Pool

[Qball]

As I sat there watching my friend play pool on yahoo. I said that you shouldn't get mad when you lose because pool is just a game and not a sport. What do yall think?

[Summer Song Giver]

If it doesn't make you sweat then it's a game but I still get pissed when I don't do as well as I thought I should have, be it at chess, baseball football whatever. It's still a competittive thing.

[Qball]

If you do vote for pool being a sport, please reply with a reason. As for differentiating games and sports, I don't think you can say something is not a sport because you don't sweat. Freeze tag is a game but I sweated when I was in elementary school.

[pasox2]

Am I standing behind Jeanette Lee?


cue sexy image : (copy if you like in browser)

http://www.onthesnap.com/players/images/jeanette_lee_18.jpg

[Rockets34Legend]

When you watch ESPN2, those ladies are pretty good. Jeanette Lee is smoking.

[RocketForever]

Chess players are atheletes too.

[mbiker]

Pool, golf, and bowling are games.

Fishing and hunting are definitely not sports.

Baseball is barley a sport.

Football, basketball, soccer, and hockey are sports.

Synchronized swimming and bodybuilding are sports only in the minds of the Olympic committee, whose main job is to generate revenue.

Sex though more strenuous than baseball, but still not a sport.

[DCkid]

Originally posted by mbiker
Pool, golf, and bowling are games.

Fishing and hunting are definitely not sports.

Baseball is barley a sport.

Football, basketball, soccer, and hockey are sports.

Synchronized swimming and bodybuilding are sports only in the minds of the Olympic committee, whose main job is to generate revenue.

Sex though more strenuous than baseball, but still not a sport.
Well let's look at the definition of sport from dictionary.com.

A physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

That's a pretty tough call. I guess it depends on what classifies as physical activity.

Sex, unless you're into weird sex games, may not classify as a sport. Although, it does say "often not engaged in competitively,"...so, maybe it does qualify. :p

[RocketsPimp]

sport (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sport) ( P ) Pronunciation Key (spôrt, sprt)
n.
1.a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
b. A particular form of this activity.

2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

3. An active pastime; recreation.

4. a. Mockery; jest: He made sport of his own looks.
b. An object of mockery, jest, or play: treated our interests as sport.
c. A joking mood or attitude: She made the remark in sport.

5. a.One known for the manner of one's acceptance of rules, especially of a game, or of a difficult situation: a poor sport.
b. Informal. One who accepts rules or difficult situations well.
c. Informal. A pleasant companion: was a real sport during the trip.

6. Informal.
a. A person who lives a jolly, extravagant life.
b. A gambler at sporting events.

7. Biology. An organism that shows a marked change from the normal type or parent stock, typically as a result of mutation.

8. Maine. See summercater. See Regional Note at summercater.

9. Obsolete. Amorous dalliance; lovemaking.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It would seem all of those things are sports.....even sport fuggin.

:D

[Agent86]

Originally posted by RocketsPimp
sport (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sport) ( P ) Pronunciation Key (spôrt, sprt)
n.
1.a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
b. A particular form of this activity.

2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.


"Physical activity that...."

"...involving physical exertion..."

its a game

CASE CLOSED

[IROC it]

It is a game, or series of games in a match... played, for sport.

3. An active pastime; recreation.

I could recreate while playing the game... for sport.

[IROC it]

Originally posted by mbiker
Sex though more strenuous than baseball, but still not a sport.

2 possibilities I see.

1) You're partner doesn't ever take of care of you, or get involved.

2) You play in a retirement center league.

:p

[mbiker]

I guess tiddlywinks would be considered a sport. How about marbles?

[what]

To the real question:

pool takes as much nerve and concentration to play well as football, basketball, hockey, soccer and the like. Pool is mental and the best players play stronger mentally. And the testament to that statement is in the stroke and pocketing ball after ball when the game is on the line. Weaker players get nervous and miss because of the nerves put a slight hitch in their stroke. Even the speed at which you strike the ball affects whether or not you make it. Pool, especially 9 ball, played at a high level is similar to hitting a buzzer beating game winner on every shot of every game, because if you miss you lose. This is true even on the break.

In fact, I would say a race to 7 in 9-ball is more pressure than any other "physical" sport. In basketball, for example, the only part of the game that really counts is the last 5:00 minutes. In most games, you just trade baskets until then. In football, if the other team scores you get the ball back and when you don't have the ball at least you can play defense.

In pool, when you play it with the right rules winner breaks, you are at the mercy of the table and hoping you just get a shot. No other game is like pool in that respect. In every other game it seems you have a chance to compete. In pool, your opponet could break and run 7 rack or if he misses he could play you safe so you really don't have a shot. That is why you must take advantage of every shot you get.

But you're right it isn't a sport. Especially the yahoo version.

[rimrocker]

I used to waste countless hours playojng pool when I was a younster... now I just like sitting by the pool with dark sunglasses.

[across110thstreet]

is this a no-brainer or what?


