Sports that aren't sports:

[ohiosmith]

Darts

[Sannum]

1. curling.

[NightWatcher]

28. Back off, I watch it every winter olympic season

I love curling and I live in south Georgia. I am gonna found the South Georgia Curling team. The commute to Canada will be a bitch, but it is most definitely a sport.

[RubyDuby in GA]

69. I live right outside of Atlanta. Pick me up on your way there!

Curling is bitchin'!

Obviously the person who said it isn't a sport has mental deficiencies.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

44. Curling takes skill and really strong legs...

And a really cute smiley!!

[HEyHEY]

107. I dare you to post that in the Canada forum

[RedStateShame]

2. Golf

[ohiosmith]

14. amen

[SteppingRazor]

72. To quote Mark Twain, "Golf is a good walk spoiled."

;)

[sammythecat]

100. Great quote! I never heard that.

Mark Twain had a way seeing and explaining the truth of a matter, didn't he?

:rofl:

[Orsino]

76. I grant golf sport status...

...though I have trouble calling golfers athletes. Sorta like pro wrestling, but the other way around.

[NewJeffCT]

87. agreed

it's not a sport - it's a skill.

[MonkeyFunk]

3. Bowling

any "sport" with ashtrays and cocktail waitresses on the playing field ain't a sport.

[underpants]

4. Flaming hatchet catch

[ohiosmith]

10. You have obviously never participated in an assless chaps full contact match.

[Maddy McCall]

5. Fishing

[rurallib]

6. poker for goodness sakes

makes me mad to see "sports" channels covering poker like it had some legitimate claim to being a sport. It's a freaking card game.

[1gobluedem]

15. Ditto n/t

[MissMillie]

66. yep

and billiards


and auto racing


(this is not to say that I think there is no skill required... I just don't think these activities are sports... and I'm sure there are others I'm not mentioning)

[SteppingRazor]

73. Not a sport, but it is fun to watch...

I guess it may only be fun if you play, but I love watching the World Series of Poker on ESPN. The Travel Channel poker shows are OK too, but a bit theatrical.

[Omphaloskepsis]

7. Posting on Internet forums.

[tk2kewl]

13. depends what you're poking

:yoiks:

[soleft]

8. Billiards

[GumboYaYa]

9. Curling...

I think the Olympic rules for this sport need to require that the team average a .08 blood alcohol level and at least one team memnber must be smoking at all times.

[Sannum]

11. pocket pool.

[realisticphish]

12. anything that doesn't require athletic endurance

so, i would count curling, golf, and cheerleading as sports. I wouldn't count poker or billiards, though i MIGHT consider the latter

[ForrestGump]

20. To name three examples of things I've had a fair bit to do with,

performing on a stage can require athletic endurance, but is not a sport; SCUBA diving can also require extreme endurance, especially in wild and woolly locales, and is often called 'sport diving' but I refuse to see it as a sport because, to me, sport suggests some form of competition and (American, especially) many SCUBA divers have bad enough attitudes about being underwater and amidst raw nature; and martial arts sometimes are sports -- for sure, few other human pursuits require more athletic endurance than some of the styles of martial arts -- but the kind I have studied is definitely not sport-oriented.

In other words, I don't know that your definition does the trick, either. I freely admit that I can't offer a definition that does, though the notion of some form of competition (even with a personal best time or score) seems central to the concept, in combination with some form of athleticism...I don't really know what sports are, but I know what they aren't (at least in my worldview). :D

[realisticphish]

47. right

I think that there are the core sports, Football and Football, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, Volleyball, etc, the fringe sports, like curling, and the whatever-the-hell-you-want sports, like billiards and competative eating

[skygazer]

16. NASCAR

[anti-everything]

58. Get in your car on a

90 degree day, turn the heat on, and drive around in a cul-de-sac fast enough to feel 3-6 g's for 4 or 5 hours and then tell me NASCAR isn't a sport.

[RedStateShame]

67. You know what NASCAR stands for, don't you?

Non-Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks.

[MAGICBULLET]

17. tonsil hockey

:hide:

[Nicole]

52. It is if you do it right!

:evilgrin:

[Hugin]

18. Chess.

I have this hilarious Gym flier from the 1930s which shows Boxing, Track, and Chess as
the three components of a 'Well Shaped Man'. :lol:

[cloudbase]

19. Synchronized swimming.

Maybe with a few giant squid in the pool, but until then. . .

