what makes a sport "SPORT?"

[icelolly]

having been watching fragments of the ashes and following the thread on here i was wondering what makes sport sport?
where does sport stop and hobbies begin??
is for example darts of crown green bowles sport? or syncronised swimmimg
freestyle disco dancing where do you draw the line??

please give your opinions

[Vincent]

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

We need now to define "physical exertion"...where does it start? Is throwing a dart a physical exertion? Can only an increase in heart rate be considered as a physical exertion?

It is a very open question, and answers will be very diverse. To go back to the reason why you started this thread, cricket is a sport, as well as moutain climbing and swimming, but I believe Ian Thorpe is fitter than Shane Warne.

[Linny]

I believe Ian Thorpe is fitter than Shane Warne.Fit is also a word that it is difficult to define. In my view Shane Warne is "fitter" than Ian Thorpe and not just in the sense of his being much sexier. ;)

"Fit" for a sport is not just physically sound and prepared but also "fit" for the purpose. There is absolutely no doubt that Shane Warne is fit for his purpose in his role as a cricketer - provided one ignores his suspension, cricketing misdemeanors and suspect private behaviour. :rolleyes:

Whether or not Ian Thorpe is fit for his, we don't really know at the moment. So whilst if one were to measure their respective physical attributes :p and make comparisons I am sure that Thorpe would have a greater strength, stamina, aerobic capacity, muscle tone etc, that doesn't make him the fitter of the two in my view.

Back to what is sport, as well as "involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively" personally I think success has to be measurable in a qualitative way - so ice dance is out for me and I'm afraid so is synchronised swimming in it's current form. Crown green bowling is in but darts and snooker i'm not so sure about - I think they are in. :music:

[icelolly]

so no one doubts that rowing for example is a sport so is sir steve redgrave the ultimate sportsman ??

is 5 gold is 5 consecutive olympics better that 7 in one ??

re above why crown green bowles in and the others out there are world champs in both darts and syncro

(i am playing devils advocte here i love a good debate) :devil:

[Linny]

Unltimate sportsman - perhaps Daley Thomson :love:
i love a good debateSo do I but you aren't offering any opinion, only asking questions. I've told you what I think. What about you? :devil:

[icelolly]

i think re best sportsman sir steve gets my vote

not only only the medal issue and long gevity at the peek of his career in a very phsyical competitive arena but his battle against his health issues also.

sport to me has to be active so yes world champions in tiddlywinks is competitive and there are rules etc etc but activity / raised heart rate through exertion no sorry ditto darts / snooker

i happen to think ice dance and syncro are sports however

[GettingFaster]

If you don't like ice dance and synchro, sounds like you could be also ruling out gymnastics and diving, as they are also scored at the whim of judges rather than by a stopwatch. You might have chosen not quite the right word though, Linny, as these sports are indeed measurable in a qualitative way (though not quantitative).

And how about sports where success is very much based on equipment? It could be argued that motor racing isn't a sport - isn't it the same cars that win all the time? - and that shooting, although scoring points rather than being judged, isn't a sport because it's expressly the shooter's ability to stay perfectly still rather than indulging in any physical jerks that helps him/her score more highly, as well as being very dependent on the equipment.

And what about sports that involve animals? It could be argued that anything 'horsey' isn't really a sport, though terrific fun.

So Linny doesn't tell me off for not expressing a specific opinion, I don't think darts and bowls qualify as sports though they are excellent games. Ice dance and synchro and gymnastics do count as sports for me, having seen training for all of these at the local sports centre these people really do work hard and get puffed out with their activities. As for equipment-based activities, the heavier the dependency on the equipment, the more uneasy I am at calling it a sport rather than an activity, pastime or some other word. I reckon the design of the boat was just as important as Dame Ellen's skills in allowing her to break the world record. She'd have been stuffed in a little dinghy!

[Linny]

See how bored I am today - instant response (kids have been off school sick).
I did of course mean quantitative and I never actually said I didn't like them (although to be fair I don't), just that I don't personally see them as sports. Diving and gymnastics (assuming one ignores the ladies floor routine) are assessed in a "quantitative" way albeit subjectively so they are OK.
And being as you have expressed your opinion ;) ,working physically hard, getting puffed and breaking a sweat does not make something a sport. I can think of plenty physically demanding activities, some of which are pretty competitive that aren't sports as such.

[Vincent]

...Ian Thorpe is fitter than Shane Warne.

I knew this was going to create some confusions... :rolleyes:

[Kaci]

I like to think as lawn bowls as a sport. my poppa was a awesome sports man and played for his county in both football and cricket and had trials for Tottenham Hotspurs (but his dad didn't let him ago...another story). His back is wrecked mainly through many many years of intense sport and no warming down, warming up etc.

what i'm getting is, he still has that passion for sport and bowls is as close as he can get to sport. It is competitive, demands skill, strict rules and physical.

Sorry rambled a bit...as usual

[Kaci]

A 'sport' that really suffers i think is trampolining., It is incredibly demanding both physically and mentally (it scares the hell out of me!) yet it is only just about recognised as a sport in its own right.

So snooker, darts is a game, but then so is football.... argh its too confusing.

[Va Va Voom]

If we are being technical..... The European Council Defines Sport as:- "All forms of physical activity through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and well being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels."

A more clinical approach....Physical Activity is:- "Any force exerted by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure above resting level." Public Health Observatory

*takes work hat off* :angel:

My personal favorite is.....
[Exercise] The art of converting big meals and fatty snacks into back strains & pulled muscles by lifting heavy things that do not need to be moved or running when you are not being chased. :king:

[icelolly]

My personal favorite is.....
[Exercise] The art of converting big meals and fatty snacks into back strains & pulled muscles by lifting heavy things that do not need to be moved or running when you are not being chased.

i love this especially the bit about running.

i note no one argues swimming isnt a sport but is it sport when it comes down to the Brand / style of your swim costume ????? Fastskin is another debate i know

the argument was made that equipment = less "sport" not sure i agree
F1 is all about the cars yes but surley the skill of the driver plays a part as does their fitness and stamina and but surely running is about trainers if you use that argument ????