How Come Other Athletes Don't Put Up Their Own Money?

[supertouch 0]

sport (spôrt, spōrt)n1.a.Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.Seems to fit the criteria to me. When people play it on the weekend for leisure, it's a game. When people play it competively, it's a sport.

i see what you are saying, but by that logic competitive eating is technically a sport.to me for it to constitute being a "sport" your opponent needs to be able to affect your performance (defense) otherwise it's just a competition.

[JoeyFinngars 0]

Gotta disagree bro...some athletic skill is required to hit the little white ball.Hand/eye coordination and flexability also come to mind. You just can't be some overweight, cigarette smoking, scotch drinker to play at the top level now. With the prize money these days, the average PGA pro is certainly in much better shape compared to 25 years ago.I am sure our resident FCP golf pro Oziumrules may have a few things to say.

Wait isn't this describing Big Ol' John Daley (spelling)

[Kuge 0]

You just can't be some overweight, cigarette smoking, scotch drinker to play at the top level now. With the prize money these days, the average PGA pro is certainly in much better shape compared to 25 years ago.

Haven't we forgot John Daly?

[sirch1 0]

Gotta disagree bro...some athletic skill is required to hit the little white ball.Hand/eye coordination and flexability also come to mind. You just can't be some overweight, cigarette smoking, scotch drinker to play at the top level now. With the prize money these days, the average PGA pro is certainly in much better shape compared to 25 years ago.I am sure our resident FCP golf pro Oziumrules may have a few things to say.

have to agree with this guy, the best golfer in the world is, tiger woods, is ripped and could probably hang with any athlete

[fleung22 1]

Haven't we forgot John Daly?

You beat me to it.

[supertouch 0]

Purely a learned skill? So, you're trying to tell me that if you practiced enough you could be good enough to compete on the pro tour?

yes i think that anyone can get to a point where they could be a top level golfer. golf is a game a repetition. if you practice enough and get to the point where you swing the club right every time you will succeed. that being said, in order for me to get to that point i would have to play golf all day every day. other people can do it in far less time.

[turd ferguson 1]

i see what you are saying, but by that logic competitive eating is technically a sport.to me for it to constitute being a "sport" your opponent needs to be able to affect your performance (defense) otherwise it's just a competition.

So things like skiing, snowboarding, skating, and surfing aren't sports?

[thrillsoft 0]

Doyle was a star athelete in his youngers days and I hear Raymer plays a mean game of badminton.

I agree on the Doyle comment. You might have picked the wrong joke for Raymer. Badminton is one of the most physically challenging of all sports. A couple things about competitive Badminton:1. The shuttle **** (birdie) travels faster (up to 160 MPH) than any other raquet sport (i.e. tennis, raquet ball, even baseball).2. Badminton players will sprint over a mile in one game.I don't see Raymer as much of a Badminton player.

[supertouch 0]

So things like skiing, snowboarding, skating, and surfing aren't sports?

no they aren't. downhill skiing, downhill snowboarding, etc are timed events. skating and surfing have judges, anything with a judge isn't a sport.i'm not trying to take anything away from the people that compete in these events. they are great athletes.

[leftygolfer 7]

Haven't we forgot John Daly?

John Daly certainly is the exception ( and I really like the guy...ever see his show on the Golf Channel?), however I wouldn't call him an elite PGA pro now despite his 2 major wins. I highly doubt he would win a tournament again.

[turd ferguson 1]

no they aren't. downhill skiing, downhill snowboarding, etc are timed events. skating and surfing have judges, anything with a judge isn't a sport.i'm not trying to take anything away from the people that compete in these events. they are great athletes.

The olympics isn't a sporting event?

[PMJackson21 0]

i see what you are saying, but by that logic competitive eating is technically a sport.to me for it to constitute being a "sport" your opponent needs to be able to affect your performance (defense) otherwise it's just a competition.

So, would match play then be considered a sport?Even in stroke play, the way the players closest to you are playing effects your decisions. If I have a 2 shot lead with 2 to go, I'm not going to hit driver on a tight par 4 for instance. I am effectively playing defense against my opponent, similar to a basketball/football team running out the clock.Also, in regards to timed events...Do things like cycling and track count as sports since you are competing against people? How your opponents are doing obviously affects your performance/strategy. I can see your point regarding timed events where participants compete in individual time trials, but in events like the 100m, you are def being affected by your opponents.

[supertouch 0]

that dude statler on the senior tour is fat and out of shape too.speaking of, i went to a senior tour event last summer. aside from the brief moment of excitement from seeing arnold palmer, i was pretty bored, anyone else been to a pga event?

[ShakeZuma 585]

"Bull Fighting, Mountain Climbing, and Auto Racing are the only true sports. Everything else is just a game." - Hemmingway

[supertouch 0]

The olympics isn't a sporting event?

most of the events in the olympics aren't sports.

