What is a sport?

BrettWithPKU

I'd consider a sport (as opposed to a "game", or "show") to be defined by opposing individuals or teams participating physically, and interactively, with clear conditions that define winners and losers at the end - even if one condition is "have a judge award you more points".
But the key is "interacting", meaning more than one individual or team participates in an event simultaneously, often directly influencing the success of the other participants.

By my definition, Baseball, basketball, hockey, tennis, ping pong, dodge ball, boxing, wrestling (the real kind) and foot-racing (track) are sports. If you don't think track is, think about long-distance running. The lead runner sets the pace.

Car racing (or any vehicle racing) is NOT a sport. Sure drivers tell you they sweat, their heart rate quickens, etc. But you could sweat and have your heart rate quicken in hold-em' poker, and poker: NOT a sport, and neither is car racing.

Field events are competitions, but not sports. Diving, figure skating, etc. are competitions, but not sports, because the success of one diver (for example) does not directly influence the success of any other diver.
Cheerleading is no more a sport than a "battle of the bands"; both are physical, true, but at the core both are more about providing entertainment than competing. The same goes for professional "fake" wrestling.
Mental games and luck games like chess, checkers, cards games and casino games are defined as games on the Wikipedia page for "sports", but they're not. They're not physical.

Ok, I give. Not as in I agree, but as in I'm done arguing.

If cheerleading squads would perform simultaneously on the same stage, and try to sabotage the other squad's routine while putting on an entertaining one of their own, and having a judge decide which one was better, THAT would be a sport. Nay, that'd be an EXTREME sport. I'd pay to see that.

1PatientBear

I'm pretty sure most people have never heard of Wittgenstein, and they certainly haven't read the Tractatus. I'm just happy to see him referenced here, because it was exactly what I was thinking.

Yeah, that's why I linked to the wiki, so that peeps could go off and read some background on what they're arguing over and perhaps gain some context on why they will probably be arguing for ever on a definition!

Or we could just have a fun debate.

Oh. I am so terribly sorry. I'll go back to my corner with the other kill joys that understand the foundations of our arguments regarding semantics . . . oh, and arguments regarding nutrition and cancer. I can't forget nutrition and cancer research. Anyway, have fun! :flowerforyou:

And for the record, competitive cheerleading is most certainly a sport. Those ladies suffer under an injury rate that, last time I checked, is on par or higher than American football. Credit where credit is due and all.

What does injury rate have to do with anything?? Bull riding isn't a sport either.

soldier4242

If cheerleading squads would perform simultaneously on the same stage, and try to sabotage the other squad's routine while putting on an entertaining one of their own, and having a judge decide which one was better, THAT would be a sport. Nay, that'd be an EXTREME sport. I'd pay to see that.

While I think cheer leading should be considered a sport as it is I think idea is still really cool. We could call it combat cheer leading. It would be so neat watching the teams go at it with one another while still trying to pull off complex maneuvers. There would be a lot of injuries. I think if you manage to maintain a 6 person pyramid for a full minute you automatically win.

soldier4242

The NFL has a scoring system that is defined by imperfect humans. This may shock you but sometimes teams are given credit for touch downs that others disagree with and vice versa. So if you think that a scoring system that can be judged by a human rules out that event as as sport then you have to agree that football is not a sport or you have to withdraw that objection when it comes to cheer leading.

they are completely different. teams dont hit the field in the NFL and play while a team of judges decides who plays better.

It sounds to me like your problem is with the definition of the word sport. You have set an arbitrary definition and it is up to the rest of the world to simply agree with you. The way I see it if you look at the way the word is defined right now. Cheer leading is a sport.

Vain_Witch

If cheerleading squads would perform simultaneously on the same stage, and try to sabotage the other squad's routine while putting on an entertaining one of their own, and having a judge decide which one was better, THAT would be a sport. Nay, that'd be an EXTREME sport. I'd pay to see that.

While I think cheer leading should be considered a sport as it is I think idea is still really cool. We could call it combat cheer leading. It would be so neat watching the teams go at it with one another while still trying to pull off complex maneuvers. There would be a lot of injuries. I think if you manage to maintain a 6 person pyramid for a full minute you automatically win.

In to see the competitors backhandspringing into each others faces!!! lol!

BrettWithPKU

The NFL has a scoring system that is defined by imperfect humans. This may shock you but sometimes teams are given credit for touch downs that others disagree with and vice versa. So if you think that a scoring system that can be judged by a human rules out that event as as sport then you have to agree that football is not a sport or you have to withdraw that objection when it comes to cheer leading.

they are completely different. teams dont hit the field in the NFL and play while a team of judges decides who plays better.

It sounds to me like your problem is with the definition of the word sport. You have set an arbitrary definition and it is up to the rest of the world to simply agree with you. The way I see it if you look at the way the word is defined right now. Cheer leading is a sport.

Under the official definition (see page 1 of this topic), competition cheerleading is definitely a sport. If we're asking "is cheerleading a sport based on the official definition", the answer is YES.

But most people's perception of "sports" is not quite the official definition.

I think the conflict between "official" vs. "perception" is the reason this topic is on its 5th page of debate.

Vain_Witch

The NFL has a scoring system that is defined by imperfect humans. This may shock you but sometimes teams are given credit for touch downs that others disagree with and vice versa. So if you think that a scoring system that can be judged by a human rules out that event as as sport then you have to agree that football is not a sport or you have to withdraw that objection when it comes to cheer leading.

they are completely different. teams dont hit the field in the NFL and play while a team of judges decides who plays better.

