What is a sport?

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.

I should add that "athletic" means "physically adept". Which can be connected to being adept in any physical activity: NOT just sports.

Golf is not a sport. It's a skill....What's next throwing darts is a sport.

Let the argueing begin

Golf is totally a sport. Cheerleading is totally not a sport.

As a cheerleading coach, I'd like to ask how you've decided it's not a sport. Competition cheerleaders compete against other squads, which makes it a sport by definition. Besides that, the level of gymnastics, coordination, agility, etc. that is needed is up there with any (and sometimes beyond) any other activity that you would consider a sport.

It's not a sport because it is not objective. This has been covered pretty well. It is an athletic competition, but definitely not a sport. Is body building a sport?
I didn't think so.
Further, I could find better coordination and flexibility at a yoga class. But is yoga a sport?

Cheer leading is objective.

There are clear and defined goals and there are objective standard for what a squad can and must do during a routine.

You can have points deducted for failing to go long enough or not finishing your routine in time.

Their events are filmed and the watch replays to ensure that maneuvers are completely cleanly and to prevent cheating.

They have a scoring system and they have brackets that dictate their movement through a competition.

I do not see how you could justify your comparison between cheer leading and yoga.

They have a scoring system that is judged by humans. In the end, humans are not perfect. Cheerleading is not akin to yoga, but practitioners of yoga have excellent strength, flexibility, and coordination. These things are thusly not a criteria for a sport, instead they are a criteria for an athletic endeavor.

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.

Golf is not a sport. It's a skill....What's next throwing darts is a sport.

Let the argueing begin

Golf is totally a sport. Cheerleading is totally not a sport.

As a cheerleading coach, I'd like to ask how you've decided it's not a sport. Competition cheerleaders compete against other squads, which makes it a sport by definition. Besides that, the level of gymnastics, coordination, agility, etc. that is needed is up there with any (and sometimes beyond) any other activity that you would consider a sport.

It's not a sport because it is not objective. This has been covered pretty well. It is an athletic competition, but definitely not a sport. Is body building a sport?
I didn't think so.
Further, I could find better coordination and flexibility at a yoga class. But is yoga a sport?

Cheer leading is objective.

There are clear and defined goals and there are objective standard for what a squad can and must do during a routine.

You can have points deducted for failing to go long enough or not finishing your routine in time.

Their events are filmed and the watch replays to ensure that maneuvers are completely cleanly and to prevent cheating.

They have a scoring system and they have brackets that dictate their movement through a competition.

I do not see how you could justify your comparison between cheer leading and yoga.

Will you marry me? :flowerforyou: lol

Yes, I will marry you.

Will you marry me? :flowerforyou: lol
[/quote]
Yes, I will marry you.
[/quote]

Sweet! :laugh:

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.

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.

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!

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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".