Question of the Day

[jwfgeol]

Are competitions that are judged truly sports?

Paul brought up the women's gymnastics valut in another thread and it got me thinking. With so much subjectivity in judging, is it truly a sport? With swimming, track and field, etc. there is a clear winner. When the judge from "former Soviet satellite X" can single handedly decide the winner and loser, there is way too much room for bias.

 

[HD MM]

Are competitions that are judged truly sports?

Paul brought up the women's gymnastics valut in another thread and it got me thinking. With so much subjectivity in judging, is it truly a sport? With swimming, track and field, etc. there is a clear winner. When the judge from "former Soviet satellite X" can single handedly decide the winner and loser, there is way too much room for bias.

Gymnastics involves skill and endurance, but so does playing the piano or guitar. IMO, subjective judged "sports" are nothing more than a glorified recital. In sports, there has to be a clear-cut winner.

 

[SabresRule]

subjective judged "sports" are nothing more than a glorified recital. In sports, there has to be a clear-cut winner.

And yet so many people fawn over these women gymanasts.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Please don't belittle the gymnasts, divers, and other similar sports. These people are more athletic than anybody in the four major sports. They train as hard, if not harder, as any sport. The real question is how to improve the scoring. Are these sports? Hell yes. No room for improvisation, and yes, maybe they are "glorified recitals", but I would still call them sports.
By the way, I play guitar and piano, never felt like endurance was part of the equation.

 

[anders5189]

I'm not a big fan of judged events, but at least gymnasts are doing something physical with all the jumps and flips. That's a lot better than auto racing where the drivers are just glorified cab drivers IMO, and they call THAT a sport!

 

[tigerfan33]

We forget that MOST sporting events have judges, referees and umpires that can make the difference of the outcome of any game.

 

[jwfgeol]

We forget that MOST sporting events have judges, referees and umpires that can make the difference of the outcome of any game.

However, there is a difference between enforcing the rules (officiating) and receiving a score from a judge (judging). Yes, there is subjectivity in officiating, but not near as much as judging.

 

[salsadancer7]

Are competitions that are judged truly sports?

Paul brought up the women's gymnastics valut in another thread and it got me thinking. With so much subjectivity in judging, is it truly a sport? With swimming, track and field, etc. there is a clear winner. When the judge from "former Soviet satellite X" can single handedly decide the winner and loser, there is way too much room for bias.

I think there is no other way to improve the judging. I meant really, what is a team to do....get judges that would be favorable to your country of liking? Implant sensors on the gymnasts knees? She got screwed...no doubt....but I cannot see another way of improving it. I am pisted that not one single judge did NOT question of the other gymnast touching knees....

 

[HD MM]

Please don't belittle the gymnasts, divers, and other similar sports. These people are more athletic than anybody in the four major sports. They train as hard, if not harder, as any sport. The real question is how to improve the scoring. Are these sports? Hell yes. No room for improvisation, and yes, maybe they are "glorified recitals", but I would still call them sports.
By the way, I play guitar and piano, never felt like endurance was part of the equation.

Maybe I'm stretching Paul, but I meant endurance of the fingers Paul. I played Bass Guitar for a short while in High School. I remember my fingers being fatigued and callused until they got used to the strings and the speed.

 

[HD MM]

I'm not a big fan of judged events, but at least gymnasts are doing something physical with all the jumps and flips. That's a lot better than auto racing where the drivers are just glorified cab drivers IMO, and they call THAT a sport!

You have a point there.

 

[Ramy]

Is Poker a sport? ESPN shows it, so it must be.

 

[TenaGoble]

Is Poker a sport? ESPN shows it, so it must be.

Reminds me in college when a bunch of us debated if curling was a "real sport"

Yes, it is in my opinion, because it uses the upper and lower body and you can get injuries such as sholder injuries, bruises and knee problems.

As for Poker, it's a thing you use to stoke a fire in a fireplace and a card game, 'nuff said! :neener

 

[jbernardi]

My personal viewpoint is that a sport is an athletic pursuit that involves both offense and defense. So in my warped little world, swimming, gymnastics and track & field, although athletic pursuits, are not sports. Golf is not a sport. Tennis is a sport. Hockey, football, basketball, baseball, soccer, water polo, beach volleyball are sports.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

After last night, the gymnastic judging continues to baffle me. I guess the home team wins all ties. Total BS in my opinion. (By the way, the American girl should have won in the first place, even the uneducated eye could see that.) Salsa, you are right, there are no easy answers, but that doesn't mean there are no answers.

Since we're talking about what constitutes "sports", let me throw some gasoline on the fire. What about badminton, table tennis (ping pong), and that silly thing with the little girls running around twirling ribbons? The first 2 are just bastardizations of tennis, the later, well I don't know what the hell that is.

 

[salsadancer7]

My personal viewpoint is that a sport is an athletic pursuit that involves both offense and defense. So in my warped little world, swimming, gymnastics and track & field, although athletic pursuits, are not sports. Golf is not a sport. Tennis is a sport. Hockey, football, basketball, baseball, soccer, water polo, beach volleyball are sports.

Sorry....but since when do you need offense and defense for it to be a sport?! To me, ANYTHING that requires ATHLETIC skills and requires ATHLETIC abilities....is a sport.

So....race car/motor cycle driving of ANY KIND is not a sport. YES, it does require EXCELLENT driving abilities..but not athletic abilities. Poker....sorry...that is no similiar than a board game....once you know it, you can play. Maybe not at a so-called "world class"...but you know how to play.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Sorry....but since when do you need offense and defense for it to be a sport?! To me, ANYTHING that requires ATHLETIC skills and requires ATHLETIC abilities....is a sport.

So....race car/motor cycle driving of ANY KIND is not a sport. YES, it does require EXCELLENT driving abilities..but not athletic abilities. Poker....sorry...that is no similiar than a board game....once you know it, you can play. Maybe not at a so-called "world class"...but you know how to play.

Just curious, if it's not a sport, then what do we call it? Poker is a game, but racing is not a game. Baseball is a sport, so what is racing?
Myself, I think it's crazy. You're putting your life on the line every time you strap in. But then, don't we all? (Especially around Detroit!)

 

[anders5189]

Sorry....but since when do you need offense and defense for it to be a sport?! To me, ANYTHING that requires ATHLETIC skills and requires ATHLETIC abilities....is a sport.

So....race car/motor cycle driving of ANY KIND is not a sport. YES, it does require EXCELLENT driving abilities..but not athletic abilities. Poker....sorry...that is no similiar than a board game....once you know it, you can play. Maybe not at a so-called "world class"...but you know how to play.

You hit the nail on the head!

 

[yourbeliefs]

I don't consider the gymnastic events to be "sports." To me, you need to have something resembling head to head competition to be considered a sport. That's not to say that gymnasts are not athletes or don't work hard or train hard to get to where they are, but I would consider things like gymnastics, diving, equestrian, etc to be exhibitions of talent, not sports.

 

[SamCdbs]

Judged events such as gymnastics, diving, syncronized swimming, figure skating, X-Games, freestyle skiing as such are simply not sports.

There is nothing you can say about them (they require physical strength, practice and are capable of being judged by others) that you cannot say about bricklaying.

Its just not a sport.

 

[salsadancer7]

Just curious, if it's not a sport, then what do we call it? Poker is a game, but racing is not a game. Baseball is a sport, so what is racing?
Myself, I think it's crazy. You're putting your life on the line every time you strap in. But then, don't we all? (Especially around Detroit!)

A SKILL....it is a SKILL that it helps to be athletic, but you do not need it ot be good.