What do you classify as a sport?

[Charmamba]

Well the persons skill is the be all end all, Without that skill it would be crash after crash (Hi Nascar)

 

[Coxy]

Chess is skillful too. As is pool and snooker. Not sports

 

[Bucking Beads]

Marbles is a sport.

 

[Kris]

The game of love is a sport. You score/don't score. There are rules as well.

 

[dukey]

And if you're lucky, it's a physical endeavour.

 

[Nashy]

I love training.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Could masturbation become a sport?? All about technique really.

 

[Nashy]

That would make me a pretty good sportsman.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Pretty sure I'd have gold medal and millions of $$$ in endorsements..

 

[Charmamba]

Chess is skillful too. As is pool and snooker. Not sports

And i don't think "motorsports" are sports either, I just don't agree with your comment about their skill not being the "be all end all"

I won't watch it like i do other sports and even for big races i only flick in and out of it, But there is no denying the skill it takes to do what they do and that skill is the "Be all end all" for them.

 

[Nashy]

Yep. The car isn't controlling itself.

 

[Ari Gold]

I don't think anyone is denying that it takes skill to race a motorcar, just that it's not the key factor in who wins races. Fernando Alonso never won in a Minardi, yet he has won a fair bit in a Ferrari and a Renault. And that's in no way a result of him being less talented when he was at Minardi.

 

[Porthoz]

I don't think anyone is denying that it takes skill to race a motorcar, just that it's not the key factor in who wins races. Fernando Alonso never won in a Minardi, yet he has won a fair bit in a Ferrari and a Renault. And that's in no way a result of him being less talented when he was at Minardi.

And what is the key factor in Indycar then?

 

[Charmamba]

I don't think anyone is denying that it takes skill to race a motorcar, just that it's not the key factor in who wins races. Fernando Alonso never won in a Minardi, yet he has won a fair bit in a Ferrari and a Renault. And that's in no way a result of him being less talented when he was at Minardi.

No doubt having a good team behind you helps. But looking at Wikipedia, Minardi was his first team so i would also imagine his skill improved overtime as well and contributed to his winnings.

V8's wise Craig Lowndes has been pretty successful across both Ford and Holden. Skill plays a big part in that when the cars are so similar.

 

[dukey]

I don't think anyone is denying that it takes skill to race a motorcar, just that it's not the key factor in who wins races. Fernando Alonso never won in a Minardi, yet he has won a fair bit in a Ferrari and a Renault. And that's in no way a result of him being less talented when he was at Minardi.

In Formula One, you still have to beat your teammate, at least. And as Porthoz has said, where's the technical edge in a spec series, or in karting? There, it all comes down to reflexes, stamina, ability... I would definitely call it a sport.

 

[Ari Gold]

No doubt having a good team behind you helps. But looking at Wikipedia, Minardi was his first team so i would also imagine his skill improved overtime as well and contributed to his winnings.

Heikki Kovalianen is much more experienced since he won a grand prix with McLaren. He hasn't even been in the top 10 of a race since leaving that team though.

V8's wise Craig Lowndes has been pretty successful across both Ford and Holden. Skill plays a big part in that when the cars are so similar.

The bold bit isn't always the case.

And what is the key factor in Indycar then?

Indy Car I'm sure has skill as a more prominent factor than what it is in F1. Still, you have things like Pit Stops and Pit Crews, and the timing of the stops can often be critical. You also have strategists and race engineers who decide for you when you make your pit stop and this is often key. As is the speed your pit crew execute the stop.

There are also technical issues that can ruin your race. Your engine could blow, your tyre could puncture, your gearbox could fail etc. In the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix Felipe Massa led with 3 laps to go and his engine failed and he didn't win the race. You don't see Grant Hackett lose the 1500m freestyle whilst in the lead after 1350m because of a technical failure.

Now I don't watch Indy Car, so I can't give you any examples of when it's happened, but I'm sure at some point in the history of the series a guy (or Danica Patrick) has failed to win a race due to their car breaking down.

I'm not saying it doesn't take a hell of a lot of skill to be a racer, and I'm not even saying that it's not a sport. However, the skill of the driver isn't as decisive in motorsport as it is in most other [actual] sports.

 

[dukey]

There are also technical issues that can ruin your race. Your engine could blow, your tyre could puncture, your gearbox could fail etc. In the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix Felipe Massa led with 3 laps to go and his engine failed and he didn't win the race. You don't see Grant Hackett lose the 1500m freestyle whilst in the lead after 1350m because of a technical failure.

Now I don't watch Indy Car, so I can't give you any examples of when it's happened, but I'm sure at some point in the history of the series a guy (or Danica Patrick) has failed to win a race due to their car breaking down.

I tend to put mechanical failures in a similar bracket to injuries. You MIGHT see a runner lose the race if, for example, he tore an ACL. Does the fact that his ligament broke make him less of an athlete? Is he less skillful than the competition because of it? Is it any more or less fair than a suspension failure or engine blowout?

 

[Coxy]

It's still all about the vehicle. If you put Craig Lowndes in a Hyundai he wouldn't win :-p