Sitting here at work last week and talking about sports. Turned into if NASCAR drivers are athletes. Almost everyone said no way and I tend to agree. Then went to golfing and bowling. Most here say no way are you and athlete to drive a car, bowl, or golf as you dont need to be in shape just mental tough. My favorite line was if your heart doenst elevate then its not an athlete? Most thought bowlers were no athletes nor were golfers. Then cyclists were talked about. Question to the board, where is your stance. Most here seem to think if you are hitting someone like football or hockey its a sport. Even heard baseball was not a sport it is a game. My opinion is I am mixed on much of this. I am a hockey fan and played many years, like many other sports and cycle my *** off. So just wondering some other ideas as I am not too sure on what I heard here? Then also what sport is the best athletes?

 

bowlers absolutely are athletes!! I'd love to see anyone go out and throw a 16 pound ball 16-23 (ave. on tour) with a very high rev rate for 60 games + a week. I've done it...you need to be in top shape to do it at a serious and consistant level.
Same as everything else...you don't need to be an athlete to play softball or baseball and drink beer between innings....but if you want to do it well and at a high level...then yes you need to be an athlete.

 

Here is the official definition of an athlete:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
ath·lete Audio Help [ath-leet] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun

a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

Agility, stamina or strenth.

Being a racing fan, I can tell you those guys are tougher then they look. Sitting in a car that is 110 to 125 degrees for hours isn't easy. It's very tough on your body and mind. Most race car drivers, especially Rally racing and NASCAR will tell you how physically exhausting it is. I don't think people realize that. They think it's like driving a car on the highway. Most race cars in any sport have limited to no power steering, which requires alot of physical work on your arms, and the G-force put on your body is also strong.

If you go based on the definition, then those are atheletes. Does car racing require agility? It does on your upper body, absolutely. How about stamina and strength? If you are weak, you are not going to be able to handle a machine going over mud, rock and dirt roads at 100 MPH (rally racing) or handle a Nascar averaging 200 MPH on a turn. It also says participating in a sport that requires physical skill

Now, physical skill doesn't not necessarily mean strength and muscle mass. Skill would dictate coordination. I am not a golf fan, but I like to bowl. I suck at golf, and I'm OK at bowling, but if there was no physical skill required, everybody would be great at it. Bowling is tough. You have to make your body move perfectly in proportion to how that ball is going to act. One little tiny step off, hand twist, etc and that ball is not going where you want it.

Anyway, if people judge being an athlete using only physical strength, then you can say I suppose some sports aren't athletic, but according to the official definition, it kinda shows that there's more then physical strength.

 

I would define an athelite as someone who has phyisical training and conditioning forany type of competition. I would say all listed in yourpost are athelites in some form. I could probably not get behind the wheel of a nascar and drive 500 miles ina circle without some type phyicial conditioning. I would probably pass out from holding the steering wheel that tight for so long. As for golf, youhave to playgolf for four straight days and not be completely exhausted andstill be competive, I say that takes phyical training, cause I know I couldn't do it.I couldn't pick up the club after two rounds. Now that I think about, beer drinking takes an athelite, just look at the movie Beerfest, you have to be conditioned for it.

Thats my 2 cents.

 

Anyone that doesn't think Lance Armstrong isn't an athlete is crazy. Sport with the best athletes...that is a tough one...soccer, wrestling ( the real kind )...probably have pretty diverse answers on this question also.

 

I do have to say that I think the olympic commitee needs to learn what are "sports" and what are not. Sorry but how is someone twirling a flag or pushing a big ole stone across the ice a sport?!?! They are taking Baseball out of the olympics but curling stays...umm...ok. Bowling is not an olympic sport, even though the international bowling tour is HUGE..but yet roller skating is in?

sorry this is a bitter area for me

 

Yeah, I always wondered about that curling thing too

 

I agree. The IOC removed softball purely because it was clear the American teams were going to dominate. Baseball...we had competition but year in and year out American teams are going to be there. If the Americans hadn't lost the Olympic gold a few games back you can bet the IOC would be looking at removing basketball. I wonder how many millions participate or spectate at curling competitions? It is probably more like thousands.

 

Try again buddy

 

Hundreds?