I’m going to nominate vacuuming as a sport too then. Or maybe drinking a cup of coffee. Or maybe even sleeping should be a sport.

That’s almost like saying that Eric Bristow was a darts “athlete”.

It’s not a real sport unless you need to either change or remove your shoes.

Golf is classed as a “sport”.

If Golf and Snooker are classed as sports then why not?

Yes it is. As is Bowls.

So what about Scrabble?

“activity aimed at improving physical fitness and well-being, forming social relations and gaining results in competition”.

is Sport England’s definition.

The problem with that is whether there is such a thing as mental exercise, and whether it can diminish the chances or delay the onset of dementia, which is obviously a major public health problem in an ageing population.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23159127

I suppose they have to draw the line somewhere, but the difference between sports, skills and pastimes is not quite as clear-cut as you make out, especially when you have sports such as darts and target shooting which do not arguably improve your general physical health.

darts and target shooting which do not arguably improve your general physical health.

But I suppose they do improve physical co-ordination? As does bowls.

I’m not sure bridge (or scrabble or chess)have any real physical element.

at least golf you go for a stroll around the park, and snooker get up and walk around the table (unless you’re being thrashed).

is cribbage a sport? only need one co-player for that, not 3.

I’m not sure bridge (or scrabble or chess)have any real physical element.

I think they tried to claim that dealing and playing provided the physical element.

I think it’s just posh folk wanting to get their competitions funded regardless of the effect it has on proper sports.

replace the cards with tablets of stone, make the competitors wear roller skates and play it on a conveyor belt with a pissed off honey badger at one end then you have a sport I would pay to watch.

It’s a pretty tiring game – complex and competitive. Played a team match last night and can feel the effects.

Whether it’s a sport or not – obv it has a lot of the elements of sport and as a player I’d like to see the recognition. But you have to draw the line somewhere, otherwise you end up with dungeons and dragons clubs claiming VAT relief.

If you don’t get out of breath it’s not a sport, it’s a pastime.

It’s not a real sport unless you need to either change or remove your shoes.

I agree. If you can compete at the highest level wearing flip-flops it isn’t a sport. With the added corollary, that if it is judged on style it isn’t a sport.

If you don’t get out of breath it’s not a sport, it’s a pastime.

My gran gets out of breath making a cup of tea. Good to know that the International Geriatric Brew-up League has your support. 🙂

My gran gets out of breath making a cup of tea.

I bet she wouldn’t playing cards 🙂

If you don’t get out of breath it’s not a sport, it’s a pastime.

Or as Ernest put it, “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”

Or as Ernest didn’t put it, “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”

As the internet claims Ernest put it?

As the internet claims Ernest put it?

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:KDn7048h2lAJ:www.timelesshemingway.com/blog/did-hemingway-say-it-there-are-only-three+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

i’d suggest that ‘snap’ is a bit more physical…

kewl. didn’t realise model aircraft flying was on Sport England’s list. was thinking of getting a quadcopter too.

WGAF – its just a great game (until it gets taken too seriously)

I’m going to nominate vacuuming as a sport too then. Or maybe drinking a cup of coffee. Or maybe even sleeping should be a sport.

Do you know anything at all about bridge?

Add a few more card games and they could have a decathlon event.

somewhatslightlydazed – Member

So what about Scrabble?

Worried know – after the papers and emails, I turn to bridge or scrabble on the commute every day via Ipad. Win a rubber between Vauxhall and Waterloo is a good challenge!!

Or maybe drinking a cup of coffee.

I’d really like to watch you drink a cup of coffee. I didn’t realise that it could be drunk in a competitive manner.

Post a video if you can ?

what’s the WADA limits for caffeine in world championship coffee drinking?

on the basis that we took our shoes off and got out of breath, can I declare last nights bedroom activities as sport.

on the basis that we took our shoes off and got out of breath, can I declare last nights bedroom activities as sport.

At last, a sport at which British men can be guaranteed to come first?

on the basis that we took our shoes off and got out of breath, can I declare last nights bedroom activities as sport.

Too fat to get your trousers off? Yeah, I get out of breath too……. 😳

At last, a sport at which British men can be guaranteed to come first?

Gold medal for me every time. Yah!

I don’t think it’s a sport, I just don’t think that the terminology really works well. I’d call it a game but we call sports games too.

How about e-sports? On the one hand, obviously computer games aren’t a sport. On the other, manual dexterity’s massively important, so there’s a physical element…

I watched this story on the news this morning and listened to Sport England’s spokesman try to justify the decision.
I think that they’ve accidentally let a few hobbies slip through the net (darts, shooting etc) before someone really thought about it and are now in a “because we say so” type of argument.

i’d suggest that ‘snap’ is a bit more physical..

You wanna try strip snap pal. 😆