We're in that weird Twilight Zone where I'm no longer sure if people are trolling or so far up their own arse they can see out their mouth....
Forget the darts prodigy, this lad is the real hero:
Tetris: US teenager claims to be first to beat video game - BBC News
Sorry – this is a light hearted thread,
Well, it was a light-hearted thread but then one of my bugbears came up. And then it came up again. And again. And again.
It irritates me when men (I've seldom heard a woman make this argument) unilaterally decide that anything with a judged element isn't a proper sport. I think it's telling that many of the sports that are judged are seen in wider society as being 'for girls' whereas sports that are primarily 'for boys' have a more binary form of scoring (judging a breakdown in rugby or a tackle in football still has a form of scoring, it's just a binary 1 or 0 where a 1 allows you to continue and a 0 means it's time for your opponent to have a go).
I'm not saying anyone who holds this view is a misogynist, just that it's another example of unconscious bias used to dismiss sports where women have a higher level of participation.
It especially bugs me when people who have never competed in any type of high level sport make these sweeping judgments because, quite frankly, they aren't fit to carry these elite level athlete's bags for them.
Well, it was a light-hearted thread but then one of my bugbears came up. And then it came up again. And again. And again.
It irritates me when men (I’ve seldom heard a woman make this argument) unilaterally decide that anything with a judged element isn’t a proper sport. I think it’s telling that many of the sports that are judged are seen in wider society as being ‘for girls’ whereas sports that are primarily ‘for boys’ have a more binary form of scoring (judging a breakdown in rugby or a tackle in football still has a form of scoring, it’s just a binary 1 or 0 where a 1 allows you to continue and a 0 means it’s time for your opponent to have a go).
I’m not saying anyone who holds this view is a misogynist, just that it’s another example of unconscious bias used to dismiss sports where women have a higher level of participation.
It especially bugs me when people who have never competed in any type of high level sport make these sweeping judgments because, quite frankly, they aren’t fit to carry these elite level athlete’s bags for them.
oh, you're proper weird if it gets you that riled up! 🙂 But I think we knew that already...
For reference my default activity for thinking about 'is it a sport if it's artistically judged' is surfing. Not known to be particularly female centric. Partially chosen because I do it (badly). So am I a misogynist then? Am I displaying unconscious bias?
Oh, and if you promise not to get a stiffy (I wouldn't want to be responsible for an injury) I can send you photos of me all dressed up in GB kit from a worlds or a European champs if it allows you to be gracious enough to grant me a view 😉 . You can carry my bags too if you ask nicely.
Everyone has to figure out whether what their sport means to them. For me it was Karate (Scottish and British Champion, 7th at U21 level at the WKF World Champs). I was plagued with doubts about whether I was doing a 'real' sport or not but it didn't stop me training 20-30 hours per week and going up against (and beating) athletes who were vastly better funded and supported than I was.
Years later I realised the pub bores were wrong and judged sports were just as valid as any of the 'proper' sports. And their logic used to justify how a referee getting umpteen calls wrong in 90 minutes was a 'real sport' but 9 judges with years of training judging a single routine was 'just a pastime' was laughable. Same as your's is.
If you feel your surfing competitions aren't a proper sport then that's your opinion. Just because your sport is judged doesn't mean your experiences are applicable to every judged sport out there.
Anyway, neither you nor I are fit to carry Simone Biles' bags and certainly not fit to say what she does isn't a 'proper sport'.
was ‘just a pastime’ was laughable. Same as your’s is.
Dude - slightly personal question - but are you on the spectrum by any chance?
You do appreciate this was a light hearted thread where no really cares about either their own opinion or that of others? Just a way to pass a few idle hours making daft comments. That seems to have passed you by. Do you struggle with human nuance a lot?
Why argue about what constitutes a 'sport' or not when it's obvious that the problem is the word 'sport' and its loose definition. People who use language in an attempt to define and categorise what exists are thinking about it the wrong way round!
Dude – slightly personal question – but are you on the spectrum by any chance?
Possibly, but it's more that I've got an appreciation of what it takes to essentially train as a professional (and having to learn about various aspects of sports science including strength and conditioning, diet, injury treatment and prevention, and sports psychology) with minimal to no financial support and no wider understanding of what I was doing outside of the people I trained with and competed against.
Gymnasts are the most common targets of the 'not a proper sport' argument made by (mostly) men who have no understanding of the sport, let alone the training and sacrifice that goes into it even for people that are never going to end up anywhere near the Olympics.
Like I said, for whatever reason the sports with the highest participation levels for women tend to be judged sports. When you consider the actual level of judgement calls that go into football and rugby I can't help but think this gatekeeping of 'proper sports' is rooted in unconscious bias so I don't think there's anything wrong with challenging it, even on 'light-hearted' threads.
I think what makes something a 'proper sport' or not is more tied to the competitiveness of the field. If you can train a couple of times a week and still win the National, European, or World Championships then what you are doing is probably closer to a pastime than a proper sport.
