Is Cycling a "Sport"
07-16-07, 09:37 PM
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I have a friend who always makes the argument that there has to be a defensive aspect to make something a sport--mostly to start friendly arguments at parties. Need I mention that he was a defensive specialist in both soccer and basketball? So, by his definition most of the ball games (but not bowling or golf) would be sports, as would boxing and martial arts. Track & field, darts, cheerleading, etc. would be games, which isn't that big of a knock; after all it's the Olympic games, and those guys are the best athletes in the world.
With his frame of reference, I'm not sure that bicycling wouldn't qualify as a sport, given the amount of jockeying for position you see in a sprint.
With his frame of reference, I'm not sure that bicycling wouldn't qualify as a sport, given the amount of jockeying for position you see in a sprint.
07-16-07, 09:37 PM
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They're all sports. Deal with it.
I bike, play golf, play softball, soccer, hoops, run, race cars, whatever... I love all sports for different reasons. Doing just one thing gets boring. Expand your horizons and play everything! You're overall fitness and health will thank you.
I bike, play golf, play softball, soccer, hoops, run, race cars, whatever... I love all sports for different reasons. Doing just one thing gets boring. Expand your horizons and play everything! You're overall fitness and health will thank you.
07-16-07, 09:42 PM
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Haahaa, I was hoping someone would post a cheerleading pic...
07-16-07, 10:00 PM
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Originally Posted by merlinextraligh
Every time A cyclist wins Sprotsman of the Year from SI, or the Espy's, the mainstream ball sports guys start bemoning that Cycling isn't even a sport. So is it?
First,I think you haveto define terms. From Websters:
Sport: n, 1)athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. 2. such activities collectively. 3) diversion, recreation...
By Webster's defintion, bike racing, and arguably fast paced "competitive" fitness riding would be a sport.
Simply riding for pleasure, you at least have to drop to definiton 3, to argue its a sport.
Fire away (at least until the thread lock comes.)
First,I think you haveto define terms. From Websters:
Sport: n, 1)athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. 2. such activities collectively. 3) diversion, recreation...
By Webster's defintion, bike racing, and arguably fast paced "competitive" fitness riding would be a sport.
Simply riding for pleasure, you at least have to drop to definiton 3, to argue its a sport.
Fire away (at least until the thread lock comes.)
When you describe what you do, do the people who don't participate think you are crazy.
If you tell them you rode 5 miles while you are at the beach, that's something they can relate to.
If you tell them you rode 100 miles at once, 200 miles at once, or up a mountain pass, they think you're crazy.
That's how you know it's a sport.
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07-16-07, 10:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Namenda
On behalf of Red Sox fans everywhere, I ask that you remember Wells this way:
Somebody get this guy a cheeseburger.
Somebody get this guy a cheeseburger.
07-16-07, 10:02 PM
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Well – here is my take. They are all sports. Sport is merely a competition which most people associate being related to athletic achievements. However, all sports have in essence a mixture of the following three elements:
- Athleticism – how naturally gifted in terms of sheer power or endurance one must be.
- Skill/Technique – how naturally gifted one must be in terms of performing a specific task or technique. A golfer is a perfect example.
- Strategy – how much of the contest is dependent on mental games, game plans, determining when to make a move. Chess would be the ultimate strategy sport.
For example – the 100M dash is would essentially be scored the following:
- Athleticism ~ 100
- Skill/Technique – 10
- Strategy – 0
The basic premise with the 100M dash is to run all out. It is almost entirely pure athleticism, with the only skill perhaps coming from one’s technique at the starting gate and in a close run to the line. There is no strategy. You do not save yourself at the beginning, there is no defensive game plan. You are really running all out without concern for anyone else, and the results will all be dependent on pure sheer power.
Cycling would most likely be skilled as follows:
- Athleticism: 90
- Skill – 10
- Strategy – 50
It is just a quick guess, and some may argue differently. Skill does no good in this event if you are not naturally athletic and trained well. There is some skill to riding (cadence, pedal technique, etc..), but my general opinion is that once you get the basics down, athleticism really take over.
However, strategy does play an important role, since a rider needs to determine when to attack, when to layoff, when to break, which wheel to grab etc… It does not garner a higher score in Strategy since there are not necessarily defensive game plans that are used to actually interfere with another rider’s performance.
Baseball:
- Athleticism: 50
- Skill – 85
- Strategy: 80
David Wells is a perfect example of this. He has a huge gut, and yes, is not exactly a true athlete. But he has a special gift to pitch a baseball fast and accurate. The strategy comes from all the little moves available in the game to try to stop your opponent including defensive moves, pitching match-ups, the option to throw different pitches to hitters based on their weaknesses.
