Game or Sport? Your opinion.

TLDNMCL

Despite poring over various dictionary definitions, I still find it hard to accept some activities as sports, and rightly or wrongly have decided that to my mind, they are games. (And no, I haven't devised a reasonable logic for it either!).

For example, some of my own difficulties lie with snooker, darts, and bowling among others.

Anyone else of a similar mind?

Pross

Someone on here (can't remember who) gave the definition that if you can do it competitively in normal shoes then it is a game not a sport - sounds fair to me!

rick_chasey

Wikipedia defines it quite well actually...

A sport is an organized, competitive, entertaining, and skillful physical activity requiring commitment, strategy, and fair play, in which a winner can be defined by objective means. It is governed by a set of rules or customs. In sports the key factors are the physical capabilities and skills of the competitor when determining the outcome (winning or losing). The physical activity involves the movement of people, animals and/or a variety of objects such as balls and machines or equipment. In contrast, games such as card games and board games, though these could be called mind sports and some are recognized as Olympic sports, require primarily mental skills and only mental physical involvement. Non-competitive activities, for example as jogging or playing catch are usually classified as forms of recreation.

Steveorow

I agree and had many an arguement about this .

The way I define a sport is if 70% or more of the partcipants ( If its a solo effort then thats 100% ) are actively engaged in the activity for 70% of the time the sport is in play enough to raise their heart rate to 70% of max or more then thats a sport .

Anything else is a game .

Just my definition . Im sure this is why I have had so many heated discussions about this :roll:

robjhp

If you sweat while your doing it then it's a sport

rick_chasey

robjhp wrote:

If you sweat while your doing it then it's a sport

I think my girlfriend would be offended if I called that sport.

verylonglegs

Rick Chasey wrote:

robjhp wrote:

If you sweat while your doing it then it's a sport

I think my girlfriend would be offended if I called that sport.

How do you know she is not keeping a log of performances and awarding marks out of 10?


I struggle with the darts-is-a-sport one myself and that's even as a once keen player of the game. When I was playing it not once did I consider myself to be taking part in a sporting activity and imo if you want to get really good at it it's just a question of putting the hours in rather than having any innate ability.

Stretching the topic a little further I also agree with an ex-athletes view of the olympics with regard to all the events it now covers, 'If you can't time it or measure it then it shouldn't be in there'.

rick_chasey

verylonglegs wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

robjhp wrote:

If you sweat while your doing it then it's a sport

I think my girlfriend would be offended if I called that sport.

How do you know she is not keeping a log of performances and awarding marks out of 10?

Then I should be offended, given that it involves competiting, with an outcome of a winner and loser!

whyamihere

I just go by what is said to be played and what is not. For example, people are said to play football, rugby or darts, so they're games. Nobody says they're playing cycling, or marathon running, so they're sports.

RichN95.

Pross wrote:

Someone on here (can't remember who) gave the definition that if you can do it competitively in normal shoes then it is a game not a sport - sounds fair to me!

That was probably me. It's the rule I always use. (Wasn't my idea originally though)

meanredspider

I was always taught that huntin', shootin' and fishing are the only sports - all the rest are games...

brin

This topic always brings out the usual 'non-sport' activities such as darts, snooker, golf,fishing bowling etc. Generally speaking 'sport' does not mean you have to be physically participating to such a stage you work up a sweat, most sports require strategy and tactics as well as athleticism,
the ultimate objective is to win. Imagine the nerves a darts player has to control when throwing his last dart that could decide whether he wins £££££'s or gets the runners up prize?
Or the angler deciding how best to land the biggest catch of the day in the local tournament, does he yank the catch up out of the water in one go fearing it may escape, or let it tire itself out on the line for 10 - 20 mins.
Then there is the sports requiring both tactics and fitness, the racing car driver (who are considerably fit) but also has to decide when to make his move to overtake or when/if a tyre change is necessary.
The jockey (ever seen a fat one) does he let his horse gallop away and chance getting caught, or does he hold it back and make a burst in the last furlong?
Probably because we as cyclists maintain a certain level of fitness, it can be misleading to regard other 'sports' as just games or pastimes, when really 'sport' should be defined as a competitive activity that produces a winner.

Stewie Griffin

verylonglegs wrote:

Stretching the topic a little further I also agree with an ex-athletes view of the olympics with regard to all the events it now covers, 'If you can't time it or measure it then it shouldn't be in there'.

That would remove boxing from the Olympics wouldn't it?

Cleat Eastwood

robjhp wrote:

If you sweat while your doing it then it's a sport

What, like signing on?

northernneil

Pross wrote:

Someone on here (can't remember who) gave the definition that if you can do it competitively in normal shoes then it is a game not a sport - sounds fair to me!

me !!

and I stand by it

Stick8267

Stewie Griffin wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

Stretching the topic a little further I also agree with an ex-athletes view of the olympics with regard to all the events it now covers, 'If you can't time it or measure it then it shouldn't be in there'.

