What is a sport? The definitive answer.
I'm sure you've had this discussion before. Someone puts on the (baseball game/golf match/NASCAR race/etc) and someone else brings up the obligatory, "That's not even really a sport", at which point an argument ensues as to which what is and what is not a sport, complete with personal insults and hurt feelings.
This article should end all talk from here on out. I'm about to outline the definitive criteria and draw those lines nice and thick. What's in is in, and what's out is out. No arguments necessary.
Rule #1: There must be some form of competition between two or more people.
Without another human to play against, it is only a hobby or an activity to pass the time. In order for said activity to be considered a sport, there must be a minimum of two people involved. Basically, this rule states that training for a sport is not a sport itself. Until there is another human(s) to potentially lose to, it is only exercise.
Ruled out as a sport: Parkour, Bungee Jumping, casual Skateboarding/Biking, Aerobics
Still in: Competitive golf, Skateboard/Bike racing
Rule #2: There must be some physical aspect to the sport, and it must be primarily carried out by the human body.
I attempted to word this one carefully, and I will give my interpretation of it. First of all, it's not a sport without an athletic component to it, as I'm sure everyone would agree. The human body has to expend some form of energy in some capacity, otherwise you're just playing a game. Further, the human body's energy has to be the primary form of energy, meaning it can't be eclipsed by that of an animal, or a machine. Unfortunately, this rule may piss off a lot of southern and midwestern sports fans, as it rules out the number one spectator "sport" in America, NASCAR. But rules are rules, and the automobile expends the primary form of energy, and not the driver. This is to take nothing away from auto racing or its fans. It is an incredibly difficult skill to master, and I guess I can see why some people would be into watching it, but it's not a sport in this sense. Also the "Sport of Kings" (Horse Racing) needs to be renamed the "Activity of Kings", as the horse steals the thunder from the jockeys, and it loses credibility as a sport for that reason.
Ruled out as a sport: Auto Racing, Horse Racing, Poker, Chess, Madden Football
Still in: Polo (the energy is shared seems about 50/50 with the horse)
Rule #3: There must be some way to definitively win the competition, without the exclusive reliance on a judge. (AKA the "substance over style" rule)
Note that I did not say that every competition with a judge is ruled out. The key here is that the contest could conceivably be played out without such a judgment. Because cheerleading and figure skating rely exclusively on a judge to score the competition, they fail to meet this criterion. On the other hand, in the case of boxing and mixed martial arts, a judge is implemented, but the fighters can win a match at any time by knocking out or submitting their opponent. There must be some objective measure to take that power out of the judges' hands and definitively win the contest, whether it's a timeclock, a scoreboard, or something along those lines.
Ruled out as a sport: Cheerleading, Figure Skating, Floor Show, most Gymnastics, Halfpipe, Dancing, Bullfighting
Still in: Skating/Snowboarding for time, Speed Skating, Boxing/MMA
Rule #4: The amount of physical energy exerted must be enough so that some minimum form of physical training would be necessary to remain at a premier level (the "barstool sport" rule).
This is the rule that knocks out the bar games and the "old man" games, much to the displeasure of old folks, heavy drinkers, and old heavy drinkers. Because of the demographic this rule pisses off, this is likely the most heavily contested one. There must be some general incentive to keep one's body in shape for the sport. If that incentive is gone, the activity fails to be a sport.
Ruled out as a sport: Darts, Pool, Horseshoes, Bocce Ball, Shuffleboard, Foosball
Still in: Golf, Table Tennis
So that's it. With these four golden rules, we have drawn a solid line between sports and mere activities or hobbies. Feel free to argue and complain, but I've given this a lot of thought and I don't know of any other definition that has gone this throughly into the matter. So next time the argument comes up regarding an activity a friend chooses to attack or defend, keep in mind these four simple criteria and you can calmly and confidently shut them the hell up.
I'm sure you've had this discussion before. Someone puts on the (baseball game/golf match/NASCAR race/etc) and someone else brings up the obligatory, "That's not even really a sport", at which point an argument ensues as to which what is and what is not a sport, complete with personal insults and hurt feelings.
