My definition of sport

[gyb13]

Knowing that I'll offend some (many) of you by my comment on golf not being a 'sport,' I'd like to offer my line of reasoning.

First let me differentiate between Sport (the dictionary definition - an athletic game for diversion) and 'sport,' my definition, which I'll explain.

I believe that there are two main categories of Sports:

-There are athletic competitions, in which Man tries to push his own limits, based on certain pre-determined guiding principles. For example, the 100m dash - it is simply a matter of man vs. time. The pre-determined guiding principle is that one athlete will try to race a certain distance in the least amount of time. Other athletes will do the same, but although their performance determines the standings, it shouldn't affect other athletes' performances. Jim and Bob race. Jim finishes in 10 secs. Bob in 11 secs. Jim wins because the rule is that less time = win. But Jim had no effect on Bob's performance, and vice-versa. Another example is swimming. These Sports sometimes have guidelines that set a maximum level. In bowling, it's man vs. lane and a maximum of 300 pts. Golf is on the same level - man vs. hole, minimum possible performance of 18 strokes.

-Then there are those competitions which I call 'sports.' In these 'sports,' the activity of one athlete (or one team) has a direct influence on the performance of the opposing athlete (or team). At the individual level, tennis is a great example. You hit the ball once and your opponent must do the same, but how/whether he hits the ball again is influenced by your last shot. At the team level, well, it's easy to see how baseball, basketball, football, american football, hockey, etc. all fit this description.

You may still disagree with me and my definition of 'sport' but at least now you know why I don't consider golf to be a 'sport.'