Comment About Winter Games And What Is A "Sport"

[Tugg Speedman]

If a Judge has to tell you who won, it is not a sport, it is an exhibition.  

I'm more convinced of this after watching Jamie Anderson win the Gold Medal is Snowboarding Slope Style.  (FYI - this is a "sport" that did not exist a few years ago and is new to the Olympics this year.)  It could be the 31st best run or the gold medal winning run and it all looks the same.  

And it is not only me, but the announcers and competitors, who are supposed to know what is going on, are just as surprised judging from their reactions.  They have no idea what they are looking at and have to wait for a judge to tell them what the score is and they act shocked when they get the results, either way.

So, any sport that needs a judge to tell us who won, I question if it is a sport.  This includes Gymnastics, figure skating, all "snow events" that are not judged by a clock.  They are exhibitions.

Why am I wrong for thinking this?

[chapman]

Agree completely with your methodology. I usually call them "activities" rather than exhibitions, but all the same.  If there isn't a natural way of keeping score, it's not a sport to me.  Fastest, furthest, longest, highest, most points, whatever it may be.

[Lennys Tap]

Agree in general, but I do think boxing is a sport even if they have to go to the judges' cards for a decision.

[wadesworld]

I can't stand extreme sports, X game type sports, etc.  But if you ask me, things like snowboarding are more of a sport than sitting in a car and driving in a circle for a few hours.  One is "judged," the other is "timed."  It takes a better athlete to be able to ride down a hill on a snowboard and go off large ramps to do tricks in the air and land it than it does to sit in a seat for a couple of hours.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I disagree. Its a sport, takes a hell of a lot of athletic skill to compete in. I mean, technically speaking you have judgment calls in basketball, football and baseball too. Im a competitive bowler and always try to defend that bowling is a sport but even I would say snowboarding is more of a sport then bowling.

[mu_hilltopper]

Completely agree with the OP.  These new "sports" really dilute the true sports.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Completely agree with the OP.  These new "sports" really dilute the true sports.

See though, what is a "true sport" you cant really qualify or quantify what really makes a sport just like you cant quantify/qualify what makes an actual science. Everybody has their opinion on the matter but its not something you can really have a specific set of terms for.

[Tugg Speedman]

I disagree. Its a sport, takes a hell of a lot of athletic skill to compete in. I mean, technically speaking you have judgment calls in basketball, football and baseball too. Im a competitive bowler and always try to defend that bowling is a sport but even I would say snowboarding is more of a sport then bowling.

Bowling is a sport of skill.  It has an objective measure, who knocks down the most pins.  You do not need a French and Russian judge to tell you who won and when they do, leave you bewildered about their decision.

[GGGG]

Completely agree with the OP.  These new "sports" really dilute the true sports.

Watching last night, I thought the slopestyle event was 100 times more entertaining than the traditional ski jumping. 

Again, I don't know why we as a society have to have these discussions about what exactly is, and isn't, a sport.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Bowling is a sport of skill.  It has an objective measure, who knocks down the most pins.  You do not need a French and Russian judge to tell you who won and when they do, leave you bewildered about their decision.

I will agree with you about the French judge. They always make some head scratching decisions. The worst display of judging though that I have ever seen is any olympic style boxing match. While other sports there are certain point deductions that they take away for certain things olympic boxing has never made sense.

[Tugg Speedman]

I will agree with you about the French judge. They always make some head scratching decisions. The worst display of judging though that I have ever seen is any olympic style boxing match. While other sports there are certain point deductions that they take away for certain things olympic boxing has never made sense.

Is Jim Burr French?

[Galway Eagle]

As a boxer I'm offended by the black and white idea of judges or not judges to decide what is a sport as that is certainly not an exhibition.  I think it's a sport if you are able to test your physical limits when competing.  For this reason something like bowling is not a sport it's a game, same with many of the x games sports, as they are designed for adrenaline tests not pushing you to your physical limits. 