So when a yahoo starts blabbing about the fact that Lance Armstrong is not an athlete or a sportsman, they are kidding themselves. I think many of these crusty beat writers think this way due to ignorance as well as sheer laziness. I imagine they have become so accustomed in the US to paying attention to 3 sports: Baseball, Football and Basketball that they really are comfortable to leaving it to that. They accept golf only because (a) it is what a middle-aged fat reporters can actually play; (b) other athletes play it so it must be a sport; (c) Tiger Woods pretty much forced them to have to recognize it.
To them, their only experience with cycling was from their days riding Schwinns as a kid. I bet if you strapped them on a bike and forced them to ride 100 miles up and down mountain passes, they would have a much different opinion.
- Athleticism – how naturally gifted in terms of sheer power or endurance one must be.
- Skill/Technique – how naturally gifted one must be in terms of performing a specific task or technique. A golfer is a perfect example.
- Strategy – how much of the contest is dependent on mental games, game plans, determining when to make a move. Chess would be the ultimate strategy sport.
For example – the 100M dash is would essentially be scored the following:
- Athleticism ~ 100
- Skill/Technique – 10
- Strategy – 0
The basic premise with the 100M dash is to run all out. It is almost entirely pure athleticism, with the only skill perhaps coming from one’s technique at the starting gate and in a close run to the line. There is no strategy. You do not save yourself at the beginning, there is no defensive game plan. You are really running all out without concern for anyone else, and the results will all be dependent on pure sheer power.
Cycling would most likely be skilled as follows:
- Athleticism: 90
- Skill – 10
- Strategy – 50
It is just a quick guess, and some may argue differently. Skill does no good in this event if you are not naturally athletic and trained well. There is some skill to riding (cadence, pedal technique, etc..), but my general opinion is that once you get the basics down, athleticism really take over.
However, strategy does play an important role, since a rider needs to determine when to attack, when to layoff, when to break, which wheel to grab etc… It does not garner a higher score in Strategy since there are not necessarily defensive game plans that are used to actually interfere with another rider’s performance.
Baseball:
- Athleticism: 50
- Skill – 85
- Strategy: 80
David Wells is a perfect example of this. He has a huge gut, and yes, is not exactly a true athlete. But he has a special gift to pitch a baseball fast and accurate. The strategy comes from all the little moves available in the game to try to stop your opponent including defensive moves, pitching match-ups, the option to throw different pitches to hitters based on their weaknesses.
So when a yahoo starts blabbing about the fact that Lance Armstrong is not an athlete or a sportsman, they are kidding themselves. I think many of these crusty beat writers think this way due to ignorance as well as sheer laziness. I imagine they have become so accustomed in the US to paying attention to 3 sports: Baseball, Football and Basketball that they really are comfortable to leaving it to that. They accept golf only because (a) it is what a middle-aged fat reporters can actually play; (b) other athletes play it so it must be a sport; (c) Tiger Woods pretty much forced them to have to recognize it.
To them, their only experience with cycling was from their days riding Schwinns as a kid. I bet if you strapped them on a bike and forced them to ride 100 miles up and down mountain passes, they would have a much different opinion.
07-16-07, 10:06 PM
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Originally Posted by caloso
Bah. The skinny armed bikey dudes who complain that baseball's not a sport couldn't break a pane of glass from half way to the plate.
Hell, I love watching NFL football. Watching baseball on TV is about as much fun as watching grass grow but I do enjoy going to a game every now and then. Still, I'd never say that they aren't real sports...
BTW-One of my favorite sports is Formula One racing.
07-16-07, 10:08 PM
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Originally Posted by SDRider
What size waist is that? Size 44?
44 at the belt... 50 above that! hehe! j/k!
I thought Wells was a good pitcher with the Yanks. He was a true fan of the Yankee history/mystique so I was sad when he got traded.
07-16-07, 10:11 PM
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A sport incorporates an interactive, dynamic, and game planned defense -- football, hockey, basketball, soccer.
Cycling is an athletic competition. So is baseball, track and field, and figure skating.
Golf, billiards, bowling, poker, spelling bee... just a competition.
Cycling is an athletic competition. So is baseball, track and field, and figure skating.
Golf, billiards, bowling, poker, spelling bee... just a competition.
07-17-07, 12:01 AM
#36
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Originally Posted by 3MTA3
Sorry, Americans. Cheerleading is NOT a sport, its a bit like rhythmic gymnastics or ice dancing. Sure it's technical and requires practice but it's still not a sport. Kinda like aerobics
and i bet most of the guys do it because its a good chance to look up the girls skirts, and even cop a quick fondle now and again...Plus it looks stupid.
that's just personal opinion, of course...
competitive cycling is far more of a sport than, say, target shooting, but they're both in the Olympics, along with rhythmic gymnastics and synchronised swimming. I suppose we can just be glad that darts, pool and poker are not there yet.