[Dukkha]

21. NASCAR of course

driving around to the left continuously for hours. Slow them down to 25mph and turn on a turn signal and you got Florida.

also
Poker
billiards
computer gaming
sharpshooting
equestrian (the horse is the athlete not you!)
arm wrestling
bull running

[Bombero1956]

22. they aren't sports

just because you folks say they aren't...um ok. Live and let live I always say.

[SKKY]

23. Swimming...

"Swimming's not a sport. Swimming is a way of 'not drowning'". Thank you George Carlin.

[hellbound-liberal]

48. Thanks for bringing up Carlin. Here is a longer rant from him about sports and "non-sports"

GEORGE CARLIN AND SPORTS

"To my way of thinking there are really only three sports: baseball, basketball, and football. Everything else is either a game or an activity.

Hockey comes to mind. People think hockey is a sport. It's not. Hockey is three activities taking place at the same time: ice skating, fooling around with a puck, and beating the shit out of somebody. If these guys had more brains then teeth, they'd do these things one at a time. First go ice-skating, then fool around with a puck, then you go to the bar and beat the shit out of somebody. The day would last longer, and these guys would have a lot more fun. Another reason why hockey isn't a sport is that it's not played with a ball. Anything not played with a ball can't be a sport. These are my rules, I make 'em up.

Soccer. Soccer is not a sport because you can't use your arms. Anything where you can't use your arms can't be a sport. Tap dancing isn't a sport. I rest my case.

Running. People think running is a sport. Running isn't a sport because anybody can do it. I can run, you can run. For Christ sakes, my mother can run! You don't see her on the cover of Sports Illustrated, do you?

Swimming. Swimming isn't a sport. Swimming is a way to keep from drowning. That's just common sense. Sailing isn't a sport. Sailing is a way to get somewhere. Riding the bus isn't a sport, why the fuck should sailing be a sport?

Boxing is not a sport either. Boxing is a way to beat the shit out of somebody. In that respect, boxing is actually a more sophisticated way of hockey. In spite of what the police tell you, beating the shit out of somebody is not a sport. When police brutality becomes an Olympic event, fine, then boxing can be a sport.

Bowling. Bowling isn't a sport because you have to rent shoes. Don't forget, these are my rules. I make 'em up.

Billiards. Some people think billiards is a sport, but it can't be, because there's no chance of serious injury. Unless, of course, you welch on a bet in a tough neighborhood. Then, if you wind up with a pool cue stickin' out of your ass, you know you might be the victim of a sports-related injury. But that ain't billiards, that's pool, and that starts with a P, and that rhymes with D, and that brings me to darts.

Darts could have been a sport, because at least there's a chance to put someone's eye out. But, alas, darts will never be a sport, because the whole object of the game is to reach zero, which goes against all sports logic.

Lacrosse is not a sport; lacrosse is a faggoty college activity. I don't care how rough it is, anytime you're running around a field, waving a stick with a little net on the end of it, you're engaged in a faggoty college activity. Period.

Field hockey and fencing. Same thing. Faggoty college shit. Also these activities aren't sports, because you can't gamble on them. Anything you can't gamble on can't be a sport. When was the last time you made a fuckin' fencing bet?

Gymnastics is not a sport because Romanians are good at it. It took me a long time to come up with that rule, but goddammit, I did it.

Polo isn't a sport. Polo is golf on horseback. Without holes. It's a great concept, but not a sport. And as far as water polo is concerned, I hesitate to even mention it, because it's extremely cruel to horses.

Which brings me to hunting. You think hunting is a sport? Ask the deer. The only good thing about hunting is the many fatal accidents on the weekends. And, of course, the permanently disfigured hunters who survive such accidents.

Then you have tennis. Tennis is very trendy and very fruity, but it's not a sport. It's just a way to meet other trendy fruits. Technically, tennis is an advanced form a Ping-Pong. In fact, tennis is Ping-Pong played while standing on the table. Great concept, not a sport.

In fact, all racket games are nothing more the derivatives of Ping-Pong. Even volleyball is, technically, racketless, team Ping-Pong played with an inflated ball and raised net while standing on the table.