[Tugg Speedman]

As a boxer I'm offended by the black and white idea of judges or not judges to decide what is a sport as that is certainly not an exhibition.  I think it's a sport if you are able to test your physical limits when competing.  For this reason something like bowling is not a sport it's a game, same with many of the x games sports, as they are designed for adrenaline tests not pushing you to your physical limits. 

Is Ballet a sport?  They also test their physical limits.  How about Opera?  They test the physical limits of the human voice.

Would you be in favor or countries sending teams to perform Swan Lake or Le Boehme and having Judges declare a winner and giving them Olympic medals?

[Lennys Tap]

Is Ballet a sport?  They also test their physical limits.  How about Opera?  They test the physical limits of the human voice.

Would you be in favor or countries sending teams to perform Swan Lake or Le Boehme and having Judges declare a winner and giving them Olympic medals?

So, to be clear, you think boxing is not a sport because the outcome (when there is no knock out) is determined by judges? Tell Ali and Frazier that their 15 rounder in the Garden that resulted in a broken jaw for Muhammed and a hospital stay for Joe was an "exhibition", not a sport. That's crazy.

[Hards Alumni]

Remember folks, they are the Olympic GAMES, not the Olympic sports.

Its sort of a moot conversation.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

What do you people think about a point of view that one of my friends has?  If you play defense it is a sport.  If you don't have to play defense it is an activity/game.

[Archies Bat]

What do you people think about a point of view that one of my friends has?  If you play defense it is a sport.  If you don't have to play defense it is an activity/game.

Then I guess the Bears aren't playing sports.

[Jay Bee]

What do you people think about a point of view that one of my friends has?  If you play defense it is a sport.  If you don't have to play defense it is an activity/game.

Dumb.

[MerrittsMustache]

What do you people think about a point of view that one of my friends has?  If you play defense it is a sport.  If you don't have to play defense it is an activity/game.

So, no Track and Field events are sports?

[Lennys Tap]

So, no Track and Field events are sports?

Yeah, wouldn't want to be on "D" in the javelin toss.

[wadesworld]

What do you people think about a point of view that one of my friends has?  If you play defense it is a sport.  If you don't have to play defense it is an activity/game.

"That one of my friends has." Classic.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

As a boxer I'm offended by the black and white idea of judges or not judges to decide what is a sport as that is certainly not an exhibition.  I think it's a sport if you are able to test your physical limits when competing.  For this reason something like bowling is not a sport it's a game, same with many of the x games sports, as they are designed for adrenaline tests not pushing you to your physical limits. 

Bowl 12 games in a day and tell me it doesnt test physical limits. Just to clarify I never said boxing wasnt a sport, I agree it is and its a sport I would never ever attempt. I was just complaining about the Olympic boxing judging. Never made sense to me.

[Jay Bee]

What is "defense"? You can play "defensively" without playing d (no m.s.)

[Tugg Speedman]

So, to be clear, you think boxing is not a sport because the outcome (when there is no knock out) is determined by judges? Tell Ali and Frazier that their 15 rounder in the Garden that resulted in a broken jaw for Muhammed and a hospital stay for Joe was an "exhibition", not a sport. That's crazy.

So breaking one's jaw makes it a sport?  If a ballet dancer blows out a knee, does that make you think ballet dancing is a sport?

--------------------

Saying slope-style snowboarding or gymnastics is not a sport should not be confused with saying the participants of those sports/exhibitions do not possess amazing athletic abilities.  They are amazing athletes but so are ballet dancers.  But as their sports are constituted, they are not really sports.  They are exhibitions where a winner is (arbitrarily?) decide by a panel of judges and not an objective measure like a clock, scoreboard or tape measure.

Boxing was more a sport 100 years ago when a "round" was a knockdown and you had 1 minute to recover.  Matches would go 80 or 100 rounds until someone could not answer the bell.  Today it is an exhibition to see who can land the first decent punch so the referee can stop the fight.

So, yes boxing is a borderline sport and getting closer and closer to professional wrestling everyday.  At least professional wrestling admits they are an exhibition and not a sport.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

"That one of my friends has." Classic.

I do argue with her/wife a lot over this point of view.  I am currently watching curling right now.  They are sort of playing defense.