Sport v. Competition?

[NetShrine]

Is Body Building a sport or a competition?
How about Ice Dancing?
What's the rule when a large piece of equipment comes into play - like a race car, motor boat, or a rifle?
What happens when an animal is involved? Is horseracing a sport? What about Golf? Is it really a sport when no one is defending against you? Ah, so many questions................

[ChrisCary]

Golf and Car racing are sports.

Ice Dancing and cheerleading are not, although they do require athletic skill and involve competition.

Quarters is a game but not a sport.

[Jen]

So many questions and no easy answers...
I looked up the definitions of
Sport: "1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION (1) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in"
and
Competition: "1 : the act or process of competing : RIVALRY: a contest between rivals; also : one's competitors" and don't see a clearly drawn line between them. Sports definitely have more money involved in them than competitions. But I think it's all based loosely on personal preference.
I don't consider body-building a sport (after all, it's called the Strong Man Competition), and ice skating is along the same principles...you are not competing directly with your opponent in a combat situation, you perform solo and you get rated.
Maybe that's the difference. That certainly makes things a little clearer for me. However, that would make Golf a competition and I know some people disagree.

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by Jen
I don't consider body-building a sport (after all, it's called the Strong Man Competition)

Yeah, but what about the pose-down stuff? Or is that just a contest like Miss America?

Are beauty contests a sport?

[Jen]

Net...I still think they (body-building exhibitions) qualify as competitions. They are still athletes, which warrants a competition.
Beauty pageants are merely contests...there's a little competition going on, but what kind of training is hair curling and applying make-up? Millions of women do that every day and it's not "training". It's torture.



By the way (Oh dear god, I'm posting something in the wrong forum already!)...if you have any control over your smilies, can you add one for a "I don't know" look...not the confused one, but just a "Hmmmm...interesting" kind of face? I tend to use that one the most. Sorry to be so picky. If you can't do it, don't sweat it, I won't mind.

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by Jen
By the way (Oh dear god, I'm posting something in the wrong forum already!)...if you have any control over your smilies, can you add one for a "I don't know" look...not the confused one, but just a "Hmmmm...interesting" kind of face? I tend to use that one the most. Sorry to be so picky. If you can't do it, don't sweat it, I won't mind.

Congrats on becoming a hot prospect......now, yeah, wrong forum. Still, I'm working on the smile stuff..........hang in there.

[Jen]

Heeeeyyy, I'm a hot prospect? Rock on. But I miss the coffee already. Oh well, it's been an out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new kinda day, I guess.

I think posting could qualify as a sport, at times, too...which brings me back to the differences between sport and competition again..."sport" can be more like "hobby", as well. Fishing is a sport (a recreational sport), but you don't necessarily have to compete with someone to enjoy it. Which kind of makes me change my mind about Golf, though I'm still not sure if it qualifies as a "real" sport.

[NetShrine]

Is recreational sport an oxymoron?

[Jen]

Originally posted by NetShrine
Is recreational sport an oxymoron?

Of course it is, but if you throw the word "recreational" in front of the word "sport" it means that beer is acceptable while you're playing!