What is a sport?

[GuidoHunter]

My friends and I were having this debate the other day. What is it that defines if something is a sport? Now, I honestly think that this is a personal matter and there is no absolute answer, so I'm asking y'all what you value in sports.

I'm not too sure myself, so for the sake of this argument, I'm going to adopt my friend's very stringent definition. Basically:

1. You have to be able to "play" it.
2. It has to be a team event.
3. There has to be action going on.
4. There has to be much physical prowess exhibited

(I may be missing something, but this is pretty much it). Examples of things that aren't sports by this definition: Swimming (violates 1 and 2), curling (violates 4), track and field (1 and 2), marksmanship events (all of them). Baseball nearly violates 3 but has enough action and meets the other criteria enough to still be a sport.

Where does that leave everything else? Everything else is either a game or a competition. Now, just because something isn't a sport doesn't mean it isn't deserving of respect; all it means is that it shouldn't be called a "sport" by this definition.

This debate raised a couple of good questions. First, what sports/games/competitions should or shouldn't be in the Olympics? What should the Olympics be about?

Secondly, is war a sport? Whatever definition you use, would war fit the criteria? It certainly can. The only thing that I think it may lack is sportsmanship and the spirit of competition. Of course, war was treated like a game many years ago by certain people. It's an interesting thought.

So yeah, I'd like to hear y'all's opinions. Especially after I took the time to learn how to use the list code in BB.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[Omeganitros]

RE: What is a sport?

Everything could be considered a sport, just as everything could be considered an art.

Sorry, I don't really belong in the Critical Thinking forums. I should be banned from this area.

[jewpinthethird]

RE: What is a sport?

Sport: Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

You defined Team Sport.

The only event that I would take out of the Olympics is that Show Horse/Horse Jumping crap. I mean, they might as well allow NASCAR into the Olympics too. They both are sports based around who has the most money and they both are based around the skill of the driver and their ablity to control their "vehicle". And they both are boring as hell.

What they should do is combine the two sports...I've always wanted to see a horse slam into a wall going 150 miles per hour.

[Cenright]

RE: What is a sport?

Well singles tennis sure isnt a TEAM sport. But sports i feel are the competition and the action, It must be a skill with your physical self. That means archery counts. Of course Team Flatulance could be there.

Marching Band is more of a sport than anyone ever thinks, unless they themselves are in the band. It is a physical skill to be out on that football field, working as a perfect team.

[Squeek]

RE: What is a sport?

Baseball isn't a sport anymore. It's entertainment. Kinda like how WWF (WWE) was never a sport either.

Cheerleading is not a sport. I'm sick of preppy girls saying it is. No. It's not. Anybody can shout out some random phrase while holding a sign.

I think sports should be something that you alone are good at. You should be playing sports knowing that you're better than anybody watching you from the crowd and be proud of that.

~Squeek

[Kilgamayan]

RE: What is a sport?

WWF/WWE is not a sport because the outcomes are predetermined.

In baseball, the Red Sox and Cubs haven't won a World Series in forever because they've never been good enough, not because some script tells them to lose.

[Squeek]

RE: What is a sport?

I'm not saying baseball is scripted, I'm saying the action is so slow it cannot be constituted as a sport. Sport means exercise. Half the players are benched, the other half might not even move at all in an inning. That's not right. In basketball, sure you've got people benched, but the 5 on the court are ALWAYS moving. Soccer, 11, same thing. Hockey, same thing. Baseball has gotten so boring now that it's losing its sports-ness.

~Squeek

[DracIV]

RE: What is a sport?

Jewpin, you don't train your car in NASCAR and take care of it daily, training it and yourself to greater skill.

MrESqueek, you're right. Baseball is a bit short on the physical activity part.

War is a sport; they call it Chess. You exercise your mind to outmaneuver the opponent and defeat him with your army.

[User6773]

RE: What is a sport?

In addition to Jewpin's comment, sports must be a) governed by sets of rules and regulations and b) have the winner determined by the person who satisfies discretely defined conditions for victory, not who is "judged" to be the winner.

Thus, Cheerleading, figure skating, etc. are disqualified by rule B.
War is disqualified by rule A.

[zildjian133]

RE: What is a sport?

To answer it completely you'd have to tell us your definition of Competition and Game.

[jewpinthethird]

RE: What is a sport?

Anybody can shout out some random phrase while holding a sign.

True. But not everyone can cause the entire population of freshmen male students to get an erection with in a 2 minute span.

Jewpin, you don't train your car in NASCAR and take care of it daily, training it and yourself to greater skill.

No, but you do tune your NASCAR(s).

Face it, they both are sports based around who can afford the best (Be it pit crew, or Horse Trainer). Though, dont think I'm not saying they dont require skill and hard work.

[Privateer]

RE: What is a sport?

Rules for war:

1. Do not sabotage your own country.
2. Err...

It's a sport!

[ChEeKyGaTo]

I think war is a sport because it does have a governed set of rules.. Its called the Geoneva (sp?) Convention. If you use deadly nerve gas, you get hunted down and captured as a war criminal. Think of it as getting benched or put in the penalty box.

[GuidoHunter]

I don't think that's pure war. I'm a firm believer in the phrase "All's fair in love and war." Lots of people don't like that idea, though, so they try to implement such things as the Geneva Convention for "honor's" sake. I don't believe that such rules actually govern war, though.

On a side note, it's a damn shame we lost so many posts.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[Tasselfoot]

yup. my post in this thread was gold Jerry, gold.