What is a Sport?

A real sport, in my eyes, is an activity that contains both physical and mental elements in a structured atmosphere. Though a sport can be for fun and/or exercise, it should have some system of rules that prevent it from just turning into play as well as a competitive aspect that leads to winner and loser. Sports such as football, soccer, basketball, hockey and tennis are obvious and there is no need for an argument. Some activities, such as chess, contain the strong mental aspect that sports need but there is no physical ability required to participate in a chess match. An activity such as poker relies on just as much luck as it does mental skill, but even though it is highly featured on American television, it lacks a physical nature and can’t be considered a sport. There is a fine line between what is a sport and what is a game, a line that is often frayed.

             A major thing that creates the line is the fan. Without a fan base, who would the athletes compete for? Fans bring in the money that allows sports to be the spectacles that they are today. Whether its national pride or just passion for a particular professional organization, fans are the fuel that allow sports to shine bright.    

            In my Sport Administration classes, the argument is often brought about if things like cheerleading, NASCAR, horse racing, poker, quidditch, and fishing are sports. Each of those examples has its unique case. Let’s start with cheerleading. Cheerleading is double-edged sword, because not all aspects of cheering constitute it as a sport. Cheerleading is the sense that all they may do is cheer on football and basketball teams and do a few flips is absolutely not a sport. However, cheerleading that involves competition is definitely a sport. I view it as “gymnastics-light”, but there is strategy and physical aspects that make it a spectacle for fans to watch and cheer for. Some might argue that NASCAR is not a sport, because a machine does the majority of the work but that is not necessarily true. To be a driver in NASCAR requires incredible hand-eye coordination in order to bring the car around the track at over 200 miles per hour without crashing to your death. It is also very exhausting for the driver as they often sweat much more than an average football player during a race. On top of that, NASCAR probably has the most underrated fan base in all of American sports; just ask anyone who has been to Talladega. Horse racing fits into basically the same category as NASCAR, as the horse exerts the most energy, but the jockey still must be somewhat athletic to be able to control the horse.

            The three most controversial out of the topics I mentioned are quidditch, fishing and poker. Quidditch is a relatively new phenomenon brought on by the fantasy world of Harry Potter. This fantasy sport has been turned into a “real-life” sport by avid fans who hop on broomsticks that don’t fly and compete against opponents. I’ve witnessed college students play the sport, and I can say without a doubt that there is physical element to it as well as fans who come out to watch it. Half of the game is not real as depicted in the books and movies, but it goes down in my book as a sport. Fishing also has its place in book as a sport. There is the strategy of knowing exactly where to fish and what bait to use. There is the physical element of having to battle trophy fish. Fishing clubs have regular competitions that award the best fisherman. And I dare you to attend the Bassmaster’s Classic and tell me that it doesn’t have a large fan base.

            The one thing I mentioned in my list of controversies that I refuse to consider a sport is poker. I blame ESPN for causing anyone to think otherwise. There is absolutely no physical aspect to the game. Sure, it is largely a thinking man’s game, but good luck has just as much to do with the game as thinking does. Chess is probably my favorite game to play and is the king of all thinking games but in no sense would I ever consider it a sport.