Is it a sport? [Poll]

[-DLC-]

Just now, Phil_314 said:

Waiiiiitttt... if darts and pool aren't sports because of how stationary you are, how does golf qualify?  Sure you're following through and using some back muscle when you drive, but you also technically do when you shoot the ball and load up your wrist when you throw a dart.  Also idk if walking down a fairway is getting your heart rate up

Walking is exercise and even moderate exercise counts.  It's outdoors...fresh air.  Have you never golfed 18 holes and come home feeling a little tired?   Darts/pool don't usually do that.

Quote

A golfer may walk four miles and burn 800 to 900 calories during an average round with help from swinging clubs

 

[Nucker 67]

IMO, darts and pool are as much a sport as chess, and poker, and gaming. I feel that a sport needs to include special clothing to play the sport at the highest level.

 

e.g. any adult person can walk into a Vegas casino and play the game, then stroll down the street to the pub, having several drinks while they play some darts, maybe a little chess, a bit of pool. Then they get in a taxi, get back home, kick the feet up on the couch and play Call of Duty. This is no athlete. 

 

 

 

[Ghostsof1915]

The only golf I've done is whack a ball at a driving range. And my Dad had 3 holes in his backyard that he made into a makeshift putting green. And I'd knock the ball around a bit on that too. Never found it enjoyable. The best golf story I heard was at my Dad's funeral. Every year while my Dad was in Qualicum. He and his golf buddy would enter a tournament. Because they were golfing with other seniors they, would on purpose mess up shots, so it was more fair. So the two of them were called "The Sandbaggers". 

And other players noticed they could have played much better, but they didn't want to ruin anyone's fun. It spoke to me about my Dad's sense of fair play, and how he cared about others before himself. I may not like the sport, but it makes me proud of my Dad. That and at the age of 73, a whole bunch of us were playing road hockey. And my Dad donned the goalie pads, no mask and did the traditional stand up goalie act against a tennis ball. (We had to really be careful taking shots.  )

[Gollumpus]

The question should be: is it sport, physical activity, or a past time? The answer lies with how the individual sees the activity, why they do it, and is there a level of competition.

 

Poker, nope, not in a million years unless there's some kind of competitive level "playing with your chips"event of which I am unaware.

 

Sure, running and such things are athletic endeavors, but unless that activity is performed as part of a competition (or training for a competitive event), then it is not sport it is physical activity. Run to train to get into the Olympics, it's a sport. Run because you use it lose weight, improve your lung capacity, or just relax, then it's not a sport. Play soccer at a professional level and make loads of money in the Premier League, it's a sport. Play soccer in a beer league after work, it's a sport.

 

Ping Pong at a competitive level would probably be considered as a sport due to the movement around the players' side of the table, the cardiovascular rate for the players, reflexes and so on. Playing in your basement is a past time.

 

Darts, an argument could be made for this to be a sport. Most people play at a past time level of ability and be quite good, but the pro dart player has a hand/eye co-ordination which is gained only after hours/years of play. Pool also falls into this category. 

 

Formula-1 racing, Is this a sport? I heard a kinesiologist describe the need for physical fitness in drivers due to the G-forces which they experience during a race (amongst other things), and this convinced me that sport is appropriate here, even though the driver is "just sitting down" for the couple of hours of the event. 

 

Horse riding events are also acceptable to me as sports when you consider the balance and physical conditioning required by the rider (you bounce a lot which can kill your back, and if your horse falls on you then you are really going to have a bad rest of the day).

 

Finally, Curling is a sport. Don't even try me on this. 

 

                                                   regards,  G.

[Bill Sikes]

On 2/28/2021 at 10:51 PM, Gollumpus said:

The question should be: is it sport, physical activity, or a past time? The answer lies with how the individual sees the activity, why they do it, and is there a level of competition.

 

Poker, nope, not in a million years unless there's some kind of competitive level "playing with your chips"event of which I am unaware.

