I've had this argument a few times over the weekend, so it's time to bring it to the blogosphere. What is the definition of a sport? What makes one thing a sport, and another just a game? The reason i bring this up is because i don't like the way our society defines sports vs. games vs. competitions these days. Its inconsistent and it doesn't reflect what i always believe was the essence of sports.
In my mind, sports are athletic competition. There must be competition, and it must require athletic ability for it to be a sport. It also has to be man powered; if you are operating a self powering mechanical device, its not a sport. And no, i dont consider a baseball bat or a hockey stick to be a mechanical device. But I don't consider NASCAR a sport, either. Car racing is a sport for the car, not for the driver. It takes a great deal of skill to drive a car that fast for that long, and it takes a great deal of talent. I couldn't do it. But that doesn't make it a sport. Fishing is not a sport. Fishing by throwing a spear into the water like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, if done in a competitive manner, is a sport. Hunting with a rifle is not a sport. Hunting with a knife is a sport.
Chess is not a sport. Rock climbing is a sport. Riding a motorcycle is not a sport, but riding a bicycle is a sport. Darts, billiards, bowling, and the world series of poker are games, not sports. The reason i define all these things as games and not sports is that although they take a great deal of talent, hand eye coordination, and/or brain power, they do not require athletic ability. You can be a great bowler and still be a fat out of shape bastard, you only have to be strong enough to throw the ball down the lane.
Golf is a sport. Horse racing is a sport for the horse, but not for the jockey. Snowboarding is a sport. Skateboarding is a sport. Motocross is not a sport. Dogsled racing is a sport for the dogs, but not for the rider. Dog showing is not a sport for any parties involved. But the doggie skill competition where they jump through hoops and shit is a sport for the dog, but not the handler. Gymnastics is a sport. Cheerleading is a sport. Playing in the marching band is not a sport. That's the way I see it, anyway. But our society grants all of these activities the title of sports these days. I think that's wrong, and that it takes away from true athletes. Sure, the dragon lady is nasty at pool; does she really belong in the same class as Jesse Owens? Does Bobby Fischer belong in the same category as Michael Jordan, since they both completely dominated their respective "sports"? Our society thinks so. I'll take Jordan in a footrace over Fischer any time, but I'd take Fischer over Jordan any day in a spelling bee. A spelling bee, by the way, is not a sport; in case you were wondering. What do you think?
I can agree with your definition of sport, narrow as it is, with all but one exception, golf. You claim that golf is a sport yet bowling is not based on the fact that you can be a fat bastard and still get the ball down the lane. You can be a fat bastard and still swing a club as well.
That being said, the dictionary defines sport thus:
sport ( P ) Pronunciation Key (spôrt, sprt)
n.
Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
A particular form of this activity.
An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
An active pastime; recreation.
That definition allows for almost anything to be a sport, including chess. Not chess as I (and probably you) play it, but Bobby Fischer played the game for hours on end without a break. I ain't got the stamina to sustain concentration for that long.
Posted by: a different Bill at August 5, 2003 09:28 AMI see your point, different bill, but i disagree. I have played video games for 4, 6 even 8 hours in one sitting with no break. That doesn't make it a sport. As for the golf thing, sure you can still swing the club if your a fat bastard, but can you walk the course? A normal 18 hole golf course is over a mile, and that's without walking from side to side and chasing your ball down. So you may still be able to swing a club if your a fat bastard, but can you walk the 2 miles that it takes to play 18 holes?
Also do you really consider moving the little chess pieces to be a physical activity? I dunno, i think you might have me on the golf one. I'd be willing to cede that golf is a game before i accept that bowling and chess are sports.
Posted by: Collins at August 5, 2003 09:56 AMI think you're really bored.
Posted by: Tim the Michigander at August 5, 2003 02:03 PMSport or not, Darts is the greatest invention of man. You don't have to put down your beer to play well.
Posted by: Ted Phipps at August 5, 2003 07:34 PMAnything which requires a judge to tell you how well you did is not a sport. It may be demanding and difficult, but it's an exhibition, not a sport. Hence, gymnastics, diving, figure skating, and synchronized swimming are not sports.
Boxing used to be a sport, when they threw down until one guy couldn't go anymore. Now it's an exhibition, and usually a badly-rigged one at that.
Bowling, much as it pains me to say so, actually is a sport. Just because some fat pasty guy can kick my ass at it doesn't invalid that. It's a sport because it requires physical and mental skill (however little of each) and it's measured against an objective standard. You can argue about (and judge) a fat guy's bowling style all you want, but the only thing that counts is how many pins fell.
Just FYI, even a modest golf course runs about four miles for eighteen holes. And that's the measured length of the holes themselves; it doesn't include the distance between green and tee, or to the bar at the turn, or any detours into the forest that may be required.
Posted by: Alan at August 6, 2003 05:36 PMIs band a sport?
It has physical exertion: running, blowing, twisting about the spine... It requires intellect too: making a complex form with a hundred or three hundred people, moving that form across the field, make forms merge...
what about beer pong?
Posted by: plastic cup at December 19, 2003 01:00 AMOkay so is tag a sport? I wouldn't call it a sport, but it requires at least some athletic ability, is 100% 'man-powered' and its very competitive.
Another thing, Golf is not a sport. It may require physical strength and/or stamina to walk to course, but that's not the game. The game is to wack the ball and get it in a hole somewhere, not to walk. Plus if you really are a fat bastard you could just get one of those little electric golf carts :)
Posted by: Rhysibabe at June 20, 2005 11:10 AMWe just had this discussion at work, and I agree with the first post, except I believe bowling and motocross require enough physical exertion to qualify as sports.
Posted by: Dave at August 5, 2005 01:59 PMThank you, thank you, thank you. This post at least helped to quell some of the neverending argument about this subject at my workplace. We're stuck on golf, though. The way we see it, to be good at a sport, generally, you must be a "good" athlete. However, in golf, the worse you are, the more exertion required-- you have to take more swings, walk farther to get your ball, etc. So I think that's the one exception where the less of an athlete you are, the more of a sport it is.
It's just a slow day at the office. Sorry for all this.
Posted by: Liz at August 5, 2005 02:01 PM