Tiger Woods was once hailed as the greatest athlete on the planet, NASCAR is routinely referred to as one of the fastest-growing sports in America, and individuals competing in the Olympic Games are considered athlete representatives of their home countries. But is golf really a sport? Does NASCAR qualify? Sometimes it's easy to tell. Football = sport. But other activities aren't quite as obviously included in the category. Here's a list of "sports" that maybe don't make the cut.
Fore!Courtesy of wikipedia
5. Bowling
Bowling is for birthday parties, not ESPNCourtesy of wikipedia
Bowling makes for a great birthday party, or a fun family outing on a Friday night, but a sport it is not. Bowling does not require any physical training, endurance or conditioning whatsoever. You just need arms. Actually, you really just need an arm. It does require skill, but so does pottery, and we don't run around (which is more of a sport than bowling) calling that a sport.
4. Curling
Hurry Hard! Curlers yell a lotCourtesy of Canadian Curling Association
To be clear, I love curling. I am a proud Canadian and there aren't many more things in the world I would rather do than partake in a bonspiel. But it is not a sport. It is shuffleboard on ice. The one thing I will give curling is that it is tremendously difficult. The precision and concentration it takes to maneuvre those stones just so that it bounces off one, cracks another and ends up hitting the center target (button) is impressive. Still, I can't take anything where a broom is a main piece of equipment seriously as a sport, unless it's Quidditch.
3. Pool
If you can play it in a bar, not a sport, sorry pool.Courtesy of wikipedia
If primarily played in smoky bars with beers perched on the railing I'm calling it a non-sport. Pretty much anything that's undertook primarily in a pub setting can't be considered a sport so count out darts as well. These are games. Extremely difficult games to master but definitely not sports, Pool enjoyed exceeding popularity for a brief period in North America, but has since tapered off. Like POGS. Which is also not a sport.
2. Golf
John Daly: master athleteCourtesy of UnathleticMag
Pros walk the course, but for most people, you take a motorized cart from hole to hole and the most physical exertion comes when you attempt to hack down the bush in which you've deposited your tee shot. There are many arguments to be made for golf being a sport, but I would counter them all with pointing out that John Daly, pictured above, was once considered one of the best golfers on the planet and won both the PGA Championship and the Open Championship. Does this man look like an athlete to you?
1. NASCAR
Driving cars in circles is not a sportCourtesy of NASCAR
Supporters of NASCAR as a sport will point out that it takes incredible endurance to sit in a car for hours on end and race around the track at breakneck speed. I can't argue that it must be at least a little bit physically taxing to grip the wheel and not let go, but I've taken long road trips myself, and never have I stoppped for gas, stretched my legs and felt like an athlete. But they sweat! So does my Uncle Bob when he climbs the steps too fast. Sweating doesn't necessarily equate to something being a sport, it just means the suits they wear are hot and the places they race generally have good weather. For whatever reason I think Formula 1 is a sport but NASCAR isn't, maybe because in F1 they turn right every once in awhile instead of just driving in circles.
Have your say!
Have we been too harsh? Do you think golf is a sport? Are there any we missed? Tell us which sport you think should or shouldn't have been included in the comments below.
