What is a sport?

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  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
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    If it's a ball game and from the start to the end of the game the ball is not in play for at least a third of that duration, it's not a sport, it's a lot of standing around and every now and then doing something for a few seconds, and generally a waste of everyone's time. So yeah, baseball, cricket, American football and softball aren't sports.

    And the likes of snooker and darts are games, not sports.

    Each of the sports you mentioned (even softball) are more interesting than soccer.
    Yawn.

    softball is probably the 2nd worst sport on the planet. with number one being women's basketball. a sport that is meant to played above the rim isnt good for people who can barely touch it. :D
  • Zomoniac
    Zomoniac Posts: 1,169 Member
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    Perhaps, but that doesn't change the fact that very little actual game happens. If association football was changed to allow players to wear helmets and kick each other in the face, and consequently the games went from being 10 minutes in play instead of 60, it wouldn't make the participants better athletes, and it would make the sport tediously dull. If there is more advert time than ball-in-play time then it stops being a spectator sport and becomes a marketing vehicle.

    they are completely different sports. what about cricket and baseball? are they sports? lots of down time there too.

    and for soccer you have players that when the ball is in play have very little to do with the action. of course they may be moving a little for position.

    in football when the ball is in play ever single player is very important. so i wonder if we took time that the ball is in play and couple it with how engaged each player is i wonder if football would come out ahead? not that it matters though really. both sports are great. :)

    It depends on many things, and again, how you're defining 'sport'. Cricket and baseball have next to no running. Cricket games last for days with players taking a break for a meal, coming straight back on and resuming playing. If you believe that you should never play sport on a full stomach then cricket ain't a sport :)

    In soccer there are certainly differet demands depending on where you play and the style of the team, but a wide midfielder can run around 9 miles in a 90 minute game, whereas even the main runners in US football rarely break 1.25 miles.

    http://gizmodo.com/5992583/how-far-do-you-run-in-different-sports

    But as ever, each to their own. I enjoy watching and playing tennis which is very stop-start, as long as it flows well. Sometimes it gets tedious if it's taking too long between points. I like things to be happening!
  • BrettWithPKU
    BrettWithPKU Posts: 575 Member
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    If it's a ball game and from the start to the end of the game the ball is not in play for at least a third of that duration, it's not a sport, it's a lot of standing around and every now and then doing something for a few seconds, and generally a waste of everyone's time. So yeah, baseball, cricket, American football and softball aren't sports.

    And the likes of snooker and darts are games, not sports.

    Each of the sports you mentioned (even softball) are more interesting than soccer.
    Yawn.

    softball is probably the 2nd worst sport on the planet. with number one being women's basketball. a sport that is meant to played above the rim isnt good for people who can barely touch it. :D

    Come on man, softball IS baseball, on a smaller field. Which means it's faster paced.
    Women's basketball is basketball played by women. Not quite as exciting, but watch some women's hoops. It's more team-oriented (since one person's not dunking the ball every possession), and you can learn a lot about strategy - setting up those high percentage plays.

    Worst sport in the world? I know it's a world-renowned sport, so my answer won't be popular with some, but CRICKET.
    It's an all-day affair. You go into a match having no idea when it will end: it's TORTURE! In baseball, runs are exciting. In cricket, outs are exciting. I think that's because outs means the match is going to end sooner.
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
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    Come on man, softball IS baseball, on a smaller field. Which means it's faster paced.
    Women's basketball is basketball played by women. Not quite as exciting, but watch some women's hoops. It's more team-oriented (since one person's not dunking the ball every possession), and you can learn a lot about strategy - setting up those high percentage plays.

    Worst sport in the world? I know it's a world-renowned sport, so my answer won't be popular with some, but CRICKET.
    It's an all-day affair. You go into a match having no idea when it will end: it's TORTURE! In baseball, runs are exciting. In cricket, outs are exciting. I think that's because outs means the match is going to end sooner.

    women's basketball compared to men's is like flag football compared to regular football. its an extremely watered down version of the sport.

    they need to find the open person because they lack the athleticism to drive to the hoop.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
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    If it's a ball game and from the start to the end of the game the ball is not in play for at least a third of that duration, it's not a sport, it's a lot of standing around and every now and then doing something for a few seconds, and generally a waste of everyone's time. So yeah, baseball, cricket, American football and softball aren't sports.

    And the likes of snooker and darts are games, not sports.

    Each of the sports you mentioned (even softball) are more interesting than soccer.
    Yawn.

    softball is probably the 2nd worst sport on the planet. with number one being women's basketball. a sport that is meant to played above the rim isnt good for people who can barely touch it. :D

    Come on man, softball IS baseball, on a smaller field. Which means it's faster paced.
    Women's basketball is basketball played by women. Not quite as exciting, but watch some women's hoops. It's more team-oriented (since one person's not dunking the ball every possession), and you can learn a lot about strategy - setting up those high percentage plays.

    Worst sport in the world? I know it's a world-renowned sport, so my answer won't be popular with some, but CRICKET.
    It's an all-day affair. You go into a match having no idea when it will end: it's TORTURE! In baseball, runs are exciting. In cricket, outs are exciting. I think that's because outs means the match is going to end sooner.

