Open Mic: What is a Sport?

Every sports fan, whether it be a man, woman or child, has had the argument at some point in his or her life. While no one has ever definitively explained what separates sport from game, I'm willing to give it the old college try.

#1 - A sport has a winner. Whether it's by a final score, judge's decision, fastest time, etc., at the end of a sporting event, someone is determined to be the better player or team on that day.

#2 - Some kind of physical prowess is required to play. You don't necessarily have to be fast, which is something most people assume about sports. A sport doesn't have to be fast-paced, just as long as participants have some kind of natural ability in speed, hand-eye coordination or raw athleticism.

#3 - This is the biggie. A sport must pit one person directly in competition with another—pitcher vs. batter, offensive linemen vs. defensive lineman, guard vs. uh... guard. This eliminates a lot of games that some people adamantly consider to be sports.

Golf, being the most discussed of any game, is eliminated by this characteristic. Now, I'm not saying golfers aren't athletes, because I believe it takes a considerable amount of athleticism to be a great golfer. However, in golf, you're not playing the other competitors, you're playing the course.

#4 - Here's a major mistake people are making in this argument. You don't have to be an athlete to play a sport. I'll explain this later.

Other games discussed are bowling, billiards, shuffleboard, poker and, surprisingly enough, video games.

Bowling isn't a sport because, though you're trying to get a higher score than your opponent, you don't do anything directly involved with the man or woman you're competing against. That violates rule #3.

Shuffleboard and billiards are sports because you are directly reacting to your opponents actions, although you never physically touch your opponent. That interaction, along with the fact that there is a winner and you must have good hand-eye coordination to be good at playing, makes both shuffleboard and billiards a sport.

Poker is a little dicey, but I'm going to label it a sport. There is a winner and you're directly involved with other players. However, it can be argued that there is no physical aspect involved.

Here's my counterpoint: you have to have really great body control to be a truly great poker player. The slightest movement in your face, shoulders, hands, etc. can be a 'tell' in poker. You've got to be able to physically hide that as best you can to make it difficult for other players to read you.

Video games aren't a sport. You can play sports-themed video games, but that doesn't make it a sport. All you have to do in a video game is push buttons. Granted, you have to do it without looking, but I look at handling a video game controller the same way as I do typing on a keyboard. It takes practice, but its not the type of ability only present in only a few people.

You can be a phenomenal player when it comes to Madden, but that doesn't make you a football player. That's the same thing as beating Guitar Hero on expert and thinking you can actually play a real guitar. It's definitely NOT the same thing.

OK, back to #4 on my list. As I stated, you don't have to be an athlete to play a sport.

Here's the explanation: I earlier stated that golf isn't a sport, but you do have to be athletic to be good at it. Who is the best golfer on the PGA Tour? Tiger Woods. Who is the most athletic? Tiger Woods. Coincidence? I think not.

Football is a sport, but who considers a 320-pound fatty who only 'runs' a couple feet every minute or two an athlete? Not me.

I know what you're thinking: "But Kyle, you're not directly involved when you're skiing in the Olympics. That's a sport, isn't it?"

Well, to answer that, I'll tell you to look, again, at my rule #1. A winner based on fastest time is a part of what makes a sport. In skiing, you've got to speed down a hill faster than anyone else, which means you're directly involved with the other participants in that whoever gets down the hill the fastest wins.

Unlike golf, skiing requires that you take the same path as everyone else to determine the winner. In golf, you can have similar scores, but very different paths in getting from the first tee box to the 18th green. You've got to take all three of these rules into consideration when determining what a sport is.

So, there you have it. That's what makes a sport a sport.