Dodgeball vs. NASCAR

[Texsox]

Never called horse racing a sport either. I would categorize that under Racing.

 

If anythings the athelete there, it's the horse.

so maneuvering a bat, stick, football, etc. makes it a sport, but not manuevering a horse? Seems like working with a living breathing animal takes more effort. I know the effort involved in controlling a horse.

[CrimsonWeltall]

Maybe if the guy had to run alongside the horse.

[Gene Honda Civic]

Maybe if the guy had to run alongside the horse.

Zippy Chippy -- HA

[Gene Honda Civic]

That was true about NASCAR up until 10 years ago. No matter what you think about NASCAR's brand of racing, they have done a tremendous job in broadening their fan base from the confederate flag waving, straw hat wearing, chewin' tabacco crowd. IIRC, it is the fastest growing TV sport the past 5 or 6 years and the only one whose TV rights are actually increasing in value.

 

Sport or not, it is very popular.

I've got to agree with Tex here. Like it or not, NASCAR is the best marketed entertainment(sport) bar-none. Advertisers wet them selves for chance to be paraded around a circular track 250 times on the hood of a car.

 

Not to mention upon completion of the race, each driver goes into a used-car-salesman-like speech about how great thier sponsors are. The promotional opportunities are endless.

 

I'd say the next best sport at marketing is Football, and they thrive on an opposite stance that Nascar does. They want the Athletes to remain anonymous and sell the team as a brand, the league as a brand. NASCAR wants to sell the individual, sell the car, they even sell the owners & crew chiefs.

 

Nascar has rendered the Open wheeled racing curciut a minor leaegue --

NASCAR is to CART/IRL what NFL is to Arena Football. --

[Confederate_48]

The best part is the Indy 500 is run in the afternoon and the Nascar race is that night and it gets better ratings then the biggest race of the year for the IRL.

[Spiff]

What about marathon running? Isn't that a sport? It doesn't use a "machine" as it's main component (which by the way is the dumbest argument ever, the human body falls under the definition of a machine).

[CrimsonWeltall]

What about marathon running? Isn't that a sport?

 

Yes.

 

(which by the way is the dumbest argument ever, the human body falls under the definition of a machine).

 

Don't be so damn literal. It's 100% obvious what people were talking about before.

[Spiff]

Yes.

 

 

Don't be so damn literal.  It's 100% obvious what people were talking about before.

But I thought marathon running would fall under the category of "racing", which would make it not a sport. Isn't that what he said? Racing = not a sport?

 

And yes it was obvious what people were talking about before, but the whole point is this. In Nascar every car is fine tuned to give the best performance that it possibly can. Same with athletes and their bodies. And as with athletes, no two cars are exactly the same. Part of the SPORT is to continually improve your performance and when you lose, or you don't get the performance you want or need, you go back and fine-tune different aspects.

 

I'm not even a huge Nascar fan, I'll watch a race every once in a while, but to have people trivialize it and act like it's so simple and easy just because they haven't bothered to learn about it is ridiculous.

[CrimsonWeltall]

But I thought marathon running would fall under the category of "racing", which would make it not a sport. Isn't that what he said? Racing = not a sport?

 

He could have been more specific and said non-human-propelled racing, yes.

 

In Nascar every car is fine tuned to give the best performance that it possibly can. Same with athletes and their bodies.

 

So the focus is the car, not the driver.

 

Part of the SPORT is to continually improve your performance and when you lose, or you don't get the performance you want or need, you go back and fine-tune different aspects.

 

Fine tune YOURSELF, not your equipment. How ridiculous would it sound if a basketball player lost the game and started his interview by saying "Well, the Nike Air Jordan shoes were a little loose today. During the timeout, we tried re-tying them but it didn't help much. We'll try to make some adjustments before tomorrow's game."

 

but to have people trivialize it and act like it's so simple and easy just because they haven't bothered to learn about it is ridiculous.

 

Saying it's not a sport isn't saying it's easy.

[witesoxfan]

I think I've agreed with everything Crimson and Mr. Zero have said this thread.

 

That being said...I won't get in the argument. No need. I could care less about NASCAR, and I think dodgeball is more of a sport then NASCAR. So I've said enough.

[santo=dorf]

Never called horse racing a sport either. I would categorize that under Racing.

 

If anythings the athelete there, it's the horse.

And like I say with NASCAR, if anything is the athlete, it's the Car. That's why I don't characterize NASCAR with Football, Hockey, Basketball, and Baseball.

[santo=dorf]

What about marathon running? Isn't that a sport? It doesn't use a "machine" as it's main component (which by the way is the dumbest argument ever, the human body falls under the definition of a machine).

TO human beings it sure is. The Car in racing is doing more work than the human body. Therefore, NASCAR isn't a sport to human beings.

[DonkeyKongerko]

santo you need to make a new survey that simply asks "Is racecar driving a sport". That should shut a few people up.

 

Oooh i thought of a good one, is hunting a sport? Cuz alot of coordination/stealth is involved but you are using a machine (gun).

[Spiff]

Shut the f*** up everyone, who cares really. It's a f***ing worthless discussion. Go out, party, have a good time and if you spend one more minute on whether nascar is a sport ill f***ing cut your balls off.

[mreye]

Not to mention upon completion of the race, each driver goes into a used-car-salesman-like speech about how great thier sponsors are.  The promotional opportunities are endless. 

That's one part I could do without.

[southsideirish]

From my point of view, being an engineer and having a fiance that has a race car, those types of changes are very exciting. 

Ok, but that puts you in a minority. How is it fun and exciting to the everyday person that doesn't own a race car and is an engineer?

[southsideirish]

It's comments like these that are just full of ignorance and idiocy. Real cool to name call, pal.

