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The official "What constitutes a sport?" debate

AmorRoark

AmorRoark

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Jul 28, 2002
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I'm playing a bit off the Video Game thread already posted in here, but I think the broader question will be fun to be debated.

You know you've had at least one argument over this in your life.

So what do you think makes a sport? What don't you consider a sport? What are your guidelines (if any)?



disclaimer: This thread is created for the sheer fun of debate. And, IMO, in no way should it result in the restriction of the variety of 'sporting' topics created throughout this glorious new forum
 
some level of physical skill & a means with which to measure it?
 
that's what got me wondering. how do you distinguish between a sport and a game?

it can't be based around competition, since some sports don't have a definite competitive element. professionalism and amateurism as organisational structures aren't relevant either.

i guess i tend to think of a sport as a pastime which is defined by a physicality, whether it's driving a car, climbing a mountain, hitting an 8-ball or sailing a boat...
 
Sport - competition (even against ones self), any activity by where a score or record might be kept, anything where a winner might be declared.

Examples - tiddlywinks, bocce, debate, and trolling.


So, what about skydiving, scuba, or hunting? Hunting has a winner and loser. Skydiving, when done for scoring, perhaps. Otherwise it falls with scuba to a recreational pastime - not a sport.
 
The ability to incite physical brawls over close calls.

Oh, and someone winning and someone losing.

some level of physical skill & a means with which to measure it?
Click to expand...

So then.. cooking is a sport?
 
An element of competition, and an element of physical skill and effort.

That's basically the "official" definition used by sports administration organisations. (I'm speaking as an ex-staff member of such an organisation).

Motor racing is a sport, because there is an element of physical effort to driving a car at that speed for that length of time (those drivers have to be really fit).

Darts (when played competitively) is a sport, because there is an element of physical skill and effort.

Poker and chess I'd call games, because there's no physical effort (except moving the pieces). BUT, I can see a counter argument: because the games go on for a long long time, endurance and energy are actually really important - you have to be physically fit in order to retain your mental focus.

I would disagree about debate and trolling - no physical element.

Tiddlywinks (if played competitively) I would consider a sport.

Some pastimes can be sports, or not, depending on whether there is an organised competitive element: mountain climbing, fishing, sailing, swimming, skydiving....
 
To be a sport you must have:

- possibility to see blood during the event
- ability to cheat using drugs for an advantage
- possibility for good players to get sponsorship deals
- drama during competition at least 25% of the time
- sexually attractive competitors
- beer sold at events
 
Seeing as you asked for our own definitions and not what the world might see it as.........well mine is anything that I determine is a sport...is a sport, and it is a decision that is made using no set criteria at all other than it MUST entertain ME.

Yes fishing is a sport........I would consider cooking to be a sport if the cooks had to go and find there own food, bring it back live and kill it themselves and be in a race against each other.

Anything to do with dancing is NOT and I repeat NOT a sport.........however it is a waste of good television time that would have been better off showing sport.

Things I consider not to be sports include, synchronised swimming, dancing on ice skates, that silly ribbon twirling and similar crap that is done on those mat things.

My definition of a game is as above..........except generally requiring no serious physical exertion.

I dont think sport has to be competitive........Rock climbing or abseiling makes my list of sports.

Competition however needs to be competitive........dunno why I feel that way but I just do OK.


Hence I would break things up into more than 2 categories.......

Sport.
Games.
Competition.
 
Id say a sport constitutes any involvement of physical activity with the goal of obtaining an objective result via means of such physical involvement, and under the rules of an established guideline.

This means that anything that involves moving your body with the goal of obtaining a result following some rules will fall under the category. This is why golf is considered a sport even though, to me, subjectively, it is not.

In my biased opinion, a sport should display athleticism, that means, a combination of strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination and determination. Unfortunately not all sports display such, in fact, only a handful provide all the qualities mentioned above. The word "athlete" is thrown around much of the time to describe a sportsman, but I fail to agree. A sportsman is one which practises a recognized sport, but an athlete is one which practises a sport which displays athletic abilities. To me, an athlete would be a weightlifter, gymnast, wrestler or sprinter, the rest are simply sportsmen.
 
i tend to define this under 4 categories: sport, game, race, competition. anything you physically work up a sweat playing, it's a sport. anything that's leisurely and not working up a physical sweat is a game. a race is a race is a race. competition is not quite a game, but where you're competing against many teams.

examples:
soccer=sport
golf=game
nascar=race
cheerleading=competition

when i say physically work up a sweat, i mean, you are sweating because of what you're doing, not because it's hot or the sun's out. does that make sense?
 
faris said:
i tend to define this under 4 categories: sport, game, race, competition. anything you physically work up a sweat playing, it's a sport. anything that's leisurely and not working up a physical sweat is a game. a race is a race is a race. competition is not quite a game, but where you're competing against many teams.

examples:
soccer=sport
golf=game
nascar=race
cheerleading=competition

when i say physically work up a sweat, i mean, you are sweating because of what you're doing, not because it's hot or the sun's out. does that make sense?
Click to expand...
Is the 100 meter dash a sport or a race?
 
Didn't want to start a a new thread but there should definitely be a debate about waht constitutes football.

Like - Football is a game invented by the Brits played by a team of 11, popular everywhere and the greatest religion on the planet.

I'll let Aussie Rules off because people call it that but American football?

It's Gridiron. ;)

(biased discussion over).

:D
 
Steven Hawkings could play a game, but not a sport.
 
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