In light of CSParker's comment in the 'Darts and Combinatorics...' thread regarding the sporting status of darts and given the number of lightweight, shabby and frankly down-right ridiculous so-called sports which currently exist, which sports do the Wilmott Members consider to be good, old-fashioned, proper sports?I propose rowing, running, track and field athletics, cycling, swimming and weightlifting because they have a sense of purity - people pushing their physical limits.I certainly do not consider cricket, golf, darts or chess to be sports.Any thoughts?RegardsVeegan

Boxing, rugby, football, american football, basketball, track & field.

what about ballet ?

Caving is one of the most strenuous sport of all. It is also a sport that really attract geologists, physicists, mathematicians, and potentially Wilmott forum members.

There are now three things you should never discuss in polite conversation. We are all aware of the volatile nature of political and religious debate when even casually introduced at the dinner table. But even at the height of disagreement, gentle terms like: "I beg to differ" and "You could not be more wrong" are bandied about as the ultimate verbal jabs of contention. If you want to see fist-fights and shoving matches (not shoving matches into the furnace, that’s something different altogether) then greet the new topic that is a must to avoid: What is and what is not a sportI personally could not agree more that both golf and baseball are not a proper sport

QuoteOriginally posted by: VeeganI certainly do not consider cricket, golf, darts or chess to be sports.Veegan,I believe all sports however strenuous may they be are 90% mental, the difference between a champion tennis player or marathon runner and there No.2 is not how many back hands they can hit or how many miles they run the difference is purely the way they are mentally geared to handle the pressure or to move there game to a higher gear.If you know anyone who has played any sport at a professional level ask them, he/she will know exactly what I am talking about. K

I agree with Kutilya completely. Running in a marathon is not the same as "running" on a treadmill in a basement. In the same way, playing cricket in a street alley in the slums of Bombay or soccer on the streets of Rio is just not the same as what we watch on TV. On a somewhat different note, just look at how sport is a part of the culture of a country and how it brings people together. In the US, an inetersting thing I noticed was how they have their own version of popular sports elsewhere--football=rugby, soccerbaseball=cricketice hockey=regular hockeyAnd they have their own leagues, play matches for a large part of the year and the best teams end up face-to-face in a "World Series". Try telling the Americans what "sport" is!!My point is, it doesn't matter what we define sport as. In fact, it's too tough to define a sport. Is pit trading a sport? Cant say if it is or it is not. "Sport" is no more fun for an athlete as trading is for a trader. I am sure there is some audience which would like to watch the best pit traders at work. And as long such an audience is there, it keeps getting harder to define sport!

QuoteOriginally posted by: kutilyaVeegan,I believe all sports however strenuous may they be are 90% mental, the difference between a champion tennis player or marathon runner and there No.2 is not how many back hands they can hit or how many miles they run the difference is purely the way they are mentally geared to handle the pressure or to move there game to a higher gear.If you know anyone who has played any sport at a professional level ask them, he/she will know exactly what I am talking about. KWell, I agree with you on the mental issue. It is a large part of any sport, but when I watch I want to see sweat, exertion, pain and suffering. I want to see people lifting the heaviest weights, covering the distance that bit faster, fighting to the end. It is the mental state of mind that drives people to endure such a tortuous process but without the physical exertion they might just as well be doing a crossword. I enjoy playing backgammon but would never consider myself a sportsman because of it. It's merely a game.As Supernaut20 says, in isolation, the physical exertion and mental focus are nothing more than training. But when pitted against fellow competitors is when sportspeople perform. For me, a real sport must push people to their physical limits as they try to beat the other guy.Furthermore, I want to see sportspeople motoring without assistance - motorsport, horse racing, para-sailing, any kind of snowsports which involve a downward hill - pah!RegardsVeegan

I have a feeling you will enjoy the World's Strongest Man Challenge

real sport?

Is war a sport? It obviously should not be, but is it?

"SPEED STACKS is the LEADER in the SPORT of CUP STACKING.""StackMats: Optimum stacking surface with precision timer.""Did You Know that more than 2,500 schools around the world have Speed Stacks cup stacking programs?"This is a good little mental, and motor skill excercise. I wonder if any of the champion stackers would be more adept at floor trading? Especially, the ones that did it growing up, so they are more engrained with the skill.

QuoteOriginally posted by: piranhaIs war a sport? It obviously should not be, but is it?I guess it depends on your definition of 'bloodsport'. RegardsVeegan

<blockquote>Quote<hr>Furthermore, I want to see sportspeople motoring without assistance - motorsport, horse racing, para-sailing, any kind of snowsports which involve a downward hill - pah!<hr></blockquote>Are you saying that motorsports, horse racing, snow sports (Skiing, Boarding) are not sports? Have you ever driven competitively? Ridden a horse in competition or spent any time on the slopes?? I am guessing that you haven't. All three of these sports require an incredible amount of training, strength, endurance and focus. Would you prefer that cricketers play with their bare hands, or footballers play without spikes?? If you don't think that 24 hours of le mans, jockeying in the kentucky derby, or competing in a downhill event requires an athelete to push their physical limits, I guess put on your helmet and jump in a car. <blockquote>Quote<hr> personally could not agree more that both golf and baseball are not a proper sport<hr></blockquote>Baseball is most certainly a sport. It requires much more physical strength than the average person and years of skill training. I doubt you'd volunteer to tell Barry Bonds that he's not been an athelete for the past 14 seasons. I think that anything that can be done in a bar is more properly classified as an activity rather than a sport

In the immortal words of Archie Bunker: "A sport ain't a sport unless you can get some bones broke."