I found myself asking this question a number of times over the past two weeks. I watched, as much as I could, with great awe and wonderment at most of the athletes on display at the recent XXX Olympic Games in London. I say "most of the athletes" because there are a few sketchy "sports" out there these days. Somehow, BMX biking is now an olympic sport but baseball/softball were voted out?!! Now, now, now... before you start layin' in to me about how tough BMX biking is I will agree that there is definitely a level of athleticism required to compete in that event. I'm just trying to make a point.
I would like to specifically address a number of events that are more of a skill than a sport. Rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming, archery, shooting, and of course hot dog eating. Ok... I made that last one up. BUT, the other events don't qualify as a sport in my mind. You're not directly competing against someone or some team... and there's no defense! They are nice to watch and those rhythmic gymnastics girls are verrrrrry bendy... but it seems more like artistry or a "show". Ballet is extremely difficult, and you better believe that those dancers are in phenomenal shape... but would you ever consider that an olympic sport?? Or any artistic endeavor as a sport? Why don't we have olympic sculpting and watercolor? I would love to see the orchestral chamber quarter gold medal match up between Austria and Hungary.
Could it be that any event that has a judge should NOT be an olympic sport? That would mean gymnastics, diving, and the winter showcase event of figure skating would be out. What other events have so called objective third parties to decide which "performance" is the best? Performance is the key word there. It's a show. It's pretty. It's riveting. But is it a sport? I don't doubt, or diminish, for one second the level of commitment that these athletes give or the sacrifices that they have made over the years. I think I would just like to see people winning medals because they were better, faster, higher, longer, stronger, or quicker than the person/team directly across from them.
More team handball. More fencing. More water polo. More pentathlon. More kayaking.
Keep the basketball on the shelf though. Enough already! We get it, you guys are awesome but I can see you all year long in the NBA. That stuff I mentioned in the line above... not so much.
What do you think? What is your definition of Sport?
Shout out to Allyson Felix ;-)
