What defines a sport
What exactly defines something a sport. With the latest increase in popularity of poker and the fact there is now many tours and people reffer to each other as professional poker players, is it safe to say poker has become a sport. I mean tournaments are regulary shown on televison, there is organized leagues and tournaments being held, there is a champion crowned each year and these players have fans. Millions of dollars are being tosssed around by sponsors and such. How realistic is it that sometime soon you will see a poker player on the box of wheaties or on the cover of sports illustrated.
Here is 2 interesting articles:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/magazine/specials/sportsman/2004/10/29/syken.raymer/ and the not so positive side of SI view of poker http://www.pokerati.com/archives/000391.php
cheers
Red
Here is 2 interesting articles:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/magazine/specials/sportsman/2004/10/29/syken.raymer/ and the not so positive side of SI view of poker http://www.pokerati.com/archives/000391.php
cheers
Red
Comments
1.
a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
b..A particular form of this activity.
2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
3. An active pastime; recreation.
Except for #3, the definitions include the word "physical". Although I agree that poker is "sport-like", I would not call it a sport - just as I would not deem the game of chess as a sport. The closest comparision to another 'thing' I can think of is chess. Both poker and chess require patience, knowledge, experience, aggression, etc.
There are many poker magazines out there - including Canadian Poker Player :canada: . They list articles relating to poker, examine different poker topics and will even turn people into celebrities (not naming any names, Aces
Will we one day see poker take the same rung on the ladder of popularity as sports - I think we already have. PokerTV as a premium cable TV channel (hint to anyone with TV clout)? - I'm all in! My or your face on a box of Wheaties? I'll bet half my stack that we will not see that day.
Poker is not a sport, but it is of the same realm.
I can't find anything on their website BUT The Score www.thescore.ca will be airing the European Poker Tour starting March 6th, 2005. Good enough for me, poker is now officially a sport...well apparantly a sport.
stp
But anyone want to give me odds we see it in the olympics in 5 years?
I agree with this completely. In fact, I would even take it one step further. In University (Kinesiology), I did a paper suggesting that anything where you keep a score is a game, although it can still be a very physical game. Thus, I would still call Hockey or Soccer a game, albeit very physically demanding ones. For it to be considered a sport, it must be timed, or judged. ie. Running, swimming, gymnastics, triathlon, etc.
Poker is definitely not a Sport, but still alot of fun, and very challenging...
Sport and Game are very generic terms; gotta love da english!
Perhaps we define them as an athletic competition and mental acuity competition there would be no debate. But the english language is constantly being transformed, consider the if the bible was written today; As Peter placed his eyes upon Jesus, as he walked atop the water , he said "holy shit Jesus! thats wicked!". So a standrad definition in websters really wont work as it reflects the genericy of the word sport as we use it today.
However - Athletic Competition Illustrated doesn't really have the same ring to it does it?
Ok so point A) the definition of sport is ambigious
Next; how did the word become ambigious?
The media shapes and details how we see the world. Unfortunetely, the media's main interest is not in making us a better species but rather in profit. Case and point is the Clapper . Who can not hear that word and not envision Granny wheezing her frail limbs together cracking a rib clapping the lights on and off? I'm sure a generation ago the clapper was the known as "friendly" girl in highschool we saw on Friday and told our doctor about on Monday.
So point
How did we get into this debate in the first place? Well TSN, SI, ESPN show Poker so could it be considered a sport?
Well SI's most popular issue is a swimsuit issue - does that make semi naked myphs frolicking on a beach a sport? Sign me up for this league.
And why do the have a swimsuit issue? So you will buy the issue, feel bad about the size of your penis and buy the Caddilac Escalade advertising right next to the girls picture.
So why is poker on a Sports network? Because it's popular, and TSN makes millions from TigerGaming.com, then another few million selling me a bowflex cause my self esteem takes a shit kicking when I lose the rent money when I had a straight like Greg Raymer but it was the ignorent end of it.
So C) Poker makes advertising sense
And how come watching Poker has become so popular? Because they are the last heros on TV that most of us can share an experiance with;
Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer are amazing for poker. They proved for one second, if you control your emotions, you play smart, you play strong and with just a little luck, you can be the ultimate hero.
You root for the underdog, cause next year you could be that longshot.
Most people agree that the first season of Survivor was the best. Why?, look at the contestants; they were real. A fat gay guy, and a real truck driv in women gave him shit for it, that's real! Since then when was the last natural breasts have you seen on survivor.
Poker is still real.
Most of us will never be a 'sports star', but poker gives many of us a chance to be a hero.
Then D) TV Poker is popular cause it is real
So why do we even care?
Well it seems that an 'real athelete' may be upset that they would be lumped into the same catergory as a plump poker player.
Shut the F**k up you whinny little magot. Perhaps your brain is being depreived of common sense due to the lack of fat in your diet. I thought a proffesional athelete got to the upper eschelons due to their years of dedication to overcoming an internal conflict and excelling your talents to a world class level. Stop wasting time with this debate and hurry along to your GatorAid commercial.
Or perhaps your afraid your child will take an active interest in poker rather then their hockey, baseball or football league. They will spend all their time in the basement instead of out playing a 'sport'. They will become obese little Veruca's with repetitive strange injuries from trying to stack, flip and trick with chips. If this is your worry; you are too dumb to have kids and should have been sterilzed as a teenager!
If media has that much control over your kids then you should worry about little Johnny watching MTV then pimping his little sister and getting a 'gat' like 50cent, maybe rolling old ladies in the park for "whootey hoo" money. Not playing poker.
Alot of kids are going to take an SI issue and spend time in the basement, I know I did but it was by myself, under a blanket with some hand cream. Get over it.
E) If this debate makes any difference in your life you really should consider sterilization and then donate your brain to the study of energy mismanagement.
*** As a side note, I just realized that I spent an hour with this response, perhaps I could use a dose of E too
But anyone want to give me odds we see it in the olympics in 5 years?[/QUOTE"]
Maybe 40 or 50 years if it keeps up, but not 5, poker has a lot of growth left to do and a sport cracking the Olympics is no small feat.
In Super System 2, Doyle talks about a poker league with teams, rankings and all being talked about seriously by the major people who would talk about such things. So the beginnings are definitely there...
I don't think all the "sports" in the Olympics are even sports. Curling, Archery, Ballroom Dancing? Are these really sports? Sure Curling is a hard game that takes a great amount of skill. I couldn't do it, I have tried. But a game that is commonly accompanied by beer or a game that you can smoke while your playing is not a sport. That is my opinion and you may disagree.
I am positive you will never, ever, see Poker in the Olympics.
stp
Poker on TV (on The Score, or wherever) rules, of course. It both draws new players into the game, and leaves them with soooo much they have to unlearn. :cool:
It's like some kind of marvelous spawning pool...
ScottyZ