Golf: What a Fine Game.
Today Tiger Woods pulled off a somewhat improbable (it is Tiger, after all) victory by winning the U.S. Open despite enduring pain in his knee. Kudos to Tiger for staying strong and remaining clutch through round after round to pull off the victory.
But while most will focus on the feat of myth and legend that Tiger pulled off, I couldn't help but be reminded of a perpetual debate among my friends and I: is golf a sport? What exactly is a sport? Typically our definitions involve some sort of scoring system, direct competition, and some degree of athletic prowess. It's the last criteria that tends to get people all worked up, and also one where I assert that golf is not a sport, but a game. The fact is, if you can win a round at the highest level of a particular activity while injured to an extent to where you can barely walk, it's not athletically demanding enough to meet the criteria for sport. Now, Tiger happens to be physically fit and talented enough that had he trained for some other sport, I have no doubt he'd be successful, but that's another story.
For the naysayers: yes, I've seen various games and matches in other sports where players have come up clutch and pulled off victories despite bad cramps, or bad blisters, or slight sprains. But you straight-up don't see players in any of "the majors" (football, baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer) come out with a post-surgery bummed out knee and mow down an entire field.
Also, yes, golf is hard as hell, hence why I am so terrible at it. Just because it's difficult doesn't mean it's athletically demanding.
Bring on your arguments.
But while most will focus on the feat of myth and legend that Tiger pulled off, I couldn't help but be reminded of a perpetual debate among my friends and I: is golf a sport? What exactly is a sport? Typically our definitions involve some sort of scoring system, direct competition, and some degree of athletic prowess. It's the last criteria that tends to get people all worked up, and also one where I assert that golf is not a sport, but a game. The fact is, if you can win a round at the highest level of a particular activity while injured to an extent to where you can barely walk, it's not athletically demanding enough to meet the criteria for sport. Now, Tiger happens to be physically fit and talented enough that had he trained for some other sport, I have no doubt he'd be successful, but that's another story.
For the naysayers: yes, I've seen various games and matches in other sports where players have come up clutch and pulled off victories despite bad cramps, or bad blisters, or slight sprains. But you straight-up don't see players in any of "the majors" (football, baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer) come out with a post-surgery bummed out knee and mow down an entire field.
Also, yes, golf is hard as hell, hence why I am so terrible at it. Just because it's difficult doesn't mean it's athletically demanding.
Bring on your arguments.
posted by Badger at
8:54 PM
3 Comments:
I will consider golf a sport when the thousands of people amassed around the playing surface to watch it are not silenced into submission whilst the "athletes" endlessly concentrate on their next move.
Or when, the next time Donovan McNabb drops back to pass in Dallas, anyone who makes a sound before he throws is tossed out of the game.
Or when, the next time Sidney Crosby sets up on the wing of a power play in Philly, the Flyers faithful are told they must be quiet so he can think about his options until he unleashes his shot on goal.
Or when...
...oh, you get the idea.
you could say the same about tennis!
Okay.
The same about tennis!
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