So, would match play then be considered a sport?Even in stroke play, the way the players closest to you are playing effects your decisions. If I have a 2 shot lead with 2 to go, I'm not going to hit driver on a tight par 4 for instance. I am effectively playing defense against my opponent, similar to a basketball/football team running out the clock.Also, in regards to timed events...Do things like cycling and track count as sports since you are competing against people? How your opponents are doing obviously affects your performance/strategy. I can see your point regarding timed events where participants compete in individual time trials, but in events like the 100m, you are def being affected by your opponents.

if you and I are in at the world championships for track in the 100m and we are next to each other running down the track, you bump into me and affect my performance you are disqualified. i should have put "physically affect" in my definition.with the golf example, yes your performance is affecting my strategy not my actual physical performance of the event.i would love to continue this debate, but it's lunch time, i'll be back in an hour.

[turd ferguson 1]

So, according to your defenition, table tennis is a sport, but skiing, snowboarding, swimming, and all the track and field events are not?Let's see, who do I consider a better source for defining words? You or Merriam Webster? Hmmm...

[handsfactor 0]

# 1 Poker isn't a sport, but that wasn't really the OP's argument anywayFocus:Poker players have to post there own money for a coupe of reasons. #1. The tournaments are open to anyone (willing to pay the entry fee) This isn't true of any golf tournament in the world. Both the U.S. Open and British Open require a player have a certain handicap before they are allowed to try and qualify. #2. Not many people are willing to sponsor poker tournaments. As someone else said there are rare exceptions (PPT and Tournament of Champions being the 2 most noticeable) These are Free Rolls, and the players see them as bonuses. Most companies wouldn't benefit anything from sponsoring a poker tournament. There are no corporate tents or pro-ams like Golf tournaments for them to take their clients to, and the TV audience is limited, as you can't broadcast a Major Poker tournament live, and have any type of audience. So companies aren't willing to put up their money for no benefit. Finally pro golfers do pay money to play in events. PGA players have to pay $5,000 entry fee for every event they enter. If there was no Sponsorship money then it would be like the same 200 poker pro's playing a closed circuit with just 1 event at each venu which was a $5,000 buy-in.

[Royal27 0]

Its the same reason people who play Magic the Gaythering will never get laid.it comes with the territory

Co-worker now asking me what I'm laughing at and I can't tell them...

[mrdannyg 274]

i don't know about Golf - I think if you can smoke while playing, it's not a sport. I often have arguments, and while we usually agree that golf how it is usually played (leisurely) is not really a sport, I'll admit that professional golf should be considered a sport.i think an earlier poster said pretty much the same thing, so i'm just agreeing.and to all those talking about john daly, there's a few baseball pitchers who are pretty fast aswell. some football players too, but they're in pretty f'ing amazing shape so i don't think its the same.

[chester97 0]

tiger woods is in unbelievable shape. most of the golfers coming up now have to be in great shape to try and keep up with him. a golfer is an athlete, no doubt about it.

i don't know about Golf - I think if you can smoke while playing, it's not a sport. I often have arguments, and while we usually agree that golf how it is usually played (leisurely) is not really a sport, I'll admit that professional golf should be considered a sport.i think an earlier poster said pretty much the same thing, so i'm just agreeing.and to all those talking about john daly, there's a few baseball pitchers who are pretty fast aswell. some football players too, but they're in pretty f'ing amazing shape so i don't think its the same.

the way i golf, in a cart with six beers ready to go, a bucket of stolen range balls, and couple big cigars, is not a sport. the way my dad golfs, with a speed walk, 3 hour rounds, and enough hacking to take down a large tree, is a sport.

[Vatche 0]

poker is not a sport.

[acesfull333 0]

if you can smoke/drink while you are doing it, I have a hard time defending it as a sport...at the pro level, I think golf probably is a sport... not at the leisure level though...for those that think golf is a sport at all levels, what do you say about bowling? How can you differentiate a learned ability (via practice) from an inate ability (pure dumb luck via genetics)? Does the presence of either one make a 'sport' less a sport? I don't know.. I'm not going to try to guess either... just adding fuel to the fire! :)As for poker, I don't think it's a sport... but I do believe that being in good physical condition will increase your ability to concentrate and maintain focus during a marathon session...

[Habs Fan 0]

if you can smoke/drink while you are doing it, I have a hard time defending it as a sport...at the pro level, I think golf probably is a sport... not at the leisure level though...

John Daly?

[mcpickl 0]

sport (spôrt, spōrt)n1.a.Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.Seems to fit the criteria to me. When people play it on the weekend for leisure, it's a game. When people play it competively, it's a sport.

whats the physical activity? sitting for a long period of time? in that case, my neighbor who collects welfare sitting on his couch playing madden 04 is a gold medalist.

[Chiggleslap 0]

wasn't doyle a track star back in his day also?

yeah. he ran a sub-4:20 mile in college, which was huge back then. he was an all-american.