Nascar WTF? Help Me Understand.

**Bwana** · 03-12-2006, 05:38 PM

How in the hell can your guys watch that stuff? I have some friends who drove down to Las Vegas that are at the race right now. Because fo this, I decided to tune in and try to check it out again.

I lasted about 10 minutes before I had to go watch some paint dry for an upgrade in excitement.

Seriously, how can anyone sit there in front of the TV and watch cars go around in little circles for several hours?

Perhaps it's more entertaining if you are AT THE RACE, (?) but trying to hang with it on TV Blows.

chief52 · 03-12-2006, 05:42 PM

It is very colorful, crazy and exciting to attend in person. Amazing energy similiar to a football game IMO. Watching on TV can have its boring stretches. I bet your buddies are having a great time right now, though!

**Bwana** · 03-12-2006, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chief52

It is very colorful, crazy and exciting to attend in person. Amazing energy similiar to a football game IMO. Watching on TV can have its boring stretches. I bet your buddies are having a great time right now, though!

Indeed! I called them this morning adn they were getting ready to go into the pits and fighting a wicked hangover.

BigVE · 03-12-2006, 05:43 PM

Just like fly-fishing or many other "sports"....either you like it or you dont.

SPchief · 03-12-2006, 05:44 PM

Well, Chiefs4me likes it, if that tells you anything

**Bwana** · 03-12-2006, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPchief

Well, Chiefs4me likes it, if that tells you anything

Um..yeah.

chiefs4me · 03-12-2006, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwana

Um..yeah.

yea it's much more entertaining to watch the leaves blow while you are sitting in a deer stand for 12 freaking hours waiting for a helpless deer to appear to blow him away......

**Bwana** · 03-12-2006, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefs4me

yea it's much more entertaing to watch the leaves blow while you are sitting in a deer stand for 12 freaking hours waiting for a helpless deer to appear to blow him away......

I don't hunt from stands but even if I did, I would still have to call bullshit.

"helpless deer" WTF? Did you join PETA when I wasn't watching or what?

chiefs4me · 03-12-2006, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwana

I don't hunt from stands but even if I did, I would still have to call bullshit.

"helpless deer" WTF? Did you join PETA when I wasn't watching or what?

NO, but the deer doesn't have a gun....

VonneMarie · 03-12-2006, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPchief

Well, Chiefs4me likes it, if that tells you anything

KC2004 · 03-12-2006, 06:49 PM

Found this article interesting.

WVU

Are NASCAR Drivers Athletes?

THE QUESTION of the week is: “Are NASCAR drivers athletes?” This week, our guest artist and philosopher is Christopher Ryan. Chris is a very thoughtful, kind, and considerate 10 year old, who lives in St. James, Long Island and Silver Beach , the Bronx . Although he can be very serious, Chris also has a fabulous sense of humor. He is a 5 th grader at Mills Pond Elementary School in St. James. His teacher is Mr. Thornton.

Christopher's favorite subjects are math and social studies. He loves to play all sports, especially baseball, football, and hockey. He also likes to watch sports. In the summer, he enjoys going to Yankee Stadium with his dad to watch the Yankees play baseball. His favorite football team is the New York Giants. His favorite hockey team is the New York Rangers. And, his favorite baseball team is the New York Yankees. Chris likes watching movies too. Recent favorites include “Remember the Titans” and “ Madagascar .”

The question Chris took on is: Are NASCAR drivers athletes? My discussion with Chris was the most in-depth interview, thus far, with THE QUESTION. We talked for over one hour, and we could have gone on for much longer. Chris defended the view that NASCAR drivers are athletes. Simply put, his argument for his conclusion is that NASCAR is clearly a professional sport. All people who play professional sports are athletes. Therefore, NASCAR drivers are athletes.

Chris skillfully defended his view from several objections. One objection I raised for him is the following objection. “In order to qualify as an athlete, a person must demonstrate physical agility, be coordinated, and be in good physical condition. Driving a racing car requires none of these qualifications. Therefore, NASCAR Drivers do not qualify as athletes.” Chris had two responses. Chris maintained that these standards are probably too high. According to these standards, many golfers, football players, baseball players, etc. would probably not count as athletes. But, according to Chris, they obviously should count as athletes. Chris also pointed out that driving a race car for hundreds of miles does require enormous stamina, physical fitness, coordination, and a reasonable amount of agility. So, even if those standards were appropriate, NASCAR drivers could all easily pass the test. Driving a race car does not require the sort of aerobic fitness required for marathoners, but Chris pointed out that different sports require different types of physical fitness. For example, a linebacker needs to be strong and agile. He would not need to have the aerobic capacity to run a marathon. A marathoner needs the capacity to run 26.5 miles, quickly. However, she does not need to be able to stop a 500+ lb. stampede of football players. Marathoners tend to be lightweight and thin. Being lightweight and thin helps marathoners excel in their sport. Being thin and lightweight would not be much help to a linebacker. In fact, being thin and lightweight would be a great disadvantage to a linebacker. One need not be light and thin or be of linebacker strength to be an excellent race car driver, but one does need to be in “car driving physical shape” to be a NASCAR driver. Drivers need to be able to withstand the physical challenges of dealing with extreme heat and the challenge of physically handling a race car going over one hundred miles per hour. NASCAR drivers need extremely sharp reflexes, endurance, courage, and split-second decision making skills.

