What's the Definition of a sport?

[Judge Pen]

Is Golf a sport? Is Wu Shu a sport? Bowling? Curling? Chess?

How do you define what is and isn't a sport?

[red5angel]

My buddy and I get into this argument over golf all the time, he plays it, I hate it.


A sport to me is something that requires some sort of strenuous physical exhertion. It's more then just a skill set.

A game is something that requires a set of skills but not necessarily physical exhertion.

[MasterKiller]

I like golf, but hitting a ball, getting in a car to chase it down, getting out, hitting it again.... Even if you don't use the car, you're basically just taking a long walk and whacking the ball every once in a while. It requires skill to do it good, but it just ain't very sporty. I mean, HALO requires skill, but you wouldn't call it a sport would you?

[Reggie1]

Loose definition for me:

There has to be some form of running involved. If not running, a similar athletic type movement (jumping, skating, wrestling etc.)

Examples of sports:
Baseball (just barely)
Speed skating
Wu Shu

Examples of non-sports:
golf
curling
fishing
bowling
video games

That doesn't mean there isn't skill or hand-eye coordination involved. I'm not knocking golf--I'm a golfer. You have to be supremely talented to be able to be good. I just don't consider it to be a sport. The same way I don't really consider walking or mowing the yard to be exercise.

[Chang Style Novice]

If they aren't selling outrageously overpriced weak mass-market beer in the stands, then it's definitely not a sport.

Seriously, I think Reggie pretty well nailed it. I'd like to add that I don't think fishing and hunting are sports because a sport should be fair - ie: both sides play by the same rules for the same stakes.

[Starchaser107]

according to worldnet dictionary

Definition: [n] an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
[n] the occupation of athletes who compete for pay
[n] verbal wit (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously); "he became a figure of fun"
[n] (biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration
[n] someone who engages in sports
[adj] (Maine colloquial) temporary summer resident in inland Maine
[v] play boisterously; "The children frolicked in the garden"; "the gamboling lambs in the meadows"; "The toddlers romped in the palyroom"
[v] wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner; "she was sporting a new hat"
__________________________________________________ ___________


That being said
I think of golf as a recreational hobby/pastime I don't like it because of the many stigmas attached to it.
however golfers do use alot of body mechanics, it's an athletic activity no matter how much i hate it, and it is a sport.

[tug]

Ok, being an auto racing fanatic (think F1, Indy, GT, not NASCAR), I've noticed that nobody has mentioned it. Sport or not? If you want to talk about a physically strenuous activity, I think it rates up there with the toughest of them.

[Starchaser107]

By you guys standards , how is Weight lifting a sport and golf not a sport?

Think of Golf more like a One man game of ICE Hockey , played with no gear and played on an expansive uneven grassy terrain

[Starchaser107]

Tug very good point.

why are these things called Sports Cars?
Automotive Racing is a competitive sport.

[MasterKiller]

Playing HALO requires body mechanics.

[Chang Style Novice]

tug -

well, they do have expensive beer... :p

[Starchaser107]

by some definitions , playing video games, especially in the multi player context of halo.
is a sport. However if you're not trying to get all technical about it like I am , and just talk from your gut then I think Reggie1's and MK's response would pretty much sum things up.

here is a more comprehensive look on Sports (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport) according to Wikipedia.

I especially like this paragraph because it very much relates to this discussion. "The line between sports, games, exercise and play is certainly not clear; games are often redefined as sports when they involve particularly skilled participants, which gives them appeal to non-participants. This is especially true in the modern age, which gives much weight to the spectator aspect of sports. Similarly, play is usually understood as less purposeful activity, but can become more like a game or sport as it conforms more to external rules or patterns of behaviour. Exercise is action to develop skill or ability, and may be a forerunner of both sport and games."

[Judge Pen]

If you are outside in the elements for 4 hours physically exerting yourself then I would consider it a sport. It takes a great degree of control and muscle memory to hit a golf ball the same way consistently. If you've never played 18 holes of golf, you will get sore the first time. It uses muscles that you normally don't use.

And you can't use carts (unless you're disabled) in professional and NCAA golf. And the major event do sell cheap watered down beer.

So, it's more than a skill set.

[sean_stonehart]

Golf isn't a sport... it's a waste of space. :eek: (Sorry JP...) But there is beer to be had by hot chicks in a golf cart normally!

