Monday, July 09, 2007

A Light on the Subject

As a game designer and enthusiast, I have often been involved in discussions about the difference between a "sport" and a "game." Usually, these conversations get started when the subject of televised poker comes up -- specifically the fact that the World Series of Poker is covered on ESPN.

I've never made the claim that just because ESPN covers it, it must be a "sport." Strangely, though, people have come after me on the attack about this before, as if I'm somehow validating it as a sport for watching it on that network. Like it matters to me who is carrying it; I've watched poker on the Travel Channel, NBC, the Game Show Network, ESPN... pretty much whoever has it. Anyway, point being: I do not think poker is a sport.

Though I'd never considered the sport/game question where Disc Golf is concerned, I saw something at the course tonight that made me develop a new litmus test for this issue. I've decided this:

It can't be a sport if you can smoke leisurely while playing it.

I saw two guys on one of the tee pads, each with a cigarette in hand. In turn, they oh-so-casually held the cigarette in their mouths as they whipped a sidearm drive off toward the basket, then flicked their ashes as they walked off slowly toward their discs. Nothing about the way they were playing made it look in any way like an "activity," and yet they weren't throwing that badly at all.

So, like I said, the thought came to me: "clearly, not a sport." (Well, the first thought was, "they'd better not throw their butts down on the ground when they finish," but... you know... after that...)

By the smoking test, bowling definitely fails. I'm pretty sure regular golf does too. (The fact that you probably couldn't find a club that would let you smoke while you were playing doesn't change the fact that you easily could.) Curling? Not a sport.

On the other hand, I've heard some people quip that horse racing is a sport only for the horse. But the smoking test says otherwise. I'd like to see a jockey enjoying a casual cigarette while participating in the Kentucky Derby. Not a chance. Ergo, sport.

Auto racing? Well, lots of people smoke while they drive, but I don't think you could so leisurely while driving one of those cars. Sport it is, then.

That's my new definition, until someone burns a hole in that theory, anyway.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good entry.
I had flashback of George Carlin's numerous rules for what is a sport and what is not. One of the best being: "Risk of serious fucking injuries."
:)

FKL

Brad said...

Wow! I was just thining about the smoking rule! The guy who won the US open [or whatever the last golf major was] was smoking like crazy as he walked between holes and all I could think was, "That isn't an athlete."

Roland Deschain said...

I'll be damned. Offhand, I can't think of an instance where this test is failing.

Although I would pay (and I do mean PAY) to see a smoking swimming competition. :P

Cush1978 said...

At the disc golf course here in Virginia Beach, standard equipment usually includes a cooler of beer and a cigarette of the less-than-legal variety. One cigarette isn't so bad in comparison.

My only comment on the theory would be the fact that quite a few baseball players chew and spit tobacco both on and off the field. That's like puffing on a cigarette and flicking the ashes. It was prominent enough to introduce "Big League Chew" for the kids.

Baseball's certainly a sport.

Roland Deschain said...

Well...I'll still argue baseball with you. People standing around for 3 hours with intermittent spurts of activity involving walking or running a short distance is about as energetic as many video gamers.

And on a local note, anyone who had an ass as fat as the one belonging to Andres Galaragga who got out of breath and almost passed out by running to first base is not a participant in a sport.

I worked at Coors Field for 3 years, every game. You'll never convince me that baseball is a sport for anyone in that park except for the people maneuvering through the parking lots avoiding the drunks trying to leave after the game. :P