Anyone who says Nascar/F1/Indy/etc. is not a sport seriously has absolutely zero understanding/comprehension of the stress that is placed on the human body during a race. That stress alone makes driving a sport.
An F-16 pilot in a dogfight goes through a lot of stress too. So? It's not a sport if you aren't competing on a fair battleground where it's you against your opponent or your team against his. Motor sports are simply advertising exhibitions for vehicle manufacturers. If the opening conditions aren't fair and equal, it's not a sport. To those who say it's not athleticism: after a few months of training with kettlebells and pull-ups, I've gone from hitting a 140 yard 9-iron to hitting a 150 yard 9-iron. Saying an old man can play golf is like saying an old man can play basketball. Sure he can, but he can't do things at the highest level. He can dunk on a 5-foot basket, shoot and dribble too - but he can't hit a 300 yard drive. Golf is the most challenging sport in the world - you need to control your body and mind completely and people have no conception of how good touring pros actually are. The best analogue to golf is pitching in baseball, but you need a much wider variety of skills than a pitcher. You will find some pitchers who are good at golf though.
golf is not a sport. nascar is not a sport. also, all these people calling out cricket, have you ever even played? it requires much more athleticism than baseball does... so dont rank it with golf and ping pong...
if you seriously believe this, then you haven't really played sports, man. try running 9 miles in a game for soccer. try fighting for position and staying above the surface when playing water polo. try guarding anyone, ANYONE in the NBA (top to bottom) and not get yourself destroyed. try to not get out on a bouncer in cricket. or hit a fastball. golf is NOT the most challenging sport in the world. I guess it might be easier to compare yourself to the pros because you can play on some courses, but its not 'the most challenging sport'
I play golf. I love golf. I have been involved in this debate many times over the last few years. It has some qualities that support the argument on both sides. Sure, any Joe Schmoe can "hit" a golf ball. But, can you make it go straight? Far? Unlikely... Have any of you doubters ever tried walking 18 holes with your golfbag actually on your back? Just because a bunch of fat, lazy, drunk CPAs roll around in their little battery-powered carts yelling at the beer girl all day, doesn't mean it's not a "sport." I'm sure some of you "athletes" engage in a gruesome game of softball on a weekly basis... On the other hand, I certainly wouldn't put it in the same category as some of the more physically challenging sports such as football, basketball and skateboarding. By the way, if you're quoting Jim Rome as part of your argument, please step away from the keyboard. Try thinking for a change...
I have enjoyed many rounds of golf in my life -- I haven't played in a while, but will be starting up again soon. I am sorry to say that golf while a challenging, competitive game does not rise to the level of a true sport.
Auto racing is much more physically demanding than golf -- there is also the fact that a simple mistake can result in your death. There are airplane racing leagues as well if you would like to throw that in for comparison since you mentioned pilots.
I played golf before, and I admire golfers' skills. But it's not a sport. You can call it a game, but it's not a sport. For that matter, any activity where women can play in a men's league doesn't qualify as sports to me.
symantics. Who cares if you call it a sport or a game. Bottomline is that it takes skills and is boring to watch on TV. Why don't we just lump everything under Competitive Skills Competition Activity so you guys won't feel offended when a girl beats you.
True. I'm currently leaning toward a distinction of: if you can do it reasonably well while drinking beer, it's not a sport. Softball, fishing & golf are out.
I consider it a sport, but on a different level as basketball or football. I think if you have to stretch before a game, it's definitely a sport, plus it takes a whole lot more of body movements than other games also called a sport (chess, poker). I do watch Golf on TV sometimes when I have the chance. It's interesting if you play the game, just like any other sports. Oh and yes, Ping Pong is definitely a sport. Only people who don't know how to play it say it's not a sport. If you play it correctly, you'll definitely break a sweat within the first 3-5 mins, unlike some of the people you see attempting to play at the UH gameroom.
you bet your sweet ass it is. you ever walk 18 holes (or more) stoned and/or drunk to the bejebus? brah.
Maybe I will put an end to some of the asshattery here with this post. Everyone has their own definition of a sport. Let's look at a real definition. [SIZE=2[COLOR=Indigo]]sport[/COLOR][/SIZE] –noun 1. 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. 2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors. 3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime. 4. jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry: What he said in sport was taken seriously. 5. mockery; ridicule; derision: They made sport of him. 6. an object of derision; laughingstock. 7. something treated lightly or tossed about like a plaything. 8. something or someone subject to the whims or vicissitudes of fate, circumstances, etc. 9. a sportsman. 10. Informal. a person who behaves in a sportsmanlike, fair, or admirable manner; an accommodating person: He was a sport and took his defeat well. 11. Informal. a person who is interested in sports as an occasion for gambling; gambler. 12. Informal. a flashy person; one who wears showy clothes, affects smart manners, pursues pleasurable pastimes, or the like; a bon vivant. 13. Biology. an organism or part that shows an unusual or singular deviation from the normal or parent type; mutation. 14. Obsolete. amorous dalliance. –adjective 15. of, pertaining to, or used in sports or a particular sport. 16. suitable for outdoor or informal wear: sport clothes. –verb (used without object) 17. to amuse oneself with some pleasant pastime or recreation. 18. to play, frolic, or gambol, as a child or an animal. 19. to engage in some open-air or athletic pastime or sport. 20. to trifle or treat lightly: to sport with another's emotions. 21. to mock, scoff, or tease: to sport at suburban life. 22. Botany. to mutate. –verb (used with object) 23. to pass (time) in amusement or sport. 24. to spend or squander lightly or recklessly (often fol. by away). 25. Informal. to wear, display, carry, etc., esp. with ostentation; show off: to sport a new mink coat. 26. Archaic. to amuse (esp. oneself).
It is obvious you have never played Frisbee golf because it would be impossible to play under the influence of drugs and alcohol. BTW ~ I am unstoppable with my long drive Cheetah.
