Baseball is a better sport than basketball.

Almost ALL arguments made on either of our parts are going to be a matter of opinion due to the nature of the debate topic at hand. It is our job to refine our points and exemplify that our arguments are stronger than our respective opponent's; the better competitor will (hopefully) win the most votes. With that said, I will begin by again refuting your argument that baseball is a better sport because of its slower pace laid-back nature. I disagree, sighting the fact that sports in general became popular and celebrated during the time of the Ancient Greeks, in an era where men participated in the first Olympic games and attempted to display superiroity in various aspects of athleticism. Using their bodies, men came to compete and win against their opponents by methods of paramount strength, agility, speed, talent, wit, etc. Generally, when people are able to move and think at a faster pace, it is deemed a more challenging feat. An example is a timed game of chess; people who perform at top-speed or play chess with a time clock are said to be better chess players. Thus a sport that requires a more fast paced tempo can arguably be considered more challenging when using the logic that I have put forth. More challenging means consistent room for improvement, and a better way to exemplify talent and superiority in various areas practically synonomous with sports (i.e. strength and stamina). Also, not every game of basketball has to be fast paced. There are many teams, in fact, that are actually known to both prefer and excel during a more "laid back" game of basketball. However, the benefit of basketball over baseball is that one can always choose to either increase or decrease the level of intensity (tempo) of a game, whereas baseball is pretty consistent with its timing and pace. In regard to a time clock vs. set number of innings required for a game, my point was not to argue that a timeclock is of greater value than a set number of innings or plays, but rather to provide an example of why having to "beat the clock" provides a greater adrenaline rush. Like I said, you can't really do much to change the tempo of a baseball game, whereas with basketball you can say, "Ok - there's only a little time left - we have to pick up the pace!" The game gets more exciting that way for both the players (who have to think on their feet and perform), and the fans who watch in anticipation to see if their team can overcome the pressure, and prevail by outsmarting and outplaying their opponents. I can also provide a more than sufficient rebuttal to your claim that it's beneficial for everyone on the team to have equal at-bats, whereas basketball consists of various players taking different amounts of shots. My main point is that the concept of teamwork doesn't have to do with individual performances being put together to create one result, but rather a collaborative effort to virtually ignore individual success, and focus instead on the achievements of the TEAM as a whole. In other words, people on basketball teams aren't *supposed* to take the same number of shots. The beauty of it is that each position is equally important and consists of different "tasks" and responsibilities. For instance, I would expect a Shooting Guard or a Forward to take more shots than a Point Guard. Reason being that the PG's "job" isn't to make baskets, per se, but rather to find an open teammate to pass the ball to in order to complete the play and make the shot. A PG's role is different than a Center's job -- that's the beauty of it. It's different positions consisting of different players working together towards a common goal. I love it. I would also like to argue your stance that baseball encourages more kids to play than basketball does. First of all, basketball players do not usually play for the duration of the entire game. In fact, it is common to see a frequent rotation of players going in and out of the game, thus making it not only possible but actually probable that 9 or more kids can participate on a basketball team. Additionally, since you brought up a sport's accessibility to children, I would like to point out that basketball is in fact a cheaper and easier sport to play than baseball. This is because someone would have to buy a glove or mitt to play baseball, whereas you only need 3 pieces of equipment (two "hoops" and a ball) to play b-ball. ALSO, due to the smaller ball and overall nature of the game, a baseball is easier to lose than a basketball, thus making basketball the better bet for kids who worry about losing equipment. Again I argue the superiority of basketball to baseball due to its more demanding physical attributes to play the game. I believe that sports were designed to exhibit superior athleticism, and you clearly most be in better physical shape and have more refined skills to play basketball over baseball. Plus, a lot of people play sports as an alternative to straight-up exercise, and basketball provides a MUCH greater work out than baseball, obviously. My opponent is correct in stating that there are neither no co-ed baseball or basketball teams; however, there is at least an official professional level agency for women's basketball, whereas baseball remains off-limits to women once they reach a professional level of their careers. Thus many girls choose to participate in basketball over baseball, because they know they have a better chance of making a living as an athlete if they chose one route over the other. And finally, your argument that it's "nicer" to enjoy a sport in sunny weather rather than indoors is lacking, to say the least. First of all, just because you enjoy being outdoors does not mean that everybody else does. What about the millions of people who have allergies and prefer being in a place where they don't have to worry about the downsides to their condition? Second, the cancellation of games due to weather conditions can be both disappointing and a huge inconvenience. This goes for both the players, the fans, and the organizations that run the games. Third, the weather outside - for instance the variation of hot and cold - has an impact on a player and their ability to perform. In an indoors arena, the level of playing field is typically very consistent, and therefore does not deter an athlete from performing at their best. Lastly on this point, you forgot that basketball doesn't HAVE to be played indoors -- there are many, many games and events that actually support and/or mandate that basketball be played outside, where players and fans can enjoy all of the "sunny weather" that you promoted in regards to the playing field of baseball. Thus where you can and cannot play a sport and when definitely gives basketball the advantage over baseball. To wrap up this around, I would also like to include several key points, including: A) Basketball allows for more strategy implementation B)Regarding professional sports, the average basketball player earns $5 million; the average baseball player earns $2 million C) Basketball requires more skill because a player must always play both the positions of offense and defense during the duration of a game. With baseball, a player can go an entire game (or even season!) without ever having to be on the defensive end of a play. With basketball, all players are resonsible for equal talent and performance on both ends of offense vs. defense; even if they fail in stealing or rebounding a ball, they still must guard their respective assignment or zone to the best of their ability to prevent their opponent from scoring D) Basketball promotes self-esteem and the notion to try and never give up. This is because small players such Muggsy Bogues stood at just 5'3" tall and weighed a mere 136 lbs, and still made it to the NBA as one of the franchise's most successful players << No more characters :P