- The winner cannot be determined by a judge. (Sorry boxing, gymnastics, & figure skating)
- It must have a ball, puck, or similar object.
- It cannot be a subset of another sport. (e.g. running in a race cannot be a sport as running is part of many sports; the long jump isn't a sport on its own because there is jumping in many sports)
- Time cannot be part of the scoring. (This eliminates any and all racing)
- Heart rate must increase by at least 20 beats per minute for the vast majority of participants (in average physical condition) at some point during the normal course of the game.
Number 5 causes some controversy. Does it eliminate golf? On the PGA Tour you have to walk the course so I would say golf is a sport. However, bowling is not (sorry Dad). Neither is curling.
5 comments:
Curling is a sport. Number five included. Believe it.
Historically, if you consider sports to have replaced war on the battlefield, then just as soldiers have uniforms so must athletes.
Golfers don't wear uniforms, therefore they are not athletes and golf is not a sport.
I stand corrected on curling. I forgot about the sweeping. It definitely gets the heartrate going.
I strongly disagree on the uniforms piece. A uniform requirement would eliminate all individual sports and most pick-up team sports. While I wish sports could replace war on the battlefield, unfortunately it does not.
Ok, I guess the uniform thing does kind of rule out tennis...and I love Johnny Mac.
Another similar question. Is a horse an athlete? ESPN ranked Secretariat 35th on their top 100...and Oscar Robertson was 36th. Horses aren't athletes.
For my dollar, there has to be some form of defense one can play against the person or team trying to score. No defense? No sport.
Sorry golf.
Also, why this heart rate thing? Why not just demand that a sport includes athleticism? Excitement, stress, mental fatigue all get the heart rate going, and, can do so for athletes.
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