Do you still PLAY sports?

[monkeybomb]

I'm 28 and almost 100 pounds overweight....but I decided to pick up skateboarding this year with some of my co-workers.  It's not a sport, but the same kind of thing.

I'd consider it more of a sport than stuff like golf!

Yeah, that's a long debate that I have had many time.  It inevitably depends on how wide you are willing to make the definition.  Some people go as far as to say that any leisure activity can be defined as sport.  Almost synonomous with the the term "for fun".  As in , "He kicks cats for sport."  Our common culture has accepted the term to mean whatever it feels like calling a sport at the time without real criteria.  And certainly skateboarding is considered to be a sport by many.  And honestly I've never heard any deffinition that would include gymnastics (which most consider a sport) and not skateboarding, other than idiots just saying "because that's how it is".  But it's unfortunately one of those things where most people go with a sensless gut feeling and ignore logic.

For me it means any physical competition with an objective criteria for victory.  Certainly many (or most) disagree, but most of them don't have a deffinition for themselves, just a gut feeling without reason.

[paigeoliver]

Skateboarding is a performance sport, like gymnastics, figure skating, sychronized swimming, diving, etc.

Also, skateboarding is mega dangerous if you are overweight, heavy guys don't tend to take odd angle falls very well (you have plenty of cushion, but your bones aren't any stronger), and we tend to break the boards pretty easily.

I tried to take up skating again at 19 at 210 lbs, and I broke 3 boards in a week and gave up. I tried again at 240 and 25, and broke the board in the first 5 minutes.

[GGKoul]

I play hockey 2 times a week...

[DrewKaree]

It should be noted that bocce is a game, not a sport.  I would go farther to say any activity that you can hold a beer while playing is not a sport.

Depends.  Playing it like we do, yes, it is a game.  Playing it like it's supposed to be, if bocce ISN'T a sport, then by definition you are also saying that baseball, football, or hockey are games, and not sports.

But I certainly DO agree that the version of bocce I enjoy is nowhere near a sport, but like fishing, is something to do while drinking.

Okay, I totally want to play bocce with Drew.

No, that wasn't a pick up line.

-S

Dude, were you checking out my bocce balls?

(we need a Village People cop smiley for Stingray )

[TOK]

My theory is that if you can smoke a cigarette while doing it, it's not a sport. 

[ChadTower]

Any game without defense is not a sport.

Any game in which you do not play head to head with at least one other person is not a sport.

[TOK]

Marathon. Not a game, no defense.
Sport is hard to define, that's why I did it in jest.

[ChadTower]

Exactly - marathon.  No defense, but you are competing head to head.  Race, not sport.  Competition.

My definition is fairly narrow, though.  The same criteria, used on something clearly not a sport, can throw one off.  Say, bodybuilding.  Not a sport, but clearly a head to head competition.

[JamIt]

You name it, I've played it competitively...
8 years each of football and volleyball (high school and college)
4 years of basketball (high school)
1 year of rugby (college, btw: MUCH rougher than football)
2 years of Ultimate frizbee (2nd place both seasons)
Various seasons of soccer, hockey, softball, racquetball
20+ years of bowling (some consider it a sport, 195 average)

Not so competivitely...
10+ years of tennis (still don't have a second serve)
7+ years of golf (day and night - anyone else ever play night golf; its a blast)
Weight Lifting (trying to get back to my max bench of 355; I'm at 275 right now)

Missing...
Sadly, I've never played a competitive game of baseball (can't pitch and can't hit fast pitching, decent glove though)
Dodgeball (looks like an absolute blast)

Never (again)...
Fishing (talk about booooooring)
Hunting (went once; I just couldn't pull the trigger then and I know I won't now)
Marathon (didn't make it; too much training involved)

I'm 32
--JamIt

[ChadTower]

Heh, I was THIS CLOSE to entering a dodgeball tournament last year... wish I had.

[tommy]

BYOAC is a sport, i can hold a beer and play against another....you certainly need a good defense here aswell.

[DrewKaree]

20+ years of bowling (some consider it a sport, 195 average)

I can already see where this one is going

I would go farther to say any activity that you can hold a beer while playing is not a sport.

My theory is that if you can smoke a cigarette while doing it, it's not a sport. 

Based on those two points, bowling couldn't possibly be a sport, because I can distinctly remember at one time having BOTH in my possession while rolling the ball down the lane.  The results couldn't have done anything other than suck, but it certainly was possible.

Nice average, bowler-man!  Sucks that you hardly gave your team any pins, but I'm sure you made up for it by buying everyone a round

Marathon (didn't make it; too much training involved)

If I have to go that far, screw it, I'm taking the car!

[TOK]

Exactly. Confirmation that bowling is not a sport. 

I had someone get all fired up on another forum when I suggested professional timed chess was not a sport. I've seen frigging dog shows on ESPN, but so far no chess.

[allroy1975]

I play hockey 2 times a week...

Me too!  Roller or real?

I do roller.

Allroy

[mpm32]

I race bicycles, on the road, think Lance.  Races are typically 30 to 100 miles and in the Category III's or the 35+ Masters races, the average speed is around 23 mph for road races and 27 mph+ for Criteriums.

Training is typically 150-200 miles per week in season.  Not racing this season due to my new son being born and house renovations.  No time to train.  Watch out next season.....

When I started I thought it would be a cheap sport.  Now I have bicycles that weigh under 16 lbs and cost more than a used car.