Just watching winter olympics. Once you've got something where the outcome relies on a panel of judges and 'style points' then it's not really a sport is it? Surely winners and losers in sports should be separated by something you can measure – time, distance, etc not by a matter of opinion?

sport…………..something achieved by physical endeavour…look it up.

I'll agree to that. What's the Olympic motto – Faster, Higher, Stronger?? I don't remember "prettier" being in there.

IMO if it has subjective judging it ha no place in the olympics – summer or winter

TJ… you mean like boxing?

TJ's rules of what and what isn't a sport are pretty tight funkynick…

As for ton, I've passed his number on to teamGB…he should be expecting a threatening phone call 😀

funkynick – Member
TJ… you mean like boxing?

Boxing didn't used to be so subjective….

Olympic boxing is marked on a fairly tight and objective criteria – the judges see a punch and press a button. Its not like Pro boxing.

You don't get style marks in boxing.

Any sport that has style marks shouldn't be in the Olympics – Synchronised swimming, Half pipe snowboard, Diving etc etc

Ski jumping

Ski jumping – gone Nothing with style marks in my ever so humble opinion.

To be honest it was the ski jumping that prompted this thread. I don't profess to understand the subtleties of ski jumping but was pretty surprised to find it isn't just the fella that jumps the furthest distance that gets the gold medal

its to stop people going big or going home in an ambulance

Surely if in ski jumping the aim is to go furthest then the furthest jump must have the most style? aerodynamically at least.Awarding points is bollox because it's subjective

I might be wrong (often am, according to the wife) but wasn't the style introduced because they started jumping with their legs in a V Shape, to create more drag, and then going further (or something like that)

I agree with anything with a style being removed from the Olympics, or the rules changed, like Diving being changed to the amount of water displaced, that sort of thing

in my ever so humble opinion.

It's a good thing your opinion counts for f*ck all

can you imagine the summer olympics longjump, you've just jumped the furthest but didn't win cos you didn't look so good. or shooting, you hit all your targets but your jacket is so last year!

darts and snooker are more worthy of being tagged sports than ski jumping, gymnastics, ice skating, skateboarding, etc etc.

anyone old enough to remember the 1984 winter olympics will know that as long as torvill and dean stayed on their feet then they'd got gold, total bollocks.

There’s a philosophical school of thought in aesthetics that subjectivity doesn’t exist – it is when you can’t justify why you like or don’t like something. For example a layperson might like a photograph, but can’t explain why – so says it is subjective. However, a photo expert will note that it is the composition, depth of field, lighting etc that makes it appealing. The more knowledgeable in the subject you are, the less 'subjective' it is. So if the judges in sport are laypersons then yes it’s subjective and probably a waste of time, but if they’re knowledgeable experts then less so.

It’s also worth noting the arrogance of individuals who write stuff off as subjective and rubbish the process. They’re often ignorant of their own ignorance, and don’t recognise the quality and integrity of the knowledgeable judges…

what about gymnastics then???!

It’s also worth noting the arrogance of individuals who write stuff off as subjective and rubbish the process. They’re often ignorant of their own ignorance, and don’t recognise the quality and integrity of the knowledgeable judges…

or that all people who have a differing opinion always generalise 😉

anyway, i'm just sitting here having a sunday morning cup of tea, minding my own business, texting my mate about going for a ride, fa cup hightlight on in the background and thinking how shit subjective sports, i don't feel particularly arrogant or ignorant.

hold on…..

just checked with mrs mcgroo, she sais i'm talking out my arse and that all sport is shit… bit arrogant i thought.

I used to be a bit in awe of the ski jumpers and their daring do. Having watched a bit more extreme skiing which seems to have got increasing hair raising in what is attempted, ski jumping now looks a little lame and dare I say it "safe" by comparison.

A bit like comparing the long jump and parcour though I guess.

My mate was world rodeo C1 champ years ago which is scored like surfing and that used raise many a pub debate about if it was a "proper" sport, but mainly because we were all jealous!

@ stu mcgroo many thanks for illustrating ignorant of own ignorance – far better than how I descibed it 😉

Two ski jumpers jump the same distance, one messes up the landing, the other plants it perfectly. Which one should win?

Bloody sports nazis, the more olympic sports the better.

Went to Kuopio to watch ski jumping, just mad and worthy of being called a sport.

Nickc – change the word 'ski' to 'long' in your question and then answer it.

Long jumping should have style marks?

😯 😛

johnny_met, no worries, glad i could help!

who in the name of jehovah made bumpy skiing aka moguls, an olympic sport?

Jehovah's now there's another topic for discussion

Surely winners and losers in sports should be separated by something you can measure

I think the concept of winning or losing in sport is fatuous – you win by taking part and you lose by staying on the sofa!