Wushu is a sport... **** sure ain't a martial art. :eek: There's no beer at the comps so why go??

Curling... you mean the Irish game that's a cross between Rugby, Baseball & open land warfare with clubs?? Yeah... that's a sport. I saw a guy get laid out in match on ESPN from Ireland... complete with massive gash on noggin/face. It's Ireland... you KNOW there's beer in the stands & probably on the sidelines as well.

Fishing isn't a sport... it's a skill. You try to get a critter with a brain the size of a pencil eraser to eat something that's decidedly not appetizing!!! That's fun! Plus you can eat the catch (if you're brave) & drink beer...

Chess isn't a sport... it's a mind drill & we all know a mind is a terrible thing to waste. So why waste it trying to out think somebody... let's go find the beer that's been mentioned throughout this thread...

[Reggie1]

If you are outside in the elements for 4 hours physically exerting yourself then I would consider it a sport. .

So mowing my yard is a sport? I compete with everybody in the neighborhood for yard of the month. I'm usually out for about 4 hours or so.


If you've never played 18 holes of golf, you will get sore the first time. It uses muscles that you normally don't use.

If I'm doing some landscaping along with the mowing, I will sometimes get sore. I know my wife does.


It takes a great degree of control and muscle memory to hit a golf ball the same way consistently.

Now that I can't argue with. But it doesn't make golf a sport.

[MasterKiller]

If you sweat more from walking than you do from the actual activity, it's not a sport.

[Judge Pen]

I guess I have to question your definition of competition. I never thought that "keeping up with the Jones" was a compeition per se.

Competition + physical excertion = sport

And you do sweat more from golf than walking.

[Reggie1]

It takes a great degree of control and muscle memory to hit a golf ball the same way consistently

It also takes a great degree of control and muscle memory to hit a wiffle ball consistently, especially if the pitcher has some nasty stuff. Does that make it a sport?

[Judge Pen]

It also takes a great degree of control and muscle memory to hit a wiffle ball consistently, especially if the pitcher has some nasty stuff. Does that make it a sport?

Yes. It's just not a very popular or strenuous sport.

[Reggie1]

I guess I have to question your definition of competition. I never thought that "keeping up with the Jones" was a compeition per se.

Keeping up with the Jones=not letting them have better stuff than you. They get a pool, you get a pool, etc.

Competition (from Merriam-Webster online)

Main Entry: com·pe·ti·tion
Pronunciation: "käm-p&-'ti-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Late Latin competition-, competitio, from Latin competere
1 : the act or process of competing : RIVALRY: as a : the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable terms b : active demand by two or more organisms or kinds of organisms for some environmental resource in short supply
2 : a contest between rivals; also : one's competitors <faced tough competition>

There is an actual prize for Yard of the Month. A trophy. So it's not just 'make my yard look as good as my neighbors. There is an award.


And you do sweat more from golf than walking.

I don't know if I agree with that. I think you're swinging too hard. :D

[MasterKiller]

And you do sweat more from golf than walking. You sweat in golf from walking, not from swinging the club.

[Reggie1]

Yes. It's just not a very popular or strenuous sport.



Cool. We just have different definitions of sport. It's kind of a gray area anyway. People view it differently.

But let me know if you're ever in the Austin area--sport, not sport, whatever, it's still fun and I can drink a lot of beer when I play. We can waste 4 hours debating over golf's merits as a sport out on the course. There's some great inexpensive places to play out here.

[Judge Pen]

Maybe you're not swinging hard enough. I've never been to Texas, but golf and beer sounds great.

MK, have you seen the speed golf? They have so many seconds to get the ball in the hole. They sprint to the ball and hit it as fast as they can. Does that make Golf a sport to you?

[David Jamieson]

dictionaries are real handy at times like this :rolleyes:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sport

[Reggie1]

Maybe you're not swinging hard enough.

I don't know, I used to be able to really bomb it, and can still get ahold of it (when I'm not slicing drives). The best drives I've hit it never feels like I'm swinging that hard.

[MasterKiller]

Let's say I play 18 rounds, with par of 72, right? So, I swing a 1-lb club maybe 80-85 times if I'm playing good, taking 5 minute breaks in between to walk and find my ball. Now, at least 36 or so of those swings will be putts, which are not power shots.

So, swing...walk/stand around for 5 minutes....repeat 49 times.