"play pool on yahoo"

if anything is played on a computer it is a game.

if your friend was playing an actual game of billiards, I would consider it "Sport." It takes skill, practice, and an elite level of professionals in the world excel at said sport, it requires a category more than "game"

[Trader_Jorge]

Interesting. I didn't see this thread until after I successfully shouted down Rocketman95 in the golf thread.

I consider pool (billiards) to be a skill or game if I'm voting in this pool. My criteria is this: If you don't use athleticism in the event, then it is not a sport.

[MoBalls]

Originally posted by Trader_Jorge
Interesting. I didn't see this thread until after I successfully shouted down Rocketman95 in the golf thread.

I consider pool (billiards) to be a skill or game if I'm voting in this pool. My criteria is this: If you don't use athleticism in the event, then it is not a sport.

I agree with you on Pool but TOTALLY disagree with your golf comment in the other thread. Just because a golfer may not be built like a MJ or a TO, doesnt mean he or she isnt athletic. Your golf game probably sucks ass.....bad.

[Rocketman95]

Originally posted by MoBalls
I agree with you on Pool but TOTALLY disagree with your golf comment in the other thread. Just because a golfer may not be built like a MJ or a TO, doesnt mean he or she isnt athletic. Your golf game probably sucks ass.....bad.

Let him be. If that is considered a shoutdown, then I just feel sorry for him even more than I already do. Poor fella...

[across110thstreet]

not "a sport" in particular, just "sport"

[KingCheetah]

Pool is not a sport.

Golf is not a sport.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1970000/images/_1972333_daly300.jpg

Poker is not a sport. (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=lovinger/040706)

[RocketMan Tex]

The ghost of Jimmy the Greek has taken over my body......

If you can wager on it, then it is a sport!

:eek: :D

[yipengzhao]

i'm surpised so many people don't think it's a sport. i think too many people just mess around when playing pool.

at the highest level, or even at a high level, pool requires power, precision, hand-eye coordination, and game planning as much as any sport. sure you might not sweat, but i don't believe that should be the ultimate definition of sport.

[Gutter Snipe]

Originally posted by Trader_Jorge
Interesting. I didn't see this thread until after I successfully shouted down Rocketman95 in the golf thread.

I consider pool (billiards) to be a skill or game if I'm voting in this pool. My criteria is this: If you don't use athleticism in the event, then it is not a sport.

The need for athleticism is probably the worst argument to use against golf, as can be seen be the thousands of unathletic hacks who play golf at a miserable level, and athletes like Mark McGwire who can play golf at a high level. If you don't have coordination, muscle control, and power/speed, you can't play golf at a high level.

[droxford]

Originally posted by Gutter Snipe
The need for athleticism is probably the worst argument to use against golf, as can be seen be the thousands of unathletic hacks who play golf at a miserable level, and athletes like Mark McGwire who can play golf at a high level. If you don't have coordination, muscle control, and power/speed, you can't play golf at a high level.
That's not true. But that doesn't mean golf isn't a sport.

read this: http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80170&perpage=30&pagenumber=2#post1426650

-- droxford

[droxford]

Pool is a sport

Unlike chess, which is all mental, you can imagine how your pool shots will be, but if you can't physically execute the shots, you won't win. Thus, it's a physical activity.

Physically, you hit the cue ball hard or soft depending on the shot. Too hard, or too soft will result in a bad shot that could cost result in a loss. Where the cue touches the ball greatly controls spin (english) on the ball and the direction it will go. Left or right english makes the ball move left or right, and top or bottom english controls the ball's draw or follow.

After you develop basic skills of hitting a ball into a pocket, you begin to learn more difficult shots, and table strategy - where you are going to position the cue ball in order to make the next shot.

Cue ball positioning is crucial, and this is where the mental challenge comes into pool. champion players can read 8 or 9 shots into the table (i.e., in their mind, they can imagine the next shot and where the cue ball will end up, and then then next shot, etc.).
This is why you see the pro players spend so much more time thinking about each shot.

But all of that is offensive strategy. Then there's the whole aspect of playing safe - positioning the balls in specific ways that will make it difficult or impossible for your opponent to score. Inexperienced people think of defensive play as 'playing crappy' but any experienced player will tell you that, like any other sport, defense is just as important to the game as offense.

And, yes, golf is a sport (http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80170&perpage=30&pagenumber=2#post1426650). Anyone who says otherwise is clueless.

-- droxford

[IROC it]

Golf is defintely a sport.

It's a guy hitting a white ball.... just because ther aren't nine guys trying to catch it doesn't mean it's not a sport.

[MR. MEOWGI]

This guy thinks pool is a sport.

http://www.mit.edu/~jasonm/cdpics/sports_b.jpg

[Qball]

Originally posted by across110thstreet
is this a no-brainer or what?


"play pool on yahoo"

if anything is played on a computer it is a game.

if your friend was playing an actual game of billiards, I would consider it "Sport." It takes skill, practice, and an elite level of professionals in the world excel at said sport, it requires a category more than "game"

I AM talking about the actual pool game. The debate came up when he was playing on yahoo.