blast flame: Why do you have such a stick up your arse about sports?
Geekiness has nothing to do with the actual interest or medium. There are videogame geeks, anime geeks, music geeks, sports geeks, film geeks, language geeks, et cetera. Your intolerance of the interests of others is somewhat disturbing.
blast flame: Why do you have such a stick up your arse about sports?
Geekiness has nothing to do with the actual interest or medium. There are videogame geeks, anime geeks, music geeks, sports geeks, film geeks, language geeks, et cetera. Your intolerance of the interests of others is somewhat disturbing.
I would say about 50% of all the bad things that have happened to me have been sport related. I personally believe geekiness is having obsessive interest in a mind based subject but that is a matter of opinion so we will have to agree to disagree. I apologize that I came off as intollerant. I do not think people with other interests are in any way bad, I simply want to make a distinction between them and I.
blast flame: You just really seem to exhibit a persecution complex when it comes to sports.
Geekiness in no way requires a mind-based interest. That's a very exclusionary view that, sadly, exemplifies the traditional negative stereotype of the nerd/geek: weak, sports-hating, nerdly, bookish, etc...
That's a very exclusionary view that, sadly, exemplifies the traditional negative stereotype of the nerd/geek: weak, sports-hating, nerdly, bookish, etc...
I just have a different definition of sport than some people. I see a "real" sport as an objectively measured competition in which athletic ability is a significant factor. I really don't consider judged "sports" to be "real". So Figure Skating, Ballroom Dancing, etc. are well and good, but I don't put them in the same category as Ice Hockey and Baseball. I put winning a marching band competition more in line with winning an Oscar than winning the Super Bowl. It's really just a semantic argument about categorization. It has nothing to do with the actual value of one activity over another. Just because diving isn't in the same category as swimming, doesn't make it a less worthwhile or respectable activity.
Of course, I do hold the opinion that marching band is pretty stupid.
Yes! YES! Exactly! Exercise doesn't make something a sport. I don't mean to insult anybody in marching band/figure skating/ballroom dancing, but they are simply not sports.
The American Heritage Dictionary- 1a. 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.
Dictionary.com- 1.an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
The Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary- 1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION b : sexual play c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in
The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary- 1 [U] (BrE) (NAmE sports [pl.]) activity that you do for pleasure and that needs physical effort or skill, usually done in a special area and according to fixed rules
Cambridge Online Dictionary- 1 [C] a game, competition or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job
I do not see in ANY of these definitions that a sport must include OBJECTIVE rules. Marching band/figure skating/ballroom dancing all require physical effort and skill in order to be performed well. They all have fixed rules, albeit subjective ones. However subjective or not they are still rules. So...I guess that makes them sports.
I think what Apreche wants is objective scoring methods as opposed to subjective ones. The rules are all fixed, but the scoring itself can be objective or subjective, depending on the activity.
Many marching band competitions have objective scoring. Judges walk around on the field observing, removing set numbers of points for specific reasons (failed set, broken attention, etc...). In many cases, the judges have no personal discretion.
While they might miss something simply for having not seen it, how many rules infractions go unnoticed in an average game of hockey?
Many marching band competitions have objective scoring. Judges walk around on the field observing, removing set numbers of points for specific reasons (failed set, broken attention, etc...). In many cases, the judges have no personal discretion.
While they might miss something simply for having not seen it, how many rules infractions go unnoticed in an average game of hockey?
This is true, but you also have things such as General Effect and Visuals which are much harder to assign an objective way to score. You also make a good point in that all of the "real" sports Scott talks about have fouls which are EXTREMELY subjective at times.
One day we will have a computer system which can create a perfect complete motion capture of human beings on a playing field. Then another piece of software will examine that motion capture and score it objectively. This will objectify all sport.
I wouldn't go so far as to say figure skating, marching band, cheerleading, etc aren't sports; however, I kind of agree with Apreche, so I'd categorize them as exhibition sports. Instead of directly facing off against another team or group, you're giving a performance demonstrating your athletic/artistic/whatever ability, and asking this performance to be rated by either objective or subjective criteria. Since you are then measured against others by this score, there can stil lbe "winners" and "losers," but you achieve winning or losing in a different way than you do in conflict-oriented sport.
If marching band really isn't a sport then why was the DCI finals on the sports channel? (the same goes for figure skating and the like)
Cheerleading and Poker are also on the sports channel. I rest my case.
Don't get me started on poker on TV. Poker is a boring game to begin with. And as for cheerleading, well, there are websites you can go to if you need that sort of entertainment.
Long story short, yeah, competitive things should exist and be available for me to watch for my entertainment, and for the benefit they get by providing my entertainment.
Comments
Geekiness has nothing to do with the actual interest or medium. There are videogame geeks, anime geeks, music geeks, sports geeks, film geeks, language geeks, et cetera. Your intolerance of the interests of others is somewhat disturbing.
I personally believe geekiness is having obsessive interest in a mind based subject but that is a matter of opinion so we will have to agree to disagree.
I apologize that I came off as intollerant. I do not think people with other interests are in any way bad, I simply want to make a distinction between them and I.
Geekiness in no way requires a mind-based interest. That's a very exclusionary view that, sadly, exemplifies the traditional negative stereotype of the nerd/geek: weak, sports-hating, nerdly, bookish, etc...
The American Heritage Dictionary-
1a. 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.
Dictionary.com-
1.an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
The Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary-
1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION b : sexual play c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in
The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary-
1 [U] (BrE) (NAmE sports [pl.]) activity that you do for pleasure and that needs physical effort or skill, usually done in a special area and according to fixed rules
Cambridge Online Dictionary-
1 [C] a game, competition or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job
I do not see in ANY of these definitions that a sport must include OBJECTIVE rules. Marching band/figure skating/ballroom dancing all require physical effort and skill in order to be performed well. They all have fixed rules, albeit subjective ones. However subjective or not they are still rules. So...I guess that makes them sports.
pwned
While they might miss something simply for having not seen it, how many rules infractions go unnoticed in an average game of hockey?
This is true, but you also have things such as General Effect and Visuals which are much harder to assign an objective way to score. You also make a good point in that all of the "real" sports Scott talks about have fouls which are EXTREMELY subjective at times.
Courtesy r/theocho. It's interesting when I google the forum and the latest post in the thread is years old... by me.