What is a sport?

Artie Fufkin · 18-03-2007, 1:22 AM

When does a pastime become a sport? Is darts a sport? Bowling? Synchronised swimming? Fishing?

Does it need to be primarily athletic, or just incorporate a bit of exertion somewhere along the way? Or is there something else which you feel defines sport?

mjn · 18-03-2007, 10:56 AM

There has to be some skill involved for a start. So there goes fishing.

la gran siete · 18-03-2007, 11:00 AM

Competition pure and simple. This brings out the necessary skills , athleticism (if required) dexterity etc
Sometimes shooting/ chasing animals is called sport - it isnt its barabarism.

huwg · 18-03-2007, 2:13 PM

sport v game ?
For me physical activity is the key.
I tend to think of snooker and darts as games rather than sport.
Golf I classify as a sport.

lostinspace · 19-03-2007, 6:46 PM

For me a sport has to have a measurable way of deciding who has won. Maybe it's goals scored, or longest/ highest/ fastest if you know what I mean.
This would make darts and snooker a sport, but synchronised swimming

, diving

skating

are NOT sports.
Some may say that even football has an element of judgement by officials in it, but for me there is a difference between interpretation of rules, and assessing how many points something is worth.
By my definition, boxing isn't a sport unless won by a knockout. But it's not a sport anyway.

I'd also say a sport is played in a sporting (fair and honest) way. So fooball definitely isn't a sport

RMCF · 19-03-2007, 10:55 PM

Football is a business!! Used to be a sport.

Darts is a game played by fat guys who would swill beer while playing it if they were allowed to (like the old days) - so for me its a game.

Fishing is a past-time.

Snooker is a game to keep children away from school.

Can't decide what chess is yet?

RMCF · 19-03-2007, 10:58 PM

Dictionary definition:
an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

That definition makes a lot of things 'sport'.

Make your own mind up.

Mylo · 19-03-2007, 10:59 PM

always knew that drinking was a sport

JohnG · 20-03-2007, 8:59 AM

My definition:-
Someone who will do a turn without me having to buy her drinks all night first

dan1979 · 20-03-2007, 9:18 AM

Darts was officially declared as a sport a while back.

**Leej** · 20-03-2007, 9:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjn

It has to be some skill involved for a start. So there goes fishing.

Fishing, at the highest level, has as much skill involved as most other sports.

Anyone can go and catch a fish, just like anyone can kick a football. But it takes alot of skill to catch a lot of fish and be ahead of the competition.
.

RMCF · 20-03-2007, 3:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leej

Fishing, at the highest level, has as much skill involved as most other sports.

Anyone can go and catch a fish, just like anyone can kick a football. But it takes alot of skill to catch a lot of fish and be ahead of the competition.
.

But I don't think 'skill' makes it a sport.

It takes skill to hang wallpaper too, but its not a sport.

Knyght_byte · 20-03-2007, 4:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMCF

But I don't think 'skill' makes it a sport.

It takes skill to hang wallpaper too, but its not a sport.

to me a sport is anything where you train long and hard to be the best in competition to win something......

a game is where you are simply in competition to win but for no reason....

tennis is a game, but also a sport......its a game when you and your sister/brother/mother/father/etc have a knockabout in a local park court....its a sport when you join the LTA and attempt to get ranked and enter trophy (whether actual or just prize money) tournaments...

football is likewise the same....a game when a bunch of kids are knocking a ball about during breaktime at school........its a sport when they are formed in to a proper team that enters in to competitive trophy tournament....

which is why fishing, darts, golf, snooker etc are all sports as well as games/past-times...

even computer games......some people play them as games and just have a laugh.....other people train hard and enter tournaments to win prizes/trophies against other people.....there is no difference from darts or snooker or even cricket......you are using hand-eye coordination, intelligence, skill, psychological choice, etc in competition against other people......sure you might not be running around a muddy pitch....but you'll find most gamers get a fairly decent cardio workout due to the adrenellin levels they achieve

Decadence · 20-03-2007, 5:02 PM

"What is a sport?" is a very subjective question with no definitive answer. It is very much related to individual interpretation as people will always disagree as to what falls under its umbrella.

I win!

RMCF · 20-03-2007, 5:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Decadence

"What is a sport?" is a very subjective question with no definitive answer. It is very much related to individual interpretation as people will always disagree as to what falls under its umbrella.

I win!

Yes you are right - this question comes up every now and again and there is no definitive answer.

For a post to claim that computer games would qualify as a sport just show how difficult it is to quantify.