Yeah, That's some athletic ability on display.


MK, have you seen the speed golf? They have so many seconds to get the ball in the hole. They sprint to the ball and hit it as fast as they can. Does that make Golf a sport to you? It's closer.

[red5angel]

By you guys standards , how is Weight lifting a sport and golf not a sport?

Think of Golf more like a One man game of ICE Hockey , played with no gear and played on an expansive uneven grassy terrain


uh golf requires some co-ordination, but so does knitting, is that a sport?

Olympic style weightlifting? Definitely a sport, why? physical exhertion.


If you are in a bar for 4 hours physically exerting yourself then I would consider it a sport. It takes a great degree of control and muscle memory to throw a dart the same way consistently. If you've never played 18 rounds of darts, you will get sore the first time. It uses muscles that you normally don't use.


;)

[red5angel]

golf is what I've recently stated calling a weak man's sport. I call it that not because you have to be weak to play golf, but only weak people who play golf call it a sport ;)

[Judge Pen]

Let's say I play 18 rounds, with par of 72, right? So, I swing a 1-lb club maybe 80-85 times if I'm playing good, taking 5 minute breaks in between to walk and find my ball. Now, at least 36 or so of those swings will be putts, which are not power shots.

So, swing...walk/stand around for 5 minutes....repeat 49 times.

Yeah, That's some athletic ability on display.

It's closer.

Ok, what's your average score, MK?

I agree it's not the most strenous sport out there, but I'm not going to pick and choose what is a sport and what is a game. Halo is a game and not a sport. Same for chess or any other sedentary competition.

Fact is you are more active than normal in golf (or even fishing) so I would consider them sports.

[MasterKiller]

What if you had to walk 100 yards every time you got a kill in HALO?

[Judge Pen]

So Tiger Woods isn't an athlete?

I've never heard of knitting as a competition, so its' not even a game. Golf isn't the most strenuous out there but it's a sport.

I'm not weak Red5 and I call it a sport.

[red5angel]

how about if I played several thousand games of chess? That's a lot of lifting the pieces, not too mention the setup, plus the travel time to get there.

[Ming Yue]

Sport


A sport consists of a normal physical activity or skill carried out under a publicly agreed set of rules, and with a recreational purpose: for competition, for self-enjoyment, to attain excellence, for the development of skill, or some combination of these. A sport has physical activity, side by side competition, and a scoring system. The difference of purpose is what characterises sport, combined with the notion of individual (or team) skill or prowess.


Definition of "Sport"
1. A sport is a game or activity that includes these five criteria integral to the play:


1. Easily understandable scoring system.

2. Side by side competition, taking turns is not allowed.

3. Consumption of energy.

4. Key activity not a survival skill or form of transportation.

5. Physical Contact between two human bodies.


This definition could be criticised for not involving Tennis or Equestrianism (Point 5), and eliminating relay-type events on point 1.

2. Sport is a major area of human interest and activity. A large part of our leisure and media coverage is given over to it. A pragmatic approach to defining "sport" is to look at the common usage of the term.

A sport can be operationally defined as an activity characteristically involving :

[tug]

tug -

well, they do have expensive beer... :p


This is too true.

[red5angel]

So Tiger Woods isn't an athlete?

I've never heard of knitting as a competition, so its' not even a game. Golf isn't the most strenuous out there but it's a sport.

I'm not weak Red5 and I call it a sport.

He plays golf, he's a golfer, not an athlete. He has great skill in the game of golf.

If I hold a knitting competition then it's suddenly a sport? It requires co-ordination.

[Judge Pen]

What if you had to walk 100 yards every time you got a kill in HALO?
If you had to walk 100 yards while carrying your X-box then it might be.

Let me ask it this way:

Football is a sport, correct?

Kickers are an integral part of the game, correct?

Kickers only Kick the ball, what, 5 to 10 times a gmae maximum, correct?

They propbably don't break a sweat, correct?

They rarely, if ever run?

Do they play a sport or are they simply playing a game while everyone around them plays a sport?

[red5angel]

Kickers are an integral part of the game, correct?

Kickers only Kick the ball, what, 5 to 10 times a gmae maximum, correct?


Come on man, aren't you a lawyer?!

Kickers participate in a sport where they may be required to do more then just kick the ball. If all they did and all they were expected to do was kick the ball then ok. If the game were entirely about guys standing around kicking balls, then it's a game not a sport, however they can and do more then just kick from time to time and are expected to and they are part of a team on a sport.