This article should end all talk from here on out. I'm about to outline the definitive criteria and draw those lines nice and thick. What's in is in, and what's out is out. No arguments necessary.
Rule #1: There must be some form of competition between two or more people.
Without another human to play against, it is only a hobby or an activity to pass the time. In order for said activity to be considered a sport, there must be a minimum of two people involved. Basically, this rule states that training for a sport is not a sport itself. Until there is another human(s) to potentially lose to, it is only exercise.
Ruled out as a sport: Parkour, Bungee Jumping, casual Skateboarding/Biking, Aerobics
Still in: Competitive golf, Skateboard/Bike racing
Rule #2: There must be some physical aspect to the sport, and it must be primarily carried out by the human body.
I attempted to word this one carefully, and I will give my interpretation of it. First of all, it's not a sport without an athletic component to it, as I'm sure everyone would agree. The human body has to expend some form of energy in some capacity, otherwise you're just playing a game. Further, the human body's energy has to be the primary form of energy, meaning it can't be eclipsed by that of an animal, or a machine. Unfortunately, this rule may piss off a lot of southern and midwestern sports fans, as it rules out the number one spectator "sport" in America, NASCAR. But rules are rules, and the automobile expends the primary form of energy, and not the driver. This is to take nothing away from auto racing or its fans. It is an incredibly difficult skill to master, and I guess I can see why some people would be into watching it, but it's not a sport in this sense. Also the "Sport of Kings" (Horse Racing) needs to be renamed the "Activity of Kings", as the horse steals the thunder from the jockeys, and it loses credibility as a sport for that reason.
Ruled out as a sport: Auto Racing, Horse Racing, Poker, Chess, Madden Football
Still in: Polo (the energy is shared seems about 50/50 with the horse)
Rule #3: There must be some way to definitively win the competition, without the exclusive reliance on a judge. (AKA the "substance over style" rule)
Note that I did not say that every competition with a judge is ruled out. The key here is that the contest could conceivably be played out without such a judgment. Because cheerleading and figure skating rely exclusively on a judge to score the competition, they fail to meet this criterion. On the other hand, in the case of boxing and mixed martial arts, a judge is implemented, but the fighters can win a match at any time by knocking out or submitting their opponent. There must be some objective measure to take that power out of the judges' hands and definitively win the contest, whether it's a timeclock, a scoreboard, or something along those lines.
Ruled out as a sport: Cheerleading, Figure Skating, Floor Show, most Gymnastics, Halfpipe, Dancing, Bullfighting
Still in: Skating/Snowboarding for time, Speed Skating, Boxing/MMA
Rule #4: The amount of physical energy exerted must be enough so that some minimum form of physical training would be necessary to remain at a premier level (the "barstool sport" rule).
This is the rule that knocks out the bar games and the "old man" games, much to the displeasure of old folks, heavy drinkers, and old heavy drinkers. Because of the demographic this rule pisses off, this is likely the most heavily contested one. There must be some general incentive to keep one's body in shape for the sport. If that incentive is gone, the activity fails to be a sport.
Ruled out as a sport: Darts, Pool, Horseshoes, Bocce Ball, Shuffleboard, Foosball
Still in: Golf, Table Tennis
So that's it. With these four golden rules, we have drawn a solid line between sports and mere activities or hobbies. Feel free to argue and complain, but I've given this a lot of thought and I don't know of any other definition that has gone this throughly into the matter. So next time the argument comes up regarding an activity a friend chooses to attack or defend, keep in mind these four simple criteria and you can calmly and confidently shut them the hell up.
posted by 44 Sports at 10:00 PM
2 Comments:
You nailed it. I agree 100%. I will take these 4 criteria with me into all my future sport/non-sport arguments. You are a genious.
Golf is not a sport by your 4th definition, golf is ultimate old man sport. Ultimately sport is following a set of guidelines to play a game, and everything is fair game.
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