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What makes something a sport?


Springfield

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So I'm sure we can all agree that games like football, baseball, hockey, basketball and soccer are all sports.

What about things like auto racing, golf, tennis, curling, table tennis, cheerleading, etc. They are all competitive in nature and require a certain level of skill. Are they not also sports, or are they not?

Surely this is something that this forum can answer.

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Don't know if it nullifies it as a sport, but I think less of one in which 100% in determining the winner based on a judge's opinion. Like 90% of the Olympic events seem shaky to me.

Interesting point. One could consider referees in the major sports as judges that determine the outcome, although not 100%. Say, the home plate umpire in baseball.

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1. Has to require some form of stressful physical activity(i.e. has to make you sweat or sore or something along those lines). That eliminates poker and scrabble and all that crap.

 

2. Has to have some form of competitive structure. So you can't just say mowing your lawn is a sport because it makes you sweat because you aren't in any form of competition. Basically, you have to be trying to beat someone else.

 

3. Can't be predetermined or scripted in anyway. Theoretically anyone should be able to win. This eliminates wrestling, which is entertainment and not a sport despite fulfilling the first two criteria.

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Golf, darts, bowling and auto racing are games of skill.

I think superior strength, speed, size or athleticism needs to give you a measurable advantage for it to be a sport

Tennis is a sport

Golf and auto racing I'd put as sports, because both fulfill my criteria #1-they do require physical exertion. Darts and bowling are not sports.

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In college we used to say that a sport is any competetion that can be enhanced by steriods. So out goes things like poker, spelling bee, scrabble, chess, auto racing, etc. (I was trying to think of all the things ESPN has put on the air through the years)

 

I'd also add that anything where something other than a human is doing all the work is not a sport. Horse racing is a prime example. I'd throw auto racing in this too, but the first one covers eliminating that as a sport. They are still races and events, just not sports.

 

Anything whose entire point is to be scripted is also not a sport. So WWE wrestling, not a sport. Greco Roman wrestling in the Olympics is a sport.

 

Finally, a sport must involve a clear winner based on objective results on the field. Subjective determinations by judge seem to take the sport out of it. Gymanstics, Diving, figure skating, etc are all amazing skills and people like the competitions, but the face that judges decide the entirety of the event makes it not a sport. As for boxing, I hate boxing matches determined by decision. Fight until someone drops.

 

That's been my opinion. Probably has holes in it. Probably biased. But it's what I've always thought.

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Darts and bowling are not sports.

 

Bull****!

 

How does bowling NOT require physical exertion? Sure going and throwing a game with friends is way different than league, tournament or PBA bowling, do you know what kind of shape those guys have to be in to bowl over 75 games a week? or more, not a sport, please! Even league bowlers practice a lot, especially the tournament bowlers

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So I'm sure we can all agree that games like football ...

 

Stop right there. Exhibit #1: Albert Haynesworth.

 

For me a sport is any competitive activity which involves a physical element. Even chess grandmasters do better when they pay attention to their physical condition as long tournaments take a toll. But there's no doubt that for some endeavors it may not be a big inhibitor to performance. Quite a number of top darts players are morbidly obese.

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