[MasterKiller]

At least kickers run down field and make tackles on kick-off returns. It happens all the time. There is some running. Some exertion. Some contact. Are they ahtheletes? More so than golfers, that's for sure.

[Judge Pen]

How many kickers made tackles last season? Less than 10? They are athletes. The rest are just playing a game. Insufficient physical exertion.

If they ran it became a sport.

[red5angel]

How many kickers made tackles last season? Less than 10? They are athletes. The rest are just playing a game. Insufficient physical exertion.

If they ran it became a sport.


How do you figure? Are you saying that a game or a sport is determined by the individuals and how they participate? The sport of football is not a sport until I start running around and tackling people? If one guy is not doing that ALL the time, then it's suddenly not a sport?

You NEVER run in traditional golf
There's NEVER any physical contact
You NEVER compete directly with another individual


You hit a ball trying to get it into a hole. Then you walk over and hit the ball again. Add one more ball and you could be describing Billiards, is that a sport?

[Reggie1]

If you had to walk 100 yards while carrying your X-box then it might be.

Let me ask it this way:

Football is a sport, correct?

Kickers are an integral part of the game, correct?

Kickers only Kick the ball, what, 5 to 10 times a gmae maximum, correct?

They propbably don't break a sweat, correct?

They rarely, if ever run?

Do they play a sport or are they simply playing a game while everyone around them plays a sport?

Everybody knows that kickers don't actually play a sport. And most of them aren't athletes. Ask the actual athletes on a football team how they think of a kicker.

[MasterKiller]

Everybody knows that kickers don't actually play a sport. And most of them aren't athletes. Ask the actual athletes on a football team how they think of a kicker.
Actually, a lot, if not most of them are ex-soccer players. That's why so many have latin names.

I mean, they're not linebacker quality athletes, but c'mon. They at least have the opportunity to hit people. The kicker from San Diego who was an ex-Rugby player used to whack Mo-Fos all the time.

[Judge Pen]

I'm saying that everyone's objection to considering golf a sport is the low level of strenuous activity, yet a major part of football, the kicking game, displays as much or less physical activity. So, by your definition, not mine, unless the kicker is running about and tackling people, then the physical exertion is equal to or less than the physical excretion of a golfer and he is not an athlete but simply a kicker.

By Ming Yues definition golf isn't a sport because the competition takes place in turns. She talented, beautiful, smart and dangerous. No wonder 7* is in love with her!

All the ex-soccer players are ex-athletes! :D

[Reggie1]

Actually, a lot, if not most of them are ex-soccer players. That's why so many have latin names.

I mean, they're not linebacker quality athletes, but c'mon. They at least have the opportunity to hit people. The kicker from San Diego who was an ex-Rugby player used to whack Mo-Fos all the time.

Yeah, I wasn't entirely serious there. More of a lighthearted knock on kickers. My school (Texas A&M) had a punter (Cody Scates) who was a Hell of an athlete. He leveled a couple of guys on punt coverage.

[red5angel]

I'm saying that everyone's objection to considering golf a sport is the low level of strenuous activity, yet a major part of football, the kicking game, displays as much or less physical activity. So, by your definition, not mine, unless the kicker is running about and tackling people, then the physical exertion is equal to or less than the physical excretion of a golfer and he is not an athlete but simply a kicker.


yes but you know as well as we do that line of reasoning is incorrect. A Golfer NEVER has to worry about exerting himself, ever. He never has to worry about maybe making a tackle, or running or anything else. A Kicker, while most of the time admittedly not doing much compared to his fellows on the team, still has to face those possibilities. It's a weak comparison man.



By Ming Yues definition golf isn't a sport because the competition takes place in turns. She talented, beautiful, smart and dangerous. No wonder 7* is in love with her!


and she knows how to talk dirty......

[Reggie1]

...a major part of football, the kicking game, displays as much or less physical activity. So, by your definition, not mine, unless the kicker is running about and tackling people, then the physical exertion is equal to or less than the physical excretion of a golfer and he is not an athlete but simply a kicker.

That's about in line with my beliefs. I tend to not think of the average kicker as an athlete.


the physical excretion of a golfer

Never mind about coming down to Austin to play golf. I don't think I'm interested in any physical 'excretion' coming out of another guy. :D

[red5angel]

My school (Texas A&M)


uh oh......... :eek:

[Reggie1]

Now I've let the cat out of the bag. Let the jokes commence...

