Interesting discussion today, but I was left wondering what truly constitutes a sport. The confusing aspect of the definition of sports is whether or not something that is a competition and requires some athletic skill is truly a sport (cheerleading, car racing, horse racing, bowling, etc).
My gut is to say NO, but there are arguments to be made.
With that said, post a response reflecting on what OUR SOCIETY believes to be sport. Consider all aspects. Also, how can sports change our society? Explain the impact.
REQUIREMENTS
Comment at least twice (2x): One with your thoughts and one that responds to the comment of another.
This is worth 5 points.
Sports
An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
Athletic (adjective)
1. physically active and strong; good at athletics or sports: an athletic child.
2. of, like, or befitting an athlete.
3. of or pertaining to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina: athletic sports; athletic training.
Athlete (noun)
A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.
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Sport is for the common man, anyone can do it and it doesn't burden the common man to do it on a day to day basis. Also, it doesn't require the athlete to fake emotions in order to score higher. Sports require top endurance that must be deveolped through practice. In all sports, once the athlete has reached 40 years old, the athlete is past their prime because sports are phyiscally demanding so that the athlete is at the top of their game in their 20's, no exceptions... This in my mind is the truest meaning of sport, age, all real sports have the top athletes at the prime age in the 20's
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ben's post, I agree that for something to be truly a sport, a player can't be able to receive points, or lose points, on matters such as noise, emotions, or outfits. If emotions provided a player with bonuses, guys like Carlos Zambrano and Kevin Garnett would be well above their competition.
ReplyDeleteBut, in my opinion, for something to truly be a sport, it must have MOST of the following (not all): 1)Defense. 2)Elements of Environment. 3)Unbiased judging. Such as the score is the same no matter who totals it up. 4)Must require manipulation of the athlete's body.
ReplyDeleteI do know that gymnastics may not cover all of these categories, but because of its huge aspect of #4, it's the only exception in my mind.
In response to Ben and Vainisi. I agree with what they say, but would like to add that on the age stand point, I can not tell you the last time I have seen a 40 year old cheerleader.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, a sport must have 1) Head to Head competition 2) Physical challenge 3)Winning based on Score or Time ( Not Judging)
sports is something that involves the usage of the individual's mind and body to a certain extreme while competing with someone. So something like cheer leading, which is like doing flips with others support, is not really a sport.
ReplyDeletein response to little vainisi's comment, what does defense have to do with something like gymnastics or bowling? i really don't know if bowling is a sport , but i know gymnastics is and there's nothing to "defend".
ReplyDeleteBut i agree with veything else.
I agree with what vainisi said. In order for something to be a sport it must have 2 teams or athletes going head-to-head. There must be some force preventing you from scoreing. I also agree with the comment about the judges. A sport should be decided on what you and another athlete is doing, not by a judge.
ReplyDeleteI also think that if you can be deducted points for messing up, then it shouldn't be a sport. Sports in my opinion are about putting up points and scoring, not about deductions.
ReplyDeleteIn our society today, society finds anything that involves skill and athletics a sport. Also I believe that most of our society does not know that the E in ESPN stands for entertainment, they usually figure that anything on ESPN is a sport.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what chris says that in order to be a sport it needs to require a manipulation of the body. If the "activity" is physically demanding, then it's a probably sport. Other factors also play in to the decision, not just if it's physically demanding.
ReplyDeleteI would have to disagree with the point thing. It really doesn't matter about how the point are scored. A sport needs it penalties and ways for a team to be penalized.
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ReplyDeleteFor something to be a sport, I think one has to be competiting in an activity with set rules that requires mental and physical strain and endurance.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, sports that are judged subjectivly may not be considered sports. The one exception is gymnastics because I believe the athletic requirements cancel out the lack of objectivity in scoring.
And I also believe for these same reasons that NASCAR, and auto racing in general, is a sport. Not only does it require alot of endurance to drive a car for over 4 hours at 185 mph, but the competition is overwhelming and it requires alot of mental toughness to go against 40 other guys at that speed.
i agree that sports need penalties, its in the definition of sports that they are governed by a set of rules or customs, without deductions or penalties there would be no rules
ReplyDeleteI think our society defines sports based on how physically demanding the sport is. If you dont sweat or have a chance to get injured, sports fans dont like to accept it as a sport. This is why golf, bowling, and pool seem to obviously not be a sport.