It sounds to me like your problem is with the definition of the word sport. You have set an arbitrary definition and it is up to the rest of the world to simply agree with you. The way I see it if you look at the way the word is defined right now. Cheer leading is a sport.

Under the official definition (see page 1 of this topic), competition cheerleading is definitely a sport. If we're asking "is cheerleading a sport based on the official definition", the answer is YES.

But most people's perception of "sports" is not quite the official definition.

I think the conflict between "official" vs. "perception" is the reason this topic is on its 5th page of debate.

Agreed.

scottaworley

I still say golf is not a sport....A skill yes, however it is not a sport.

You can hit the ball straight as an arrow and know exactly where to hit it, but without physical prowess you aren't going to be able to shoot under 90.
That's what makes it a sport.

My Father-in- Law and I played a Championship Golf Course in Florida 2 years ago...Unbeleivably hard. My Father in law is 70 years old, overweight, constantly out of breath and on more heart medication than I care to admit. Through 18 he shot an 87. He is not an athlete....he is skilled

87 is FAR from scratch. Okay so he can technically shoot under 90, but that's still not a PGA or even web.com score. The people who play for money play a sport. The rest of us play a game.

scottaworley

The NFL has a scoring system that is defined by imperfect humans. This may shock you but sometimes teams are given credit for touch downs that others disagree with and vice versa. So if you think that a scoring system that can be judged by a human rules out that event as as sport then you have to agree that football is not a sport or you have to withdraw that objection when it comes to cheer leading.

they are completely different. teams dont hit the field in the NFL and play while a team of judges decides who plays better.

It sounds to me like your problem is with the definition of the word sport. You have set an arbitrary definition and it is up to the rest of the world to simply agree with you. The way I see it if you look at the way the word is defined right now. Cheer leading is a sport.

You can't even spell cheerleading....

soldier4242

The NFL has a scoring system that is defined by imperfect humans. This may shock you but sometimes teams are given credit for touch downs that others disagree with and vice versa. So if you think that a scoring system that can be judged by a human rules out that event as as sport then you have to agree that football is not a sport or you have to withdraw that objection when it comes to cheer leading.

they are completely different. teams dont hit the field in the NFL and play while a team of judges decides who plays better.

It sounds to me like your problem is with the definition of the word sport. You have set an arbitrary definition and it is up to the rest of the world to simply agree with you. The way I see it if you look at the way the word is defined right now. Cheer leading is a sport.

You can't even spell cheerleading....

I did capitalize the word cheer when I shouldn't have. I am wrong for that and I am sorry.

I was always taught when I was in school that cheer leading is supposed to be written as two words. It does make sense to me that the person would be cheer leading. They are leading cheers.

You seem to think it should "cheerleading" which I am fine with. If it is that important to you go right ahead.

I do think that you should not be using four periods in an ellipsis. You should also only use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. Since you are not quoting nobody has any way of knowing what you are omitting. So I guess you are just trying to tell us that you had more to say but chose not to. Or it could be you just don't know what an ellipsis is.

Zomoniac

I do think that you should not be using four periods in an ellipsis. You should also only use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. Since you are not quoting nobody has any way of knowing what you are omitting. So I guess you are just trying to tell us that you had more to say but chose not to. Or it could be you just don't know what an ellipsis is.

Using an ellipsis as an aposiopesis is a perfectly valid application. It still shouldn't have four points though.

scottaworley

I do think that you should not be using four periods in an ellipsis. You should also only use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. Since you are not quoting nobody has any way of knowing what you are omitting. So I guess you are just trying to tell us that you had more to say but chose not to. Or it could be you just don't know what an ellipsis is.

Using an ellipsis as an aposiopesis is a perfectly valid application. It still shouldn't have four points though.

Dangit. Beat me to the punch. Sorry for using four periods.... I kind of just put my finger on the period key......

n3verlettingmyselfgo

I took GCSE P.E and the definition of sport is:

Competitive activities bounded by rules, requiring degrees of physical exertion and the ability to carry out complex techniques.

Zomoniac

I took GCSE P.E and the definition of sport is:

Competitive activities bounded by rules, requiring degrees of physical exertion and the ability to carry out complex techniques.

Well, at least that clarifies that cricket isn't a sport.

n3verlettingmyselfgo

I took GCSE P.E and the definition of sport is:

Competitive activities bounded by rules, requiring degrees of physical exertion and the ability to carry out complex techniques.

Well, at least that clarifies that cricket isn't a sport.

why would it clarify that cricket isn't a sport? Are there degree's of physical exertion - yes, bounded by rules - yes, competitive - yes
complex techniques - yes, there are, within the different roles of cricket, there will be various techniques used to achieve optimum performance.

furry226

Frog Racing

Zomoniac

I took GCSE P.E and the definition of sport is:

Competitive activities bounded by rules, requiring degrees of physical exertion and the ability to carry out complex techniques.

Well, at least that clarifies that cricket isn't a sport.

why would it clarify that cricket isn't a sport? Are there degree's of physical exertion - no, bounded by rules - yes, competitive - vaguely, complex techniques - yes, there are, within the different roles of cricket, there will be various techniques used to achieve optimum performance.

IFYP.

scottaworley

Is curling a sport? That one confuses me. It's objective, but stupid.

I'm pretty sure an additional criteria for sporthood should be "not stupid".

BeachIron

Is curling a sport? That one confuses me. It's objective, but stupid.

I think this gets to the heart of the matter. There are certain activities that fit the definition of what we call "sports" that just don't look like the other things we call sports.Yes, there are teams, competition, objective measures, judges, and even gold medals, but we watch it and end up feeling very let down.