Definition of a sport

[KC Jones]

It seems to me, people have been throwing around the term 'sport' far too loosely for a long time now. It would seem we need some ground rules and since I'm up in the middle of the night...


No subjective scoring - None of this crap where judges are involved in scoring someones performance. The score has to be objectively decided upon, otherwise it's a performing art.
offense and defense on the field at the same time Bowling is a ****ing hobby. Track is an activity. If there isn't someone on the field trying to stop you from scoring, it ain't a sport.
physical contact The guy trying to stop you from scoring should be able to knock you on your ass. At the very least there has to be a chance for physical contact between opposing players. Baseball barely makes it in this category since there can be collisions while running bases. wicket? not so much.


This unfortunately keeps soccer in the running, but thankfully eliminates any sort of racing, skipping, dancing, diving, discus throwing, golfing, bowling, booger eating, or other gayness. I understand many of the activities eliminated from contention are popular and are athletic in nature, but that doesn't make it a sport.

[Psyko Tek]

does it have cheerleaders?
no cheerleaders, no sport

[CoMoChief]

If it involves women, it is definately not a sport.

Thanks Title IX !!!!!!

[DaKCMan AP]

It seems to me, people have been throwing around the term 'sport' far too loosely for a long time now. It would seem we need some ground rules and since I'm up in the middle of the night...

No subjective scoring - None of this crap where judges are involved in scoring someones performance. The score has to be objectively decided upon, otherwise it's a performing art.
offense and defense on the field at the same time Bowling is a ****ing hobby. Track is an activity. If there isn't someone on the field trying to stop you from scoring, it ain't a sport.
physical contact The guy trying to stop you from scoring should be able to knock you on your ass. At the very least there has to be a chance for physical contact between opposing players. Baseball barely makes it in this category since there can be collisions while running bases. wicket? not so much.
This unfortunately keeps soccer in the running, but thankfully eliminates any sort of racing, skipping, dancing, diving, discus throwing, golfing, bowling, booger eating, or other gayness. I understand many of the activities eliminated from contention are popular and are athletic in nature, but that doesn't make it a sport.

In your opinion, tennis is not a sport?

[Herzig]

You can define words with your own definitions all you want to, but according to dictionary.com

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

sport http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png <script type="text/javascript"> // <![CDATA[ var interfaceflash = new LEXICOFlashObject ( "http://cache.lexico.com/d/g/speaker.swf", "speaker", "17", "18", "<img src=\"http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/speaker.gif\" border=\"0\" /> (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/\"http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/S08/S0838300\")", "6"); interfaceflash.addParam("loop", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("quality", "high"); interfaceflash.addParam("menu", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("salign", "t"); interfaceflash.addParam("FlashVars", "soundUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcache.lexico.com%2Fdictionary%2Faudio%2Fluna%2FS08%2FS0838300.mp3"); interfaceflash.write(); // ]]> </script><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://cache.lexico.com/d/g/speaker.swf" id="speaker" quality="high" loop="false" menu="false" salign="t" flashvars="soundUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcache.lexico.com%2Fdictionary%2Faudio%2Fluna%2FS08%2FS0838300.mp3" align="top" width="17" height="18"><noscript>http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/speaker.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/S08/S0838300)</noscript> Audio Help (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/audio.html) /spɔrt, spoʊrt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[spawrt, spohrt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">1.</td><td valign="top">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. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">2.</td><td valign="top">a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">3.</td><td valign="top">diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">4.</td><td valign="top">jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry: What he said in sport was taken seriously. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">5.</td><td valign="top">mockery; ridicule; derision: They made sport of him. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">6.</td><td valign="top">an object of derision; laughingstock. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">7.</td><td valign="top">something treated lightly or tossed about like a plaything. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">8.</td><td valign="top">something or someone subject to the whims or vicissitudes of fate, circumstances, etc. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">9.</td><td valign="top">a sportsman. </td></tr></tbody></table>

[POND_OF_RED]

You can define words with your own definitions all you want to, but according to dictionary.com

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

sport http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png <script type="text/javascript"> // <![CDATA[ var interfaceflash = new LEXICOFlashObject ( "http://cache.lexico.com/d/g/speaker.swf", "speaker", "17", "18", "<img src=\"http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/speaker.gif\" border=\"0\" /> (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/\"http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/S08/S0838300\")", "6"); interfaceflash.addParam("loop", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("quality", "high"); interfaceflash.addParam("menu", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("salign", "t"); interfaceflash.addParam("FlashVars", "soundUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcache.lexico.com%2Fdictionary%2Faudio%2Fluna%2FS08%2FS0838300.mp3"); interfaceflash.write(); // ]]> </script><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://cache.lexico.com/d/g/speaker.swf" id="speaker" quality="high" loop="false" menu="false" salign="t" flashvars="soundUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcache.lexico.com%2Fdictionary%2Faudio%2Fluna%2FS08%2FS0838300.mp3" align="top" width="17" height="18"><noscript>http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/speaker.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/S08/S0838300)</noscript> Audio Help (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/audio.html) /spɔrt, spoʊrt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[spawrt, spohrt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">1.</td><td valign="top">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. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">2.</td><td valign="top">a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">3.</td><td valign="top">diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">4.</td><td valign="top">jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry: What he said in sport was taken seriously. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">5.</td><td valign="top">mockery; ridicule; derision: They made sport of him. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">6.</td><td valign="top">an object of derision; laughingstock. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">7.</td><td valign="top">something treated lightly or tossed about like a plaything. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">8.</td><td valign="top">something or someone subject to the whims or vicissitudes of fate, circumstances, etc. </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">9.</td><td valign="top">a sportsman. </td></tr></tbody></table>

Hunting and fishing are not sports. That is ludicrous.

[Chief Chief]

What the *@#% is wicket?

I am disappointed in that your definition of sport would include WWF (how about a rule that the competition be actually legit and not staged?), happy that golf and Texas Hold'em are excluded, and extremely ecstatic that the Totally Nude Female Wrestling League meets the standards.