What is and is not a sport?

So a buddy and I have been going back and forth all day arguing about whether or not bowling is a sport.

He's a guy who has had a couple of 300 games, competed at the regional level and, for all intents and purposes, would demolish me on the lanes. I call shenanigans on his defining what he does as a sport, however.

Bowling is not a sport.

My reasons are simple. First, there is no defense. Second, bowling requires little to no actual athleticism. Third, you can actively bowl and bowl well drunk and/or high. Fourth, you don't need to train to go out and bowl a solid game.

Ultimately, much like golf, cheerleading, fishing and other debated "sports", bowling is an activity. Period.

What say you SJ? What is your definition of a sport? And where does bowling fit?

 

As Schie flirts with permaban....

 

Not a particularly athletic one, but still a sport.

 

i dunno. if you can easily drink and smoke at the same time while taking part in the activity, i have a difficult time defining what you do as a sport.

 

Bowling is not a sport. Neither is cheerleading. Competitive cheerleading is for gymnasts who can't cut it.

 

I disagree that you can just go out and bowl without any training. You can technically do it, but it doesn't mean you'll be any good at it.

Also, pretty much any sport can be played drunk or high. See rehab histories and rap sheets of professional athletes in nearly every sport.

Finally, there's a lot of sports with no defense. Golf for starters. Nearly every individual sport, for that matter.

It's a sport, but as noted earlier, not a very athletic one. Instead, it relies on precision, which is a different kind of athleticism.

 

Apparently track and field is not a sport either. There is no defense. Many NFL linemen are not athletes either, so football must not be a sport. Being an NFL lineman requires being borderline obese. As far as excellilng at a sport while being high, Doc Ellis would like a word with you. And what's a solid game? Someone can just walk into a bowling alley without ever having bowled and do well? Or are you saying someone can be fat and out of shape and bowl well? If so, does bowling regularly count as training?

 

If bowling is a sport, is yard darts? Horseshoes? What makes it so different than either of those?

 

As long as it's scored (or timed) instead of judged, it's a sport. So yes on bowling, archery and shuffleboard. Gymnastics and figure skating can STFU.

 

The bowling ball weighs 14, 16 pounds. That's a pretty big difference.

 

What about guys who sneak into the high school stadium and chug a few beers while throwing out routes. Or taking a few pulls of Jack while shooting hoops in the park at 2 a.m. Do football and basketball lose status as sports because people do that sometimes.

Just because I might drink beer while I'm at the bowling alley or on the golf course doesn't mean Pete Weber and Phil Mickelson aren't real competitors in a real sport.

 

no, i call that fucking off, not a sporting activity ... just like when i used to play beerball (softball) before i had kids.