What Is Sport?

First a definition. What is Sport? Sport is a competition between two or more people or teams. Sport can be decided by honest competitors without the use of judges. For example, golf is a sport. Ballet dancing is not a sport. Ballet dancers are in much better physical condition than golfers, and I'd rather watch Ashley Bouder perform with the New York City Ballet than John Daly throwing his back out driving the ball. That still doesn't make ballet a sport.

Let's take a look now at the events in the Summer Olympics and we'll decide which are sports and which are not:

Archery - Sport. Who can put an arrow or five closest to the center of the target? Easy pick.

Track and Field - Sport. All Field events are sports. Who throws farther, jumps higher, or runs faster? another easy pick. All racing events, THAT ARE HUMAN POWERED, are sports. sorry NASCAR and Indy series, you're out of luck. Sailing? We'll get to you in a minute.

Badminton - Sport. But you do that at your summer picnics? How could it be a sport? Simple, two sides competing in an event that is decided by points and is not judged for style or performance.

Basketball - Sport. Two teams. Two baskets. One Ball.

Boxing - Mixed. Tricky one here. Boxing is a sport if the result comes by way of Knockout, one participant quits or his corner throws in the towel. Otherwise...NOT a sport. If a boxing result is decided by judges scorecards it's no better than a beauty pageant.

Canoeing/Kayaking - Sport. Who can paddle fastest.

Cycling Road Racing and Mountain Biking - Sport. Road racing and Mountain biking are both sports. You get on the bike and pedal faster than the other competitors.

Cycling BMX - Not a Sport. BMX is not a sport. It's fun to watch, but you win by getting the most points from the judges. Thus, not a sport.

Diving - Not a Sport. No ifs ands or buts. It's judged. Not a sport.

Equestrian Dressage - Not a Sport. Fun to watch, but while it is a timed event, it is also judged.

Equestrian Jumping - Sport. Horses are taken through a course with a series of jumps set up and finishing places are determined by a combination of fastest time and fewest faults on the course.

Equestrian Eventing - Not a Sport. This event combines Jumping (Sport), Cross Country (Sport), and Dressage (Not a Sport).

Fencing - Sport. This event is scored using sensors worn on the body to determine 'touches'.

Football (We Yanks, correctly, call this Soccer) - Sport. As much as it grieves me to say. Not my sport, but sport nonetheless.

Gymnastics - Not a Sport. If you need further explanation of this I'm happy to oblige. If you count gymnastics as a sport then I challenge you to deny American idol a spot at the opening ceremonies. At least the American idol judges are entertaining. If the North Korean judge can cost you a medal with his low score you are not competing in a sport.

Handball - Sport. Just two teams, a ball, and two goals. Sound familiar?

Field Hockey - Sport. Again with the two teams, a ball and two goals bit.

Judo -  Mixed . Usually a sport. Most of the time. Another tough call because it is judged. How about bouts ending with submission are sport, and bouts that go to the judges scorecards are not sport?

Modern Pentathlon - Sport. Running, swimming, shooting, fencing, and ride a horse? For sure this is sport.

Rowing - Sport. Humans using their bodies to propel a machine across the water? Winner has the fastest time? Sport.

Sailing - Not a Sport. Counter Intuitive? I know. I'll explain. The event is between two or more people or teams? Check. It can be decided between honest competitors without going to the judges scorecards? Check. It is human powered? Not on your life! So? Not a sport.

Shooting - Sport. See Archery.

Swimming - Sport. See Track and Field.

Synchronized Swimming - Not a Sport. The event is judged. If you include this you might as well include the NBA slam dunk competition as an Olympic event.

Table Tennis - Sport. Just like tennis, on a table. Call your own lines guys.

Taekwondo -  Mixed. See Boxing and Judo.

Tennis - Sport. See Table Tennis.

Volleyball - Sport. In the words of George Carlin "Racket less team ping-pong played with an inflated ball and a raised net while standing on the table." Or in the case of beach volleyball, the sand box.

Water Polo - Sport. See Hand Ball.

Weightlifting - Sport. Lift more than your competitor? Check. Sport.

Wrestling -  Mixed. See Taekwondo, Judo, and Boxing.

So that's it. A total of 32 events in the Summer Olympics. 19 sports, 7 non-sports, and 4 mixed events. The London 2012 Olympics run from July 27, 2012 to August 12, 2012.

What Does It Mean To Be A Fan?

What does it mean to be a fan? This was a discussion we had at Easter dinner yesterday afternoon. I can name for you the date and time that I became a sports fan. It was January 20, 1985 and my dad and I were driving home from Kennewick Wa, to Portland OR. Super Bowl XIX was being played between the San Fransisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins. We picked up the game on our way out of town. I don't remember how many different stations we changed to on the trip home, but I got the chance to root for Joe Montana as he led the 49ers to a 38-16 victory.

I became a football fan on that day. The next year I rooted for the Seattle Seahawks and I have been ever since. Through ups and downs, thick and thin, I was there. Bo Jackson running over Brian Bosworth on Monday Night Football? I was there. Dave Krieg being sacked 7 times by Derrick Thomas setting the single game sack record? I was there. Ken Behring looking to move the team to Hollywood? I was there. Jeremy Stevens talking trash about Jerome Bettis in Super Bowl XL and then dropping every ball thrown his way in the game (including two in the endzone)? I was there. I was even there when they won their division with a 7-9 record, and then to ensure that they would get a horrible pick in the NFL entry draft, beat the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs.

You're asking what my point is and I'll tell you. Being a Seattle Seahawks fan this last 27 years has taught me heartbreak, pain, and suffering. I follow other sports as well to a lesser extent. I like the Portland Blazers, Seattle Mariners, and University of Oregon football. I also am a huge fan of the Portland Winterhawks. Do you know how many championships those teams have combined to win since I started watching them? Zero, Zilch, Nada.

The NHL playoffs start on Wednesday, April 11th. Why is that important? What's my NHL team? I don't have one. My favorite NHL team is the one that's going to win the game. I may pick a team to root for during a playoff series, but if they don't win, I'm picking up my pack and moving on. I now have reinforced ankles to accommodate the shameless bandwagon jumping I do. Last season during the Eastern Conference Finals I rooted like crazy for the Tampa Bay Lightning. When they lost in game 7 to the Boston Bruins, I turned around and rooted for the Bruins to beat the Canucks. When the Bruins beat the Canucks in game 7 of the Finals to win the cup, I jumped up and danced around. I had won. My team had beat the other team and won the Championship.

Ellen Etchingham has a great piece that posted today to the Backhand Shelf blog where she pleads for us all to be fans. To dedicate ourselves to a single team and experience the highs and lows that come with that single minded focus. I'm here to tell you that I've done that. A lot. Nothing so far has matched watching my Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup. Was I long suffering? I was not. Am I rooting for the Bruins again this year? Not yet. Right now I've got my eyes on the Nashville Predators. I'll start with them and see what happens. The best part is that come June I know that My team is going to be lifting the Stanley Cup.