If you have to do specific training multiple times per week in addition to S&C work as well as watching your diet for the vast majority of the year just to place in your local competitions then you are probably doing a proper sport.
Except Race Walking. I will simply never accept a competitive form of a Monty Python sketch is a proper sport no matter how much people have to train.
I’m not saying anyone who holds this view is a misogynist, just that it’s another example of unconscious bias used to dismiss sports where women have a higher level of participation.
To the [s] man[/s] person with a hammer, everything is a nail.
To the man person with a hammer, everything is a nail.
Since we're at the pithy quote stage of the discussion:
Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than venality.
— Bertrand Russell
If you have to do specific training multiple times per week in addition to S&C work as well as watching your diet for the vast majority of the year just to place in your local competitions then you are probably doing a proper sport
Body building?
Professional skateboarders aren’t known for strict diets and training regimes. More for spannering themselves and acting like idiots. Still seen as a sport by many. Not me, I hasten to add, although I think Rodney Mullen is the most talented sportsman to ever walk roll across the earth.
I've nothing to say but we have hit a 147 break so just hoping to push it towards 180 posts
Anyone else ever regret starting a thread?
A sport has to be competitive therefore darts counts but then so would chess. Would you call a game of pick up sticks a sport? That's a good match with darts. No physical effort but a good degree of skill. Equally anything artistic isn't a sport it's an art.
Actually there are only 3 sports, shooting, fishing and hunting. The rest are modern fakes using the wrong name.
Anyone else ever regret starting a thread?
What exactly were you expecting?
I think arguing on stw reaches peak sports day.
The competition goes round and round like a running track.
Some put in more effort than others
Some only turn up for fun, others take it much more seriously.
There are no winners (mods excluded)
It’s a sh!t boring pub game and nothing more. Paint drying is far more exciting.
It would have to be some pretty ****ing amazing paint, and we're only third set in.
The skill on display from both of them is absolutely bonkers!
How on earth can you be this good at 16 😳
Indeed, although I think Little in particular, played better in the semis.
I thought it was a great watch. I'm not much of a sports person - I'd rather watch darts than many more popular sports.
I like to watch rugby, but watching the documentary 'Mud, sweat and tears' the other day, reinforced my belief that sportspeople are a strange lot!
So (genuinely) what is the appeal in watching darts? I get that there's skill involved, but there's not the tactics or strategy involved in many other sports/games. Or indeed the variety. It just seems to be the same thing over and over.
I don't know much about it so am I missing something?
So (genuinely) what is the appeal in watching darts?
It's suspenseful - the players are extremely skillful and it only takes one bad throw to lose.
Trying to write it down is pointless as in words you can't. It's two people throwing darts at a board while a load of other people shout and sing.
But I can only assume you haven't watched a game like last night. I wanted to watch it, the current MrsV was all midgy because she was all "who wants to watch 2 men playing darts, surely there's something else on" and within about 10 mins was yelling back at the screen like me.
The world's is the only tournament I really watch so there's another year to wait, but give it a go next time. And if you don't get it then, that's ok. But don't write it off based on what you think it's like.
There was only one word to describe last night's match, and that's 'magic darts'
So (genuinely) what is the appeal in watching darts?
I love watching it and (perhaps sadly) it’s now one of my Christmas highlights.
It doesn’t sound appealing but it’s genuinely really exciting the whole game can indeed turn on a couple of darts. The match play format means that it looks like someone is going to win easy and then they lose a leg against the darts and it all changes.
That together with the atmosphere created by the crowd makes it surprisingly great entertainment
The chair of the PDC was on TV this morning and referred to the players as "Athletes".
The chair of the PDC was on TV this morning and referred to the players as “Athletes”.
My first thought of an athlete is a footballer, runner, swimmer, even a rugby player or boxer. Not an overweight bloke with weird hair throwing little arrows at a dart board indoors.
current WC looks like he could outfitness many of us on here
What defines an athlete - "a person who is proficient in sports"; which brings us back to the OP - is Darts a Sport?
Really enjoyed that match last night.
1st time I've watched darts since the 1980's.
The speed of play is incredible and the way the momentum kept swinging made for some great drama.
is Darts a Sport?
Well it is under the following definition.
What qualifies something as a sport?
Overall, the current defining elements of 'sport' are that it is physical (exertion and/or skill), competitive/has rules, and organised (e.g. governing bodies).
(exertion and/or skill)
if it was called Pint lifting then perhaps 😕
Klunk
Free Member
(exertion and/or skill)if it was called Pint lifting then perhaps
It states and/or. It definitely involves physical skill.
The simplicity of darts is the best thing about it imo
there are no tactics, it’s fast paced. A casual viewer can tune in to one match a year and still get excited. As I did. The nerves of these lads is phenomenal
If that Luke lad is 16 however, then I’m the king of England..looks about 28.