 

I'll try to explain what is so exciting. There's more than just "going around in circles." The cars are adjusted constantly to make them looser, tighter, faster. Air pressure in the tires is adjusted throughout the race by as small as 1/4 psi. Drafting, passing, pitting (or not), taking on fuel (or not), 2 tires? 4 tires? Strategy is HUGE. That's what makes NASCAR exciting. Not neccessarily speed and wrecks. Though, I'd be lying if I said a good wreck is cool once in a while.

Name calling? I was just playing with the Jeff Foxworthy bit.... you are a redneck if..... Sorry if it at all offended any of you.

[Texsox]

The debate seems to revolve around how much "help" an athlete or particapant should receive from their equipment. A bat seems to be ok with everybody as is a hockey stick. Now tennis raquets and golf clubs are able to store energy via face deflection or by the tension in their strings and that seems to be ok. Bicycles offer gearing which helps the cyclist. Almost every sport invloves gear, except for barefoot Kenyan distance runners. I don't see a problem with the gear has power.

[mreye]

Name calling? I was just playing with the Jeff Foxworthy bit.... you are a redneck if..... Sorry if it at all offended any of you.

apology accepted.

[mreye]

Ok, but that puts you in a minority. How is it fun and exciting to the everyday person that doesn't own a race car and is an engineer?

I don't think she's in a minority. I don't own a racecar, and I enjoy the tweeking it takes to get the car performing well to get you up front by the end of the 500 miles.

[southsider2k5]

To settle this once and for all, I give you the words of George Carlin, master of all knowledge

 

To my way of thinking there are really only three sports: baseball, basketball, and football. Everything else is either a game or an activity.

 

Hockey comes to mind. People think hockey is a sport. It's not. Hockey is three activities taking place at the same time: ice skating, fooling around with a puck, and beating the s*** out of somebody. If these guys had more brains then teeth, they'd do these things one at a time. First go ice-skating, then fool around with a puck, then you go to the bar and beat the s*** out of somebody. The day would last longer, and these guys would have a lot more fun. Another reason why hockey isn't a sport is that it's not played with a ball. Anything not played with a ball can't be a sport. These are my rules, I make 'em up.

 

Soccer. Soccer is not a sport because you can't use your arms. Anything where you can't use your arms can't be a sport. Tap dancing isn't a sport. I rest my case.

 

Running. People think running is a sport. Running isn't a sport because anybody can do it. I can run, you can run. For Christ sakes, my mother can run! You don't see her on the cover of Sports Illustrated, do you?

 

Swimming. Swimming isn't a sport. Swimming is a way to keep from drowning. That's just common sense. Sailing isn't a sport. Sailing is a way to get somewhere. Riding the bus isn't a sport, why the f*** should sailing be a sport?

 

Boxing is not a sport either. Boxing is a way to beat the s*** out of somebody. In that respect, boxing is actually a more sophisticated way of hockey. In spite of what the police tell you, beating the s*** out of somebody is not a sport. When police brutality becomes an Olympic event, fine, then boxing can be a sport.

 

Bowling. Bowling isn't a sport because you have to rent shoes. Don't forget, these are my rules. I make 'em up.

 

Billiards. Some people think billiards is a sport, but it can't be, because there's no chance of serious injury. Unless, of course, you welch on a bet in a tough neighborhood. Then, if you wind up with a pool cue stickin' out of your ass, you know you might be the victim of a sports-related injury. But that ain't billiards, that's pool, and that starts with a P, and that rhymes with D, and that brings me to darts.

 

Darts could have been a sport, because at least there's a chance to put someone's eye out. But, alas, darts will never be a sport, because the whole object of the game is to reach zero, which goes against all sports logic.

 

Lacrosse is not a sport; lacrosse is a f**goty college activity. I don't care how rough it is, anytime you're running around a field, waving a stick with a little net on the end of it, you're engaged in a f**goty college activity. Period.

 

Field hockey and fencing. Same thing. f**goty college s***. Also these activities aren't sports, because you can't gamble on them. Anything you can't gamble on can't be a sport. When was the last time you made a f***in' fencing bet?

 

Gymnastics is not a sport because Romanians are good at it. It took me a long time to come up with that rule, but goddammit, I did it.

 

Polo isn't a sport. Polo is golf on horseback. Without holes. It's a great concept, but not a sport. And as far as water polo is concerned, I hesitate to even mention it, because it's extremely cruel to horses.

 

Which brings me to hunting. You think hunting is a sport? Ask the deer. The only good thing about hunting is the many fatal accidents on the weekends. And, of course, the permanently disfigured hunters who survive such accidents.

 

Then you have tennis. Tennis is very trendy and very fruity, but it's not a sport. It's just a way to meet other trendy fruits. Technically, tennis is an advanced form a Ping-Pong. In fact, tennis is Ping-Pong played while standing on the table. Great concept, not a sport.

 

In fact, all racket games are nothing more the derivatives of Ping-Pong. Even volleyball is, technically, racketless, team Ping-Pong played with an inflated ball and raised net while standing on the table.

 

And finally welcome to golf. For my full take on golf, I refer you elsewhere in the book, but let it just be said golf is a game that might possibly be fun, if it could be played alone. But it's the vacuous, striving, superficial, male-bonding joiners one has to associate with that makes it such a repulsive pastime. And it is decidedly not a sport. Period.

[Texsox]

Carlin

[mreye]

Carlin is great!

[Goldmember]

Swimming isn't a sport. Swimming is a way to keep from drowning.

 

[Flash Tizzle]

To settle this once and for all, I give you the words of George Carlin, master of all knowledge

Good s***, but it still doesn't answer the question of whether Nascar is a sport (or not).