    That's softball players sign million dollar contracts.
  • rhiannon737
    rhiannon737 Posts: 32 Member
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    it makes me laugh when people consider bowling, darts, golf and fishing as sports :laugh:
    they're all hobbies and if you can do something with a drink in your hand or actually be drunk, its not a sport :drinker: also, golfers ride carts everywhere, thus eliminating all exercise from the hobby :huh:
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
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    it makes me laugh when people consider bowling, darts, golf and fishing as sports :laugh:
    they're all hobbies and if you can do something with a drink in your hand or actually be drunk, its not a sport :drinker: also, golfers ride carts everywhere, thus eliminating all exercise from the hobby :huh:

    Have you ever even seen a PGA championship?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,692 Member
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    One could go on extreme roller coasters (there are some up to 6 G's) all day. There are some who have successfully attempted it, but I would by no means put them in an athletic category.
    Anybody doing ANYTHING in life will probably do it better if they are in shape physically.

    that comment shows you know nothing about racing. for your comment to be valid F1 racers would have to sit in their cars and not participate in piloting it at all. what they actually do is fight against those G forces with steering and breaking.

    at least you are correct about football. :)
    Yes I didn't factor that in, but I was directing the "physical" endurance of G forces on the body to saying that one doesn't have to be in excellent physical shape to endure them. No doubt the amount of steering a car at high speeds and turns involves some great physical conditioning on the arms, shoulders and back.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Excuse_less
    Excuse_less Posts: 874 Member
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    it makes me laugh when people consider bowling, darts, golf and fishing as sports :laugh:
    they're all hobbies and if you can do something with a drink in your hand or actually be drunk, its not a sport :drinker: also, golfers ride carts everywhere, thus eliminating all exercise from the hobby :huh:

    Have you ever even seen a PGA championship?

    Yes, not exactly the best athletes around but they do take it serious !!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,692 Member
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    it makes me laugh when people consider bowling, darts, golf and fishing as sports :laugh:
    they're all hobbies and if you can do something with a drink in your hand or actually be drunk, its not a sport :drinker: also, golfers ride carts everywhere, thus eliminating all exercise from the hobby :huh:

    Have you ever even seen a PGA championship?
    If you consider "walking" a physical sport................................swinging the club isn't about physicality, it's about precision.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • _the_feniks_
    _the_feniks_ Posts: 3,443 Member
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    Golf is not a sport, it's a hobby.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
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    it makes me laugh when people consider bowling, darts, golf and fishing as sports :laugh:
    they're all hobbies and if you can do something with a drink in your hand or actually be drunk, its not a sport :drinker: also, golfers ride carts everywhere, thus eliminating all exercise from the hobby :huh:

    Have you ever even seen a PGA championship?
    If you consider "walking" a physical sport................................swinging the club isn't about physicality, it's about precision.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I addressed this in page 2 or 3.
  • CookNLift
    CookNLift Posts: 3,660 Member
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    I'm a mathlete, not an athlete.

    nerdss.gif
  • horsewhisper91
    horsewhisper91 Posts: 456 Member
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    Not sure if this can of worms was already opened or not.... But horseback riding is most definitely a SPORT!

    To all that disagree, as quoted from 'Gone With the Wind'....."Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn".
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    If it's a ball game and from the start to the end of the game the ball is not in play for at least a third of that duration, it's not a sport, it's a lot of standing around and every now and then doing something for a few seconds, and generally a waste of everyone's time. So yeah, baseball, cricket, American football and softball aren't sports.

    And the likes of snooker and darts are games, not sports.

    I would argue that American football is the epitome of sport. Well, that and boxing and MMA.

    At least there's far less cuddling then one sees in rugby.

    WSJ did a study and found the ball was actually in play during an American football match for about 11 minutes. How can anything that can last up to three hours from the start of a game to the end of a game where the game is only actually being played for 11 minutes be classed as the epitome of sport? It's about as valid a claim as saying that running to the end of your street, standing there for an hour and running back home makes you a distance runner. A rugby game has a clock time of 80 minutes. At the last world cup the ball was in play for 47 minutes in each match. And I don't care for rugby, I never watch it, but it has a lot more claim to being a 'sport'.

    Keep trying. Rugby is for cuddles. American football is for men.

    Besides, there isn't exactly a lot of running in boxing and MMA and those have action for just a few minutes. But I guess those aren't sports in your world either then? lol

    "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less."

    "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."

    "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master - that's all."
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
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    .
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    Golf is not a sport, it's a hobby.

    Or just an excuse to drink beer while paying $65 to walk through some well manicured lawns . . .
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
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    Golf is not a sport, it's a hobby.

    Or just an excuse to drink beer while paying $65 to walk through some well manicured lawns . . .

    Public course alert.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    Golf is not a sport, it's a hobby.

    Or just an excuse to drink beer while paying $65 to walk through some well manicured lawns . . .

    Public course alert.

    Social climber alert

    ETA: This thread has devolved to trash talk, right? Just want to make sure we're playing on the same field.
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
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    imagine a venn diagram; "sport" is in the middle

    game | physical challenge | competition with stakes

    (baseball barely qualifies)

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