That would remove boxing from the Olympics wouldn't it?

...and diving, synchronised swimming, gymnastics (both sorts), taekwando, judo, dressage...

LangerDan

Stewie Griffin wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

Stretching the topic a little further I also agree with an ex-athletes view of the olympics with regard to all the events it now covers, 'If you can't time it or measure it then it shouldn't be in there'.

That would remove boxing from the Olympics wouldn't it?

I don't think so - assuming there isn't an "obvious" result such as a KO, the match is awarded based on points scored for landing punches. Sounds like " measurement" to me.

Regarding the OPs question, I like Jean De Gribaldys quote:

'Cycling isn't a game, its a sport. Tough, hard and unpitying, and it requires great sacrifices. One plays football, or tennis, or hockey. One doesn't play at cycling"

(Except he probably said in in French!)

afx237vi

There are only three sports; bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering. The rest are merely games.

verylonglegs

Stick8267 wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

Stretching the topic a little further I also agree with an ex-athletes view of the olympics with regard to all the events it now covers, 'If you can't time it or measure it then it shouldn't be in there'.

That would remove boxing from the Olympics wouldn't it?

...and diving, synchronised swimming, gymnastics (both sorts), taekwando, judo, dressage...

That was the essentially the view he was trying to put across, anything that was based on one person's judgement against another should not be an olympic sport, it should be a 'pure' result. Boxing does straddle the distinction though as there a two ways to win, a ko or points. It is a controversial view I admit but I agree with it pretty much.

RichN95.

afx237vi wrote:

There are only three sports; bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering. The rest are merely games.

What about marlin fishing?

snailracer

Pro cycling is not a sport - it is applied biochemistry :P

afx237vi

RichN95 wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

There are only three sports; bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering. The rest are merely games.

What about marlin fishing?

If you can do it with a mojito in one hand, it's not a sport.

Smokin Joe

Who friggin cares?

If it's on the back pages, that's good enough for me.

switchback18

The organisation that's in charge of bridge - the cardgame - seriously tried to get it into the winter olmypics a few years ago...

Love the definition of pro cycling by snailracer!

desweller

Aren't the Olympics drawn from skills required to conduct wars in ye olde times? Hence javelin, discus, shot putt, marathon etc.

afx237vi

DesWeller wrote:

Aren't the Olympics drawn from skills required to conduct wars in ye olde times? Hence javelin, discus, shot putt, marathon etc.

Sounds like modern pentathlon - fencing, swimming, horse riding, shooting and running. Invented by Pierre de Coubertin as a way to test all the skills needed by a modern soldier.

Stewie Griffin

LangerDan wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

Stretching the topic a little further I also agree with an ex-athletes view of the olympics with regard to all the events it now covers, 'If you can't time it or measure it then it shouldn't be in there'.

That would remove boxing from the Olympics wouldn't it?

I don't think so - assuming there isn't an "obvious" result such as a KO, the match is awarded based on points scored for landing punches. Sounds like " measurement" to me.

Regarding the OPs question, I like Jean De Gribaldys quote:

'Cycling isn't a game, its a sport. Tough, hard and unpitying, and it requires great sacrifices. One plays football, or tennis, or hockey. One doesn't play at cycling"

(Except he probably said in in French!)

Scoring punches isn't a measurement though, you have 3 judges all watching the bout it only takes 2 to score a punch as 1 may decide it wasn't worth a point. Just want to make sure that amateur boxing isn't taken out of the Olympics when football & tennis are and shouldn't be & now golf?

Back to the original point, its not a sport if if someone has become World Champion while half cut.

Limburger

Sport is inherently dangerous and poses a risk of death or serious injury.

Mountaineering
Motor Racing
Geordie Baiting
Cycling
war

Everything else is a game, and a sprained ankle is not serious injury. e.g.

Lawn Bowls
Football
Tiddlywinks
Flower Arranging
Politics

rolf_f

Needs to result in some form of physical adaptation/development for the participant to excel at. Clearly darts and golf are not sports (can't count anything as a sport where the participants use an electric trolley to get around on the only part of the activity that requires any physical effort!).

spen666

whyamihere wrote:

I just go by what is said to be played and what is not. For example, people are said to play football, rugby or darts, so they're games. Nobody says they're playing cycling, or marathon running, so they're sports.

so football rugby, tennis, squash are not sports?

northernneil

Rolf F wrote:

Needs to result in some form of physical adaptation/development for the participant to excel at. Clearly darts and golf are not sports (can't count anything as a sport where the participants use an electric trolley to get around on the only part of the activity that requires any physical effort!).

Golf most certainly is a sport you need to Change your shoes darts you don't

Also probable helps that the worlds most famous sportsperson plays it