How do you define "sports"?
- Thread starter pourcyne
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Additionally, if you replaced the words "match play golf" with "sex" in the above post....
I like the "defense" or "influence your opponent" concept for sports (vs games). But it doesn't work for running and swimming, which are clearly sports. Unless you use the third category of "competitions" like cyclonscin, which is a clever way to distinguish it all.
Going back to 2 choices, what if we say anything that makes you breathe hard enough is a sport? When you exercise, they say if you can sing while doing it, then its low level. But if you can't sing because you're breathing too hard, then it's moderate intensity.
So anything where you can't sing while doing it at least sometimes (basketball, swimming, running, soccer, et al) is a sport. But if you could sing at anytime while doing it (golf, bowling, darts, etc) would be a game.
Going back to 2 choices, what if we say anything that makes you breathe hard enough is a sport? When you exercise, they say if you can sing while doing it, then its low level. But if you can't sing because you're breathing too hard, then it's moderate intensity.
So anything where you can't sing while doing it at least sometimes (basketball, swimming, running, soccer, et al) is a sport. But if you could sing at anytime while doing it (golf, bowling, darts, etc) would be a game.
An outlier for using that definition: Gymnastics.
It's physically demanding -- as much as many others commonly deemed "sports" -- but it has arbitrary scoring. I realize the rating is based on specific elements, but it doesn't have an easily defined score.
Diving also is in this category.
I'm not sure I can get on board with the have to have a defense to be a sport thing. I think gymnastics is a sport - it takes incredible athletic ability and skill but there is no defense. As is figure skating. But those who don't like judged sports would say no. Then what about boxing. It has defense, it has athletic ability, but any bout that doesn't end in a knockout is judged. Is boxing not a sport?
I would think that the onboard cameras in NASCAR would have put to rest by now that car racing isn't physical. And no, I'm not a car racing fan.
As someone who bowls competitively I disagree 100% with this as far as golf being more explosive. Try getting over 500 rpms on a 15 pound bowling ball, propelling at over 15 to 16 mph.. And you have to hit a one inch wide board down lane to be successful. Now repeat over 100 times in a tournament. I'm not claiming it's on par with basketball or football, but it's definitely more "explosive" than swinging a stick at a tiny ball. I've got nothing against golf as it takes incredible skill and hand/eye coordination. I would categorize golf and bowling both as sports as they are competitions where physical activity is required as the integral part of being successful. Darts is a sport, for example. Do you need to be an athlete to play darts? No. But it still requires physical skill to play. Things like poker or chess are competitions, but they aren't sports as the physical part of the game isn't required to compete. They ones I struggle with are video games. They require hand/eye coordination, but you aren't physically participating in what is happening on screen.
By this definition, is ping pong a sport? The Olympic ping pong players are diving all over the place. That's a tough one.
Several years ago during Summer Olympics period, a co-worker argued that table tennis doesn't qualify, because "anything you can play in your basement isn't a sport."
Seems like he also made a similar argument with badminton, the context being "played at a picnic." (He had no problem defining volleyball as a sport, though).
I remember when I considered/had discussions about sport/game, I came up with a difference between "athletics" and "sports." Athletics requiring significant physical exertion, but it can be a "sport" without being "athletics." And others are "games." But some things can be in multiple categories.
Example, I categorized auto racing as "sport" but not athletics (it's possible I'm wrong about that) and certainly not a "game." Golf and bowling can fit game and sport, but maybe not athletics.
And so on.
Again, this was years ago, so my viewpoint may have changed, and I don't know how valid it is anyone. But it's an interesting discussion.
Example, I categorized auto racing as "sport" but not athletics (it's possible I'm wrong about that) and certainly not a "game." Golf and bowling can fit game and sport, but maybe not athletics.
And so on.
Again, this was years ago, so my viewpoint may have changed, and I don't know how valid it is anyone. But it's an interesting discussion.
What about sports with subjective scoring? I mean some touchdowns in the NFL are objective and a lot of them are subjective. I mean, we all know the NFL is continually redefining what is or isn't a catch. Baseball is just as bad. I mean the strike zone is all over the place.
Which actually raises a question, is there an "activity" that has clearly objective scoring and rules that also involves defense? I'm struggling to think of one.
Yeah, as long as no one gets to defensive, it's actually a fairly interesting discussion because it feels like there is almost always an exception to any criteria. There are also a lot of personal biases involved and you get into the entire professional vs amateur debate
In context of what @NickTheGreat posted, I interpret "objective" scoring as - if you do (A) you get (X) number of points. E.g., a touchdown in football is awarded 6 points.
Of course officiating decisions/game rules can have an effect on game result and be subjective on case-by-case "scored or didn't" ... But structurally, football, baseball, basketball would be "objective" while diving, gymnastics, figure skating, "subjective."
And as I noted in a post earlier, gymnastics et. al. have specific details for how to determine a score (I'm no insider on details by any means) - but still it's up to how judges see it.
Also I'm not personally arguing "judging" disqualifies something as a sport vs. objective "scoreboard" events.
Good points. It's intriguing discussion because of so many gray areas and overlap in some cases, no matter how anyone decides to set the boundaries.
Would love to see them run up and down the court with NBA players. I would love to watch myself. It would be good comedy.
There are lot of jokes that could be made there. I think that qualifies it as a competition?