07-17-07, 12:26 AM
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I was watching the Rock, Paper, Scissors championship the other night. Now, that is a sport.
07-17-07, 06:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Turboem1
Yes. I feel a sport is anything that takes skill or some sort of training to get to a competitive level. Noone can get on the mound and pitch like Wells without training just like noone can get on a bike and ride like Lance.
Examples are cycling, baseball, football, golf, chess, cheerleading, curling, weightlifting, darts, billiards, swimming ect...
Examples are cycling, baseball, football, golf, chess, cheerleading, curling, weightlifting, darts, billiards, swimming ect...
Cheerleading is not a sport, it's pre-match entertainment.
Darts is not a sport, it's a game to play while drinking beer.
Poker is not a sport, it's a card game.
Simply being competitive does not make something a sport. You can have music competitions, art competitions, pie-eating competitions, anything really.
Cycling is a sport, and a great one. It's also a great recreation activity. It is different things for different people. As are many other activities like golf, swimming, running, and sailing. It's easier to say what isn't a sport than to say what is.
07-17-07, 06:03 AM
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Originally Posted by urodacus
Sorry, Americans. Cheerleading is NOT a sport, its a bit like rhythmic gymnastics or ice dancing. Sure it's technical and requires practice but it's still not a sport. Kinda like aerobics and i bet most of the guys do it because its a good chance to look up the girls skirts, and even cop a quick fondle now and again...
Plus it looks stupid.
that's just personal opinion, of course...
competitive cycling is far more of a sport than, say, target shooting, but they're both in the Olympics, along with rhythmic gymnastics and synchronised swimming. I suppose we can just be glad that darts, pool and poker are not there yet.
and i bet most of the guys do it because its a good chance to look up the girls skirts, and even cop a quick fondle now and again...Plus it looks stupid.
that's just personal opinion, of course...
competitive cycling is far more of a sport than, say, target shooting, but they're both in the Olympics, along with rhythmic gymnastics and synchronised swimming. I suppose we can just be glad that darts, pool and poker are not there yet.
that one went right over your head.
07-17-07, 06:05 AM
#40
Throw the stick!!!!
Cheerleading must be a sport, they have it on ESPN! Of course, going by that so is spelling since I saw (and watched) the spelling bee championships on ESPN a few weeks ago. 
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07-17-07, 06:42 AM
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A couple years back Playboy issued a publication titled "The Girls of Sport" featuring a young woman bicycle racer on the front cover.
TCS
PS - She looked to be in pretty good shape.
TCS
PS - She looked to be in pretty good shape.
07-17-07, 06:51 AM
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Originally Posted by RadioFlyer
A sport incorporates an interactive, dynamic, and game planned defense...
TCS
07-17-07, 07:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Merriam-Webster
Function: noun
1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION b : sexual play c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in
1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION b : sexual play c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in
Originally Posted by Wikipedia
Sport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Used by itself, sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determiner of the outcome (winning or losing), but the term is also used to include activities such as mind sports and motor sports where mental acuity or equipment quality are major factors. Sports are used as entertainment for the player and the viewer. It has also been proven by experiments that daily exercise increases mental strength and power to study.
Originally Posted by Google
an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
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07-17-07, 07:37 AM
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Originally Posted by urodacus
and i bet most of the guys do it because its a good chance to look up the girls skirts, and even cop a quick fondle now and again...
Plus it looks stupid.
that's just personal opinion, of course...
Plus it looks stupid.
that's just personal opinion, of course...
07-17-07, 07:56 AM
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There has been obviously way too much thought on this issue. However, I'll add my .02. and say that anything that you can do while smoking or while drinking alcohol (being inebriated) is not a sport.
07-17-07, 08:09 AM
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I'm surprised no one's mentioned this, yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOw2yWMSfk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOw2yWMSfk
07-17-07, 09:28 AM
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If it requires special shoes, it's a sport
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07-17-07, 09:35 AM
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That metal-on-rock sound you hear is this discussion hitting the intellectual bottom. Worse, why do you care what other people define as a real sport? Are you a sheep? If you like cycling, do it. All the rest of it is a waste of time.
07-17-07, 09:38 AM
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Mowing your lawn or unloading a truck can be a sport if you make it one. It's an annoying discussion that crops up every year when some sportscaster who has no conception of how difficult what pro riders do is makes light of their accomplishments.