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What "sports" do you not consider to be sports?
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You couldn't be further from the truth on this one. Auto racing is a grueling and physically demanding sport. Have you seen the physical training F1 drivers go through? When you get out of the car at the end of a race, your are 100% exhausted, both mentally and physically. You are drenched in sweat. Every muscle in your body aches. Comparing professional auto racing to the "afternoon commute" is like comparing Rugby to a game of Poker.
I will add American Football to the "Not a sport" column though. First of all, it's pretty ghay. All the players wear spandex capri pants and are constantly jumping on each other and patting each other on the ass. Secondly, they play for 10 seconds at a time, then the clock stops for 25 seconds, then they play for another 10 seconds. Lame and boring.
Billiards is also solidly "not a sport". Any "sport" you can play with a gin and tonic in your hand is not a sport. Most of the local amateur leagues around here are very very competitive - and yet they drink constantly all through out the tournaments. Not a sport.
I'd say a good test would be whether, at the highest level, men and women can compete fairly. If they can, then it's probably not a sport.
Which leads on to my question of why there are separate men's and women's events for things like darts, archery etc.?
(Sorry if this post comes off as sexist at all. It really wasn't supposed to!)
Which leads on to my question of why there are separate men's and women's events for things like darts, archery etc.?
(Sorry if this post comes off as sexist at all. It really wasn't supposed to!)
Both of these involve hitting a ball with a stick. Why would pool be more of a sport than golf?
Racing is probably the most physically demanding sport in the world. I would love to see any top athlete from any sport try and compete in the Dakar Rally.
Skateboarding is the most technically difficult sport.
Skateboarding is the most technically difficult sport.
Astronauts go through rigorous training. Is spaceflight a sport? At the end of a day's work for a physical laborer, they are also 100% exhausted , both mentally and physically. When fat guys walk to the fridge, they too are drenched in sweat. Physical actvity =/= sport.
Totally for sure, I even got a manicure
The sun, I swear, is bleaching out my hair
99, 34, I don't even know the score
Go! Go! Fight! Fight!
Gee I hope I look alright
How do clubs fitted for your swing give you an unfair advantage? Everyone has access to this. If you can afford to pay greens fees and buy golf clubs, then you can afford to have your golf clubs custom fit (its usually about $50 and if you purchase clubs from the place that fits you, they often credit the $50 towards your clubs). Every competitive golfer I have ever met has custom fit clubs (I've played competitive golf for 9 years). They're the same as standard off the rack clubs, except they put the correct flex and length shaft, change the lie angle, and will thicken grips (often all included in the purchase price; note, you can have a lot more than this done, but this is about as far as your average competitive golfer takes it).
Yeah, unfortunately, custom fit clubs don't do this much for you. If you have a bad swing, you're still going to suck, even with custom fit clubs. They can't correct your slice, they can't make you drive the ball 300 every time if you don't practice and workout. Can they help you save a few strokes? Sure. But again, the majority of serious golfers play with custom fit clubs, so it would be a stretch to call them an advantage.
I definitely consider golf a sport, especially with the younger (ie post Tiger Woods) up and coming crowd. They workout, they have trainers, dietary regimens and sports psychologists, they practice all the time. It requires immense hand-eye coordination and a lot mental toughness. You have to strategize and a use your body and skills to play your best. I expect many (especially those who have played little and haven't played competitively) to disagree with me on this one.
I don't consider poker a sport. Table tennis is very borderline. I don't consider pool a sport. Hunting and fishing, IMO, are not a sport. I lean towards racing being a sport.
Difference between spaceflight and (car)racing is that in a modern spacecraft the computers do most of the work.
In a car the actual driver is key.. I can give you a Formula 1 car and give Michael schumacher a standard off the shelf ferrari and I can guarantee you that Michael schumacher will win...
People knocking racing shouldn't even comment until they have tried. A spirited drive home after work does not even compare.
You could give a non-designer a maxed out mac pro and a designer an iphone with brushes and the designer would come out with the better design and i know that F1 is very physicaly demanding and they are very fit and strong but their athletic prowess between each of them isn't the deciding factor between who wins. If anyone wanted to beat button at the begining of the year they couldn't just train harder in the gym, they would need the better equipment, but in a proper sport it's the athletes determination, training and genetic make up that make the winner.
Also hunting isn't a sport in the traditional sense. It is 'sporting' in the british countryside sense of the word.
Biased against non-sports as i used to compete internationally for my country at a proper sport, triathlon.
Also hunting isn't a sport in the traditional sense. It is 'sporting' in the british countryside sense of the word.
Biased against non-sports as i used to compete internationally for my country at a proper sport, triathlon.
Just wondering everyone...
I play tournament paintball, a sport which most people don't even consider a "real" sport. Most people don't see it as a legitimate sport, yet I physically work out and train for paintball. It's a team sport (usually 5v5, capture the flag format). When I'm asked if I play any sport or try to explain the welts on my body to people, I usually get a confused or awkward stare when I say paintball.
So my question to you guys is what are your thoughts?
Here is a video if you've never seen tournament paintball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eCOmmdE_ew&feature=related
Also to stay on topic, I don't see pool as a sport. Like someone mentioned before if you can drink while playing it shouldn't be a sport (IMO).
I play tournament paintball, a sport which most people don't even consider a "real" sport. Most people don't see it as a legitimate sport, yet I physically work out and train for paintball. It's a team sport (usually 5v5, capture the flag format). When I'm asked if I play any sport or try to explain the welts on my body to people, I usually get a confused or awkward stare when I say paintball.