[Judge Pen]

So if the NFL rules committee passed a new rule (for safety resons I'm sure) that kickers were ineligible to make tackles then they would not be playing a sport any longer. They would have to worry about nothing else but making the kick.

[red5angel]

They would still be participating IN a sport. You're trying to misdirect by implying that Kicking in football is Football, and tha's not true. While a Kicker may have a similar activity level to a Golfer, we're not debating whether a golfer is an athlete, many athletes golf. That doesn't make Golf a sport. Football is a sport regardless of what the kicker is doing.

[Judge Pen]

They would still be participating IN a sport. You're trying to misdirect by implying that Kicking in football is Football, and tha's not true. While a Kicker may have a similar activity level to a Golfer, we're not debating whether a golfer is an athlete, many athletes golf. That doesn't make Golf a sport. Football is a sport regardless of what the kicker is doing.

We were debating whether a golfer is an athlete. You said Tiger Woods was a golfer and not an athlete. I'm not saying that Football isn't a sport. I'm saying that non-tackling kickers are not athletes but simply kickers. They take part in a sport only. They, themselves, don't play a sport. You can be an athlete and a kicker, but you don't have to be.

[red5angel]

We were debating whether a golfer is an athlete. You said Tiger Woods was a golfer and not an athlete. I'm not saying that Football isn't a sport. I'm saying that non-tackling kickers are not athletes but simply kickers. They take part in a sport only. They, themselves, don't play a sport. You can be an athlete and a kicker, but you don't have to be.


uh, then you were discussing whether a golfer was an athlete, I'm still on topic about how to define a sport, or more specifically is Golf a sport.

Tiger Woods, is not an athlete because he plays golf. If he is an athlete its because he does a sport somewhere. I don't agree that a kicker isn't an athlete, he still has more requirements then just kicking the ball.

You could probably get away with not being an athlete if you're a good kicker, but that's the point. You have to "get away" with it. In golf, you're just not.

[MasterKiller]

So does JP's girl have a freakishly large hoo-hoo or not?

[norther practitioner]

What about walking a round in golf... tell me that on some of the hilly courses that are like 7000 yards, that you aren't playing a sport.


OK, sorry, just wanted to play devils advocet

[Judge Pen]

So does JP's girl have a freakishly large hoo-hoo or not?

No she doesn't.

[Reggie1]

What about walking a round in golf... tell me that on some of the hilly courses that are like 7000 yards, that you aren't playing a sport.


OK, sorry, just wanted to play devils advocet

Sure. If you walk on some of the hilly courses that are 7000 yards, you aren't playing a sport.

Hiking isn't a sport.

[red5angel]

So does JP's girl have a freakishly large hoo-hoo or not?

I thought it was established she had a gigantic hoohoo and he was angry we broght it up so inflicted this thread on us.

[Judge Pen]

How can I inflict a thread on you that you willingly post on. It's not like I'm holding a gun to your head.

[Judge Pen]

Point: http://www.savethehumans.com/culturebashing/outbursts/golf_balls/index.shtml

Counter-point: http://www.dynamicsports.net/golf/

[red5angel]

see, the big hoohoo comes up and he get's all angry

[red5angel]

Many people take up golf thinking of it as a fairly relaxing "easy on the body" activity. The truth is that swinging a golf club is a highly physical and neurologically taxing event. In fact, research has shown that hitting a golf shot is the same exertion on your body as lifting a weight that you could only lift four times before having to rest. Think about that for a second . . A full golf swing takes the same physical effort as lifting the most amount of weight you can lift four times and then you have to rest.


what weight are we talking here? What muscles are we engaging for this so called weight lift we could only do four times before resting?

[Judge Pen]

Beats me. I didn't do the research.

[David Jamieson]

dic·tion·ar·y ( P ) Pronunciation Key (dksh-nr)
n. pl. dic·tion·ar·ies

A reference book containing an alphabetical list of words, with information given for each word, usually including meaning, pronunciation, and etymology.

A book listing the words of a language with translations into another language.

A book listing words or other linguistic items in a particular category or subject with specialized information about them: a medical dictionary.

