The most watched sports is soccer—we know that—but do you know which one is the second? Why, it's badminton! No, no, not the backyard batting around favored by picnickers. That's called abominableminton.
Why would anyone watch world-class badminton events?
- For starters, there's the explosive 200-mph smashes (the record is 206 mph) generated from vertical leaps that rival that of giant basketball players (jumping around 3-4 feet).
- Then there's the sprintastic rallies that cover twice the distance traversed by tennis players in half the time of an average professional tennis game. Because badminton players must return the shuttlecock before it hits the ground, they must lunge for the shuttlecock; tennis players shuffle their way to the bounced ball. Pffft. The "5-second rule" works for dropped cookies and tennis balls, but not for badminton.
- And to top it all off, reflexes that could return those 100++ mph smashes or drive shots give fans a glimpse of what a Jedi duel could look like without CGI. Trust me, the shots are a lot faster than it seems on the video.
Warning: Video montage has loud music.
This article is dedicated to all those who have ever sported a shiner from one of those 100++ mph smashes. To the careless dudes who ever smashed at their opponents at close range: Boo! Terrible sportsmanship.
