Golf, NASCAR, Bowling, and Poker Are Great Hobbies

(Photo by Dave Martin/Getty Images)

The gut on John Daly (pictured above) does not evoke notions of athleticism, does it?

That belly is just one piece of evidence that leads us to the conclusion that golf is not a sport. With all apologies to Tiger Woods, who is definitely a great athlete, he has acquired millions participating in a hobby.

Some will suggest that the walking of golf alone is "grueling" and requires effort. Well, if we are going to permit long walks into the world of sports, it's not out of the realm of possibility to soon see a "Meter Maid League" on the horizon.

"Jackie Smith from Philadelphia still holds the record for most citations issued in a shift, with 247. Of course, that was during the caffeine era of 2010-2011."

If the activity can be conducted in slacks and church shoes with spikes, it is not a sport. If a "highly-trained athlete" like John Daly can be successful, it is not a sport.

And the same goes for NASCAR. Yes, they build up sweat driving those fast cars in circles, but there are many city bus drivers out there who do it for much longer with many more obstacles. 

Heck, just this past spring break I drove from Roanoke to Texarkana (13 hours) without any rest, and I am far from an athlete. I did break a sweat, however, from eating too many sunflower seeds.

And with all that said, there shouldn't even be an argument about bowling or poker. Why a card game is on ESPN I'll never understand; it is highly frustrating. 

Don't get me wrong—an athlete can definitely participate in golf and racing, but a person does not have to be an athlete to participate in those hobbies at a high level. It does help to be in shape, just as with any other activity, such as working on a car engine or painting a house.

But let us not accept golfers as "athletes" any longer. It's an extreme insult to real athletes like Lance Armstrong, Jerry Rice, LeBron James, and Michael Phelps. 

Oh yeah, baseball isn't a sport, either.

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