[joedoe]

So if a golf player is an athlete, is his caddy also an athlete? :D

[Mutant]

another definition for sport:
a mutation:
an individual exhibiting a sudden deviation from type beyond the normal limits of individual variation usually as a result of mutation especially of somatic tissue; an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration [syn: mutant, mutation, variation] (biology)

[Ming Yue]

By Ming Yues definition golf isn't a sport because the competition takes place in turns. She talented, beautiful, smart and dangerous. No wonder 7* is in love with her!

:D


Aw shucks, JP. :) Next time you come to Asheville for some sparring, I'll let you win, and the first round of beers is on me.

:D

[PangQuan]

So if a golf player is an athlete, is his caddy also an athlete? :D

thats like asking if a squire would be considered a knight. the answer is no. he is just a helper.

[Ming Yue]

OK, sorry, just wanted to play devils advocet

... which is marginally better than being the devil's marmoset (http://www.themanwhofellasleep.com/marmoset.jpg).

[joedoe]

But the caddy is, like the kicker in an NFL game, an integral part of the professional game. His club choice and advice is important to the player himself, and he exerts himself at least as much as the player if not more - they walk as well, but have to carry the clubs the whole way while the player walks but carries no load. ;)

[PangQuan]

what about full contact golf? dont tell me you never tried it.

[Ming Yue]

sure, but a football team needs a kicker. Golfers can carry thier own darn bags.

[PangQuan]

But the caddy is, like the kicker in an NFL game, an integral part of the professional game. His club choice and advice is important to the player himself, and he exerts himself at least as much as the player if not more - they walk as well, but have to carry the clubs the whole way while the player walks but carries no load. ;)

ya but unlike the knight they dont get to cut anyones head off. The kicker in an american football game can be the one that puts the team over the winning edge, so he is an essential participant.

the golfer is able to carry his own d@mn bag, and the knight could prep his own gear. but no linebacker could make that kick at 35+ yards and win the game.

[joedoe]

But why couldn't another player be trained to make the kick? Are quarter-backs incapable of kicking a ball? Or perhaps a wide receiver?

OK then, should the caddy be considered an athlete? If we are going to consider a golf player as an athlete because they have good skills and they exert themselves, then shouldn't a caddy also be considered an athlete?




























BTW guys, I am just taking the p!ss so don't get too serious :) I know a caddy is not a competitor, I am just stirring.

[wdl]

Ok so far we've established a sport requires:

Physical exursion
Strength
Endurance
Skill
Muscle Memory
Strategy

Sounds like all of the qualities of a stripper to me. Am I wrong? So by everyone's definition here is stripping a sport? And they have plenty of weak mass-marketed beer in clubs.

-Will

[FngSaiYuk]

Curling... you mean the Irish game that's a cross between Rugby, Baseball & open land warfare with clubs?? Yeah... that's a sport. I saw a guy get laid out in match on ESPN from Ireland... complete with massive gash on noggin/face. It's Ireland... you KNOW there's beer in the stands & probably on the sidelines as well.

I think you're describing lacrosse. Curling is that game where you toss a stone with a handle on ice and you skate ahead of it brushing a path in front of it to get it to wher e you want it. It's weird...

[joedoe]

I think he meant hurling, which is a very tough Irish sport.

[FngSaiYuk]

I think he meant hurling, which is a very tough Irish sport.
Isn't hurling the one where you take a telephone pole and toss it end over end as far as you can?

[joedoe]

Isn't hurling the one where you take a telephone pole and toss it end over end as far as you can?

That is caber tossing

[FngSaiYuk]

That is caber tossing
which one is hurling?

[joedoe]

Hurling:
http://www.the-shot.com/gaa/#1

Caber toss:
http://www.myschoolonline.com/student_showcase/0,2711,1215-197744-1-94062,00.html

[FngSaiYuk]

Hurling:
http://www.the-shot.com/gaa/#1

Caber toss:
http://www.myschoolonline.com/student_showcase/0,2711,1215-197744-1-94062,00.html
ooooh, hurling sounds exciting! now to see if I can find some footage on the net...

[joedoe]

It is fast and it is very violent. I guess like lacrosse, people often end up getting hit and often a lot of blood results. I have only seen clips of the game, and a little bit when I was over in Dublin, but it looks like a very exciting game.

[PangQuan]

I think to qualify as a sport the event in question must be competative, requiring teams or opposing players, also run by some sort of point base to win program. By american standards I would also think that the sport would host at least one internationally recognized competitor. This of course encompases the required skill sets, which would take years to master.

