Sport vs. Non-sport

There is a problem in the world. It is unjust and wrong. People, many of whom do not play sports, consider certain things a sport when it is very clearly not. This is one of the things that bothers me most. I can’t stand it when somebody calls something a sport when it is not. So here is what I believe…

The true definition of sport is “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.” The first part of this definition I completely agree with, sports require physical skill that not all people have the ability to perform. The second part I also agree with, sports are rather competitive. But the third part I have some problems with, I don’t think that some of the examples given are sports. Let me go into further detail.

My definition of sport is any strenuous, physical activity that takes skill to perform and cannot be preformed well by the common public. This means that you have to be able to use your body, hand-eye coordination, and more to do a physical activity. I’m not sure if this makes complete sense, so here are some examples. NASCAR is not a sport. I do not care how many people think it is. It is glorified driving, and the last time I checked, anybody (even 85 year old grandmas) can drive. Yes, I understand that it takes a toll on the driver’s body, but any goof can do it. Fishing is not a sport. It is an activity. Once again, anybody can go out on a boat and catch a fish. Some people may not have much success, but they can do what this so called “sport” requires it participants to do. But the biggest NOT A SPORT that some people call a sport is cheerleading. Wow. The first time I heard this called a sport I almost fell over laughing, but the person was completely serious. I am not going to say what I really am thinking about this, because it would be offensive to some people (cheerleaders in particular).

So overall, in case you missed it, here is a list of NOT SPORTS that some people consider a sport (I will most likely miss a few, so don’t consider this a complete list):
NASCAR, motocross, fishing, bowling, curling, cheerleading/dancing, darts, chess, hunting, baton twirling (from the Olympics), video games, croquet, and synchronized swimming.