Another objection Chris considered against his own view is this one: “If NASCAR drivers are athletes, then so are all chess players. But, clearly not all chess players are athletes. Therefore, NASCAR drivers are not athletes.” Chris's response to this attack on the athleticism of NASCAR drivers is that “Unlike NASCAR driving, Chess does not require any kind of physical fitness, physical strength, or physical coordination (other than what is required to move a chess piece.)”

Chris also stressed his simple, original, argument, which is that people who play sports (at a certain level) are athletes. He did not say that people who play games are athletes. Since chess is a game, but not a sport, he would not be stuck with the conclusion that chess players are athletes. Chris is only stuck with the conclusion that all people who play professional sports are athletes, and he is happy to be stuck with this conclusion.

(FYI: Chris's brother, Kyle, was chiming in throughout the interview. When we were discussing the chess objection, Kyle maintained that the World Chess Championship should count as a sporting event. It should count as a sport that requires absolutely no athleticism. With this comment, Kyle raised an interesting objection to Chris's claim that anyone who plays a professional sport is an athlete. Of course, now we have a new philosophical question: When is a game a sport?”)

Keep thinking!

I am proud to reveal that Christopher Ryan is my nephew.

Thig Lyfe · 03-13-2006, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC2004

I am proud to reveal that Christopher Ryan is my nephew.

Yuck. Who would be proud to be related to a Yankees fan...

4th and Long · 03-12-2006, 05:49 PM

Driving left in circles is not a sport. Make half the field drive in the opposite direction and THEN you've got yourself a sport.

**Nzoner** · 03-12-2006, 05:57 PM

Being married to a diehard fan is no fun either,she's in two fantasy nascar leagues,watches Friday thru Sunday(qualifying,busch race,big race),watches Speed channel and tries to converse with me about it all.

If this is my payback for my football passion it sucks,a few moths I could handle,but this shit lasts for 10 months every year and her and her sisters want me to buy that these guys are some the of finest tuned athletes in the world.

**Bwana** · 03-12-2006, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nzoner 338

Being married to a diehard fan is no fun either,she's in two fantasy nascar leagues,watches Friday thru Sunday(qualifying,busch race,big race),watches Speed channel and tries to converse with me about it all.

If this is my payback for my football passion it sucks,a few moths I could handle,but this shit lasts for 10 months every year and her and her sisters want me to buy that these guys are some the of finest tuned athletes in the world.

Ouch! Sorry to hear that Joe.

03-12-2006, 05:38 PM	Topic Starter
Bwana It's Five O'Clock Somewhere Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Billings, Montana Casino cash: $2139583647	Nascar WTF? Help Me Understand. How in the hell can your guys watch that stuff? I have some friends who drove down to Las Vegas that are at the race right now. Because fo this, I decided to tune in and try to check it out again. I lasted about 10 minutes before I had to go watch some paint dry for an upgrade in excitement. Seriously, how can anyone sit there in front of the TV and watch cars go around in little circles for several hours? Perhaps it's more entertaining if you are AT THE RACE, (?) but trying to hang with it on TV Blows.
Posts: 69,730

03-12-2006, 05:42 PM	#2
chief52 Veteran Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: NoCal Casino cash: $9855260	It is very colorful, crazy and exciting to attend in person. Amazing energy similiar to a football game IMO. Watching on TV can have its boring stretches. I bet your buddies are having a great time right now, though!
Posts: 3,123

03-12-2006, 05:43 PM	#4
BigVE Veteran Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: centralKs Casino cash: $10005250	Just like fly-fishing or many other "sports"....either you like it or you dont. __________________ Meh.
Posts: 4,829

03-12-2006, 05:44 PM	#5
SPchief In Search of a Life Join Date: Feb 2004 Casino cash: $1882905	Well, Chiefs4me likes it, if that tells you anything __________________ http://give.somo.org/site/TR/Plunge/...nal&fr_id=1244 ^^^^^^^^^^ Click here to help with a special cause. Please help me out
Posts: 36,007

