What makes a sport, a sport?

[CuseTroop]

A coworkers definition of sport is: having a ball or puck, with somebody having the ability to stop you from scoring.

To him, golf, and most of the events in the Olympics are not sports, but athletic competitions.

What do you guys consider a sport, and a non sport?

 

[priestp]

A sport requires athleticism. Examples are: reflexes, size, speed, agility or stamina. (any single one)
That being said, I do not include:
crochet, pool, poker, golf, darts or bowling. (these are games not sports)
I am still on the fence with regards to auto racing, you need reflexes (which can't be taught) and guts. Of all the competitions, racing is the most deadly.

Just my view.

 

[cusetown1]

A coworkers definition of sport is: having a ball or puck, with somebody having the ability to stop you from scoring.

To him, golf, and most of the events in the Olympics are not sports, but athletic competitions.

What do you guys consider a sport, and a non sport?

I guess he's never read or heard about Tiger Woods' work out. Golf is very much a sport.

 

[CuseTroop]

A sport requires athleticism. Examples are: reflexes, size, speed, agility or stamina. (any single one)
That being said, I do not include:
crochet, pool, poker, golf, darts or bowling. (these are games not sports)
I am still on the fence with regards to auto racing, you need reflexes (which can't be taught) and guts. Of all the competitions, racing is the most deadly.

Just my view.

Auto racing takes a great amount of stamina also.

 

[texascpa]

I hope we can all agree that Bass Fishing is NOT a sport.

 

[cusetown1]

I hope we can all agree that Bass Fishing is NOT a sport.

Noodling has to be.

 

[priestp]

LOL. fishing is definitely not a sport.

One guy on the PGA working out doesn't mean strength is an advantage.

What about competitive eating?

 

[cusetown1]

LOL. fishing is definitely not a sport.

One guy on the PGA working out doesn't mean strength is an advantage.

What about competitive eating?

Golf is a sport. Bowling is a game. NHL is a sport. Billiards is a game. Competitive eating is a game. Although, I bet Joey Chestnut could run a 5 k with ease.

 

[cusetown1]

This is more of a sport than fishing.

 

[ImperialOrange]

A sport is something you have to obtain and maintain some form of advanced physical training to excel/compete at.

Tiger Woods is an athlete but golf isn't a sport. John Daly couldn't compete in a sport professionally. Take away the golf carts and golf turns into a sport.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

A sport is something you have to obtain and maintain some form of advanced physical training to excel/compete at.

Tiger Woods is an athlete but golf isn't a sport. John Daly couldn't compete in a sport professionally. Take away the golf carts and golf turns into a sport.

When was the last time you saw Tiger Woods using a golf cart to get around the course?

 

[cusetown1]

A sport is something you have to obtain and maintain some form of advanced physical training to excel/compete at.

Tiger Woods is an athlete but golf isn't a sport. John Daly couldn't compete in a sport professionally. Take away the golf carts and golf turns into a sport.

​

a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
b. A particular form of this activity.
2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
Tiger woods plays a game governed by rules and physically exerts himself when hitting a golf ball. That would be a sport.

 

[jekelish]

This begs the question, do you see a difference between "sports" and "athletics" or are they the same?

 

[priestp]

Golf is a sport. Bowling is a game. NHL is a sport. Billiards is a game. Competitive eating is a game. Although, I bet Joey Chestnut could run a 5 k with ease.

How is bowling different than Golf? Or darts?
I guess I look at golf as a game of muscle memory (same motion over and over) and a lot of practice.

This debate always reminds me of a kid I hung around with in high school.
Dude was cut from every team imaginable...by a mile.
He started playing golf as an early teen, by our 30's he could easily beat any of our friends at golf...but only golf.
He would cling to "golf is a sport" in an effort to prove his athleticism, of which he has zero.

I guess I just don't see athleticism as a necessity in golf.

 

[cusetown1]

That's also not including walking 72 holes a weekend.

 

[cusetown1]

This begs the question, do you see a difference between "sports" and "athletics" or are they the same?

I'm going off what the definition of sport is. That's it.

 

[jekelish]

How is bowling different than Golf? Or darts?
I guess I look at golf as a game of muscle memory (same motion over and over) and a lot of practice.

This debate always reminds me of a kid I hung around with in high school.
Dude was cut from every team imaginable...by a mile.
He started playing golf as an early teen, by our 30's he could easily beat any of our friends at golf...but only golf.
He would cling to "golf is a sport" in an effort to prove his athleticism, of which he has zero.

I guess I just don't see athleticism as a necessity in golf.

Have you ever played golf? I don't see how anyone who has played golf can view it as anything other than a sport. It's the most difficult athletic activity I've ever participated in, frankly.

Sidenote - I love how people say they play gold "to relax." Golf is the most frustrating, stressful activity I've ever done. How on earth can anyone find it relaxing unless their name is Tiger Woods? And I say this as someone who loves the sport.

 

[ImperialOrange]

When was the last time you saw Tiger Woods using a golf cart to get around the course?

Don't watch golf so I haven't. Golf is usually the one that can be argued either way so I expected some flack for that. There are some athletes that play golf but you also don't pack your dufflebag with 6 packs, heaters, and/or cigars to go play pick up hoops.

 

[jekelish]

Don't watch golf so I haven't. Golf is usually the one that can be argued either way so I expected some flack for that. There are some athletes that play golf but you also don't pack your dufflebag with 6 packs, heaters, and/or cigars to go play pick up hoops.

Do you consider baseball/softball sports? Because you can do all of those things while playing those as well.

 

[priestp]

That's also not including walking 72 holes a weekend.

What are we talking.. 4 miles in 4 hours for 3 days? Dudes don't even carry their own bags.
I will say that golf requires mental stamina and concentration, as long as you don't make a camera click on my back swing.

 

[priestp]

A sport requires athleticism. Examples are: reflexes, size, speed, agility or stamina. (any single one)
That being said, I do not include:
crochet, pool, poker, golf, darts or bowling. (these are games not sports)
I am still on the fence with regards to auto racing, you need reflexes (which can't be taught) and guts. Of all the competitions, racing is the most deadly.

Just my view.

I would also like to add: horseshoes, bocci ball, can-jam and lawn jarts.

 

[qdawgg]

Do you consider baseball/softball sports? Because you can do all of those things while playing those as well.

Baseball = not a sport. I'm going to take some for that one. I played for years and was very good at 2nd but other then the social aspect during practices and on the bench, it got boring as hell the older I got. Now I'm going to really p!ss people off, tennis is more physically demanding then baseball.

 

[jekelish]

I don't think anyone can argue about tennis being more physically demanding. I don't like tennis, but it most definitely is (at a high level, that is).

 

[ImperialOrange]

Do you consider baseball/softball sports? Because you can do all of those things while playing those as well.

Bordeline but yeah because there is some running involved occasionally and you may break a sweat. Golf I put just on the otherside of the border. Put a shot clock in golf or a clock in which you have to finish your round for it to count (barring weather) so that the players have to briskly walk or even jog and it's a sport all day long.

I like golf, and I respect serious golfers but there isn't the amount of physical exertion needed IMHO. You don't see golfers drenched in sweat and breathing heavy and you rarely see medics having to help golfers off the course because they've been injured.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Now I'm going to really p!ss people off, tennis is more physically demanding then baseball.

I'm not even sure how someone could debate against that statement.