Which sport is the most popular among financiers?
Hello WSO - Which sports would you say are most popular globally, at Wall Street, at entry to mid-level finance positions and at an executive level.
My own thoughts of this matter: (top three)
Globally:
1. (by far) Golf
2. Squash
3. Tennis
At WS:
1. Squash
2. Golf
3. Basketball
Entry to mid-level positions:
1. Squash
2. Tennis
3. Golf
Executive: (Dick Fuld if you could please answer here!)
1. Golf easily
2. Squash
3. Yachting
(4). Tennis, but I find hard to imagine some of the top ceos running at a tennis field (but that might be just me)
Thanks!
PS. Please everyone answer, since it´s valuable to get everyones´ experiences and opinions
You're looking at this the wrong way. It's not about "what sports" do they play. The sport itself is irrelevant. It's mostly about how expensive the sport is, because such sports allow one to signal wealth, status and prestige. Skiing, horseback riding(to include polo), and gold are all extremely expensive sports with high barriers to entry. As such they make ideal sports for people like junior level finance employees with delusions of prestige and importance.
Outside of basketball you didn't name any sports
A couple additions. I think you'd be surprised at how active the cycling/running community is in finance. Every job I've been at has had at least a couple serious marathon runners/triathletes and you even come across the random ultra-marathon dudes, with dozens of others who will get out for the occasional half marathon.
Also, depending on whether one considers poker to be a sport, there's a ton of poker players particularly in the investing community. Probably skews quant, and probably most of those guys aren't very good at actual sports anyhow. More of a hobby, but you get the idea.
This^ Running a marathon is the new rich thing to do along with a African Safari tour...
Lots of middle aged guys who live in the burbs like cycling even if they don't get to competition level. I just wish they'd stop showing up to my Sunday morning breakfast place in their spandex biking shorts.
what's the point of this? do what you like doing, and don't try to talk to a MD while he's on a treadmill with headphones in, jeez.
speaking of polo, i have a view of a polo field from my apartment (it's still fairly popular in argentina and some of the best players & horses in the world come from here), even my neighborhood supermarket is called "Supermercado Polo" haha. Tourney season starts soon, matches are a bit of a bore, but the after party is always grand
wow. 10sb's for you sir, how'd you pitch him?
thats actually really cool. The clown just got overpaid though.
Over here all the upper management guys usually run a marathon/bicyle races/cross-country skii races/etc. Triathlons has also become very popular.
It's mostly just a pissing contest though...Something to brag about, and it's become so bad that the guys are putting events like that on their CV, and train like pros all year round (even using pro-level drugs).
But of the more relaxed ones, golf and sailing seems to be very popular.
How popular is boxing in IBD? Probably not actually competing but pad/bag work etc. Personal boxing trainers are expensive so that's a barrier to entry lel
serious question btw
I boxed with the Partner at the last firm I worked at. Really fun and a great workout; the 5:30 start time was a deal-breaker though.
Golf is probably the top in large part because you can drink during and claim it makes you better and nobody will say otherwise....
Another HS tool trying to make every fiber of his personality fit in with what he thinks is the 'mold' of 'WS financiers'. That said, you should try to get good at basketball and squash. What analyst plays golf regularly?
I think we should defer to Prestigious Pete for the final verdict here.
A lot of newly minted high level guys practice mixed martial arts.
I'm playing flag football and basketball until my knees give out, get these waspy activities out of here (besides tennis and golf)
At my bank it's all NASCAR fans
Do you work at a retail branch in Daytona ?
Think (Customer Service / Marketing / Help Desk) at (TD Ameritrade / Scottrade / Fidelity) in (Tallahassee / Mobile / Birmingham)
I play real sports. Not trying to be the best at exercising. Fuck this guy.
prolly something pansy like squash
Golf really? What world are you living in? How many people actually play golf? Based on my casual observations of working in finance, relatively few do this, even at the senior upper-middle class white middle aged man level.
Most popular sport? I'd say just going to the gym and hitting the weights or cardio equipment. That's what the greatest proportion of people do. I've met quite a few bankers/PE guys who are into Olympic weightlifting and/or powerlifting for example. That's my preferred sport as well.
.
squash has the edge, no way!
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