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"?

 

[keenanbr]

I read somewhere that there are only 3 sports (hunting, fishing and i forget the other one) all the rest are games. The Olympic Games not the Olympic Sports.

 

[Glenn9999]

I can definitely say much of the opinion here isn't based in experience when it comes to a lot of things (especially the first 10-15 posts). Most people tend to speak out of perception and not experience. For example, after doing a 200 mile long haul in a car on a highway, I know doing 500-600 miles at high speed for 2 hours in a hot environment is definitely physically demanding. But for something I actually competed in, here's something that's definitely not based in experience:

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)

Having competed in these things, I can tell you that it's definitely skill involved, and most certainly physical demands involved upon the person. There's definitely a lot of work involved in these things too.

With archery you're pulling back and holding a lot of weight (anywhere from 30-80 lbs depending on the competition) multiple times in a short time span. This is in addition to holding the force with the other arm. You essentially pry the bow apart anywhere from 60-80 times in a two hour period. Seems like a lot of effort for "something other than the individual doing all the work".

In addition to that, it requires doing that in a stable way. This means holding the bow in a stable way as to be able to aim and control the force moving outward without jerking or moving. You have the same factor in competitive shooting. A lot of firearms (a super-majority) kick like a mule, and it becomes physically exhausting to both take & control the recoil and be able to be steady enough to aim and hit the target in a quick manner a decent number of times.

Archery and sports shooting both are a lot more tiring than most people think. I always had an occasion to laugh when people would come in and think as this poster did but were proven much different. And I'd even see this in those that were experienced bowhunters when they'd come into target competitions and laugh at the 30 lb target bow I had at the time and how much a wimp I was. They learned different after they would run out of gas trying to pull their hunting bow back that 60-80 times in 2 hours. Of course, in that case it was all I could do not to laugh.

Ultimately with the archery competitions, after I was able to train my body into doing the proper form, the majority of my training involved physical training not unlike what people think of for regular sports. Weight lifting, cardio, and so on. Seems like a lot of work just for sitting back and letting the bow do all the work? Riiigggght.

 

[Welshbird]

I'd have to add to that. Equestrian sports also take a fair amount of physical work. I usually find myself exhausted after a one-hour private horse-riding lesson.

Fee

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

 

[AnotherHiggins]

For example, after doing a 200 mile long haul in a car on a highway...

Where do you live? I ask because 200 miles doesn't seem like a long a drive to me.

I live in Raleigh, NC and often drive to Charlotte or the mountains (both just shy of 200 miles) non-stop. I have made dozens of trips to DC (about 300 miles) non-stop. Generally when I drive to Atlanta (400 miles) I only make one, maybe two, stops (depending on how much I'm drinking [no, not alcohol]).

I'm not bragging. There are certainly folks who travel much more - and much farther - than me. I have just always found it interesting that people from different areas, areas that require varying amounts of driving, consider different trip-lengths 'long'.

Anyhoo, given my driving experiences, I do not consider NASCAR a sport at all. Of course, that's just my opinion.

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[AnotherHiggins]

Also, I'd just like to point out that what has come to be referred to as "Stanford's definition" in this thread is not the definition employed by Stanford University. It is a 'definition' found on the webpage of a student at Stanford using his university webspace.

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[SantaMufasa]

There are certainly folks who travel much more.

In November, 1996, we lived in Atlanta, Georgia. I worked for Oracle Corporation. Oracle University assigned me the following teaching schedule that month:


1) Week 1: San Francisco, CA: DBA class.
2) Week 2: Atlanta, Georgia: DBA class.
3) Week 3: San Francisco, CA: DBA class.

Although Oracle was perfectly fine with flying me from Atlanta to San Francisco, I gave my 16-year-old, newly driver-licensed, home-schooled youngest daughter the option of driving the 5,310-mile (8,546-km) round-trip with me.

She was excited about the prospect of getting so much on-the-road practice with he new license. Following work on Friday afternoon, November 1, we set out from Atlanta. We drove straight through to San Francisco, arriving Sunday morning, in time to attend church with our friends in The Bay Area.

I taught that week, then following class on Friday, we drove back to our home in Atlanta, arriving in time for church on Sunday.

Then, again on Friday, November 15, my daughter and I did the same Atlanta-SF-Atlanta trip all over again. Our November, 1996, travel that month included 10,620 miles in a little over 150 hours on the road.

Let's not do that again.


Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]

 

[IknowMe]

Why is there such value in being deemed a 'sport'? You see this debate quite frequently. It's as if any type of activity which can be classified as a sport should suddenly be more appealing or worthy than those which are not.

It's apparent to me that 'Sport is in the Eye of the beholder'


Wow, I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.
I think I've forgotten this before.

 

[SantaMufasa]

Actually, MrMilson, I believe we get closer to the pure definition of 'sport' when you adjust your earlier comment:

Sport is in the Eye of the Beerholder.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]

 

[IknowMe]

Nice Dave, I like it!

Wow, I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.
I think I've forgotten this before.

 

[KenCunningham]

That's certainly some mileage you racked up Dave. Over here (UK) a drive of 500 miles is considered long enough to require a couple or three stops, copious tomato sandwiches (guaranteed to drip here there and everywhere when being eaten) and flasks of scalding tea, together with the ubiquitous tartan throws to cover the kids when they get bored, ie generally just after leaving the driveway at home).

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[Welshbird]

Ken Ken KEN!!!
*kicks back of seat*
Are we nearly there yet?

Fee

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

 

[flapeyre]

Coincidentally, this cartoon appeared in my local paper today.

Tibi gratias agimus quod nihil fumas.

 

[KenCunningham]

Fee - I can imagine your parents loved taking you anywhere!!

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[pinkgecko]

So fusebol is definitely a sport then. It is a direct competition with another team, involves an inanimate object, is largely based on skill of participants, has a score, involves no live animals... I'm going to go play my favorite sports of fusebol, air hockey, and electric football now. See you all later!

[blue]Never listen to your customers. They were dumb enough to buy your product, so they have no credibility. - Dogbert[/blue]