Which do you consider a professional athlete?

[Luke]

Some would say NASCAR drivers are not athletes since thier sport does not involve a "ball". However it seems that drivers and pit crews devote much time to physcial training.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by JD10367

Not sure I'd call any of them (driving, golfing, bowling) "athletic". They're a skill, to be sure. So is archery. To me, an athlete is someone who deals with a.) muscles and coordination and b.) sweating. And, yeah, it takes muscles and coordination to swing a golf club, but it's still not like playing basketball, football, hockey, baseball, soccer, or even Olympic stuff like swimming and skiing.

The biggest problem with the conception against golf being a sport has to do with ****ing caddies.

If guys on the PGA Tour had to lug their own sticks while playing those rounds, you'd find a much fitter breed of players. That said, most golfers today are far, far more athletic than their kin of 20 years ago.

Walk 18 holes on a hilly course in the summer heat. Trust me, you'll sweat your ****ing sac off.

[alanm]

Do you realize what kind of physical condition you have to be in to race in NASCAR? Those guys drop about 10-15 lbs a race.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by HMc

bowling must be the most BS "sport". There's a reason bowling isn't big time and that is that it's too damn easy. If I can go down and throw down 4 or 5 strikes in a round, shouldn't guys who do it every week be able to bowl strikes on every frame? It's just you, the lane, the ball and the pins. There are no external influences like wind or anything.

I essentially agree, but to play devil's advocate:

The lane is the influence. Not all are the same, and adjusting to the differences is one of the great challenges. That's why in a professional match the bowlers compete on two different lanes.

[Mastashake]

Originally Posted by alanm

Do you realize what kind of physical condition you have to be in to race in NASCAR? Those guys drop about 10-15 lbs a race.

I think a sport is a sport when physical ability is the primary determinant of the outcome. NASCAR doesn't fit this, but both bowling and golf do.

[CHENZ A!]

Golf is the only one.

Nascar uses machines and computers, and bowling is just something you do while you're drinking. Bowling would be ahead of Nascar, and just behind Ice Dancing.

[Mr. Laz]

none of the above


they are all games, not sports.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by JD10367

Not sure I'd call any of them (driving, golfing, bowling) "athletic". They're a skill, to be sure. So is archery. To me, an athlete is someone who deals with a.) muscles and coordination and b.) sweating. And, yeah, it takes muscles and coordination to swing a golf club, but it's still not like playing basketball, football, hockey, baseball, soccer, or even Olympic stuff like swimming and skiing.

It takes muscles and coordination to drive a car @ 200mph for 3-4 hours straight, and they sweat their asses off.

With that said, I don't consider any of them listed athletes, IMO an athlete is someone with physical gifts that not everyone has, like arm strength, speed, ability to jump, etc.

[Mastashake]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

It takes muscles and coordination to drive a car @ 200mph for 3-4 hours straight, and they sweat their asses off.

With that said, I don't consider any of them listed athletes, IMO an athlete is someone with physical gifts that not everyone has, like arm strength, speed, ability to jump, etc.

This is where golf is kind of tricky. Do you think anyone can be as good as Tiger Woods? His accuracy is unparalleled, his drives longer than most on the tour, but why? Do you think its physical ability, or mental?

Perhaps its a special kind of physical ability, an ability not of strength but of pure precision. Surely there's some sort of physical gift with being able to swing a golf club at 130mph while still hitting the ball with a club on the same exact spot consistently. I can understand anyone saying golf isn't a real sport cause it is kind of sketchy, but to me, that talent is a physical talent, and its one not everyone has or can achieve.

[el borracho]

e) None of the above

[Groves]

Sport has too many meanings that cross over.

For instance, I know which one of these is a turn off, but which one represents "sporting guns"?

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Mastashake

This is where golf is kind of tricky. Do you think anyone can be as good as Tiger Woods? His accuracy is unparalleled, his drives longer than most on the tour, but why? Do you think its physical ability, or mental?

Perhaps its a special kind of physical ability, an ability not of strength but of pure precision. Surely there's some sort of physical gift with being able to swing a golf club at 130mph while still hitting the ball with a club on the same exact spot consistently. I can understand anyone saying golf isn't a real sport cause it is kind of sketchy, but to me, that talent is a physical talent, and its one not everyone has or can achieve.

All you need to do is take a look at John Daly to know you don't need any type of physical gifts to play golf, hell the dude smokes for crissakes. Golf, much like racing, is about focus and concentration. And I think anyone can be as good at Tiger as long as they are as driven as him, but very few people are wired the way he is.

[Kyle DeLexus]

They are all sports, but not technically Athletic Sports. Someone out of shape can be just as good as a more athletic counterpart in every sport mentioned. Some racers, bowlers, and golfers are extremely athletic, but its arguable that being an athlete does little to the competitive advantage.

[CoMoChief]

The only think athletic about Nascar is their pit crews. They try to go as fast as possible, they sometimes hire former NFL players, or undrafted guys in their primes etc because they can carry tires and move heavy shit and are fats and explosive.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by CHENZ A!

Golf is the only one.

Nascar uses machines and computers, and bowling is just something you do while you're drinking. Bowling would be ahead of Nascar, and just behind Ice Dancing.

The skills needed for golf and bowling are very very similar. All those pro bowlers are scratch golfers.

I see the point in saying they are both athletes or none of them are but when you give different answers to this question for golfers and bowlers you dont get it.

[BWillie]

None of them, but if I had to vote, I'd vote golfing.