OT: is chess a sport?

[steve B]

Does it change anything if Weston took performance enhancing stuff?

"Weston spent 8 years touring Europe, starting in 1876 in England where he challenged England's racewalking champion to a 24-hour, 115 mile ultramarathon. The Englishman quit 14 hours and 65.6 miles into the race, but Weston walked the full 24 hours and covered 109.5 miles. His performance caused a bit of a controversy when he later admitted to having been chewing coca leaf throughout much of the race."
(From his Wikipedia entry)

Also interesting is that the card shows a cross country walk, but it's not mentioned in either his entry, or a list of cross country walkers and runners. But that walk did happen.
https://www.utne.com/community/walki...a-ze0z1503zken

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by steve B

Does it change anything if Weston took performance enhancing stuff?

"Weston spent 8 years touring Europe, starting in 1876 in England where he challenged England's racewalking champion to a 24-hour, 115 mile ultramarathon. The Englishman quit 14 hours and 65.6 miles into the race, but Weston walked the full 24 hours and covered 109.5 miles. His performance caused a bit of a controversy when he later admitted to having been chewing coca leaf throughout much of the race."
(From his Wikipedia entry)

Weston is proof that a person can walk and chew a natural stimulant at the same time.

Brian

[Peter_Spaeth]

On a related front, is a jockey an athlete? Or a race car driver?

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

On a related front, is a jockey an athlete? Or a race car driver?

I don't consider chess a sport. I do think horse and car racing are sports, but participating in them doesn't make an athlete. It's hard to say exactly where the line is, but I wouldn't count sports like golf or bowling either among those whose participants should be considered athletes.

[drcy]

Chess isn't a sport, but neither is nuclear physics, brain surgery or building the Great Pyramid of Giza-- so not being a sport isn't necessarily a knock.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

I don't consider chess a sport. I do think horse and car racing are sports, but participating in them doesn't make an athlete. It's hard to say exactly where the line is, but I wouldn't count sports like golf or bowling either among those whose participants should be considered athletes.

Perhaps the fact that golfers and bowlers wear street clothes contributes to that perception?

[packs]

At least in golf they make the players walk the course. I wish they made them carry their own bags too, but what can you do. Anyone who's ever walked a course with their bag on their back knows you've got to be in some kind of shape to do it.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Perhaps the fact that golfers and bowlers wear street clothes contributes to that perception?

You're overlooking proper golf attire and bowling shirts, but ..........

Athletes drinking beer while golfing and bowling would be considered antithetical athletes I suppose.

As would my participation in the 1976 Olympic trials as a sailor.

[ALR-bishop]

What about eating 72 hot dogs in 10 minutes ?

[MooseDog]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

On a related front, is a jockey an athlete? Or a race car driver?

I work with jockeys and most definitely yes. If you disagree, try this exercise sometime...balance on your toes and then squat so your body is slightly forward, but you are still not touching the ground with your hands. Now hold this for two full minutes, about the length of the Kentucky Derby.

I'd also give props to drivers, but back in the 1970s their performance on the Superstars show left something to be desired. However I'd guess with advances in nutrition and mental stuff the current crop of drivers is probably in better shape than in the past, like with most things.

[packs]

If driving is a sport, we're all athletes.

[barrysloate]

If you're a fan of the SPORT of chess, Fabiano Caruana yesterday won the 2018 Candidates Tournament and will be the first American since Bobby Fischer to compete for the world championship. He will play Magnus Carlsen in London in November for the title.

Congratulations Fabi!

[Buythatcard]

Sport: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Moving a chess piece can be considered a physical exertion for some. It definitely involves a skill. It takes 2 individuals to compete. So, I think Chess can be considered a sport.

[mark evans]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

If you're a fan of the SPORT of chess, Fabiano Caruana yesterday won the 2018 Candidates Tournament and will be the first American since Bobby Fischer to compete for the world championship. He will play Magnus Carlsen in London in November for the title.

Congratulations Fabi!

Thanks, Barry. As a patzer myself, I look forward to the championship match.

Mark

[tschock]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

On a related front, is a jockey an athlete? Or a race car driver?

Race car driving is more physically demanding than some of our more 'accepted sports'. So in that regards, I would consider it a sport. Some interesting stats:

http://edition.cnn.com/services/opk/driven/news.htm