-100 There are three main criteria that an activity has to meet to be a sport. It has to be competitive, it has to be physically exerting, and it has to be scored in a way that doesn't involve judges because the score they give is arbitrary. This means that swimming, track, and ultimate frizbee are sports. However, NASCAR, cheerleading, golf, and dancing are not. amirite?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I always think it's funny how people think sports are only physically-demanding. A good athlete better be mentally engaged too or else s/he's not going to play very well.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That's true; but you have to be mentally engaged to be good at any activity whether or not it's a sport so I didn't put that as a requirement.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Golf is a sport, in my opinion, just as much as anything else that you mentioned. It's hard as hell. It's not physically "exausting" but it's so physically and mentally frustrating that it might as well be.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I agree, it's not really physically exhausting in the way that other sports are, but it is a mainly physical skill.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I agree. I believe golf is a sport. The others, not so much.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I dont get how cheerleading isnt a sport...we compete, we practice 3 hours a night 4 days a week...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The scoring part.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

What about ice skating? That's obviously a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

except for the fact that the scores are determined by judges, not a set scoring... thing. You get my point.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Actually, ice skating does have a set score, the judges just determine the deductions, and their the only unbiased people that know the rules and the scoring.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Keep up with news. The supreme court actually ruled that cheerleading is NOT a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

dancing all the way!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Finally...I've been trying to convince my prissy sister that dance and cheerleading aren't sports...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Gymnastics isn't a sport?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Unless there are competitive gymnastics that can be quantified into a score (not by judges) then no it's not imo.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

ah. Just wondering.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

gymnastics and dance arent sports, theyre more like art forms.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

then why is gymnastics in the olympics?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Somebody already pointed out that they are the Olympic Games not the Olympic sports

by Anonymous 13 years ago

sorry I hadn't read that far down.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

WOOO TRACK! People think racewalk isn't a sport, but it is. Yet, those same people think curling IS a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You obviously have never curled before. You try sweeping up and down the T-line as hard as you can while two people are screaming at you.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Actually cheerleading and dancing are sports.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I really don't understand why they're not considered sports.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Ultimate Frisbee is the best. Period.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Hell. Yes.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

dancing and cheering are most definitely sports

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You can't quantify them into a score, so no they're not. If you don't do something to score points or set the best time or something like that, then it's not a sport. Of course dancing and cheerleading require skill and I do not mean to take away from their legitemacy, but the word "sport" is not right for them.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Cheerleading is a sport when you accually do oll the flips, cartwheels, and stuff. Not when you just jump up and down shouting GO TEAM!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Its still not a sport. That part of cheerleading is just gymnastics, which is more of an art not a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

gymnastics is a sport, it's in the olympics...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

To be exact "Olympic GAMES"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yes, but it is composed of sports

by Anonymous 13 years ago

golf technically fits into those criteria

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Physically exerting. You're not constantly moving in Golf.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

you're not constantly moving in baseball or football either. if you can hit a ball as far as john daly or tiger without "physically exerting" yourself, my hat's off to you.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The distance you can hit a ball depends more on your form and technique than on pure arm strength. Baseball and football involve some type of conditioning as part of the training whereas golf does not.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

im not sure if some of those 300lb linemen ever heard of conditioning lol

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Golf players aren't out of breath all the time. Yes it takes skill and muscle to hit a golf ball that far, but it's just a swing, then wait a few minutes, then swing, then wait. Way too slowly paced.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

hm, golf is actually physically exerting. That's like saying track isnt, becaues they run, then stop for like 11 or so seconds. Theres a difference between physically exerting and physically challenging.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Then maybe physically challenging would be a better choice of words.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

tru, but i get what your saying. I love your posts and love your arguing skills, no sarcasm or lie :) keep em up bro!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

if you walk the course... then you walk at least a mile while carrying a 15 pound bag of clubs.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So? All the kids in my school carry around backpacks that are at least that heavy for 5 days a week. How is that relevant?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i'm just saying that it technically is physically exerting. Maybe not for teenagers but it's definitely tiresome for old men.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I agree with this definition, but would mean that many Olympic 'sports' aren't actually sports.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

But in the Olympics they'd be judged and scored, right? So they would be sports according to this...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I think the above definition does not include things like gymnastics or diving as the scores they give are at least partially subjective.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Couldn't all sports be considered to have some sort of "judge"? Like in football the refs seem to act as judges...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It's true that refs do occasionally decide a game, but judging whether or not a receiver's feet are in bounds is a lot different then awarding a score from one to ten based on your opinion of how well someone did. Ref calls are supposed to be based on the facts shown by cameras, not on opinion.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

baseball has umpires to "judge" or make a call, too. Guess it's not a sport then

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You should probably stop bringing up things that have already been settled: http://www.amirite.net/404516#comment706219

