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What constitutes a sport?

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  • What constitutes a sport?

    Fishing? Come on! That's just ridiculous. Bowling. not much better. I won't even get into ping pong. Some activities are just games or a in the case of fishing- a hobby. Sure it can be competitive, but it's still a hobby.

    I usually fall back on George Carlin. He is a wise man, way ahead of his time.

    To my way of thinking there are really only three sports: baseball, basketball, and football. Everything else is either a game or an activity.

    Hockey comes to mind. People think hockey is a sport. It's not. Hockey is three activities taking place at the same time: ice skating, fooling around with a puck, and beating the **** out of somebody. If these guys had more brains then teeth, they'd do these things one at a time. First go ice-skating, then fool around with a puck, then you go to the bar and beat the **** out of somebody. The day would last longer, and these guys would have a lot more fun. Another reason why hockey isn't a sport is that it's not played with a ball. Anything not played with a ball can't be a sport. These are my rules, I make 'em up.

    Soccer. Soccer is not a sport because you can't use your arms. Anything where you can't use your arms can't be a sport. Tap dancing isn't a sport. I rest my case.

    Running. People think running is a sport. Running isn't a sport because anybody can do it. I can run, you can run. For Christ sakes, my mother can run! You don't see her on the cover of Sports Illustrated, do you?

    Swimming. Swimming isn't a sport. Swimming is a way to keep from drowning. That's just common sense. Sailing isn't a sport. Sailing is a way to get somewhere. Riding the bus isn't a sport, why the **** should sailing be a sport?

    Boxing is not a sport either. Boxing is a way to beat the **** out of somebody. In that respect, boxing is actually a more sophisticated way of hockey. In spite of what the police tell you, beating the **** out of somebody is not a sport. When police brutality becomes an Olympic event, fine, then boxing can be a sport.

    Bowling. Bowling isn't a sport because you have to rent shoes. Don't forget, these are my rules. I make 'em up.

    Billiards. Some people think billiards is a sport, but it can't be, because there's no chance of serious injury. Unless, of course, you welch on a bet in a tough neighborhood. Then, if you wind up with a pool cue stickin' out of your ass, you know you might be the victim of a sports-related injury. But that ain't billiards, that's pool, and that starts with a P, and that rhymes with D, and that brings me to darts.

    Darts could have been a sport, because at least there's a chance to put someone's eye out. But, alas, darts will never be a sport, because the whole object of the game is to reach zero, which goes against all sports logic.

    Lacrosse is not a sport; lacrosse is a ******y college activity. I don't care how rough it is, anytime you're running around a field, waving a stick with a little net on the end of it, you're engaged in a ******y college activity. Period.

    Field hockey and fencing. Same thing. ******y college ****. Also these activities aren't sports, because you can't gamble on them. Anything you can't gamble on can't be a sport. When was the last time you made a ****in' fencing bet?

    Gymnastics is not a sport because Romanians are good at it. It took me a long time to come up with that rule, but goddammit, I did it.

    Polo isn't a sport. Polo is golf on horseback. Without holes. It's a great concept, but not a sport. And as far as water polo is concerned, I hesitate to even mention it, because it's extremely cruel to horses.

    Which brings me to hunting. You think hunting is a sport? Ask the deer. The only good thing about hunting is the many fatal accidents on the weekends. And, of course, the permanently disfigured hunters who survive such accidents.

    Then you have tennis. Tennis is very trendy and very fruity, but it's not a sport. It's just a way to meet other trendy fruits. Technically, tennis is an advanced form a Ping-Pong. In fact, tennis is Ping-Pong played while standing on the table. Great concept, not a sport.

    In fact, all racket games are nothing more the derivatives of Ping-Pong. Even volleyball is, technically, racketless, team Ping-Pong played with an inflated ball and raised net while standing on the table.

    And finally welcome to golf. For my full take on golf, I refer you elsewhere in the book, but let it just be said golf is a game that might possibly be fun, if it could be played alone. But it's the vacuous, striving, superficial, male-bonding joiners one has to associate with that makes it such a repulsive pastime. And it is decidedly not a sport. Period.

  • #2
    Gymnastics is not a sport because Romanians are good at it. It took me a long time to come up with that rule, but goddammit, I did it.
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
    "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
    He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

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    • #3
      But George Carlin is an idiot .
      “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
      - John 13:34-35 (NRSV)

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      • #4
        My three criteria:

        1. Must be played by teams

        2. Outcome must be decided by points scored (no subjective judging like in gymnastics or ice skating)

        3. Must have aggressive physical contact between members of opposing teams

        An athletic activity must meet all three tests to be considered a "real" sport.
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        • #5
          Re: What constitutes a sport?

          Originally posted by Dis
          I won't even get into ping pong.
          Dude...

          Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
          But George Carlin is an idiot .
          Dude!

          What constitutes a sport?


          As far as I am concerned, sport:

          1) Is something that involves strenuous physical activity (team trivia ain't a sport).

          2) Is something where the winner can be decided objectively according to pre-determined rules. (Same as Drake's #2, pretty much.)

          3) Is something that your average person can't just pick up and be good at on day 1. (Else, it's a game, hobby, whatever, but not a sport.)
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          • #6
            Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
            3. Must have aggressive physical contact between members of opposing teams
            Question: Does basketball count? The aggressive physical contact results in fouls.
            “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
            - John 13:34-35 (NRSV)

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            • #7
              Not always. And fouls are an integral and common part of the game, so they count.

              I don't think I would count rare physical contact that is against the rules, but I also can't think of any examples of that off the top of my head. Collisions between base-runners and catchers in baseball come close, as they are rare. They're also allowed by the rules, however, so I count them as aggressive physical contact.
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              • #8
                What would the other things, such as boxing or track & field be called? What about stuff like pool? Darts.
                Competition, and in fact many can be played in teams, or not.
                Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
                "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
                He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

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                • #9
                  They're all forms of competition. I usually call the athletic ones (boxing, track & field) "competitions" and the non-athletic ones (pool, darts) "pastimes", but this area isn't as fleshed out as my view on what qualifies as a "sport".
                  KH FOR OWNER!
                  ASHER FOR CEO!!
                  GUYNEMER FOR OT MOD!!!

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                  • #10
                    An easy rule-of-thumb is that if an athletic endeavor has its own verb, it's probably a competition and not a sport under my system. For example, "I like to play football/basketball/hockey" vs. "I like to box/swim/run (track)". There are exceptions though, particulary when you get into pastimes...
                    KH FOR OWNER!
                    ASHER FOR CEO!!
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                    • #11
                      Pretty good. I can accept all that.
                      Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
                      "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
                      He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

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                      • #12
                        The one that gets people up in arms is golf, sport or game?

                        Oh, and to say boxing and T&F arn't sports can't be right. Your making up a spurious catagory of 'competition' when it's just not needed.

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                        • #13
                          Meh, no one who calls American football "football" and real football "soccer" can ever be taken seriously when talking about sports .
                          Solver, WePlayCiv Co-Administrator
                          Contact: solver-at-weplayciv-dot-com
                          I can kill you whenever I please... but not today. - The Cigarette Smoking Man

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                          • #14
                            Go smoke a cigarette and come back when you make sense.
                            Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
                            "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
                            He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

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                            • #15
                              I'm back already .
                              Solver, WePlayCiv Co-Administrator
                              Contact: solver-at-weplayciv-dot-com
                              I can kill you whenever I please... but not today. - The Cigarette Smoking Man

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