A real sport has to involve athletics, human athletics, where you actually have to move your body under your own power.
I honestly do consider it a sport. But after doing some research on the definition of “sport” and some other things, I may have to change my answer.
I would say that a sport is anything that involves competition between multiple people / teams. However, that would also mean that Chess is a sport, which it is not IMO.
That would also mean that war is a sport, since that’s HUGE competition on a whole new level.
I dunno. Thanks for causing me to question everything I once believed!
If a chick can place 4th against the guys, it’s not a sport.
Just because something’s athletic doesn’t make it a sport. I may get rheemed for this but I would venture to say (O god help me) that Bodybuilding and Powerlifting are not sports either. The way I see is that working out is preparation for something else, but when you change preparation into the competition you lose what the activity is all about.
As far as any type of racing goes, I just see it as transportation (though difficult). And I am a huge fan of the Tour and Lance, but I still don’t think that it’s a sport. O and if racing is a sport than you gotta throw cheerleading in too, and I’m not about to do that either. Bring on the pain!
[quote]purdiver wrote:
I don’t think it is… However the non professional version of racing could be driving on the street. I refuse to think my 4’11" 82 pound grandma w/ 3/4 of one lung remaining is playing a sport (granted at a level way below the pros) when she drives to church or the grocery store.[/quote]
Well, see, that’s what not being familiar with the sport does for you.
The non-pro version is called Track Days and Autocross (yes I know there are variations; I’m generalizing). Neither of them is done on a street, unless the street is specially prepared first. Both require more skill than you would imagine. And in the case of autocross, you can even drive your own car there, sign up, and drive. Track days require a little bit more (since you’re actually driving without speed limits on a real track), but with the right car, you can do the same thing.
But don’t get cocky, because the veterans will school you. Just because it isn’t pro doesn’t mean it doesn’t require a vast amount of skill and experience to do well.
[quote]bikemike wrote:
A real sport has to involve athletics, human athletics, where you actually have to move your body under your own power.[/quote]
Muscling a steering wheel to keep a car precisely balanced between drifting and crashing, for hours on end, does not involve moving parts of your body?
[quote]Kdowg wrote:
Just because something’s athletic doesn’t make it a sport. I may get rheemed for this but I would venture to say (O god help me) that Bodybuilding and Powerlifting are not sports either. The way I see is that working out is preparation for something else, but when you change preparation into the competition you lose what the activity is all about.
[/quote]
An attitude like that will prevent you from ever being great at any sport.
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”
Muhammad Ali
[quote]michaelv wrote:
bikemike wrote:
A real sport has to involve athletics, human athletics, where you actually have to move your body under your own power.
Muscling a steering wheel to keep a car precisely balanced between drifting and crashing, for hours on end, does not involve moving parts of your body?[/quote]
Not to mention straining to the side to keep upright through a several G turn. Sure the seat has sides, but ask anyone that races motorcycles vs someone that races cars how their back feels at the end of a race. The motorcycle drivers do not nearly have the back strain, because they lean into turns so the G forces are more along the length of their backs.
Man, how many times has this thread come up? I think I have seen it about 20 times during the last 5 years on this site and others. Next up: is Golf a sport? Is table tennis a sport? Is sharpshooting a sport? blah blah blah
Wait, is that banana cream Grow! I see? Um… gotta go!
[quote]sasquatch wrote:
CU AeroStallion wrote:
sasquatch wrote:
It takes skill to do most anything. That relates to the person. Thus…athlete.
I guess it’s a sport by definition–some derive pleasure from observing it.
But–no ball
No sport!
And I don’t care if you don’t agree.
j/k–honestly
you’re saying hockey isn’t a sport, but it could be argued by your logic that ROULETTE is(it does have a ball)! You’re saying that most track events aren’t sports. Since powerball has a ball, would playing powerball and keno be a sport?
Don’t get to serious on me now. This discussion(?) does not warrant capital letters or exclamation points. Hence j/k.
If pro hockey were cancelled–would anybody notice or care? Just wondering.[/quote]
Please tell me there not gonna cancel hockey!
oh wait, they already did? damn, missed it…
[quote]chrisb71 wrote:
michaelv wrote:
bikemike wrote:
A real sport has to involve athletics, human athletics, where you actually have to move your body under your own power.
Muscling a steering wheel to keep a car precisely balanced between drifting and crashing, for hours on end, does not involve moving parts of your body?
Not to mention straining to the side to keep upright through a several G turn. Sure the seat has sides, but ask anyone that races motorcycles vs someone that races cars how their back feels at the end of a race. The motorcycle drivers do not nearly have the back strain, because they lean into turns so the G forces are more along the length of their backs.
Man, how many times has this thread come up? I think I have seen it about 20 times during the last 5 years on this site and others. Next up: is Golf a sport? Is table tennis a sport? Is sharpshooting a sport? blah blah blah
Wait, is that banana cream Grow! I see? Um… gotta go![/quote]
Okay, I’ll add another requirement: if morbidly obese people can do it, it’s not a sport.
[quote]bikemike wrote:
Okay, I’ll add another requirement: if morbidly obese people can do it, it’s not a sport.[/quote]
OK, I’ll add to this and my original statement…
If pool and bowling - hell, even golf - are sports, then racing is as well.
The list could go on…
darts?
foosball?
air hockey?
I don’t consider these sports either, but if they are, then auto racing DEFINITELY is.
[quote]bikemike wrote:
Okay, I’ll add another requirement: if morbidly obese people can do it, it’s not a sport.[/quote]
I guess boxing stopped being a sport as soon as Butterbean turned pro.
Try sitting in a car with a fire suit on, fire shoes, fire proof gloves, and a crash helmet with face shield.
Now drive around a track that has surface temps approaching 120 degrees, and you are behind the wheel of a car that is running with an engine temp of 250, and you have no air-conditioning.
Let me know how you feel after about 20 miles of that. Now - multiply that by 25, and you approach what a NASCAR driver endures every week.
You think that might require just a little physical conditioning?
The definitionof a sport is one that says I can run faster, jump higher, throw farther, score more, or score less than my opponent. If it requires the subjective opinion of a judge, then there is no sport.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
The definitionof a sport is one that says I can run faster, jump higher, throw farther, score more, or score less than my opponent. If it requires the subjective opinion of a judge, then there is no sport.[/quote]
i like that. you definitely need the live interaction of an opposing forces trying to overcome each other for the same goal. so for me stuff like diving and gymnastics, though incredibly athletic, are out. golf is prolly out too but match play golf could be in. similarly lifting is out but strongman comps could be in. i’d even say chess is in- a highly cerebral sport but still a sport. video games i guess are interactive and competitive but are just representations of sports not sports in themselves.
http://images.t-nation.com/forum_images/./1/.1117785963560.danica109.jpg
[quote]Mike Robertson wrote:
After going to the Indy 500 this weekend, I’m interested in hearing the Nation’s thoughts on this topic: Is auto racing a sport?
Discuss!
Stay strong
MR[/quote]
You were there? So was I and I didn’t see you anywhere. And it was a long way to go too, let me tell you.
I would vote it as a sport - you can see in the picture attached how hard these drivers have to workout to stay in racing shape.
Auto Racing is a sport, but it’ll probably never be an Olympic Sport.