So my question to you guys is what are your thoughts?
Here is a video if you've never seen tournament paintball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eCOmmdE_ew&feature=related
Also to stay on topic, I don't see pool as a sport. Like someone mentioned before if you can drink while playing it shouldn't be a sport (IMO).
Does the level of raw athleticism necessary equate to the level at which the game is played? If so, then it's a sport.
That sums up my opinion of hunting as well. I'm not opposed to hunting, but let's not pretend that you're some great sportsman if you're sitting up in a tree stand, with a high-powered rifle aimed at your distant prey. Give me a break.If you're using any projectile weapons (guns, bow & arrows, blow darts, throwing knives) then no. If you're just going bare handing or armed with a whittling knife... umm.. no. That's suicide.
You've got just as much chance of getting killed as your prey.
But if the hunter is driving a race car while he shoots his prey, then it's a sport!
Because, you know, he'll need proper training and be physically and mentally exhausted once he's finished...
Spaceflight is not a sport and neither is fat guy fridge visits. They are missing the elements of organization, and competition, which are required to be a sport.
Professional auto racing has "leagues" with rules that each team must abide by. The rules are strictly enforced and there are penalties for breaking the rules. Also, auto racing has the element of competition. Teams and "players" are competing against each other.
Physically and Mentally demanding + A structure of rules & penalties + The element of direct competition = IS A SPORT.
Space programs? The space race of the 50s and 60s?
Heck, they even have the horrifying crashes and deaths.
I see little difference between the two, except maybe NASA and the space program has brought about a lot of good to humanity while NASCAR and their ilk hasn't done much for anybody (besides maybe the drivers).
Because there is no league or set of rules that each "team" had to follow in the space race, it is not a sport. Two women arguing over the last toy on the shelf at Christmas time has the element of competition. But it's not organized or bound by a defined set of rules, and therefore not a sport.
Agree that NASCAR sucks and is completely useless, and the Space Program is infinitely more useful. But a sport is not about "useful". Personally I am thinking more of F1, WRC, ALMS, DTM, etc. when I say "auto racing" But even the boring redneck sport of NASCAR is a sport. It has physical and mental exertion, it has league rules/penalties, and it has direct competition.
To rehash, there are three criteria to determine sport vs. not a sport:
1. Physically and mentally challenging
2. A defined set of rules and penalties
3. Direct competition between players and/or teams
Auto racing meets these criteria.
All sports are games...but not all games are sports. When does a game become a sport?
Does it require physical activity? A specific type of competition? Some other classification? We need to answer the first question before we can honestly say, "what sports are not really sports."
I personally think that anything that requires competition between two or more individuals (or a single individual, if you're competing against yourself), to be considered a sport. The only stipulation is that this competition must be measurable.
For example: Fishing, in and of itself, is not a sport. However, fishing against someone else (to see who can catch the largest fish, most fish, etc.) can be considered a sport. Playing the Call of Duty 4 campaign on your computer is merely gaming. However, playing Call of Duty 4 against people online, can be considered a sport (i.e. a video game becomes a sport when you are competing against other people). In the same way, jogging is just exercise. However, jogging to beat your previous mile time can be considered a sport (just as racing against someone else turns jogging into a sport).
Does it require physical activity? A specific type of competition? Some other classification? We need to answer the first question before we can honestly say, "what sports are not really sports."
I personally think that anything that requires competition between two or more individuals (or a single individual, if you're competing against yourself), to be considered a sport. The only stipulation is that this competition must be measurable.
For example: Fishing, in and of itself, is not a sport. However, fishing against someone else (to see who can catch the largest fish, most fish, etc.) can be considered a sport. Playing the Call of Duty 4 campaign on your computer is merely gaming. However, playing Call of Duty 4 against people online, can be considered a sport (i.e. a video game becomes a sport when you are competing against other people). In the same way, jogging is just exercise. However, jogging to beat your previous mile time can be considered a sport (just as racing against someone else turns jogging into a sport).
So using your same criteria for auto racing, an organized Dance Dance Revolution tournament at an arcade would be considered a sport?
So if the prevailing opinion here is the case we're to class target shooting and riding as not being sports, but swimming and athletics are.
So where does this leave the pentathlon, where athletes compete in these four disciplines along with fencing?
So where does this leave the pentathlon, where athletes compete in these four disciplines along with fencing?
Not true. The PGA regulates golf equipment. There's a new rule this year about the shape of the grooves which get cut into the club head. They used to be square and now they are to be more u-shaped... or something. It was over my head.
But golf is definitely a sport. It rewards practice and hard work, requires excellent coordination, and demands some stamina. Success in golf has as much to do with your equipment as being a successful guitar player -- i.e. a necessary but not sufficient condition.
(I don't even play golf. But if I had more time I definitely would
How's this for a rule:
If you can use PEDs to obtain an unfair advantage, it's a sport.
This would include cycling but eliminate auto racing.
Of course, it would include horse racing. And arm wrestling. Hmm, got to think about this one a little while...
If you can use PEDs to obtain an unfair advantage, it's a sport.
This would include cycling but eliminate auto racing.
Of course, it would include horse racing. And arm wrestling. Hmm, got to think about this one a little while...
Carlin said it best. The official rundown of "sport" - "not a sport" starts around 3 mins in.
Oh, and it's Carlin: NSFW obviously.
Oh, and it's Carlin: NSFW obviously.