 

Sure, running and such things are athletic endeavors, but unless that activity is performed as part of a competition (or training for a competitive event), then it is not sport it is physical activity. Run to train to get into the Olympics, it's a sport. Run because you use it lose weight, improve your lung capacity, or just relax, then it's not a sport. Play soccer at a professional level and make loads of money in the Premier League, it's a sport. Play soccer in a beer league after work, it's a sport.

 

Ping Pong at a competitive level would probably be considered as a sport due to the movement around the players' side of the table, the cardiovascular rate for the players, reflexes and so on. Playing in your basement is a past time.

 

Darts, an argument could be made for this to be a sport. Most people play at a past time level of ability and be quite good, but the pro dart player has a hand/eye co-ordination which is gained only after hours/years of play. Pool also falls into this category. 

 

Formula-1 racing, Is this a sport? I heard a kinesiologist describe the need for physical fitness in drivers due to the G-forces which they experience during a race (amongst other things), and this convinced me that sport is appropriate here, even though the driver is "just sitting down" for the couple of hours of the event. 

 

Horse riding events are also acceptable to me as sports when you consider the balance and physical conditioning required by the rider (you bounce a lot which can kill your back, and if your horse falls on you then you are really going to have a bad rest of the day).

 

Finally, Curling is a sport. Don't even try me on this. 

 

                                                   regards,  G.

Not just F1, sprint cars have a higher power to weigh ratio than F1, kinda like a mix of wrestling and Bull riding 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by Bill Sikes

[Bill Sikes]

IMO to be a sport it requires

1. Competition

2. Physical exertion or strain on the body

3. some degree of athletic ability (strength, speed, stamina, concentration, co-ordination, and agility)

[falcon45ca]

Sport: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

 

 

 

[Ghostsof1915]

On 2/28/2021 at 7:51 PM, Gollumpus said:

The question should be: is it sport, physical activity, or a past time? The answer lies with how the individual sees the activity, why they do it, and is there a level of competition.

 

Poker, nope, not in a million years unless there's some kind of competitive level "playing with your chips"event of which I am unaware.

 

Sure, running and such things are athletic endeavors, but unless that activity is performed as part of a competition (or training for a competitive event), then it is not sport it is physical activity. Run to train to get into the Olympics, it's a sport. Run because you use it lose weight, improve your lung capacity, or just relax, then it's not a sport. Play soccer at a professional level and make loads of money in the Premier League, it's a sport. Play soccer in a beer league after work, it's a sport.

 

Ping Pong at a competitive level would probably be considered as a sport due to the movement around the players' side of the table, the cardiovascular rate for the players, reflexes and so on. Playing in your basement is a past time.

 

Darts, an argument could be made for this to be a sport. Most people play at a past time level of ability and be quite good, but the pro dart player has a hand/eye co-ordination which is gained only after hours/years of play. Pool also falls into this category. 

 

Formula-1 racing, Is this a sport? I heard a kinesiologist describe the need for physical fitness in drivers due to the G-forces which they experience during a race (amongst other things), and this convinced me that sport is appropriate here, even though the driver is "just sitting down" for the couple of hours of the event. 

 

Horse riding events are also acceptable to me as sports when you consider the balance and physical conditioning required by the rider (you bounce a lot which can kill your back, and if your horse falls on you then you are really going to have a bad rest of the day).

 

Finally, Curling is a sport. Don't even try me on this. 

 

                                                   regards,  G.

I'd say Moto GP is more of a sport than F1. F1 could be an endurance sport. But in Moto GP the rider is 90% and the bike is 10%. In F1 it's the other way around.

Now a good driver can shave 1-2 seconds off the lap time with a good car. 

[Gollumpus]

3 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

I'd say Moto GP is more of a sport than F1. F1 could be an endurance sport. But in Moto GP the rider is 90% and the bike is 10%. In F1 it's the other way around.

Now a good driver can shave 1-2 seconds off the lap time with a good car. 

In F-1 there is a strength/endurance factor, but there are also reflexes to be considered. I suppose my point is not that one is more than another, but rather that is one a sport, and is the second also a sport. 

 

                                               regards,  G.