What should be considered Olympic sport?

It's all about the engine. That's why I also have trouble with equestrian events being sports.

It's human powered or not. Period.

A friend of mine, Dermot Lennon, recently won the world showjumping championships in Jerez Spain. Dermy is defintiely an athlete, he works out for a couple of hours every day, runs lifts, bikes...he is in great shape. he doesn't smoke, drink, stay out late...he takes his sport as seriously as any world class runner. He also spends a couple of hours a day in the saddle which itself is very hard work.

Showjumping requires as much athletic ability as most Olympic sports.

52 pickup wrote:

Any activity in which you can be one of the elite at much over the age of 40 is not a sport. Jerry Rice or Michael Jordan are almost done. Nascar drivers who are 50 are still on top. 'Nuf said.

My ego doesn't need to believe that anything remotely athletic or physical I can still do well at my age is a sport.

So shooting should never be counted an Olympic sport...

Fu*k, in the UK any of the handgun disciplines would land you in prison for major crime!

(which is pretty funny when you consider the UK will sell just about any weaponry it can to any other country that can pay for it)

A few selected sports, and how I rank them as Olympic Sports or potential Olympic sports.

1)Track and Field* (obviously!!)

2)Swimming (free style - yes, other strokes? - I don't know)

3)Gymnastics (although I don't like the fact that it's a judged sport)

4)Basketball (now very competitive worldwide as was evidenced by the US getting their asses kicked this summer)

5)Bicycling

6) Rowing

7)Triathlon (bastard sport, but definitely athletic)

________________________________________THE LINE (below which noting should be an Olympic Sport)

Race Walking

.

.

.

.

Ping Pong, Badminton, etc..

.

.

Golf

Archery

Bowling

Ballroom Dancing

Nascar

Pistol Shooting

.

.

Bridge

Channel Surfing

Sleeping

_______END______

*excluding race walking

Well, first of all, I never said that skiers were athletes. Just because someone else said it doesn't mean that I did. HOWEVER, I will say that they are WAY more athletic than a race car driver. Pit men against women, and the men win every time at the higest levels. That is not true for race cars. Not to diminish the accomplishments of women, but if the best woman in a given sport can compete head to head with the best man in that sport, then athletic ability must be far down on the list of requirements to be able to do that sport well.

I find it funny that almost everyone (including you) who has ever defended NASCAR as being so tough and that it wears you out trying to control the Gs has never been behind a wheel of a race car on a track going as fast as they do. How the hell do you know how tiring it is? You might say the same to me, and my answer will be again, look at the evidence. Women can compete against the men - it's no contest. Athletic ability must not be a major component.

I'm fine if you simply want to say that NASCAR is entertaining, you like the smell of gas, the loud engines, the women that seem to like that macho stuff, the accidents, the thrill of the racing, but to say that NASCAR drivers are athletic is like saying that Chandra Bozelko is.

My problem is not in defining NASCAR a sport but rather in saying that NASCAR drivers are athletic. I know that some will disagree with me, but I think that you can have a sport in which the participants are not all that athletic. I would say shooting is a sport. It is in fact one of the earliest (bow and arrow) sports. Great skill and practice are required, but next to no athletic ability is.

I do think it is possible that some NASCAR drivers are athletic. It's just that their driving prowess is not evidence of it.

Well, Flaggy.....

You completely missed the point of my post, so I'll "write it slower so's you can understand".

I "tongue in cheek" say NASCAR is a sport. The traits that most NASCAR drivers (and fans) point to as being "athletic" are the same traits that downhill skiiers have. To wit: Strength, excellent hand-eye coordination, etc.

Now, I don't care if you think downhill skiiers are athletes or not. But, they do get to compete in the Olympics, right? Most would say they are athletes? A large percentage would. So why can't NASCAR fans and drivers think of themselves as athletes?

I'm not sure where your "men vs. woman" thing comes in, so I'll leave that alone. I don't want to get into an argument with a sexist!

It?s obvious you?ve never ski raced. Are we really talking about Hermann Meier and Dale Earnhart Sr. in the same sentence? Do you seriously think a ski racer is merely steering his/her skis? You are absolutely clueless.

Here's a nice story for you to read, there, Willy. Enjoy!

http://www.gordonline.com/editorials/100298.html

Well, DUH, I'm not a complete idiot! I realize I'm oversimplfying things a wee bit. Still, I like the comparison even if you don't.

Take the bias out of your mind and re-examine the idea. You've made up your mind before you even thought about it.

Yes, we are better conditioned than marathon runners.

Boston Marathon

4/17/00 Waltrip, Michael (M36) 4:42:20 14316 9502 / 4287 MOPEN 4:33:31 Sherrills Ford, NC, USA

How is driving a car in circles considered a sport? That's insulting to real athletes.

Nothing sexist about my comments. It is absolutely true that physically men are stronger and faster than women. The best male athletes beat the best female athletes in "athletic" events. Ultradistance goddess Ann Trason is the only one who comes close to breaking through, but even though she ocassionally beats all the men in a race, she is not the best when compared to the best men.

I see that some other intelligent level-headed people answered you on why skiers get to be in the Olympics and NASCAR doesn't, so I'll just let you read those posts again several times over slowly so that you understand it and leave it at that.

I have looked at this in an unbiased, open minded manner. That?s how I?ve come to my conclusions. I do see the point you?re trying to make, but it?s not flying. Picabo is clearly a large woman, but not what I call fat. I?d certainly be interested in seeing her vs Earnhart Sr. in any type of physical training endeavor. I sense you have absolutely no idea how much and what level of physical training skiers do.

The fact that a few drivers work out is no different than the fact that some stockbrokers work out. It increases endurance, which helps. But I?m not looking for stockbrokering to be in the Olympics. Hell, Jagger?s well-known for running to train for concerts, but again?

Driving takes skill. Nobody?s contesting that.

I too think Picabo could take Earnhardt Sr. in any physical endeavor.

Not sure about Jr. though. Maybe.

Picabo would win against Dale Earnhardt Sr. in anything since he's DEAD. He should have turned left instead of right.

I'm not a NASCAR fan but, why does the average American want to watch 18 skeletors run single file around an oval 25 times? It's boring and none of them are going to veer off into the stands and explode into a fireball.

Race drivers are not athletes in the same sense as runners but, give them their due. At any moment, their lives can be snuffed out. What's the worst than can happen in track? You might get a nasty spike boo-boo on your shins. OUCH!!!

Problem with cross country is that it is not so spectator friendly... I think all running done in Olympic games will be marathon and track events!

They also considering of removing baseball and replacing it with golf... also some other events are on a border of getting thrown out!

Portland Runner, Portland Runner, Portland Runner,

While your responses are normally of high quality, this one missed its mark.

You're saying then that the level of danger qualifies it as a sport or not? I guess then that coal mining is a sport.

Seeing runners go around the track and then fly off into the stands and crash and burn sounds like something out of a Simpson's episode.