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I didn't read through all the comments. There's a lot. Sorry to restate someone else's point

by Anonymous 13 years ago

But they don't determine who wins, if team A has a higher score than team B then they win

by Anonymous 13 years ago

most athletes that play the things you consider sport would not be able to go through the work out of a competitive dancer.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That's true. I completley agree that competitive dancing is a legitemate thing that reqires lots of practice and skill, but you can't score it so I don't beleive it's a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Actually, it can be scored. And it IS scored, sometimes.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Please enlighten us. How is dancing scored in a way that is not based on the subjective judgement of others?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It's every bit as based on the judgement of others as another sport, like gymnastics

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I VANT TO BE A SCHKATEBOARDER, IST DAT A SCHPORT!??!?!?!?!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

lolwut?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

EINEN SCHAKETBOARDER!!! NEIN NEIN NEIN!!!!!!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

yea you hold a bunch of people up in a pyramid and see just how not physically exerting it is. and cheering is also competitive, and the whole thing about judges is just stupid. nascar is also extremely demanding, very competitive, and its not even judged by judges. how is that not a sport according to your requirements?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Of course competitive cheering requires physical exertion, the only reason that it isn't a sport is because it can't be scored. And NASCAR doesn't match up because you are not moving, a machine is moving for you. Yes I know that it is hot and that it takes focus, but sitting in a sauna doesn't count as exercise either.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

okay well as soon as you have actually raced a stockcar, i might listen to you. ps. according to these rules, mma is not a sport. now thats just stupid, amirite?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Isnt mma included in self-defence and other such things? In that case it isnt a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

no i mean like ufc. thats totally a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The car is MOVING FOR YOU. How in the hell is that a sport? And Martial arts could be counted as a sport if you were doing a tournament type thing where the winner of each fight advances, because winning a fight is a definitive way of scoring it and it is obviously physically exerting and competitive.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

okay you drive a race car and then say that.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If you've ever been inside a racecar during a race, it's actually very physically exhausting.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yes, but that isn't because you're exercising, it's because it is extremely hot, you've been sitting in a vibrating seat and you've been focusing for hours on end. Taking the SATs in a sauna on a vibrating bench wouldn't be called a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Point well taken. But allow me to bring forth another perspective: Even if the driving part is not considered a sport, NASCAR races involve teams. Of these teams, the driver is only one part. So what about the pit crew? Aouldn't what they do be considered a sport? If so, wouldn't NASCAR be considered a sport even if racing by itself is not?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No, I'm pretty sure nobody has ever heard of the sport "Pit-Crewing," seeing as we've already established that NASCAR isn't a sport...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Actually, in NASCAR they have a specific event called the Pit Crew challenge. Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't make it any less real. Anyways, I was just saying it meets the criteria.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No it doesn't, NASCAR is stupid. You sit in a car and drive. My dad apparently plays a sport every day then when he drives to work, then he engages in a second sport when he goes to get his tires changed. Exciting!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'm not really a fan of NASCAR, but your close-mindedness is astounding. It meets the criteria because it is competitive, requires physical exertion and is scored based on time. I wasn't saying driving is a sport since we've established that it clearly does not meet the criteria. I was saying that NASCAR consists of more than just racing and those other components could be considered sport. In case you were not aware, NASCAR is just the name of the association which organizes the events (similar to the NHL organizing professional hockey). Therefore it's not accurate to say that NASCAR is or is not a sport, since it consists of more than just driving.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

What does that put Snowboarding at, such-as half pipe. What would you consider it? Passtime? Competition?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

As long as you are competing with other athletes and trying to set some sort of quantifiable record (fastest time or longest air time or something), then I'd say that it is a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You're scored by judges in pipe though, and how is it not a sport?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

then no, unless the scoring is done by how many flips, airtime rotations and what not. you know, like a scoring formula.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i kind of agree. i mean i know gymnastics and dance are really difficult physical activities, but theyre not like sports...there should be a seperate word for activities like that that are physically exhausting but not a sport per se.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I agree. "Game" or "Performance" doesn't do them justice, but "Sport" isn't the right word.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I like the word "Competition"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well, you could easily make a word for it, the problem is getting people to actually use that word.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Nascar requires strength in your body while holding the tseering wheel right and pressing the gas pedal. Therefore it is physical excertion. Also dancing has a damce off and the winner could advance to a further round. Danxe and cheerleading are scored based on accuracy of moves, not just one opinion.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You are amazing BreakfastFan. I totally agree with you!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I think that given the choice between Dancing and Frisbee, I would say that dancing is a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Dance is a sport. You have to be flexible, strong, and have rhythm. It's competitive also. And a sport doesn't have to not have judges!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If there is no definitive way to quantify a score (scoring points, fastest time, etc.) then what separates it from a simple game? Is tag a sport? Is red rover a sport? What about hide and go seek? My labtops out of battery and it's 2am so I'm leaving, but think about it.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Why can't it be scored by judges and be considered a sport? I just think that's stupid. :/

by Anonymous 13 years ago

There are judges in swimming (best jump, form, etc.)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Thats not swimming that's diving