Despite what anyone thinks, Tiger Woods is an athlete due to the fact that no one on this forum, or anyone that anyone on this forum knows, can beat him at his game. He is an internationally recognized, filthy rich, athlete. Why? Because he mastered his sport in question.

[MasterKiller]

I can't beat my nephew at HALO. Is he an athlete?

[wdl]

I can't beat my nephew at HALO. Is he an athlete?

Does he have to walk any further than the kitchen to get Dorittos and Cola to play Halo? Atleast Tiger Woods has to walk all 18 holes, granted he's got a caddy.

-Will

[red5angel]

I think to qualify as a sport the event in question must be competative, requiring teams or opposing players, also run by some sort of point base to win program. By american standards I would also think that the sport would host at least one internationally recognized competitor. This of course encompases the required skill sets, which would take years to master.

I that card game Magic you play against an opponent and keep track of points, is that a sport?


Despite what anyone thinks, Tiger Woods is an athlete due to the fact that no one on this forum, or anyone that anyone on this forum knows, can beat him at his game. He is an internationally recognized, filthy rich, athlete. Why? Because he mastered his sport in question.

That's what we're duscussing here pangquan. If Golf is not a sport, Tiger Woods is not an athlete. By your definition of athlete, the champion Magic player would also be included on that list?

[MasterKiller]

Does he have to walk any further than the kitchen to get Dorittos and Cola to play Halo? Atleast Tiger Woods has to walk all 18 holes, granted he's got a caddy.

-Will
Walking is not a sport. Walking with a heavy bag is not a sport.

[PangQuan]

I can't beat my nephew at HALO. Is he an athlete?

is there any internationally recognized halo masters?

[PangQuan]

I that card game Magic you play against an opponent and keep track of points, is that a sport?



That's what we're duscussing here pangquan. If Golf is not a sport, Tiger Woods is not an athlete. By your definition of athlete, the champion Magic player would also be included on that list?

The examples I gave of course were in addition to the obvious requirements for an athlete/sport. Physical exertion being one of them. I just didnt want to repeat what had been said too many times. But I guess I have to. Not exhaustion, just at least some sort of physically exerting, advanced body mechanics.

[MasterKiller]

Well, I'm just throwing HALO out as a popular example. But, have you ever watched G4TV? They have a program about MAster video game players. That guy 'Fatality' that plays Quake 3 makes like $60,000/year in online tournaments. So, I would say there are recognized masters. You'd have to be in that circle to know of them, though. But how is that any different than Martial Arts? I mean, who in America outside of CMA circles knows the name Chan Tai San? Or even Wing Lam? Chan Pui?

[PangQuan]

See the difference with HALO and GOLF is this, one is a game that you can sit in one place for 5 hours and play, the other is a sport you have to get up pick up a stick, use proper FORM and hit a small ball hundreds of feet into a little hole.

[MasterKiller]

You think video games don't take form? Using the W-A-S-D keys on your keyboard with your left hand, in conjunction with mouse movements with your right hand, requires skill and hand-eye coordination, especially in fast-paced online frag-fests.

While golf requires proper body alignment and form...so does ballroom dancing and Yoga. Neither of which are sports.

[red5angel]

That guy 'Fatality'


wasn't that what they called your mom back in the day?

[PangQuan]

Dont get me wrong, I have an Xbox and I also have Halo. I know what it takes to play that game, and I have also been golfing before, I would not consider me playing halo nearly as difficult as playing golf. Check this out. I saw this 8 year old kid working halo on legendary, but I dont think there is an 8 year old kid anywhere that can get a hole in one on the 18th. Golf is much more difficult. You have to be strong enough first of all to hit the ball far enough. I mean c'mon dude, look at the pants and sweater vests those dudes wear, thats some tough sh!t. Not to mention the little hats. I dont know really, im just arguing for the sake of arguing. I think the only kind of golf that would be considered a true sport is the kind played in Happy Gilmore.

[red5angel]

pangquan, difficulty doesn't necessarily mean it's a sport. An 8 year old can't do a lot of things you can do that aren't considered sport. You have to be strong enough to get the dart to stick in the board, but darts isn't a sport.

