poster: Oh, good call. Let's go the simplest route and just say "players with a criminal conviction" and not include the owners/coaches/staff.
posted by Grither at 7:00 AM on September 19, 2011
posted by Grither at 7:00 AM on September 19, 2011
Also, do you mean players currently employed in the sport, or all players, living and dead, in the history of that sport?
posted by argonauta at 7:02 AM on September 19, 2011
posted by argonauta at 7:02 AM on September 19, 2011
These numbers aren't going to be recorded anywhere, as they aren't numbers that any league is going to be all that excited about. Advertisers don't like it.
It's also kind of a meaningless comparison. There are about 450 NBA players (fifteen players per team, thirty teams) but almost 1,700 NFL players (fifty-three players per team, thirty-two teams). And there are probably only a few hundred professional boxers out there. There are probably more NFL players with traffic violations than there are NBA players, and the same comparison might stand for the NBA and professional boxing. The more interesting number would thus be something like "violations/convictions per capita," or "players with violations/convictions to total number of players."
But good luck getting the data to actually compute either of those. Again, it's unlikely that anyone's tracking it, and if they are, it's unlikely they'll share that data with you for the asking.
posted by valkyryn at 7:08 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's also kind of a meaningless comparison. There are about 450 NBA players (fifteen players per team, thirty teams) but almost 1,700 NFL players (fifty-three players per team, thirty-two teams). And there are probably only a few hundred professional boxers out there. There are probably more NFL players with traffic violations than there are NBA players, and the same comparison might stand for the NBA and professional boxing. The more interesting number would thus be something like "violations/convictions per capita," or "players with violations/convictions to total number of players."
But good luck getting the data to actually compute either of those. Again, it's unlikely that anyone's tracking it, and if they are, it's unlikely they'll share that data with you for the asking.
posted by valkyryn at 7:08 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Do you consider Mixed Martial Arts in your set of "sports?"
Because they've got some doozies.
posted by Naberius at 7:54 AM on September 19, 2011
Because they've got some doozies.
posted by Naberius at 7:54 AM on September 19, 2011
As an anecdotal, it is said that rugby is a thug's game played by gentlemen, while cricket is a gentlemen's game played by thugs.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:44 AM on September 19, 2011
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:44 AM on September 19, 2011
"And there are probably only a few hundred professional boxers out there."
Off by a factor of 100 or more. There are many many thousands of people that have boxed or currently box at a "professional" level all over the world. That includes everything from your multi-million viewer PPV bouts to "Tuff-man" fights at local clubs.
Given the huge numbers of fighters globally, boxing has quite the shot at the 'most criminals' title.
posted by anti social order at 9:06 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Off by a factor of 100 or more. There are many many thousands of people that have boxed or currently box at a "professional" level all over the world. That includes everything from your multi-million viewer PPV bouts to "Tuff-man" fights at local clubs.
Given the huge numbers of fighters globally, boxing has quite the shot at the 'most criminals' title.
posted by anti social order at 9:06 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
As an anecdotal, it is said that rugby is a thug's game played by gentlemen, while cricket is a gentlemen's game played by thugs.
Don't you mean football? (Soccer.)
posted by galaksit at 10:08 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Don't you mean football? (Soccer.)
posted by galaksit at 10:08 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'd imagine skateboarders... vandalism and trespassing is pretty much required of anyone making a career out of it.
posted by Slap*Happy at 1:10 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Slap*Happy at 1:10 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
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posted by 3FLryan at 6:57 AM on September 19, 2011