Definition: Game vs. Sport

[jp.mylittlepwny]

I agree that golf can and should be categorized as a sport because Tigers Woods is a great example of how athleticism can improve the game. One of the reasons he is/was so dominant is because of his ability to drive the ball further than anyone else. There are many other reasons, but I'm singling this out because it relates to physical ability.

 

I don't doubt sweeping can be physically demanding, but it doesn't require someone to be in great shape to do it well. Yes if I picked up a broom today and tried it, I'm sure I'll be terrible the first few attempts but that will mainly be due to my inexperience. After I get passed the learning curve get a few games under my belt I may be able to do just as well as anyone else (at sweeping).

 

Well we can agree to disagree here. By the definition I set on what categorizes a sport, curling does not qualify.

 

Can a top women's curling team beat the men's team? If so, then that would even further support my notion that curling is not a sport.

[NLengr]

One thing that shouldn't be qualified as a sport is race car driving. I drive too but I wouldn't consider myself to be an athlete. It is draining (I heard drivers lose like 10 lbs of water each race) but so is sitting in a sauna.

 

As someone who has auto raced I can tell you it's physically and emotionally draining. It's nothing like driving your Hyundai on the 401. By the sitting in a sauna comparison, you could rule out pretty much any sport from being a sport.

 

If horse racing/jumping is a sport, auto racing is a sport. If neither are, then auto racing is just damned awesome.

[NLengr]

And if you look historically, many sports in their "early" days had out of shape people playing them (hockey is a glaring example - think smoking and drinking the locker room between periods).

 

Baseball is the same type of story.

[nosuperman]

"Its all fun and games until someone loses an eye, then it becomes a sport."

 

Therefor sports are activities that plays your eyes at risk, and the degree to which an activity is a sport is directly proportional to the risk of eye loss.

 

It would seem then that card games and e-sports are not sports. Curling, Bowling and Pool are marginally sports. Football, MMA, Hockey, Baseball and Golf are sports. Darts exists on a continuum whereby it becomes more sportlike as participants drink more and/or start throwing darts at each others faces.

[NewfieMike]

I suppose I'll throw in my 2 cents after reading your opinions. I have decided that there are 4 main types of competitions:

 

1.) races = bobsled, alpine skiing, triathlon, etc., where the goal is to finish in the fastest time

2.) events = gymnastics, halfpipe, etc., where the goal is to accumulate a maximum number of points individually, or in a group

 

and the big difference between 3.) a game, and 4.) a sport. Reading your opinions, the same ones ALWAYS come up. Baseball, curling, golf. We get into debates about athleticism vs. technical skill or how dangerous/competitive things can be, or how difficult it may become to get good at one of them.

 

I have decided upon a definition which takes into account none of those gray areas. In my view, if the game/sport gives players equal opportunities to score points, it is a game. If there is the ability of an unequal display of possession of power, it is a sport.

 

Examples:

 

-baseball. Teams have equal opportunities to attack and defend = Game

-volleyball. The winning team continues to serve, an obvious advantage = Sport

-soccer/hockey. One team can clearly have possession/dominate over the other = Sport.

-football. Sort of tricky because it could be argued that teams have equal opportunites, but when you take account interceptions = Sport

-curling = Equal opportunity to score = Game (I know this one might be debated because players can deliberately lose one end to get possession next time)

 

etc, etc.

 

After thinking about this for a long time, only 2 exceptions to the rule have come up (I'm sure there are others).

 

1.) Foosball. By definition a sport, but no one would classify it that.

2.) Tennis. By definition a game, but no one would classify it that either.

[RyanMaverick]

I have decided upon a definition which takes into account none of those gray areas.

 

Pffff. You turn into a Moderator and look what happens - you become Switzerland.

 

Crappy definition Mikey - let's hear what you REALLY think.

[jp.mylittlepwny]

The best definition that I've come across so far for definition of game vs sport is again:

If a woman can beat a man at it, it's not a sport.

[thatonekid]

-baseball. Teams have equal opportunities to attack and defend = Game

-soccer/hockey. One team can clearly have possession/dominate over the other = Sport.

I know what you're getting at, but I feel like you're being contradictory by calling baseball a game and hockey a sport. For baseball, you say that the teams have an equal opportunity. I get that part. But one team can clearly have dominate in terms of posession over another. And yet, you classified this as a sport. Say team A is really bad and constantly strikes out 3 batters in a row. Team B is good and gets a lot of at bats in the inning. Would that not then fall under your definition of a sport?

[NewfieMike]

I know what you're getting at, but I feel like you're being contradictory by calling baseball a game and hockey a sport. For baseball, you say that the teams have an equal opportunity. I get that part. But one team can clearly have dominate in terms of posession over another. And yet, you classified this as a sport. Say team A is really bad and constantly strikes out 3 batters in a row. Team B is good and gets a lot of at bats in the inning. Would that not then fall under your definition of a sport?

 

no because they had equal chances to score points. One is just better at the game than the other.

[yamahac]

no because they had equal chances to score points. One is just better at the game than the other.

 

Seems like a huge contradiction over what you said about volleyball:

 

"-volleyball. The winning team continues to serve, an obvious advantage = Sport"

 

Baseball. The team hitting continues to go up to bat if they get a hit, an obvious advantage = sport.

[thatonekid]

Seems like a huge contradiction over what you said about volleyball:

 

"-volleyball. The winning team continues to serve, an obvious advantage = Sport"

 

Baseball. The team hitting continues to go up to bat if they get a hit, an obvious advantage = sport.

This is what I'm trying to get at.

 

Why do games and sports have to be 2 seperate things? I still stand by my definition where something can be both.

[jp.mylittlepwny]

This is what I'm trying to get at.

 

Why do games and sports have to be 2 seperate things? I still stand by my definition where something can be both.

 

A game to me is where if enough practice goes into it, you can be great at it. With a sport, factors in addition to just time/effort devoted determines whether you will be great at it or not.