What defines a sport?

[jperickson23]

Edit (dbronco7sc): CyinCo brought up a great topic to debate in a different thread. I moved the first two responses to this new thread. End Edit

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CyinCo @ Jun 21 2006, 09:08 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Here is my definition of a sport:



A sport has a score or a time with a clear cut winner that isn't determined by judges. Examples, Basketball, baseball, Racing (unfortunately), Bowling, and even Chess. Boxing is a gray area since you have judges but there can be a knock out so I'll say sport.



Examples of "sports" that don't fit my definition: Gymnastics, ice and figure skating, diving, any "sport" where you go off a jump and do tricks with a judged score. These people might be athletes but they are not participating in a sport, IMO. If having judges makes something a sport, then American Idol or Miss America Pageant could be called sports.



Also, remember this: Something can be a "sport" even though you can drink beer while doing it. Examples are golf and bowling. Exercise, however, is defined as something you can't drink beer while doing. Golf, therefore, is a sport, but not exercise. Gymnastics is exercise but not a sport.



Got it?



Oh, and as far as the movie question goes, I'm going with Hoosiers. [/b][/quote]



I see where you're going with this but I would interject that for the longest time the champion of Division I college football was determined by a poll ( or judges if you will) and I don't think that anyone would say that football is not a sport.



Plain and simple, if you break and sweat and if your heart rate rises above normal while participating, it is a sport. Therefore, for the love of all things holy, CHESS IS NOT A SPORT!!!!!!!!

[dbronco7sc]

To defend gymnastics as a sport... The judges have a set of rules to follow... each routine has a starting value based off the level of difficulty(various flips, passes, dismount). Most being 10, since we are at the college level, but I've seen it where they have had 9.9 starting value routines, meaning the maximum they can score is that value. Then they are given deductions for falls, or times they lose balance. And those deductions are automatically a certain number of points. So, if things were perfect and the judges could at all times see all angles of the gymnast and have instant replay... the scoring would be completely constant between the two judges. It's usually the same or off by .05 of a point anyway.

Now you could argue that it still is subjective because it is how the judge percieves whether it was a wobble or what not. Kinda the same way where the line judge in soccer must tell from the sideline whether the ball completely broke the goal goal line in soccer, or in football if the tip of the ball crossed the goal line or if it was an incomplete catch when there is no good camera view, or if in basetball it was a strike, or if in basketball it was a travel.

My point... all of these judges/referees/umpires/officals have an effect on the outcome of the game... but there is still a set guideline for scoring them... including gymnastics. I don't know anything about figureskating, diving, or "trick sports"... But I'll also say if the NCAA calls it a college sport... then I think I'll consider it a sport too.
And I'll agree with the chess not being a sport too, I think few people will argue that one... there needs to be physical activity that will elevate your heart rate.

[chuckd4735]

Another good question is what defines an athlete??



Some of the things you said that were not sports have what I would consider athletes.

[CyinCo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chuckd4735 @ Jun 21 2006, 10:01 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Another good question is what defines an athlete??



Some of the things you said that were not sports have what I would consider athletes.

[/b][/quote]



Actually, I did say that they are althetes, I just didn't think it was a sport. Gymnasts are without a doubt great athletes, but they don't fit into my definition of a sport.



When I posted this, it was actually meant to be humorous, if anything. It is all my opinion and nothing more.



I do like the debate and would love to hear other people's definitions.

[TheHelgo]

I have had this debate several times with people and here is what I have come up with as the definition of a Sport:



1. There must be a 'ball' of somekind. Now don't start throwing stupid objections about this to be funny. Obviously a 'ball' includes a hockey puck, a birdie (badmitton), etc.



2. There must be a 'defense'. For this, the course itself is considered 'defense' in golf. Think about it - the rough, sandtraps, water, etc all all actively positioned to 'defend' the course.



3. The event must not be 'judged'. As mentioned, gymnastics, etc are excluded and are not sports. Interestingly, boxing is also excluded - but that was excluded by rule 1 as well (no ball)



4. There must be an outcome determined by a 'score'. Score is obviously defined as a gauge of performance, but judged scores are excluded by rule 3.



That's it. there is always argument here that track & field, etc are excluded but are sports. I argue that track & field/Racing/etc are 'Athletic Competitions' but not 'Sports'



This is a fun debate that can be argued many ways.

[clone33]

I define a sport as a game of somekind that athletes participate in. Now i define an athlete as someone who pushes their body to the extreme to win. but i will name a few exceptions.



