What is a Sport?

[Jungle Jumbo]

Following on from what I've just scanned through in the curling thread, where it is suggested that curling isn't a sport, I ask "What is a Sport?".

This is a debate that has raged in my family for years, and always comes up when the Olympics is on. It centres around where the border between a sport and an art or pastime lies. The argument usually starts off with 'rythmic gymnastics' (basically people dancing around with bits of paper), and then progresses onto dance, before getting to a finish on the subject of 'synchronised swimming'.

Many people feel that these 'sports' are not 'sports', more pursuits. I am not saying that these pastimes are not technically difficult, nor disinteresting (actually I do think they are disinteresting), just that they are not sports.

So after having a week mooching around the North Devon coastline, and trying to find something to take my mind off the fact my mouth was frozen with wind chill, I sought to answer this problem:

My theory: "A sport is a physical pursuit, relying more so on physical technique, strength, or ability than mental aspects (although this is also part of every sport), that ends up with a clear result determined not by opinions of judges, but by a definite number."

The physical bit comes in to seperate games such as chess, bridge, Hungry Hippos from being classed under my definition as a sport.

The most important part is the opinionated/definite dertermination of a result. Gymnastics, synchronised swimming, ice dancing, diving etc rely soley on judges' interpretations of their performance, whereas sports rely on a figure. This can be time (any type of race, e.g. swimming, running), distance (throwing events) or points (football, rugby, cricket). The outcome is (barring controversy) certain - you cannot argue with numbers. This is why there has been lots of controversy surrounding the figure skating recently, as the winner is determined by people's opinions, and humans make mistakes.

There are two stand-out fifty/fifty exceptions:

Ski Jumping
The winner should be the jumper with the longest distance, but they also get judged on their style - knock this off and it becomes a 'legitimate sport'

Boxing
Simple at first glance - first boxer who can't get up loses - but judges' decisions make it a borderline 'sport'.

Your thoughts as I flee from the hoardes of rythmic gymnastics fans...

[Neil Pickup]

Ski jumping needs the style marks. Otherwise you get people landing stupid.

[Tom Halsey]

Extreme tiddlywinks is the role-model for a sport, IMO.

[Langeveldt]

My girlfriend told me a proper definition..

It has to have a governing body
It has to have an official set of rules
It has to involve individual/team based competition

Looks like in actual fact, there are very few grey areas, and lots of sports..

[Jungle Jumbo]

Originally Posted by Langeveldt

My girlfriend told me a proper definition..

It has to have a governing body
It has to have an official set of rules
It has to involve individual/team based competition

Looks like in actual fact, there are very few grey areas, and lots of sports..

Anyone want to inaugurate a Hungry Hippos World Cup? With a Hungry Hippos Governing Body? Does that make it a sport?

Large Dictionary/Rich's Girlfriend 0 Me 1

[Jungle Jumbo]

Wiki says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport

A sport consists of a physical and mentally competitive activity carried out with a recreational purpose for competition, for self-enjoyment, to attain excellence, for the development of a skill, or some combination of these. A sport has physical activity, side by side competition, self-motivation and a scoring system. The difference of purpose is what characterises sport, combined with the notion of individual (or team) skill or prowess.

Hmmm, sounds a bit ambigious, I'll claim a moral victory

Me 1 Wikipedia 0

[Tom Halsey]

Jumbo on a bit of a competitive streak one feels...

[Tom Halsey]

Originally Posted by Langeveldt

My girlfriend told me a proper definition..

It has to have a governing body
It has to have an official set of rules
It has to involve individual/team based competition

Looks like in actual fact, there are very few grey areas, and lots of sports..

So in inter-school quiz competition is a sport?

[Langeveldt]

Originally Posted by Tom Halsey

So in inter-school quiz competition is a sport?

Im not sure how "official" the governing body would be.. I expect there are loads of technicalities that they have to have finances/insurances etc. and not be affiliated with anything else.. I dunno, she came up with it from A level PE..

[Langeveldt]

Originally Posted by Tom Halsey

Jumbo on a bit of a competitive streak one feels...

Looks like Jungly is trying to turn being right into a sport..

[Barney Rubble]

Originally Posted by Langeveldt

Im not sure how "official" the governing body would be.. I expect there are loads of technicalities that they have to have finances/insurances etc. and not be affiliated with anything else.. I dunno, she came up with it from A level PE..

I did A Level PE too () and she's right.

Just to thread-jack a little - darts may be a sport, but darts players are not athletes. Not under any circumstances. There's a difference between a sportsman and an athlete, and 30-stone fatboys who use a total of about three muscles in their body on a regular basis and drink more alcohol than they do water have no right to call themselves athletes. Sportsmen yes, athletes no.

Sorry, that's just a pet peeve of mine.

[steds]

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble

darts may be a sport

It may?

[Barney Rubble]

Originally Posted by steds

It may?

I didn't say it was. Just that it may be.

[Tom Halsey]

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble

30-stone fatboys

Tell that to their face.

See your point though.

[Langeveldt]

Nothing like a real athlete