jmog;391361 wrote:Cheerleading-competition yes, friday night HS football version no
Golf-yes
Racing-no
Poker-no

Life's a Pitch;391726 wrote:I think the problem some people have is they think if an activity isn't called a "sport" then people think less of it.

enigmaax;391685 wrote:So like, quarter bounce = sport? Flip cup?

Tiernan;391766 wrote:^^^
Caleb sure stirred up the shit in my ass when he brought his shaft to town...

Pick6;391872 wrote:everything with a ball is a sport.

Hb31187;391678 wrote:Baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey, ect

Websurfinbird;391655 wrote:It's interesting that the majority of people on here think that horseracing isn't a sport claiming that it is really the horse that is the athlete. I assure you horseback riding at even a casual level is extremely physical and being able to control an unpredictable animal takes a lot of skill. The jockeys that are good are the ones that know how to pace their horse properly in order to win, just like a race car drive would with an automobile.

Yes the horses do a lot of the work but to think that a jockey doesn't do anything is wrong.

jmog;391361 wrote:Cheerleading-competition yes, friday night HS football version no

enigmaax;391576 wrote:(Competitive) Cheerleading - No, it is a contest
Golf - No, leisure activity that some people put the context of a contest
Auto Racing - Yes, though I understand the debate over whether it requires physical skill
Horse Racing - Yes, for the horse and again I understand the debate for the jockeys
Poker - No

A key point in my mind is whether or not you can have a direct influence over your opponents performance, i.e. you can play defense (or the opponent can play defense). Golf is a game. You go, I go, who ever does better wins but we never have a chance to physically impede each other. If you are "on", I can't stop you (don't give me the I-can-get-in-your-head line).

In racing of just about any kind, I can block you when you try to pass me. I could actually knock you out of the race (maybe legally, maybe not).

Some other examples are discus, shot put, high jump, etc. You could see who can throw a rock further and that doesn't make it a sport. You could stand in place and see who can jump higher - not a sport. These are games or contests, but not sports.

If we aren't head-to-head with a chance to defend, to me, we are simply have a contest. I think of sport in a different regard.

sonofsam;392009 wrote:Yea I'm confused on this one a bit as well... There is no way NASCAR racing is a sport, its a competition. All cars a built to run equal, its a matter of driver talent, not athletic training.

enigmaax;392115 wrote:Well, I don't feel strongly about it however, for the sake of conversation here are my main points supporting its "sportsness". Consider most of the common factors, there's a winner and all that obviously. I've already mentioned that I'm big on whether or not the competitors have any physical influence on the outcome/performance of other competitors, which is clearly the case. The kicker for me is the risk of injury during the competition, specifally related to the fact that one competitor can cause that injury to the other.

To me competition is where you take your turn, I take my turn, and we're either judged or we quanitfy our results and decide on a winner. In sport, the participants have some physical challenge between them. So, sure "driver talent" is important and you don't necessarily have to be a super athlete (though from what I understand, the physical conditioning is more important than some observers tend to think). However, the potential physical effects are enough for me to consider it a sport.

As another example, sumo wrestlers aren't the healthiest or most fit athletes, but what they do is sport.

krambman;392191 wrote:I'm curious if Curling would be classified as a sport in your definition. It is a "you take your turn, I take mine" kind of activity, but it is also an activity where you play defense and where one competitor can effect the play of another.

enigmaax;392226 wrote:There isn't really any physical risk in the manner that opposing curlers defend each other. I don't know, does that make sense?