154 Sports with judges - are they just a performance?

[jno]

The following 'sports' are decided on by judges:

• diving
• dressage
• figure skating
• freestyle skiing
• freestyle snowboarding
• gymnastics
• ski jumping
• synchronised swimming

Now then, so are my local talent competition, art at the town fair, best pie at the village fete, battle of the bands and the X Factor.

So this week's question is ... are they really sport or should they be kicked out of the definition of what sport actually is and be classified as a performance (or similar)?

[Arch Stanton]

I did some “freestyle snowboarding” once.

Most of it involved me scrawling my way down a mountain side, sometimes forward facing, sometimes backwards. I fell on my ärse a lot and went head over heels a couple of times but was brilliant in the final section, which involved a pub.

No one was officially judging it though, had they been, I imagine it probably would have been far too avant garde for the judging establishment.

[jno]

Synchronised swimming, isn't it just like dancing in water?

P.S I'm not slating it and don't think for 1 second it isn't difficult.

[Arch Stanton]

Mar 29, 2021 2:49:02 GMT jno said:

Synchronised swimming, isn't it just like dancing in water?

P.S I'm not slating it and don't think for 1 second it isn't difficult.

Yeah. It’s like that gymnastics bit they do with the ribbon.

[jjmolloy]

Mar 27, 2021 8:10:31 GMT jno said:

The following 'sports' are decided on by judges:

• diving
• dressage
• figure skating
• freestyle skiing
• freestyle snowboarding
• gymnastics
• ski jumping
• synchronised swimming

Now then, so are my local talent competition, art at the town fair, best pie at the village fete, battle of the bands and the X Factor.

So this week's question is ... are they really sport or should they be kicked out of the definition of what sport actually is and be classified as a performance (or similar)?

My interest in the above depends entirely on whether it's women or men doing it! Glued to it when it's the former  ..zilch interest when it's the latter..

[jno]

... where's that dirty old man meme when you need it?

[barrythebook]

They're not sports i'd agree but I think i'd call it a competition rather than a performance.
I'd also include Darts, Snooker and Bowls.

IMO a 'sport' is when there's two teams or two people are actively competing against each other at the same time, say like football when if team A is in possession, team B are trying to take the ball off them and stop team A from scoring.

Darts, Snooker, Bowls and the 'sports' mentioned above all allow each competitor to take their turn whilst their opponent watches on without being allowed to do anything that would restrict or hinder the performance which as i said, imo makes it a competition.

[jjmolloy]

Mar 29, 2021 16:47:41 GMT jno said:

... where's that dirty old man meme when you need it?

Less of the old!! 

[jjmolloy]

Mar 29, 2021 23:08:54 GMT barrythebook said:

They're not sports i'd agree but I think i'd call it a competition rather than a performance.
I'd also include Darts, Snooker and Bowls.

IMO a 'sport' is when there's two teams or two people are actively competing against each other at the same time, say like football when if team A is in possession, team B are trying to take the ball off them and stop team A from scoring.

Darts, Snooker, Bowls and the 'sports' mentioned above all allow each competitor to take their turn whilst their opponent watches on without being allowed to do anything that would restrict or hinder the performance which as i said, imo makes it a competition.

Isn't there a saying? 'If you can do it fully dressed it's not a sport'

[jno]

Mar 29, 2021 23:08:54 GMT barrythebook said:

They're not sports i'd agree but I think i'd call it a competition rather than a performance.
I'd also include Darts, Snooker and Bowls.

IMO a 'sport' is when there's two teams or two people are actively competing against each other at the same time, say like football when if team A is in possession, team B are trying to take the ball off them and stop team A from scoring.

Darts, Snooker, Bowls and the 'sports' mentioned above all allow each competitor to take their turn whilst their opponent watches on without being allowed to do anything that would restrict or hinder the performance which as i said, imo makes it a competition.

Interesting points there baz.

I watch a bit of darts and snooker and I'd say a player who is playing well is perhaps hindering the other through pressure. I concede it's pretty indirect though compared to say tennis, football or karate.

Pressure is perhaps more so in snooker than darts as the playing sitting down is part of the game as an on-looker, as he has to keep an eye on the game. I mean,  the player not at the table isn't allowed to shut their eyes and have a cat nap till the ref wakes them up, right?

I think in those 'sports' it's possibly more psychological at professional level. However, this could all be a load of nonsense as arguably players at that level should be able to deal with it, but as we know, darts players and snooker players can often bottle it when they're under a bit of pressure - certainly the case in darts and I've watched a lot of darts. Even when a player is a clear favourite out in front, they can bottle it in the last leg and fail numerous times to get the double.

Bowls - I remember in the mid-90s I turned on the telly and a very good friend of mine (Gareth) who lived in the next street and myself and TCL played football with was on there, on BBC1 playing bowls in some Welsh Championship! Growing up early 80s, we were in and out of each others' houses and played football twice a week. I thought "eh? Is it really him?" In about 1987, his family moved to West Wales and I never 'erd from him after he'd left our school.
In the 90s I knew a local bloke who played bowls and so I asked him - it turned out my old pal Gareth was actually quite good at bowls. Anyway, early 2000s I tracked him down and told him I now lived in Austria - he told me his sister (who I also knew in the 80s) had been an exchange student in the same Austrian town where I work. A totally whacky story but all true - it's a very small world.