And finally welcome to golf. For my full take on golf, I refer you elsewhere in the book, but let it just be said golf is a game that might possibly be fun, if it could be played alone. But it's the vacuous, striving, superficial, male-bonding joiners one has to associate with that makes it such a repulsive pastime. And it is decidedly not a sport. Period."

From George Carlin's book Napalm and Silly Putty

[Squatch]

49. How can hunters survive fatal accidents?

"...many fatal accidents on the weekends...<snip>...and hunters who survive such accidents"

[hellbound-liberal]

54. Good point. Carlin would be proud of you for catching him on that!

He must be getting older!

[geardaddy]

92. Ahem, lacrosse is not "f*ggoty"

I like Carlin, but I draw the line at lacrosse.

Try telling the Native Americans it's f*ggoty

[KG]

24. gymnastics, ice skating.

[Omphaloskepsis]

25. Wow.. Have you tried either of them?

Not exactly easy. I hope you don't consider American Football a sport.

[KG]

27. difficulty to perform isn't a criteria i use to judge whether something is a 'sport'.

:hi:

[Omphaloskepsis]

29. Would you take the time to describe what makes something a sport?

I skateboard, I consider that a sport.

[KG]

30. um, nope.

the OP just asked for an opinion, not explanations.

[ohiosmith]

31. You may, if you like, give an explanation.

:evilgrin:

[KG]

32. if you insist: because i say so.

:hi:

[ohiosmith]

33. Okay then.

[sasquatch]

26. Yes and yes

Although gymnastics is very difficult.

[Nica-Libre]

50. Studies show that gymnastics is one of the most difficult sports

of all sports. Those "cute little girls" compete with stress fractures and more pain than you can imagine. They work out 6 to 8 hours a day and, to quote "Stick It" train harder than Navy Seals and do tricks that can get you killed.

[Mendocino]

99. Ice skating takes skill, extreme endurance, and is very competitive...

What then, makes it a non-sport? When I was in college, the hockey coach told me he wished that his players had a tenth of the heart, dedication and athleticism that figure skaters had.

[pokerfan]

34. My definition

As soon as judges (as opposed to officials, referees) are involved, it ceases to be a sport. And yes, that includes boxing decisions.

Speed skating = sport
Figure skating = not a sport

Hockey = sport
Ice dancing = not a sport

Snowboard-cross = sport
Half-pipe snowboarding = not a sport

Giant slalom = sport
Freestyle skiing = not a sport

Fencing = sport
Ballroom dancing = not a sport

Weightlifting = sport
Bodybuilding = not a sport

[begin_within]

35. Boxing

[dajoki]

36. NASCAR

[YellowRubberDuckie]

46. Agreed.

I got 'em for EVERYTHING!
Duckie

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

37. Hunting

[ohiosmith]

38. Good one.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

59. Well, it's just one more "no-sweat" activity

like fishing, or gardening, or playing cards.

I suppose someone could make a competitive "game" out of hunting, but mostly it's just sitting, looking, listening. Maybe baiting.

Getting a deer is a nice bonus, but not all that necessary. Like catching a nice trout, or growing a nice tomato(e).

[RebelOne]

64. That was my first thought.

Besides, how can hunting be a sport when both sides are not equally armed and the other side does not know there is a game going on?

[Chan790]

39. Boxing.

Mind you I have nothing against boxing...but why is it a sport when two guys (or women) do it in a ring and a felony when I do it behind the bar?

[Awsi Dooger]

40. Auto Racing

If it requires an engine I don't consider it a sport. So that applies to something like boat racing also.

I'm not saying it's a perfect criteria but it's one I've always used.

Very, very tough to define what a sport is. Obviously things like chess that are purely mental with minor technicalities of physically moving a chess piece do not qualify. A bit more difficult to evaluate are activities like darts which require physical skill but have very few variables and not influenced by anything like defense or playing conditions.