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So gymnastics is not a sport then?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No. gymnastics takes a lot of strength and training yes. But when I watch it, the discipline of it makes it more like watching an art form. To me at least anyway. Its the same with dance.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I don't consider horse racing a sport. Sure it takes a certain amount of skill to stand on a moving horse but that is all they do beside hitting the horse.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

have you ever ridden a horse? It's more difficult than it seems.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No I've never been on a horse. I'm sure it takes skill and practice so that you don't loose your balance but the jockey isn't doing any physical exercise.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

it takes a lot more than skill and balance.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'm not saying that it's easy because I've never tried it. I'm just saying that the jockey doesn't do any hardcore physical activity.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I've ridden a horse before. Do NOT try to complain about riding horses. Easiest thing I've ever done.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

uhmm, okay then. I'm not sure where you were riding horse, but apparently every one of em was dead. Try loping or running a horse that don't wanna stop and then talk to me. Oh and I'm assuming that you weren't sore after riding which means you probably didn't do it right.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Alot of things in the olympics are not sports. Nor are cheerleading or dancing. The olympics are also referee to as the olympic GAMES, not Olympic sports. Thus technically checkers could be in the olympics, because like cheerleading it can be competitive. Cheerleading on the other hand can not be scored like golf and NASCAR, there is no clear cut winner, it is all opinion. Wow. Never thought I'd find myself defending NASCAR... My IQ may have just dropped into the twenties

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'd have to disagree with this post simply because you said NASCAR isn't a sport. It meets all of your criteria. It's competitive, for obvious reasons. It's physically and mentally demanding, the drivers are in ridiculous shape and put up with strenuous conditions in the car. It also does have a score system. Aside from the obvious places a driver can come in when the race is finished, there is in fact a point system.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Omg nascar is not a sport. Its a redneck pastime

by Anonymous 13 years ago

not everyone who likes NASCAR is a redneck. And it is a sport. You try driving at those speeds while trying not to wreck with every other car in there.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well Im sorry that I dont consider driving in a big oval a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Baseball's not a sport, it's an American passtime. Soccer's not a sport, it's an English passtime. Tennis isn't a sport, it's a UK passtime. By the way, passtimes can also be sports. It's also not spelled "pastime", it's spelled "passtime". You're just ignorant all around, aren't you?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Actually, it is spelled "pastime". Make sure you have it right before you try to correct somebody else on it.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Huh. Well, the object of a pastime is to pass time, isn't it? I hate the English language.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yeah, that makes sense. Maybe it's more like something they've always done in the past? Haha, I dunno, I'm just guessing here.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Those are all sports by pretty much everyone's standards. And it is spelled pastime you dick.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

According to this person's definition, a game of Tag would be considered a sport, its competitive, physically demanding as you are running constantly, and it is not scored by judges. The whole thing about defining sports is ridiculous and this one is flawed like the others.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Watching a professional game of tag at the Olympics would actually be pretty epic.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Freestyle skiing? Definitely a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Trying to define what is and isn't a sport is kind of a waste of time, anyway. Just sayin'.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Dancing definatly is a sport. I dance for my school team and we have practice 4 days a week and we run 3 miles everyday. And when we dance we're basically sprinting for the whole 2 and a half minutes were up there and we practice that dance about a million times. Scoring may be different but it is still considered a sport, regardless.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Are you trying to tell me that running 3 miles is hard?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well running 3 miles everyday is. I would like to see you do that for 3 seasons straight.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I totally agree with you. Especially on NASCAR. I find it really hard to believe that people think that it's a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I know you're entitled to your own opinion but I have to disagree. The real definition of sport: an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition. It doesn't matter how you are scored, as long as you physically exert yourself in a competition then it's a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So bull and bronc riding are not sports?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Marching band is a sport, and it involves judges.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

"Sport- an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis,golf bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc." By this definition, all a sport needs is to be physically exerting.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

aaand golf is an activity requiring skill soo..

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I would say golf is a sport. If you play it like my Dad does, it's physically exerting.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

so trolling is not a sport?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Who made you the sports police?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The fact that he's BreakfastFan

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Agree with everything except golf, but that's 'cause I'm on the fence on that. Admittedly, Dance is extremely difficult, but not a sport. =/ Things like that need a special category due to the scoring method.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Wait how is swimming not a sport. That doesn't even make sense! It fits with the rules! I mean if you're swimming for fun then I understand, but If you swam on a year round team!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It says right in the post that swimming is a sport....

by Anonymous 13 years ago

One can argue Referees and judges serve the same purpose

by Anonymous 7 years ago