Pressure in pro sports

I don't usually point to Tampa Tribune articles - though I've found Erik Erlendsson has had better contnet than Tom Jones at the St. Pete Times. That being said, sometimes I miss gem articles that show up in the Trib...

Case in point, Scott Carter uses John Tortorella's goalie outburst from December 28th to ask the question -- which positions in pro sports really have it the toughest?

Kevin Weekes is quoted to lead in teh comparison of high pressure positions in pro sports:

"Pitchers, quarterbacks and goaltenders have enormous responsibility that we put on our own shoulders," Weekes told reporters afterward. "We want to be there for everybody, we want to be the eraser and make things right.

"Giving up a walk-off home run at Yankee Stadium, throwing an interception at a critical time, giving up a bad goal … there's a commonality to all three. You never want to give up a goal like I did there. I take it seriously. It's a bitter pill to swallow that I'll take with me for a while."

As the article states, this is coming off Weekes giving up a softy to SImon Gagne that ultimately led to a loss by the Rags. I'll never accuse Kevin of being someone who can't face the music - he's one of the best teammates you can have in teh NHL.

But at any rate, the list that Carter amasses is up for debate. I'm only going to show positions that Carter ranked and not his justifications for the sake of not plagerizing the man's work:

1. NFL quarterback
2. NHL goaltender
3. MLB closer
4. NBA point guard
5. NFL place-kicker
6. MLB starting pitcher
7. Soccer goalkeeper
8. NFL offensive lineman
9. MLB shortstop
10. NHL captain

There's a lot that can be argued here... And reading the justifications that Carter provides may be necessary in order to comprehend the rankings... But still, I fully agree with 1-3... Can't support 4 due to ignorance, and have trouble with 6 knowing how Starting Pitching is becoming a short-inning assignment...