I'm perpetually amazed golf is mentioned in threads like this. I've never seen a threat of a competent argument to exclude golf as a sport. It's always cutesy fluff like, "if you can smoke a cigarette or wear ugly plaid pants while doing it, it's not a sport." I despise baseball but I'm not foolish enough to exclude it as a sport. But that's basically all that is happening with the people who denounce golf, a dislike or lack of knowledge about golf so they are determined to dismiss it as a sport. In terms of requirements, there is nothing golf lacks to exclude it as a sport. To succeed at highest level you need strength, finesse, variety of game, smarts, patience, mental willpower and yes, stamina. Going 72 holes in trying conditions wears you out particularly mentally. Combine that with outdoor playing conditions subject to frequent change that directly impacts the flight or roll of the ball.

If events like discus or shot put qualify as a sport then there is no way you can disqualify golf. A long drive golf competition is exactly the same premise as shot or discus or hammer throw, etc. Raw strength with a handful of attempts within a defined area going for distance alone. No one could be stupid enough to claim a long drive competition is more of a sport than golf. In fact, failed golfers who can hit the ball a long way are the ones who turn to the long driving competitions.

[Bassic]

53. Driving a race car involves a lot of physical effort.

And drivers are assuredly exhausted after a race. (At least F1 drivers, I don't really follow any other circuits, but I imagine it is the same)

You need to train for it, you need considerable skill for it, and you have there has to be a winner. Why is it not a sport






Disclaimer: this is not a flame attempt, and any and all comments that may be interpreted as such are meant in a non flame context.

[bullwinkle428]

75. Formula 1 drivers are held to a pretty incredible level of fitness

these days:

http://www.f1technical.net/features/3646

http://www.formula1.com/insight/technicalinfo/11/980.html

The g-loadings they experience on a lap-after-lap basis are amazing - I got an extremely small taste of it going down a bobsled run once, but they're doing it over the course of a 90-minute race, and they're not just going along for the ride - they have to maintain control of that 800 hp, 1200 lb. beast through all of those turns!

[baldguy]

41. Professional wrestling

[Okiojira]

42. High speed competition skipping

[Starbucks Anarchist]

43. Golf, bowling.

[Omphaloskepsis]

84. Wow, add skateboarding to the mix...

And you have a list of my three favorite sports.


And hey, did you ever get your torrent problems sorted out?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

88. Haha.

Well, for me to consider something a sport, it has to take a reasonable amount of skill, at least, and also make you sweat.

Bowling and golf don't meet both requirements, though golfing does take much more skill than bowling, IMO.

The torrent thing -- some of it is speeding up. I've been meaning to e-mail you about it, though, but I've been busy as hell the past week or so. I'll try to send you an e-mail today or tomorrow about it. Thanks.

[Omphaloskepsis]

91. Cool.. I'm 99% sure that I know what the problem is.

But I need you to answer the questions I gave you to help.

And If you diss bowling again, I will still help out. But, I will listen to 50 cent while doing so. And that fucks the entire world.

[jmowreader]

106. Under those requirements, car racing is definitely a sport

It takes great skill just to not get killed...

and at the end of the race, the driver is invariably dripping in sweat.

ESPECIALLY if it's John Force.

[rug]

45. Invading countries.

[Nica-Libre]

51. Apparently, it is considered a sport,

to those who are right of center.

[Neshanic]

55. Golf, Car racing.

[mark414]

56. i have heard people try to claim that cheerleading is a sport

what a fucking joke of a claim THAT is

[MAGICBULLET]

57. skitching

should be a sport for suburban kids and cow tipping is just cruel.

[HuffleClaw]

80. what the hell is 'skitching' ? n/t

[MAGICBULLET]

83. LOL

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skitching>

it's ghetto suburban sledding and a great way to ruin your wardrobe.

(sorry about the Leafs, I'm an Islander fan) :hide:

[geardaddy]

93. I knew kids in school here

who would skitch behind city buses after a big snow.

[MAGICBULLET]

95. I'm tellin' you

skitching races should be added to future winter olympics. ;)

It's definitely more of a sport than curling, for Pete's sake!

[HuffleClaw]

96. that last second goal had my hopes up dammmmit. n/t

[Solon]

109. Skitching isn't a sport, its a way to travel...

When I rode my bike, especially long distances, to save on energy, I'd grab a bumper and go. Always wore at least one glove so I don't have to worry about rust/sharp edges. My cousin used to do the same, but on a skateboard.