ReplyDeleteI also strongly disagree with Brett. In golf (which I think IS a sport)you can be penelized strokes. In basketball the other team can pick up points for goal tending, which is basically a deduction because it increases the defecit. And in football you can lose a timeout for not wearing correct uniforms. While timeouts aren't points, they can be costly while running a two minute drill or when the play clock is running down.
ReplyDeleteYou can be injured in golf. I'm not a golfer, but I am sure it is possible to tear something while swinging, even if it is unlikely. Bowling I think is a toss up. While you are making an athletic motion, it is a motion that does not require much of any arm strength or physical endurance.
ReplyDeleteMy definition of sport is something that requires physical endurance and exertion from the athlete, consists of one or multiple variables, and is regulated by a specific set of rules.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that defense is necessary for something to be considered a sport. Swimming, track, speed skating, and gymnastics are all physically demanding sports that require competition without physically defending an offense. Head-to-head competition is not the only way to compete in a sport.
In response to Alex, I also agree that a sport must be physically demanding. Billiards isn't physically demanding. If pool is a sport, then so are foosball and air hockey... these are recreational activities, NOT sports.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a sport is defined as, a physical activity that requires athletic ability and is a head to head competition
ReplyDeleteWhat I believe that a sport should be a mixure of using your mind and body. What we talk about in class was mainly about the body doesn't using mind effect at all. A Sport is really a orgainize game for profit(it doesn't have to be for money) Each Sport in this world can be proven to not be a sport. Any one person can do any sport for it would practice to get better. There is a perfect defination for sport on Wiki. Alot of people say that a sport is this but what does a sport mainly consits of, using your mind and using your body along with recieving a profit.
ReplyDeleteIt Response To Klimek, you don't see fourty year old cheerleaders because sheerleading is based on looks and most 40 somethings aren't as hot as 20 somethings, which once again proves it's not a sport. Some 40 plus women defintely could do cheerleading but have their heads on straight and where would they compete? (I'd say something inapprioate but i don't want this to get deleted) I completely agree with Hillary's response to alex. To Joe saying golfing is a sport because u can get hurt my swinging a club, that's weak.
ReplyDeleteThere was once a supreme court justice that said that to determine if something was obscene, he would "know it when he saw it". I kind of think this goes a little for a sport but in an attempt to define it:
ReplyDeleteI believe a sport needs a variable and something that can possibly effect your performance. For some sport that is defense but it can also include having someone next to you. For example, I consider track a sport but would not consider the athletes running the 40 yard dash at the combine by themselves a sport. Any team thing where you can plan out exactly how a perfomance will go before hand can not be considered a sport. Gymnastics differs because it is an individual thing where the fault of an individual athlete is highlighted so much more than in something like cheerleading and the great physical manipulation of the body really does make it an exception.
I agree with what Ben said about cheerleading. If your not in your prime you have no shot of being a cheerleader. I also think that just because you can get hurt doesnt make it a sport, ive hurt myself sleeping but thats not a sport
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ben's post, I completely agree that the emotions can not be something that gains you points in a sport. Sure it might fire you up to perform better but there is no way that can be considered part of a sport's scoring system. That sort of goes along with the whole notion that appearance and the show of an event be part of the judging. When things like that goes into an event, that creates way to much subjectivity to let it be considered a sport.
ReplyDeleteSports defined by our society: A physically demanding sport that is seen on ESPN, and is popular amongst ourselves.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it may be wrong, but our society is very biast and naive as to what is sport and what isn't. Perosnally, I believe sport is omething that is physically enduring, requires skill, technique, and mental toughness as well.
As discussed in class, vanisi defined it well. There are certain aspects that a sport must include in order to be a sport. The most important one in my mind being manipulation of the athelte's body.
ReplyDeleteBen, I never said golf is a sport because you can get hurt. I think golf is a sport because it requires mental strain, fundamentals, and some physical abilities. I can see how you would think golf isn't a sport because it is debatable but getting hurt doesn't have anything to do with it.
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