What makes something a "sport"?

[KornGeek]

I got this idea from something I heard on the radio yesterday. They were creating a rules list for defining what makes something a sport. Being a morning radio show, they weren't taking it very seriously and the rules were designed to produce the results they wanted. (Rule 10 was that it can't be something they consider "stupid".)

There are activities that are easily defined as "sports", such as baseball, basketball, football (of any sort), etc.

There are activities that some consider "sports" while other's don't, such as figure skating, diving, race car driving, hunting, etc.

There are activities that generally aren't considered sports, but have been known to be lumped in with them (in television programming and such), such as poker, spelling bees, eating competitions, etc.

There are activities that are considered sports to few people if any, such as playing video games, stamp collecting, writing SQL queries, etc.

How do we determine if something is a "sport"?

 

[Lunatic]

Hey, wait, doesn't that last bit also invalidate (American) football? The ball is held by runners. Yep, football isn't a sport, either.

Not quite ;p
1) Your definition of 'extended' is too short. It takes the average 90+ yard play in football 16 seconds or so. Is 16 seconds truely an 'extended' period of time?

2) The ball is in play. The ball carrier is moving the ball around trying to keep it from other players. This may be switching arms, placing another arm over the ball, tucking it down to avoid someone swating it out of your hand.

No, if anything, it would invalidate Basketball when players just hold the ball at the top of the arc waiting for a play to develop.

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[CajunCenturion]

==> In a race a 5 second lead in a marathon is a direct result of a runner being in the process of beating another, the goal isn't necessarily to run the best time possible, but to beat the 2nd best person - the competition is based on that individual next to you, not the course you are running.
By that logic, you've just put golf (especially match play) and bowling, because the goal isn't the best possible score, but having a better score than the next best player.

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[donbott]

To me trying to define what is a sport by looking at the nature of the activity is wrong. I feel that something is a sport if it pits the physical abilities of a person or group of people against others (or an inanimate object as in rock climbing), with the reason for partaking in the activity is to try to win or achieve a physical goal. It is the reason for the activity that makes it a sport, not the actions themselves. Working in a dangerous and physically demanding field can be just as difficult as a sport, but it is done for the money.

If you accept this then are professional sports still sports? I would say no. They are competing in an activity that is still a sport for most people but for them it's a job.

DonBott

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--Bertrand Russell

 

[CajunCenturion]

5) The use of weapons disqualifies it as a sport (sport shooting, archery, etc) as while there is definately skill involved, something other than the individual is actually doing the work (much like equestrian events)

You have a real problem with this rule because of the use of the word 'weapon' and how it's defined in description: 'something other than the individual is actually doing the work'. That description would classify the baseball bat, the golf club, the hockey stick, and the bowling ball as 'weapons'. I'm sure there are those that have no problem with golf and bowling being eliminated as sports under this criteria, but it would also eliminate baseball and hockey as sports, so I don't think that criteria is valid.

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[SQLSister]

Lunatic, I would consider equestrian sports to be a team sport as both the horse and rider must perform athletically together to be able to win. And yes the horse is an athlete. But so is the rider. Kind of like doubles tennis is a team sport. Yes a stong horse - weak rider combo can win - though usually not against a striong horse strong rider combo unless some very bad luck is involved. But a weak horse strong rider combo can also win.

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[AnotherHiggins]

Allow me to paraphrase Justice Potter Stewart....

I shall not today attempt further to define Sports ... but I know it when I see it.

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[edfair]

We consider man vs fish as sport, man vs deer as sport, and the romans considered Christians vs Lions as sport. so how can we exclude animals?
Equestrian events are a maybe, but Polo is OK?


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[dgillz]

Lunatic,

You are living up to your handle.

Based on the subjective opinions of judges as to who is the 'best'

So that takes diving and gymnastics out of the mix.

the human does not directly influence the results of other humans. Like Golf or Bowling, one's performance does not directly lead to an increase/decrease performance in another.

That takes every single track and field event, marathon, weight-lifting, I could go on and on..

I go back to my original reponse on this thread "sport" does not necesarrily equal "athletic competiton".

In fact, no competition or even athletic exertion at all is required for it to be a sport. One of Merriam-Webster's defintions of "sport" according to SantaMufasa'a first response is:

a source of diversion : recreation...

So everything that has been brought up here, and hundreds more, are sports. I think all althetic competitions are sports, but not all sports are athletic competitions.

Words have multiple meanings. Don't discount ALL the meanings of the word "sport".

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[sleipnir214]

I once heard the definition of sport as "any competition where the outcome is decided by the athleticism of the participants". Although it doesn't cover some details, it's worked pretty well for me....




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[cjelec]

I still hold by my first post, about winners or losers.

Stanford did say about money, which I think is true. But according to stanford rules throwing a dead cat and when it hits your opponent you get 5 points($/£) = a sport (not that I do... really I don't)

 

[cjelec]

In the days of old, was it royalty that defined what activities are sports? For example fox hunting was a sport in the UK (until its ban) and that doesn’t follow any rule we have found.

 

[SantaMufasa]

Sport...any competition where the outcome is decided by the athleticism of the participants

Does this mean, Sleipnir, that when I ski, if I'm not competing with someone, I'm not participating in a sport?

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
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[sleipnir214]

Yes.

See

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/c/c0526900.html

, definition 2.



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[sleipnir214]

Assuming, of course, that when you ski you test your skill.



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[KenCunningham]

To go back to weaponry, presumably we can agree that fencing is a sport?

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[Welshbird]

I would have to say that a sport is something in which you can measurably win. If there is an 'artistic impression' score, then I'm not sure its a sport as it becomes subjective.

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[dgillz]

Its OK if a sport is subjective. Diving is a sport, and you measurably win that by a panel of judges.

Nor do you even need to have a win lose or draw. Fishing is a sport, even if no one catches a fish. Hiking, Rock Climbing, etc. are also sports. Some are better than others at these activities, but there israrely if ever a winner.

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[johnherman]

ESPN stands for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, or at least it did when the channel was first formed.

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[2ffat]

Maybe we are confusing the line between human and escarion esqua eskqu horse sports?


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[Thadeus]

Late to the game, but want to input my thoughts...
very simply, I think that Wiki's definition above posted by rjoubert is pretty darned hard to argue with.

~Thadeus