I few weeks ago, I lamented the fact that the Olympics is rife with performances masquerading as "sports", most notably figure skating. Well, this evening I saw a new low, ice dancing. What in the **** is this? I couldn't even enjoy the fact that the USA and Canada is pitching a fit over it. In fact, if you listen to the reason the Canucks are pissed, it's some convoluted scoring issue with about 8 or 9 variables included, re-[dadgum]-diculous. As a matter of principle, if you bow, are thrown roses or mess up your mascara by crying immediately following your performance, then it's not a sport.
I remember one of the commentators describing this element of the judging once and I nearly lost my ****ing mind. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/dressing-for-success-in-figure-skating-can-earn-valuable-style-points-163427055.html
Ya, when your outfit is worth points it sort of detracts from any case of it being a sport rather than some sort of athletic performance art.
I must have missed those who claimed it was a sport, though it does seem to fit the definition: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sport
Football players bow when scoring a td. Big 10/Pac 12 champ gets showered with roses. Eye black runs when crying after a heartbreaking loss. Definitely not a sport.
Football players may bow every now and then in celebration. They don't bow because otherwise the touchdown may only be worth 5 points.
Love how they define sport, in one of the entries, as "to engage in a sport", using the word to define itself. So, apparently, anything that makes you happy and lively is a sport. I will look for freeze tag, the trapeeze and masturbation in the next Olympics. No, to me, there are two criteria for status as a sport in the Games: 1. You can tell me how someone/a team wins in one sentence (i.e. "The winner runs 400 meters faster than everyone else"). and 2. The judging official merely enforces the rules of the competition rather than determines the winner.
1. I'll be sure to let Merriam-Webster know. And 2. I don't think the Olympics really gives a shit. But it's a pretty good melt you have going and is mildly entertaining, so keep it up.
Dead serious, if the scoring is 100% based upon judge interpretation, it isn't a sport worthy of the Olympics. I enjoy watching the amazing crap the snowboarders do, but judging panels is an awful way to decide a sport.
I was referring more toward the performers and/or commentators. I don't hear them mention it as such, though if you asked them, they probably would.
I agree with this most of the time. I love gymnastics, and think they do some incredible things, but I just don't like something that can be fixed without the inclusion of the participants. Unfortunately, this includes boxing, which I love Olympic boxing. Unless you score a KO/TKO, of course. Give me sports that require a meter stick, how heavy something is, a stop watch or points scored by the competitors.
Umm, ok. I didn't realize you were so attached to these sports, so I'll be more sensitive in the future. I'm also glad that it requires the person or entity to give a shit for us to comment on the topic. Pretty much invalidates most any topic here, especially in the political forum.