What is Sport?

[Mrs H]

My definition of a sport is any activity where the competitors can be called athletes

Mmmm - I'd call that Athletics

[frog]

I'd say a sport needs some physical exertion as well as skill, so that rules out darts which to me is no more of a sport than tiddly winks or chess.
I also think deciding the winner in a sporting event shouldn't be subjective, so don't really think ballroom dancing and ice dancing are sports for this reason. If 2 people can disagree about who has won (assuming the scoring system was decided beforehand) then it's not really a sport, if they are disagreeing because they like different things in the same way you can like 1 film over another, not just because the ref was looking the other way when a goal was scored.
Gymnastics is difficult because I like watching it in the olympics and there is obvious skill and physical exertion, but the subjectivity and need for more than 1 judge does make me view it as not a real sport like the 100m run.

[AndyC]

How do you place boxing? Needs judges (unless one competitor is damged so badly he can't continue) but it was in the first Olympics and it clearly requires skill, physical prowess, fitness and competitive spirit

Add Judo, Karate and "proper" wrestling to the question

[mharky]

My definition of a sport is any activity where the competitors can be called athletes

Mmmm - I'd call that Athletics

The dictionary disagrees.

Athlete
–noun
A person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

Origin: 1520–30; < L āthlēta < Gk āthlētḗs, equiv. to āthlē- (var. s. of āthleîn to contend for a prize, deriv. of âthlos a contest) + -tēs suffix of agency

Perhaps you're thinking of a track and field athlete.

[Scott]

I'd like andypat to get through one modern dance routine to some trashy Europop

Or, for that matter, to bowl a cricket ball at 90+mph.

[EddieH]

Cricket is undoubtedly a sport as it requires immense skill, requires physical endurance and is at times very physical. You could not see the catches by Collingwood or Swann today and claim that they are not athletic.

Of course there are some unfit Saturday players that could not be put in this category, but neither could a whole bunch of orienteers.

If you don't understand cricket of course it's dull, but IMO it can be the most exciting of all sports (spectating) because it has so many variables.

Orienteering is of course the most exciting of all sports (competing) partly because it has so many variables.

[epocian]

I'd like andypat to get through one modern dance routine to some trashy Europop

Or, for that matter, to bowl a cricket ball at 90+mph.

or for that matter, be at the receiving end of the said ball!

[andypat]

I'd like andypat to get through one modern dance routine to some trashy Europop and then tell me the guys that do that stuff aren't athletes...

Just because something is hard work doesnt make it a sport. I can get up a bit of a sweat cutting the grass - but that doesnt make me an athlete!

And re cricket - Ok maybe I was being too controversial - since its generally accepted to be a sport. And I have played it - its quite a good game in its short format. But you can still stick your dancing somewhere in the "non-sporting activities" cupboard as far as I am concerned.

[awk]

Gymnastics is difficult because I like watching it in the olympics and there is obvious skill and physical exertion, but the subjectivity and need for more than 1 judge does make me view it as not a real sport like the 100m run.

In addition to all the others - ski jumping? Which, of course, would then mean nordic combined. Three Day Eventing?

Whilst I don't like anything to involve subjective judging, I think you're on extremely dodgy ground saying they are not sports. I'd also disagree with those who say that it must require 'exertion' - where do you draw the line? Personally, a sport is one that requires, at least in part, the result to depend on physical ability. Thus, chess isn't, but darts is. And as for competitive dance - I see no reason why not, especially if we already have rhythmic gymnastics, synchronised swimming and ice dancing in the Olympic Games. I may not think they should be there, but they are. And I have far more respect for their physical fitness than golfers, which, like darts and snooker, only just scrapes into the sporting definition for me. Mark Twain got that one soooo right!

[Becks]

I'd like andypat to get through one modern dance routine to some trashy Europop and then tell me the guys that do that stuff aren't athletes...

Just because something is hard work doesnt make it a sport. I can get up a bit of a sweat cutting the grass - but that doesnt make me an athlete!

I didn't suggest it was a sport! I suggested that the guys who do it are athletes. Whether that is the same thing or not I don't care...

[DaveK]

As I'll be over 60 by then , I see that I can get discounted ticket prices for such 'sports' as synchronised swimming at the 2012 Olympics. Can't wait

[andypat]

I didn't suggest it was a sport! I suggested that the guys who do it are athletes. Whether that is the same thing or not I don't care...

Interesting reversal of perspective Becks - they are athletes but not sportspeople? I guess we arent going to come to a definitive conclusion on this one!

[AndyO]

whether anyone thinks they are sports or not, there's more chance of modern dancing and synchronised grass cutting making it to the Olympics than Orienteering - and you can bet that there will be millions poured into the chase for medals for Team GB

[Mrs H]

I entirely agree with Awk's definitions - darts and snooker are definitely sport. People seem to be making some sort of value judgement on how much physical effort as opposed to skill is involved - as long as it is some of both that's fine. Otherwise appreciation of sports would be entirely biased towards those of an extreme nature - such as marathon running and tri-athalon and tour de France stuff - as opposed to sprint nature. Bit like how a lot of people see orienteering round here!

I don't agree with Awk - or Mark Twain about golf - it's great to watch on TV massively skillful and requires strength and intelligence.

G-Mac to win, two historic victories, balls of steel and he's actually got a personality

[70plus]

Maybe a distinguishing factor is how much money goes into it. I suggest that no-one thought of darts as 'sport' until some strange people got it onto TV, with all that goes with it. If you wanted to play darts you could do it in the kids' bedroom or down the pub (you could also watch it there if desperate). I have never understood why there is a big TV following - there must be lots of people who will watch almost anything with an unpredictable outcome.