Whats Not A Sport?

[g8r]

Based on broken's comment that baseball is not a sport, I thought I'd ask what people here define as a sport...I'm not talking dictionary definition...it's too broad, hell horseshoes is a sport according to this:
sport n.
1. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
3. An active pastime; recreation.

So what common activities do I not consider sports?
bowling, darts, curling, auto racing, horse racing, basically any activity where a motor or an animal is involved and all the humans have to do is make them go fast, a spelling bee (who decided it was fit for ESPN/TSN!, its not even a game), poker,
and I may get mobbed for this one but golf is not a sport in my mind...it is a great game/activity/past time

Even though most of the activities i listed have some physical requirements and ultimately require a good deal of skill, I do not believe it makes them sports.

[broken27]

Not sports:

Golf
Pool/Snooker
Chess
Bridge
Basketball (too easy to score, taking away the skill element)
Baseball (fat guy's hobby, not a sport)

And I'd agree that anything listed above is not a sport.

Also - NOTHING THAT HAS JUDGING THAT INCLUDES CRAP LIKE "ARTISTIC IMPRESSION".

Dan

[flagolfnut]

Not sports:

Golf
Pool/Snooker
Chess
Bridge
Basketball (too easy to score, taking away the skill element)
Baseball (fat guy's hobby, not a sport)

And I'd agree that anything listed above is not a sport.

Also - NOTHING THAT HAS JUDGING THAT INCLUDES CRAP LIKE "ARTISTIC IMPRESSION".

Dan

Basketball and baseball are definetly sports. Do you know how hard it is to play major league baseball?? Those guys can throw 90mph, throw a ball from the outfield to home plate like a rocket, hit balls 500 plus feet, it's such a precision game that us as spectators don't really appreciate because the players make it look so easy. As for basketball jumping, running ect ...it's a sport

[Kilroy]

I'm not talking dictionary definition...it's too broad

Hmmm. The definition is right. I guess you guys just don't like it so you'll make up your own. I'd love to see the final draft of your definition when you're done.

[1972Apex]

I'm sure glad we've got you two here to clarify exactly what is a sport and what is not....

[broken27]

Basketball and baseball are definetly sports. Do you know how hard it is to play major league baseball?? Those guys can throw 90mph, throw a ball from the outfield to home plate like a rocket, hit balls 500 plus feet, it's such a precision game that us as spectators don't really appreciate because the players make it look so easy. As for basketball jumping, running ect ...it's a sport

I'm aware of WHAT baseball players have to do... I can appreciate what it takes to hit the ball 500+ feet (uhm, steroids? Please try to challenge that one! LOL). Also, keep in mind that in a lot of games, a baseball player will bat once every half hour or so (if it's a quick game with few pitches), and only have to shag down a ball once in a blue moon.... And please, tell me how hard it is to play Major League Baseball.... The video game is probably harder than the real thing.

If you can play it while smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer, it ain't a sport.

Basketball? If it were less easy to score points, I'd have more respect for the athleticism it takes to run 50 feet and jump 1/8th of my height in the air.... Stupidest game ever as far as I'm concerned. Either raise the basket, or take this crap off my TV.

And BTW, it's not as hard as you think to throw hard. I am a small guy, and used to pitch. My top clocked pitch (radar) was over 80MPH and I weigh all of 140lbs soaking wet.

[broken27]

I'm sure glad we've got you two here to clarify exactly what is a sport and what is not....

It's a reasonable question Reid. IMO, carrying your clubs is about the only athletic part of golf. The rest is more cerebral.

Quite frankly, the Olympics are a big joke to me since they allowed Ballroom Dancing, Ice Dancing, Bridge (WTF???) and other such "sports".

For the record, I obviously like golf, and play every GAME listed in my post other than bridge (not an old lady, so what's the point?).

Cheers,
Dan

[flagolfnut]

I'm aware of WHAT baseball players have to do... I can appreciate what it takes to hit the ball 500+ feet (uhm, steroids? Please try to challenge that one! LOL).

If you can play it while smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer, it ain't a sport.

Basketball? If it were less easy to score points, I'd have more respect for the athleticism it takes to run 50 feet and jump 1/8th of my height in the air.... Stupidest game ever as far as I'm concerned. Either raise the basket, or take this crap off my TV.

And BTW, it's not as hard as you think to throw hard. I am a small guy, and used to pitch. My top clocked pitch (radar) was over 80MPH and I weigh all of 140lbs soaking wet.

Aside from the homeruns, it ain't easy to even hit a ball that's comint at you 90mph and curving, and no it's not hard to throw a ball hard but to throw a ball hard and right on target is hard. BTW professional baseball players don't drink and smoke while they are playing. For basketball have you ever seen Spudd Webb? He was all of 5"5 inches tall and won the dunk competition a while back. The high scoring is what makes the game fun to watch, not like hockey were they play the trap and are trying to figure out ways of having more scoring. And if your talking about athleticism then why aren't martial arts considered sports?