03-12-2006, 06:49 PM	#11
KC2004 I'm with stupid ^ Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Small town, Missouri Casino cash: $9927400	Found this article interesting. WVU Are NASCAR Drivers Athletes? THE QUESTION of the week is: “Are NASCAR drivers athletes?” This week, our guest artist and philosopher is Christopher Ryan. Chris is a very thoughtful, kind, and considerate 10 year old, who lives in St. James, Long Island and Silver Beach , the Bronx . Although he can be very serious, Chris also has a fabulous sense of humor. He is a 5 th grader at Mills Pond Elementary School in St. James. His teacher is Mr. Thornton. Christopher's favorite subjects are math and social studies. He loves to play all sports, especially baseball, football, and hockey. He also likes to watch sports. In the summer, he enjoys going to Yankee Stadium with his dad to watch the Yankees play baseball. His favorite football team is the New York Giants. His favorite hockey team is the New York Rangers. And, his favorite baseball team is the New York Yankees. Chris likes watching movies too. Recent favorites include “Remember the Titans” and “ Madagascar .” The question Chris took on is: Are NASCAR drivers athletes? My discussion with Chris was the most in-depth interview, thus far, with THE QUESTION. We talked for over one hour, and we could have gone on for much longer. Chris defended the view that NASCAR drivers are athletes. Simply put, his argument for his conclusion is that NASCAR is clearly a professional sport. All people who play professional sports are athletes. Therefore, NASCAR drivers are athletes. Chris skillfully defended his view from several objections. One objection I raised for him is the following objection. “In order to qualify as an athlete, a person must demonstrate physical agility, be coordinated, and be in good physical condition. Driving a racing car requires none of these qualifications. Therefore, NASCAR Drivers do not qualify as athletes.” Chris had two responses. Chris maintained that these standards are probably too high. According to these standards, many golfers, football players, baseball players, etc. would probably not count as athletes. But, according to Chris, they obviously should count as athletes. Chris also pointed out that driving a race car for hundreds of miles does require enormous stamina, physical fitness, coordination, and a reasonable amount of agility. So, even if those standards were appropriate, NASCAR drivers could all easily pass the test. Driving a race car does not require the sort of aerobic fitness required for marathoners, but Chris pointed out that different sports require different types of physical fitness. For example, a linebacker needs to be strong and agile. He would not need to have the aerobic capacity to run a marathon. A marathoner needs the capacity to run 26.5 miles, quickly. However, she does not need to be able to stop a 500+ lb. stampede of football players. Marathoners tend to be lightweight and thin. Being lightweight and thin helps marathoners excel in their sport. Being thin and lightweight would not be much help to a linebacker. In fact, being thin and lightweight would be a great disadvantage to a linebacker. One need not be light and thin or be of linebacker strength to be an excellent race car driver, but one does need to be in “car driving physical shape” to be a NASCAR driver. Drivers need to be able to withstand the physical challenges of dealing with extreme heat and the challenge of physically handling a race car going over one hundred miles per hour. NASCAR drivers need extremely sharp reflexes, endurance, courage, and split-second decision making skills. Another objection Chris considered against his own view is this one: “If NASCAR drivers are athletes, then so are all chess players. But, clearly not all chess players are athletes. Therefore, NASCAR drivers are not athletes.” Chris's response to this attack on the athleticism of NASCAR drivers is that “Unlike NASCAR driving, Chess does not require any kind of physical fitness, physical strength, or physical coordination (other than what is required to move a chess piece.)” Chris also stressed his simple, original, argument, which is that people who play sports (at a certain level) are athletes. He did not say that people who play games are athletes. Since chess is a game, but not a sport, he would not be stuck with the conclusion that chess players are athletes. Chris is only stuck with the conclusion that all people who play professional sports are athletes, and he is happy to be stuck with this conclusion. (FYI: Chris's brother, Kyle, was chiming in throughout the interview. When we were discussing the chess objection, Kyle maintained that the World Chess Championship should count as a sporting event. It should count as a sport that requires absolutely no athleticism. With this comment, Kyle raised an interesting objection to Chris's claim that anyone who plays a professional sport is an athlete. Of course, now we have a new philosophical question: When is a game a sport?”) Keep thinking! I am proud to reveal that Christopher Ryan is my nephew.
Posts: 2,896

03-12-2006, 05:49 PM	#13
4th and Long Wheeeeee!!! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: In a house Casino cash: $9354925	Driving left in circles is not a sport. Make half the field drive in the opposite direction and THEN you've got yourself a sport. __________________
Posts: 19,775

03-12-2006, 05:57 PM	#14
Nzoner a haw haw haw Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: MIZZOU Casino cash: $26365802	Being married to a diehard fan is no fun either,she's in two fantasy nascar leagues,watches Friday thru Sunday(qualifying,busch race,big race),watches Speed channel and tries to converse with me about it all. If this is my payback for my football passion it sucks,a few moths I could handle,but this shit lasts for 10 months every year and her and her sisters want me to buy that these guys are some the of finest tuned athletes in the world. __________________ *Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.*
Posts: 27,111