Settling the Debates: Is It a Sport or Not a Sport? | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

We've all been in the discussion. The question about certain things come up and the debate becomes, "Is that a sport or not?"

Well, it's time to settle these debates once and for all. There are three criteria to be considered a sport. Here is the dictionary definition of sport:

An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment

From this, we derive three things. First, it has to have a modicum of "physical exertion," and by that, I infer actual athletic exertion. Literally  speaking, the typing I am doing right now requires physical exertion. In terms of sport though, that physical exertion should be more than minimal. 

After giving it some thought, I think you could frame it this way. If you can improve your performance by improving your conditioning, it's a sport. Sure some people might be able to do it even though they are out of shape, but they would be better if they were in shape. In other words, if you can physically train for it, it meets this aspect of the definition. It's not just the actual exertion, it's the ability that is being exerted. 

Second, there needs to be an actual physical "skill" involved. By that, I mean that there are individual elements that can be developed to hone a greater ability. For instance, in football, catching the ball is a skill. Hitting a baseball is a skill.

Some may be wondering what the difference is between exertion and skill. Hitting a baseball is a good example of both. Working on your swing will help you hit the ball better. Working on your strength will help you to hit the ball harder. Ergo, hitting a baseball requires both ability and skill. 

While sports frequently require a mental aspect, virtually everything does. Having a physical skill doesn't make something a sport. 

Third, there has to be a competition to see who is a winner. If there is no competition it is not a sport.

So based on this, we'll examine 10 "sports" to see if they or are not really sports.