Sport or Not?

[randomlefty10]

That's sort of my point. My definition of a sport is that it must involve physical activity. That doesn't mean the converse is true that anything involving physical activity is a sport.

And for the record, I'm the one who brought up masturbation. It was in regards to the statement about race drivers heart rate of 160 and the athletic quality behind that.

[Jeremy Weimer]

Originally Posted by randomlefty10

That's sort of my point. My definition of a sport is that it must involve physical activity.

Last time I checked a race car didn't drive itself...

[Jason Moyer]

Just as a quick note, while we're talking about different kinds of sport.

Auto racing, at least on a professional level (and I can't think of a non-pro level where this isn't true either) is not an individual sport.

Continue brawling at your leisure, I'm going to go do some laps at Lime Rock in a Vette.

[JimmyKrakCorn]

Originally Posted by matskralc

^^^the reason why there is so much opposition to calling auto racing a "sport"

Well my wife is from Arkansas so I guess I have no opposition to "rednecks" and what they consider to be sports. But heres what I do have a problem with, many of these NASCAR fans who come up to me and tell me that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is as good an athlete as LeBron James or Brett Favre etc..
Not true, period. Car racing is a highly skilled, dangerous way to make a living, no doubt but IMO it is not a sport by my definiton, keep in mind that I said IN MY OPINION. I just can't see calling somebody a professional athlete if they drive a car at high speeds through traffic for a living. It's like calling a New York cab driver an athlete.

[Jason Moyer]

Originally Posted by JimmyKrakCorn

But heres what I do have a problem with, many of these NASCAR fans who come up to me and tell me that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is as good an athlete as LeBron James or Brett Favre etc..

You're right. I can't imagine James or Favre being physically or emotionally capable of driving a racecar for 5-6 hours.

[MrWorkrate]

Lance Armstrong isn't an athlete.

[JimmyKrakCorn]

Originally Posted by Jason Moyer

You're right. I can't imagine James or Favre being physically or emotionally capable of driving a racecar for 5-6 hours.

But they are capable of being the most hyped high school athlete ever to enter the NBA and win ROY honors and starting over 150+ games in a row and taking his team to the playoffs despite his father dying a few days prior. I would say that both of those two are pretty physically and emotionally capable.
Besides you can't claim what one man does another should be able to do, just as I couldn't "seriously" make the claim that Jeff Gordon could play football or basketball.

[MrWorkrate]

Originally Posted by JimmyKrakCorn

Well my wife is from Arkansas so I guess I have no opposition to "rednecks" and what they consider to be sports. But heres what I do have a problem with, many of these NASCAR fans who come up to me and tell me that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is as good an athlete as LeBron James or Brett Favre etc..
Not true, period. Car racing is a highly skilled, dangerous way to make a living, no doubt but IMO it is not a sport by my definiton, keep in mind that I said IN MY OPINION. I just can't see calling somebody a professional athlete if they drive a car at high speeds through traffic for a living. It's like calling a New York cab driver an athlete.

Just trying to understand the definition of "athlete". Is it physical appearance? Gilbert Brown's an athlete. So is David Wells.

To compare Earnhardt Jr. as an athlete to LeBron James is difficult because what they do in their individual professions is different. Both are near the top of their professions (or at least near the top and highly popular). But to assume one person is an athlete because they can't play other sports is silly. By that definition, Michael Jordan not only isn't an athlete, but he proved that he wasn't on the field.

[JimmyKrakCorn]

Originally Posted by MrWorkrate

Just trying to understand the definition of "athlete". Is it physical appearance? Gilbert Brown's an athlete. So is David Wells.

To compare Earnhardt Jr. as an athlete to LeBron James is difficult because what they do in their individual professions is different. Both are near the top of their professions (or at least near the top and highly popular). But to assume one person is an athlete because they can't play other sports is silly. By that definition, Michael Jordan not only isn't an athlete, but he proved that he wasn't on the field.

That what I'm saying I have a problem with, when OTHER people compare the two and their chosen professions by saying Dale Earnhardt Jr. is as good an athlete as etc, etc. Physical appearance has nothing to do with it athleticism is athleticism. And I'm not saying that Dale Jr. isn't an athletic individual, he may be really good at baseketball or whatever, but his profession of driving a car does not qualify IMO as being a sport, that's all.

[matskralc]

So you are going to ignore the studies that have said racing a car at dangeroisly high speeds for long periods of time is as physically demanding and requiring of as much physical skill as playing football or basketball?

[randomlefty10]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Weimer

Last time I checked a race car didn't drive itself...

You're right, but what is moving these drivers around the track, the car. What moves football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc around their field? their legs.

[GoldenGlove]

Car racing is a sport. NASCAR is part of that and in turn is part of the sport. To say that F1 is better than NASCAR is without a base. F1 drivers would have a difficult time competing against NASCAR drivers in NASCAR races. The cars in NASCAR are completely different from the cars in F1. F1 cars have much better control and employ computer systems for fuel control and traction control. NASCAR cars do not employ these systems.

[Akrobat]

Originally Posted by randomlefty10

You're right, but what is moving these drivers around the track, the car. What moves football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc around their field? their legs.

