What counts as a sport?

[a-4-year-old]

So war is a sport?

[gladiator2]

I'd consider a sport to be anything that involes two sides who want to kill each other while playing under the pretense of competition. Yeah, that would pretty much narrow it down.

So yeah, war is a sport in that sense.

[jrgp]

So war is a sport?

If you're rambo and find it extremely fun and thrilling, I don't see why not.

[jerich]

So war is a sport?

Interesting statement you put up but it still is not a sport. Let me go more in-depth than the generalized definition I stated earlier. Yes, it has competition and competitors. The problem is that sports are governed by "definite" rules. War has rules but they are never definite. Also, all sports do not start with handicaps(as in disadvantages, not disabled people). War could be a highly militarialized nation versus some third world country. That is completely unfair and that shows that it isn't a sport. Sports start each competitor with an equal chance to win( football 12vs12 players, basketball 5v5, bowling 10 pins, etc...). You might say hey, how about hockey and powerplays. Powerplays are dictated by the rules and not abiding the rules will consequently draw a penalty. Each team has an equal chance to get on the power-play or penalty kill depending if they can abide by the rules. Or one could ask, how about Nascar, each car is not "starting" in the same position. Well sure, but there is a pre-run they all take to determine what position they get with an "equal" chance of getting a top spot. War will never have exact rules and nothing governs war but the competitors themselves whereas sports are governed by rules and third-parties(judges and referees).

[a-4-year-old]

So in the battle of midway where ships were even for both sides would still be a "sport." Thats because the 3 Cs is a load of shit and lets just about anything be a sport.

[gladiator2]

In one sense, war is a sport because both have two sides fighting each other; each of which wants desperately to win.

But please don't tell Michael Moore I said that. That's all I need: a man the approximate size of Europa campaigning outside my house.

Heh, something tells me you're a Futurama fan. Oorah! Why did they cancel that show?!

[jerich]

So in the battle of midway where ships were even for both sides would still be a "sport."

I did say that my 3 C's was too generalized. Also, the battle of midway still does not have definite rules so I wouldn't consider it a sport.

Thats because the 3 Cs is a load of s**t and lets just about anything be a sport.

DA DING! You're right. Anything can be a sport. Put the competition, add the rules and badabing, you've got you're sport. What most people think are legitimate sports are the popular ones. You would never think that throwing a soccer ball into peach baskets would be considered a sport. But guess what? It had set rules, teams were equal(in terms of numbers), and had the 3 C's. It just kept on evolving until it turned into basketball which people still play. So anything could potentially become a sport(or a "popular" sport depending on the fanbase)

In one sense, war is a sport because both have two sides fighting each other; each of which wants desperately to win.

The only war that could be considered a sport would be the card game at a tournament.

[MyiEye]

CHESS!

[gladiator2]

What? Texas Hold 'Em?

Maybe if the players had shotguns.... 

Consider football. Many similarities. Hell, football even has casualties. Two sides fighting each other. Toss in a couple AKs and you've got yourself a war. Fighting over something (football: the football) (war: Land, money, power). Both use tactics.

[a-4-year-old]

So in the battle of midway where ships were even for both sides would still be a "sport."

I did say that my 3 C's was too generalized. Also, the battle of midway still does not have definite rules so I wouldn't consider it a sport.

Thats not one of the 3 C's

[jerich]

What? Texas Hold 'Em?

Maybe if the players had shotguns.... 

Consider football. Many similarities. Hell, football even has casualties. Two sides fighting each other. Toss in a couple AKs and you've got yourself a war. Fighting over something (football: the football) (war: Land, money, power). Both use tactics.

Football is governed by rules.
War is not governed by rules.


Football has a definite goal.
Winning the championship.


War does not have a definite goal.
Conflicting self interest between land, power, money, etc.


Football players are COMPETING.
Soldiers are FIGHTING.

Then, you'll think, wait, couldn't fighting be a sport. OF COURSE IT CAN, AND IT IS. But fighting in a ring(UFC, boxing, wrestling, etc)  is supervised by referees and judges, whereas fighting in a battlefield...there are no rules.

So in the battle of midway where ships were even for both sides would still be a "sport."

I did say that my 3 C's was too generalized. Also, the battle of midway still does not have definite rules so I wouldn't consider it a sport.

Thats not one of the 3 C's

That's why I went more in-depth with it with rules, but all sports still do carry all the 3 C's. Are you going not going to argue against the rest of what I had to say. Rather than keep on playing devil's advocate, I'd like to hear your definition.

[Smegma]

The laws of physics are a damn fine set of rules for war.

[amb2010]

I agree with jerich...

gladiator you talk like football is the almighty sport of the world I think of a sport as people going against each other for a particular goal with some sort of rules in place, not trying to kill each other but just trying to beat them. So for example chess: It has rules, competition and the goal is not death of opponent. Football is a sport but not because each side wants to kill each other but to try to win(thats just poor sportsmanship if you honestly want to kill your opponent and the coach in my opinion needs to work on his coaching skills...) also it has rules and competition. Just to make it clear, by kill I mean physically kill your opponent not like games where you kill something of the opponents(chess piece etc...)

[The Geologist]

Football is governed by rules.
War is not governed by rules.


Football has a definite goal.
Winning the championship.


War does not have a definite goal.
Conflicting self interest between land, power, money, etc.


Football players are COMPETING.
Soldiers are FIGHTING.

War definitely has rules.  Google is your friend on this one.

Not to mention war also has a definite goal, that being to win.  Whether it's for land, power, etc. doesn't matter.  People play many sports for things like money, fame, realization of dreams, and so on.  But the final goal, in both cases, is to win.

[MyiEye]

Football is governed by rules.
War is not governed by rules.


Football has a definite goal.
Winning the championship.


War does not have a definite goal.
Conflicting self interest between land, power, money, etc.


Football players are COMPETING.
Soldiers are FIGHTING.

War definitely has rules.  Google is your friend on this one.

Not to mention war also has a definite goal, that being to win.  Whether it's for land, power, etc. doesn't matter.  People play many sports for things like money, fame, realization of dreams, and so on.  But the final goal, in both cases, is to win.

Sport is supposed to be fun...or at least beneficial to both teams. Sport shouldn't involve killing and hating, competitiveness yes, but not hate. Sport is an activity...an exercise. War is not sport.

[The Geologist]

Sport is supposed to be fun...or at least beneficial to both teams. Sport shouldn't involve killing and hating, competitiveness yes, but not hate. Sport is an activity...an exercise. War is not sport.

One of the oldest sports in the world was used to decide which team would get sacrificed to the gods.

[Espadon]

Even tlachtli's sacrifices were aimed to settle disputes in relatively reasonable terms. There is no such thing as a reasonable war, no matter how much you try to romanticize it.

[The Geologist]

Who's trying to romanticize it?

[a-4-year-old]

An athlete must put their physical and mental abilities against another person's in some kind of strategic game.

Therefore:
NASCAR is out because it requires the auto handling skills of a monkey
Other motorsport is in because of the kinds of physical ability required to properly handle a racecar
Chess is out
Videogames are out
Soccer/baseball/football/rugby all are sports
War obviously not a game therefore it can't be a sport.

[The Geologist]

An athlete must put their physical and mental abilities against another person's in some kind of strategic game.

Therefore:
Chess is out

I see what you did there.