[broken27]

Aside from the homeruns, it ain't easy to even hit a ball that's comint at you 90mph and curving, and no it's not hard to throw a ball hard but to throw a ball hard and right on target is hard. BTW professional baseball players don't drink and smoke while they are playing. For basketball have you ever seen Spudd Webb? He was all of 5"5 inches tall and won the dunk competition a while back. The high scoring is what makes the game fun to watch, not like hockey were they play the trap and are trying to figure out ways of having more scoring. And if your talking about athleticism then why aren't martial arts considered sports?

Martial Arts are considered sports by me... Notice they weren't listed in my post?

Someone winning a dunk competition is by far more of an athlete in my books than an NBA player. You can say you like the scoring because it makes it fun to watch (not for me), but most basketball fans I talk to seem to prefer college ball because there is more skill involved in shooting than in dunking. Maybe I should clarify by saying I don't consider NBA basketball a sport. I'd watch the WNBA first, any day!!!! (BTW, I think WNBA sucks too).

As for baseball, maybe the guys playing in the MLB don't smoke while playing, but a decent number of them smoke. I am perfectly aware of how pitching works, and was fairly decent at it. I can still throw a 70MPH breaking ball, slider or curve, but doubt my fastball could get over 80 at this point. Hitting is not easy, but also not some great athletic feat. It's a game, not a sport. How often does a baseball player have to run? Twice per inning, to get from dugout to their position and back, then once in a blue moon when they actually hit the ball or someone hits it towards them. Yippee!!!

This discussion could be fun... Have had it many times in my fantasy hockey league.

Cheers,
Dan

[1972Apex]

Well obviously hockey is not a sport. Skating requires virtually no effort at all and it's basically a game of a bunch of guys with no teeth aimlessly chasing a hard rubber disc.
and as for football... don't even get me started there. 2 seconds for a play in which half the players don't do anything and then they all get a minute rest for the huddle.

[flagolfnut]

Soccer isen't a sport either, all they do is walk up and down the field and when the ball comes to them they run a little and then kick it. Tennis now that's just a miniature version of ping-pong...whack the ball back and forth, how hard is that!

[broken27]

Well obviously hockey is not a sport. Skating requires virtually no effort at all and it's basically a game of a bunch of guys with no teeth aimlessly chasing a hard rubber disc.
and as for football... don't even get me started there. 2 seconds for a play in which half the players don't do anything and then they all get a minute rest for the huddle.

Ah... Sarcasm...

Just put a bunch of hockey players and football players in a room with a bunch of baseball players, basketball players and golfers, and see who walks out alive. The athleticism of a hockey player is only matched by soccer players (as far as major team sports go).

Football I kind of agree with you on, but I've played too much of it not to realize how much athleticism it requires.

Dan

[1972Apex]

Oh give me a break Dan. I'll stack up my fellow motocross racers against your hockey players any day...
Obviously you're pretty biased on this subject...

[broken27]

Oh give me a break Dan. I'll stack up my fellow motocross racers against your hockey players any day...
Obviously you're pretty biased on this subject...

Motorcross racers are a pretty tough lot for sure.

How can I be biased when I've played every sport I've dissed at some competitive level? I am biased based on my experience I suppose...

Why are you getting so touchy about it Reid? It's a legit question that is mired in opinion and will produce nothing but opinion as a result. The dictionary agrees with you, not me, so take solace in that...

I stand by my take on the matter.

Take it another step. I would bet that ANY hockey player could play baseball or basketball, while not many baseball or basketball players could play hockey.

Dan

[Kilroy]

So if I'm following this right...

a) If you exert yourself 100% of the time you play your game
AND
b) your an animal who could kick the crap out of those who play any other game :lion:

Then and only then can your game be considered a sport.

OK, I think I got it. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Kilroy]

I've played every sport I've dissed at some competitive level?

OK, now I'm confused. Are they sports or not?

[broken27]

So if I'm following this right...

a) If you exert yourself 100% of the time you play your game
AND
b) your an animal who could kick the crap out of those who play any other game :lion:

Then and only then can your game be considered a sport.

OK, I think I got it. Thanks for clearing that up.

Not exactly, but something like that...

If fat people excel at the game, it's not a sport. If smokers and drinkers excel at it, it's not a sport.

My statement about people being able to kick the crap out of others is more about "who is in better physical shape" than anything else...

Dan

[broken27]

OK, now I'm confused. Are they sports or not?

Some are and some aren't in my books. As far as the dictionary definition goes, my statement is perfectly accurate.

Dan

[Eldred]

Wow, I can see where this is going. Everyone just pick on the someone else favorite game and shoot it down as a non sport....

It seems you are making as assesment of the particular game as non sport because you have participated and found it was easy?

That's the intent for sports, they are designed to let most people participate and enjoy at your level of competition. We see professional atheletes on TV making so routine that after awhile when we could repeat those moves on the Xbox we are now saying it's no longer a sport?

I play weekly beach volleyball at Moonies bay, and my golfing buddy says it's a women game, a stroll on the beach... well we brought him out for a pick up game. With his Molson muscle and gorilla back he was ready to show us who's the man.... 15 minutes of old college try, the big ape went looking for O2 and chilled out in the bay....