[PangQuan]

I know I know, i just said I was blowin air out me arse. I hate golf. I want to sidekick that tigerwoods in the hip. Happy Gilmore was pretty tight though, especially when he and bob went at it.

[FngSaiYuk]

Walking is not a sport. Walking with a heavy bag is not a sport.
Not even power walking? Altho' it'd be really funny to watch pro golfers power walk w/their bag of clubs - perhaps make it a bit more entertaining to watch.

Eh, who'm I kiddin', straight golf'll never be entertaining to watch.

[Judge Pen]

I hit 300 golf balls this morning and, while it wasn't an aerobic excercise, it was more physically taking than walking for 2 hours or throwing 300 darts in an air conditined bar.

[wdl]

Is Tennis a sport?

In tennis you don't have to go very far, just like golf you have to hit a ball with a great amount of skill and accuracy, a bigger ball at that.

I've never played golf other than putt putt, so really, I cannot say it is not a sport. I have played tennis. Tennis will kick your rear asuming your playing hard. If you play golf hard, I don't see any reason why it couldn't kick your butt too.


-Will

[Ming Yue]

Sports are by nature athletic; the participants are athletes. Athleticism is demonstrated skill in a physical pursuit. Doesn't have to be continuous bodily stress like football, but has to have an element of solely physical prowess in order to achieve competency. So by my reasoning, golf is a sport.

Shuffleboard, Horseshoes, Croquet, caddying, hiking are activities. Even though they may have a point system and a winner, no extrordinary physical prowess is required to be competent in these activities, although practice makes you better at what you're doing.

Halo and Magic and Chess and rock-paper-scissors are games. Participants have to understand the rules and demonstrate enough mental ability to be competitive at approximately the same level as the person (or machine) they're playing against. People who play games well can be experts, but not athletes.


So.....
what about shooting? requires way more physical/mental ability than horseshoes or croquet, but anyone can shoot a gun the first time they pick one up. Activity?

[SanSoo Student]

So are motorsports consider true sports, meaning if you participate in them and not just watch...?

[Ming Yue]

sure. Formula 500 requires all kinds of physical skill and mental training as well. I even hear Nascar is very physically demanding.

[red5angel]

I hit 300 golf balls this morning and, while it wasn't an aerobic excercise, it was more physically taking than walking for 2 hours or throwing 300 darts in an air conditined bar.

so is doing 300 jumping jacks but it's not a sport.... ;)


Is Tennis a sport?

yep. You have a skillset, combined with physical exertion and a direct confrontation with yoru opponent


what about shooting? requires way more physical/mental ability than horseshoes or croquet, but anyone can shoot a gun the first time they pick one up. Activity?

absolutely


So are motorsports consider true sports, meaning if you participate in them and not just watch...?

I know some motorsports are physicaly demanding, jetski racing, motorbike racing and so on. Racing cars and such? I'm also ready to say it's sort of a category all it's own.

[Judge Pen]

so is doing 300 jumping jacks but it's not a sport.... ;)

But it could be. Direct competition doing as many jumping jacks in 5 minitues could be a sport. Especially if organized in amatuer and professional leagues with a circuit (imagine jumping jacks of different surfaces and environments) and college scholarships for those who are talented jumping jackers.

Red5 you are a sport elitist. Learn to think outside the box man? :p

Is tai chi a sport?

[MasterKiller]

Sport? (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/050318/ids_photos_sp/r682705475.jpg&e=1) :cool:

[Judge Pen]

Sport? (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/050318/ids_photos_sp/r682705475.jpg&e=1) :cool:

As much as wu shu is a sport.

[MasterKiller]

As much as wu shu is a sport. If you get to stick you face into a chick's Cha Cha in wushu, maybe I shouldn't have left my school. :eek:

[Judge Pen]

If you get to stick you face into a chick's Cha Cha in wushu, maybe I shouldn't have left my school. :eek:

Two person sets!

[red5angel]

But it could be. Direct competition doing as many jumping jacks in 5 minitues could be a sport. Especially if organized in amatuer and professional leagues with a circuit (imagine jumping jacks of different surfaces and environments) and college scholarships for those who are talented jumping jackers.

Red5 you are a sport elitist. Learn to think outside the box man? :p

Is tai chi a sport?

you are correct...I am a sport elitist :P Of course you could make a jumping jack competition into a sport, because then it qould require some real serious skill - and probably resemble a point fighting competition!



Sport?

He's where I want to be.........