1. Golf. I'll call golf a half/half sport. What tiger woods does, thats a sport, but what my uncle Bill does (crack a beer, jump on a cart and try to flip each other) is not a sport. So if you dont have a cart, and dont have beer, you are playing a sport.



2. Bowling. Same rule applies as in #1.



There probably are some that i forgot but if you have one then you make the call.



Track and field is, I repeat, is, a sport no matter what. I will not relive high school when i was told by the members of the golf team that golf is harder than track. Can you believe that? they thought golf was actually harder than track. This coming from all the 300+pounders that are too lazy to go out for track. That pissed me off, royally!

[CyinCo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TheHelgo @ Jun 21 2006, 10:26 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> I have had this debate several times with people and here is what I have come up with as the definition of a Sport:



1. There must be a 'ball' of somekind. Now don't start throwing stupid objections about this to be funny. Obviously a 'ball' includes a hockey puck, a birdie (badmitton), etc.



2. There must be a 'defense'. For this, the course itself is considered 'defense' in golf. Think about it - the rough, sandtraps, water, etc all all actively positioned to 'defend' the course.



3. The event must not be 'judged'. As mentioned, gymnastics, etc are excluded and are not sports. Interestingly, boxing is also excluded - but that was excluded by rule 1 as well (no ball)



4. There must be an outcome determined by a 'score'. Score is obviously defined as a gauge of performance, but judged scores are excluded by rule 3.



That's it. there is always argument here that track & field, etc are excluded but are sports. I argue that track & field/Racing/etc are 'Athletic Competitions' but not 'Sports'



This is a fun debate that can be argued many ways.



[/b][/quote]



Very interesting.



With my definition, Track and Field is a sport since there is score or time that is judge free (I don't count refs and umpires, the are only rule enforcement).



I like the ball rule, though. Very cool perspective.

[MNclone]

Wrestling is also an interesting mix, no ball, referee awarding points? I know too many wrestlers to not call it a sport!

[CyinCo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MNclone @ Jun 21 2006, 01:06 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Wrestling is also an interesting mix, no ball, referee awarding points? I know too many wrestlers to not call it a sport! [/b][/quote]



If I stick with my original definition, since there can be a pin, I would say sport. Along the same lines as boxing. If there wasn't such thing as a KO to win, I would say boxing isn't a sport. A pin yields a clear cut winner (even if it doesn't always happen) so I would say wrestling is a sport.

[bstegs]

According to dictionary.com:
Sport: Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

I would argue that wrestling is the mother of all sport. That or track and field, both of which were the original olympic "sports".

I am also biased by 4 years of high school wrestling and knowing several Iowa State wrestlers through the years.

Based on the above definition, chess is not a sport.

[clones11]

i saw a post saying anythign that causes you to break a sweat and increases your heart rate above a normal rate is a sport? by this definition sex is a sport all weel and good but also taking a big dump i know i have broken a sweat and somtimes that heart rate will increase disgusting i know but seriously bad definaition. as for wrestlign being similar to boxing? obviously you dont know anythign about wrestling and how scoring goes so i'll forgive you, but wrestling is no where near "judged" and i call it one of the only "sports" heres my definition a sport is a physical activity in which there is a time limit and clear cut winner based on a set of rules governed by someone. a "Sport" is different from a "Game" in that a sport can't have the verb "to play" involved thus you can "play" basketball which is a game you wan't "Play" wrestling which is a sport.

[dbronco7sc]

I've generally used the term "sports" interchangeably with "athletic competitions"

Thus sports by my definition must include:
Competition against an opponent

Physical Activity that increases heart rate

A scoring system that has defined rules on how the scoring must occur

A area of play (arena, court, field, ring, etc...) where the athlete strategically moves his/her entire body throughout competiton. (thus excluding chess for those of you who increase your heart rate in the game)



However I could be wrong that sports are the same as athletic competitions and then I would probably agree with the "has a ball" definition.

[CyinCo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clones11 @ Jun 21 2006, 05:59 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> . as for wrestlign being similar to boxing? obviously you dont know anythign about wrestling and how scoring goes so i'll forgive you, but wrestling is no where near "judged" and i call it one of the only "sports" . [/b][/quote]



You are correct, I don't know anything about wrestling scoring.

[Wesley]

Now ESPN is covering poker and dominoes. Must be running out of good sports material.

[HiltonMagic]

ESPN = Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. Not just sports.