[broken27]

Okay, let's see if anyone agrees with this (in my opinion) no-brainer:

Should anything with artistic impression be considered a sport for Olympic purposes?

Dan

PS - I never said I found it easy to play baseball or basketball, just that I've played them. They are tough to play, but not because of the physical fitness side of it.

[1972Apex]

What it is Dan, is that as a newspaper editor I was exposed to this argument many times. It's an old debate that I got sick of 20 years ago. You can make a case for any sport not to really be a sport. Instead of criticizing sports played by others one should instead focus on promoting the sport they like.
BTW I know lots of fat hockey players who can barely lace their skates up. My neighbor for one is always dissing oher sports and considers himself an athelete because he plays hockey.
I'd also like to see that study you quoted that shows hockey is second to soccer for athleticism. I am familiar with the study you speak of... it was done in 1970 and hockey is not even in the top 10. It is often quoted in defence of a variety of sports (insert your sport here in the No. 2 position). It has essentially become an Urban Legend of sorts.
All sports, properly played can be very athletic. And improperly played the fattest guy in Canada can skate around on the ice in a beer league hockey game (and he does... that's my neighbour...).

[powerlefty]

Soccer isen't a sport either, all they do is walk up and down the field and when the ball comes to them they run a little and then kick it. Tennis now that's just a miniature version of ping-pong...whack the ball back and forth, how hard is that!

Also soccer has artistic impression for diving!!

[broken27]

What it is Dan, is that as a newspaper editor I was exposed to this argument many times. It's an old debate that I got sick of 20 years ago. You can make a case for any sport not to really be a sport. Instead of criticizing sports played by others one should instead focus on promoting the sport they like.
BTW I know lots of fat hockey players who can barely lace their skates up. My neighbor for one is always dissing oher sports and considers himself an athelete because he plays hockey.
I'd also like to see that study you quoted that shows hockey is second to soccer for athleticism. I am familiar with the study you speak of... it was done in 1970 and hockey is not even in the top 10.
All sports, properly played can be very athletic. And improperly played the fatest guy in Canada can skate around on the ice in a beer league hockey game (and he does... that's my neighbour...).

If you've already debated this question to the point where you're sick of it, why not just steer clear of it? The internet will always end up used for this type of discussion eventually...

Your point about fat hockey players is fine, but how many PRO hockey players do you know who are fat? In baseball the challenge would be flipped the other way around...

I also never quoted any study, but I'm sure if the 1970 study didn't have hockey in the top 10, it's because there were also individual sports listed. If you re-read my point, you'll see I was specifically talking about major team sports.

Cheers,
Dan
BTW - Apparently we're supposed to play with GJohnston69 sometime soon?

[Eldred]

Should anything with artistic impression be considered a sport for Olympic purposes?

Isn't there a separate Olympic for those folks?
Jusk joking BTW...

[broken27]

Soccer isen't a sport either, all they do is walk up and down the field and when the ball comes to them they run a little and then kick it. Tennis now that's just a miniature version of ping-pong...whack the ball back and forth, how hard is that!

How is tennis a miniature version of ping-pong? Never been to a live tennis match that I wasn't playing in, but on TV it looks much bigger than ping-pong (table-tennis once you're good enough, ask Petra Cada, our recent Olympian and fellow Czech )...

Dan

[Big Johnny69]

And as for Dan's remark about basketball not being a sport, there was a report done about 5-10 years ago and basketball had the shortest average length of career. Because of all the pounding their bodies take running, not walking, up and down the court and banging under the basket. Now if that doesn't convince you of physical fitness, take a look at the physiques of NBAers and look at them after a game. Other than probably goalies and linemen I don't think any athlete perspires more than a basketball player.

[broken27]

And as for Dan's remark about basketball not being a sport, there was a report done about 5-10 years ago and basketball had the shortest average length of career. Because of all the pounding their bodies take running, not walking, up and down the court and banging under the basket. Now if that doesn't convince you of physical fitness, take a look at the physiques of NBAers and look at them after a game. Other than probably goalies and linemen I don't think any athlete perspires more than a basketball player.

With basketball my qualm isn't so much about the athleticism... It's about the lack of challenge in scoring. If they raised the net by about 2 feet, I'd consider it a sport.

As for their careers being short, I wonder how much of that has to do with them being abnormally tall... Shaw has had more toe injuries than any "athlete" I've ever heard of. Almost to the point where it's pathetic. But when you consider he's like 7 feet tall and 400 lbs (or whatever), I'm not surprised that the feets ain't willin'.

Dan

[1972Apex]

Yeah Dan, we'll have to get together for a round with Geoff sometime. Hey man, you started the debate. What's a good debate without a Devil's advocate like myself...
I'd insert a smilie here but I don't know how so you'll have to imagine one.

[Big Johnny69]

I bet it has more to do with bigger (that would be a sight) feet stepping on his in the post.

[1972Apex]

Oh yeah, the other reason I got into this debate is because baseball, golf and motorsport racing are my favorite sports and I hate hockey.