You make some interesting points about the bias towards team athletes. I guess my response to your rower example is, the skill of effective rowing technique is much easier to acquire and master than say puck-handling through two opponents at high speed, getting flushed out of the pocket and throwing a 25 yard bullet to your receiver, all the while having a huge lineman in your face... or even throwing a good sinker.
No offense but my high school had a great rowing team, and many of the guys on that team had never done it a day in their life... but by the time a season or two had past they were very proficient at it. To the point of getting scholarships / partial scholarships.
I agree though that there are many individual sports which require the competitor to be in top physical condition. That said, I look at virtually all professional athletes and arrive at the conclusion that, while some are bigger built than others (or more able to continually exercise - like a rower), they are all - for the most part - in extremely good condition.
Almost all of the positions listed would get a 4 or 5 for "PC" (Physical conditioning), football linemen being the noteable exception, but they're not on the list anyway.
PS - it's awesome (and pretty telling) to see such interest in this thread. Whether culturally ingrained or otherwise, shows how much we care about our sports.