[NC_Nurse]

60. cheerleading

gimme a break.

[T_i_B]

61. American football

The one where the foot never touches the ball! :hide:

[brentspeak]

63. American football comes from rugby football

The football sports got their name because they were sports "played on foot", as opposed to being sports played on horseback. So, "football" is divided into two camps: 1) association football, ie. "football" or "soccer"; and 2) rugby football, ie. rugby, Australian Rules football, or "football" (in the U.S.)

[geardaddy]

94. By that reasoning then cricket should be a football sport. n/t

[SteppingRazor]

74. .

:eyes:

[brentspeak]

62. I don't watch it, but NASCAR is a sport

It's pretty grueling, mentally and physically, to be driving around at those speeds for several hours. Personally, I wish they would add some track variety to the event similar to Grand Prix -- a couple of sharper turns, etc.

[Smooth Operator]

65. Nascar is a sport

Just because it doesn't require running and hitting a ball, throwing a ball doesn't mean it isn't a sport. I look at it this way if a guy who plays guitar with incredible skill and talent cannot play the piano, does that mean he's not a musician?


Sports are defined thusly:
"An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively."

[TheMightyFavog]

68. Figure Skating

Waste of a perfectly good hockey rink.

[PVnRT]

70. I wonder: Why NASCAR but not other auto racing?

As far as those not considered sports. I'd love to hear an explanation for that.

[Phillycat]

78. We have no idea that they are not the same thing.

That's why. Sort of like calling all tissues "Kleenex".

[SteppingRazor]

71. "Ice dancing"

I mean, it's bad enough that the winter Olympics have figure skating, but what the hell is this crap?

[pdx_prog]

77. Rythym Gymnastics

As a comedian said, "a girl running around waving a ribbon, twirling a baton and throwing a ball up in the air.....when I was in grade school they called it recess."

[dysfunctional press]

79. horse-racing.

unless you're a horse, i suppose.

basically it's just there for the gambling.

[terrya]

81. I'm continually amazed when NBC sports, for example, televises a poker game.

Because it isn't a sport!!!!!!!

It's a bunch of guys sitting at a table, playing cards. Sheesh.

[undeterred]

82. Curling my hair

[Yavin4]

85. Competitive Eating

Gluttony is not a sport. It's a deadly sin, but not a sport. What's next competitive slothness? Who can out-lazy each other?

[KG]

90. competitive slothness? whoa, that would be awesome!

i think i'm at an olympic level already! :hi:

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

86. Roller Fucking

Despite George Carlin's wishes, this is not a real sport.

[Burma Jones]

89. Dominoes

I saw the World Dominoes Championship on ESPN2....I think it was on opposite the World Cup final.......

[gizmo1979]

97. If you can smoke while doing it

it's not a sport!

[LostInAnomie]

98. Anything with any variation of "extreme" attributed to it

My own personal definition:

1. The sport must be an exhibit of you own personal physical prowess or skill, not your car's, horse's, boat's, gun's, etc.

2. Your opponent must be able to directly hinder your performance through their actions.

The only exception I can see to these rules is track and field, but that's it.

[ChoralScholar]

101. from webster.com

Main Entry: sport
Function: noun
1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION b : sexual play c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in
2 a : PLEASANTRY, JEST b : often mean-spirited jesting : MOCKERY, DERISION
3 a : something tossed or driven about in or as if in play b : LAUGHINGSTOCK
4 a : SPORTSMAN b : a person considered with respect to living up to the ideals of sportsmanship <a good sport> <a poor sport> c : a companionable person
5 : an individual exhibiting a sudden deviation from type beyond the normal limits of individual variation usually as a result of mutation especially of somatic tissue
synonym see FUN

[GoddessOfGuinness]

102. Synchronized swimming

What a doofy Olympic event. :eyes:

[wildhorses]

103. video games

:hide:

[pstokely]

104. Poker

[NuttyFluffers]

105. anything that is not a holiday sale at a major retailer

it's the one, true, contact sport. everything else is a mere, often overpaid, diversion in comparison.

[Random_Australian]

108. Any game that only lasts one day. In other words, 5-day games of cricket are the only real sport.

:)

:rofl:

j/k, I do also enjoy one-day games of cricket sometimes too. ;)