Actually, the drivers move around the track via their legs as well. The gas doesn't go on it's own


Reasons why car racing is a sport:

-You have two or more people competing for the same thing with established rules.


That's it. It's that simple. People who don't call it a "sport" are just trying to stir up the pot. Last time I checked "sport" and "athletic" weren't the same word.

"You're a good sport Max."

Is Max a good physical athletic ability? No. Max simply accepts everything that comes with a sport, IE: rules, losing, winning, etc.

Spelling bee's, thumb wrestling, bowling, NASCAR, video game playing, poker, are all sports. It's a competition between people fighting for the same goal, to win. Anything that exerts physical activity (including knowledge) with a set of rules is a sport.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by Akrobat

Spelling bee's, thumb wrestling, bowling, NASCAR, video game playing, poker, are all sports. It's a competition between people fighting for the same goal, to win. Anything that exerts physical activity (including knowledge) with a set of rules is a sport.

That gets my award for most ridiculous thing I've ever read on these boards.

Mental and physical are not the same. "Mental sports" are not sports. THINKING is not a sport. SKILLS do not = athleticism. Just because something is a competition does not make it sport. Displaying knowledge is not a physical activity. A spelling bee is a mental competition and just because a person may sweat under pressure does not mean they're playing a sport. Thumb wrestling and bowling are sports; I'm with you on that. NASCAR, I don't know yet. It's hard to say. Video GAME playing is not a sport. It's a game. Poker is not a sport. It's a game.

Game and sport are not automatically one in the same. Competition and sport are not, either.

[Akrobat]

Originally Posted by JDOldSchool

That gets my award for most ridiculous thing I've ever read on these boards.

Mental and physical are not the same. "Mental sports" are not sports. THINKING is not a sport. SKILLS do not = athleticism. Just because something is a competition does not make it sport. Displaying knowledge is not a physical activity. A spelling bee is a mental competition and just because a person may sweat under pressure does not mean they're playing a sport. Thumb wrestling and bowling are sports; I'm with you on that. NASCAR, I don't know yet. It's hard to say. Video GAME playing is not a sport. It's a game. Poker is not a sport. It's a game.

Game and sport are not automatically one in the same. Competition and sport are not, either.

Did I ever say sweating under pressure makes it a sport?
Did I ever say you had to be athletic to be in a sport?

Read my post a little bit closer, before you make yourself look like an idiot.

Sport does not equal athlete. It's that simple.

A sport is a competition between two people who are trying to go for a certain goal, with established rules in place.

Going off on me saying sports and competitions are not the same, yet you just happen to mention that sports and physical ability are the same. Uhm, no.

[Akrobat]

Just for JD, here's ALL of the definitions of "sport" (not just one):

#

1. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
2. 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.


So you see the word recreation.. let's look up recreation:


Refreshment of one's mind or body after work through activity that amuses or stimulates; play.


Thanks for saying it was the most ridiculous post ever, and then backing it up with one even more stupid, champ.

Throw me a couple more awards and I'll make you look stupid on those too.

[CMH]

Originally Posted by JDOldSchool

That gets my award for most ridiculous thing I've ever read on these boards.

Mental and physical are not the same. "Mental sports" are not sports. THINKING is not a sport. SKILLS do not = athleticism. Just because something is a competition does not make it sport. Displaying knowledge is not a physical activity. A spelling bee is a mental competition and just because a person may sweat under pressure does not mean they're playing a sport. Thumb wrestling and bowling are sports; I'm with you on that. NASCAR, I don't know yet. It's hard to say. Video GAME playing is not a sport. It's a game. Poker is not a sport. It's a game.

Game and sport are not automatically one in the same. Competition and sport are not, either.

Would it hurt your ego if I told you that the above is the most ridiculous thing I've heard on these boards?

Using your brain doesn't exert energy??? Skills does not equal athleticism???

Have you ever played a sport?

There's a difference if you are playing chess with your buddy for fun. That isn't a sport. However, if you are competing in a chess tournament and using a strategy (which causes stress by the way) to win then you are indeed competing in a sport.

Why you and some others continue to ignore the fact that your brain (and the rest of your organs) are a part of an activity that causes stress is beyond me.

Really think about it (because you obviously haven't). If I played basketball with my brother at the same energy level I would play poker (for fun) then I'm not playing a sport. I'm playing a game.

Once competition, strict rules, and some form of strategy and physical/mental stress is included, you are participating in a sport.

That goes for ballroom dancing, football, cheerleading, baseball, diving, and fishing.

[Akrobat]

YankeePride, there's a reason why you are one of my top 10 favorite posters but I haven't been able to put my finger on it...

[randomlefty10]

I just realized that this is perhaps the dumbest argument ever. We're arguing a subjective definition of a word. A better argument would be whether you call race car drivers athletes.

[Jason Moyer]

Originally Posted by YankeePride

Really think about it (because you obviously haven't). If I played basketball with my brother at the same energy level I would play poker (for fun) then I'm not playing a sport. I'm playing a game.

On the other hand, if you throw down 10 grand and enter the world series of poker, you're participating in a sport.