[Arch Stanton]

Mar 30, 2021 4:27:57 GMT jno said:

Mar 29, 2021 23:08:54 GMT barrythebook said:

They're not sports i'd agree but I think i'd call it a competition rather than a performance.
I'd also include Darts, Snooker and Bowls.

IMO a 'sport' is when there's two teams or two people are actively competing against each other at the same time, say like football when if team A is in possession, team B are trying to take the ball off them and stop team A from scoring.

Darts, Snooker, Bowls and the 'sports' mentioned above all allow each competitor to take their turn whilst their opponent watches on without being allowed to do anything that would restrict or hinder the performance which as i said, imo makes it a competition.

Interesting points there baz.

I watch a bit of darts and snooker and I'd say a player who is playing well is perhaps hindering the other through pressure. I concede it's pretty indirect though compared to say tennis, football or karate.

Pressure is perhaps more so in snooker than darts as the playing sitting down is part of the game as an on-looker, as he has to keep an eye on the game. I mean,  the player not at the table isn't allowed to shut their eyes and have a cat nap till the ref wakes them up, right?

I think in those 'sports' it's possibly more psychological at professional level. However, this could all be a load of nonsense as arguably players at that level should be able to deal with it, but as we know, darts players and snooker players can often bottle it when they're under a bit of pressure - certainly the case in darts and I've watched a lot of darts. Even when a player is a clear favourite out in front, they can bottle it in the last leg and fail numerous times to get the double.

Bowls - I remember in the mid-90s I turned on the telly and a very good friend of mine (Gareth) who lived in the next street and myself and TCL played football with was on there, on BBC1 playing bowls in some Welsh Championship! Growing up early 80s, we were in and out of each others' houses and played football twice a week. I thought "eh? Is it really him?" In about 1987, his family moved to West Wales and I never 'erd from him after he'd left our school.
In the 90s I knew a local bloke who played bowls and so I asked him - it turned out my old pal Gareth was actually quite good at bowls. Anyway, early 2000s I tracked him down and told him I now lived in Austria - he told me his sister (who I also knew in the 80s) had been an exchange student in the same Austrian town where I work. A totally whacky story but all true - it's a very small world.

I wonder why Gareth kept that quiet. Him being in to an old duffers game like bowls. Then when he got the chance he immediately moved away from you, until you used you stalker skills to track him down.

I think the pressure in darts is unlike anything else. It’s relentless.

[jno]

I have to say, having played pool today, snooker and pool with some filthy snookers, this ain't so bad. This is way more sport than say synchronised swimming is.

[BMW]

Boxing is often decided by judges, as are many other combat events. You could hardly argue that isn’t a legitimate sport. Just ask Terry, he had strong views on the subject ! 🤪🥊

[BMW]

That emoji would have looked better if it all started on the same line 🤪🥊

[simon316]

Mar 30, 2021 6:33:33 GMT Arch Stanton said:

Mar 30, 2021 4:27:57 GMT jno said:

Interesting points there baz.

I watch a bit of darts and snooker and I'd say a player who is playing well is perhaps hindering the other through pressure. I concede it's pretty indirect though compared to say tennis, football or karate.

Pressure is perhaps more so in snooker than darts as the playing sitting down is part of the game as an on-looker, as he has to keep an eye on the game. I mean,  the player not at the table isn't allowed to shut their eyes and have a cat nap till the ref wakes them up, right?

I think in those 'sports' it's possibly more psychological at professional level. However, this could all be a load of nonsense as arguably players at that level should be able to deal with it, but as we know, darts players and snooker players can often bottle it when they're under a bit of pressure - certainly the case in darts and I've watched a lot of darts. Even when a player is a clear favourite out in front, they can bottle it in the last leg and fail numerous times to get the double.

Bowls - I remember in the mid-90s I turned on the telly and a very good friend of mine (Gareth) who lived in the next street and myself and TCL played football with was on there, on BBC1 playing bowls in some Welsh Championship! Growing up early 80s, we were in and out of each others' houses and played football twice a week. I thought "eh? Is it really him?" In about 1987, his family moved to West Wales and I never 'erd from him after he'd left our school.
In the 90s I knew a local bloke who played bowls and so I asked him - it turned out my old pal Gareth was actually quite good at bowls. Anyway, early 2000s I tracked him down and told him I now lived in Austria - he told me his sister (who I also knew in the 80s) had been an exchange student in the same Austrian town where I work. A totally whacky story but all true - it's a very small world.

I wonder why Gareth kept that quiet. Him being in to an old duffers game like bowls. Then when he got the chance he immediately moved away from you, until you used you stalker skills to track him down.

I think the pressure in darts is unlike anything else. It’s relentless.

Stumbled across this but caught my eye because you are so right - the pressure in darts is incredible.  I like mostly 80's darts - don't watch much of the current fame but last two day on commute home watched the 1987 World Final between John Lowe and Eric Bristow.  Two evenly matched juggernauts of the sport but the coolness even under pressure of John Lowe is incredible...