Debate continues: Which sports really don’t qualify?

Sportswriters sometimes like to quibble about the difference between “games” and “sports.” 

Just for fun, let’s reopen that proverbial can of worms: “What are sports, and conversely, what sports really aren’t? 

Here’s a cross-section of opinions from sports journalists about several “games, activities and contests,” which are routinely televised but fail to “pass the mustard” – namely competitive hot dog eating.

 

Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo are the undisputed world champs as male and female hot dog eaters. They are simply the best there have ever been. Commentator Joe Rand said: “Competitive eating is entertaining and disgusting in equal measures, but it’s not athletic.” 

A few other so-called sports that may not “pass the muster” are dog shows, poker games, the triple jump and billiards (or pool). 

The most prestigious dog show is hosted by New York City’s Westminster Kennel Club, originating in 1877. Forbes magazine sent Kristin Tablang to cover the action at the 2020 show back held in February. 

Siba the standard poodle was crowned America’s top dog. “The black beauty managed to edge out Bourbon the whippet, Conrad the sheepdog, Wilma the boxer, Vinny the wire fox terrier, Daniel the golden retriever and Thor the bulldog.” 

The event attracted more than 2,600 canines of 204 breeds. Competitors came from 49 states and 19 other countries. 

“To determine the winners, Tablang said, “judges took into account everything from a dog’s weight, size, coat and head shape to its muscle tone, gait and temperament – comparing each purebred to the paragon of its breed, not just other canines in the running.”

Alex Akita of Seattle Sportsnet thinks the judges should also consider the physical conditioning of the handlers who scuffle along, praising their pooches.

The 2020 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps it can be rescheduled later this fall. Hossein Ensan, 56, an Iranian-German professional poker player from Münster, Germany, is the defending champion. He toppled Dario Sammartino, 33, of Naples, Italy, on the final hand last year.

Jude Goodwin of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, reminds us that contract bridge may be more sports worthy than poker. “Bridge is one of the most difficult card games,” she said. “You could even say that it places the highest demands on the card player of any card game out there.” 

Dick Pound of Westmount, Quebec, Canada, a former champion swimmer and kingpin of the Canadian Olympic Committee, once suggested the triple jump could be eliminated as a track and field event. 

The triple jump shares the same name as a nifty move on the checkerboard. It’s the term used to describe “a hop, step and a jump.” Pound stirred up a lot of conversation on social media. One person said the event’s distant cousin hopscotch would be a better choice for the Olympics. 

Sports guy Maurice Mcleod commented: “The triple jump is as valid as the egg-and-spoon race.

 

As for the sport of pool, Meredith Wilson’s “Ya Got Trouble” song from the 1957 Broadway musical “The Music Man” clearly stated the “game with the 15 numbered balls is a devil’s tool!” 

International billiards and snooker players who are working to upgrade the public image of their sport have rolled the various forms of competition under the umbrella of “cue sports,” where the felt is green and the chalk is blue.