Billiards is an olympic sport?

[Jaday]

Whats the justification for having billiards as an olympic "sport"? People talk about it not being in the olympics like it should be... Its more like a boardgame than any sport I know... The last time I broke a sweat playing pool it was because the AC was broke.

Maybe darts should be in the olympics too? And horseshoes... Shuffleboard, and even that bean bag toss thingy

 

[hang-the-9]

Archery is not very stressful. While it has a nice history in battle and survival with what it is in the olympics it's basically high tech and high practice. Water Polo, I don't see any Mongols using that to defend themselves with it, that is an odd one to be included. Many of the "classic" olympic sports came about from the skills one needed to survive, long distance running for messengers, hunting, war, etc...

A sport does not require physical activity as much as skill and competition.

If you try to figure out which of your friends can make the biggest ball of belly button lint, you have a sport.

 

[Roadie]

Whats the justification for having billiards as an olympic "sport"? People talk about it not being in the olympics like it should be... Its more like a boardgame than any sport I know... The last time I broke a sweat playing pool it was because the AC was broke.

Maybe darts should be in the olympics too? And horseshoes... Shuffleboard, and even that bean bag toss thingy

If you don't sweat when playing pool then you aren't betting enough.

 

[Roadie]

But really billiards requires tremendous hand-eye coordination, immense knoweldge and the skill to execute under pressure. While the physical action is not overly active the hard part about pool, like archery and pistol shooting, is to keep still and only move what is absolutely neccesary. And you must do this over and over and over again game after game. Pool is most defintely a sport and not at all like a board game. The gap between amateur and world class in pool is a huge one. And the reason is not simply mental, it's also physical. World class players have excellent control of their bodies under pressure. When that type of control is asked of a human in competitive setting then it's a sport in my opinion.

 

[Ralph Kramden]

How about those sweating athletic horses?
Maybe those syncronized swimmers work up a sweat?

I think pool would be classified as most precision type sports.
Curling in the winter Olympics would be an good example.

I think track and gymnastics are athletic sports... not BMX.

 

[B.Carson]

If 10M Air Pistol is in then Pool should be in too imo. There are also what seems like 10,000 swimming events... Why is pool undeserving again?

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

The short answer is yes, cue sports is an Olympic sport. It just isn't included in the games.

It seems this debate always comes around to who thinks it's a sport versus a game. But the reason this debate has some legs is because cue sports is recognized as a sport by the IOC, and that makes it at least possible to be considered for inclusion in the Olympics. So as far as this Olympic debate goes the point is moot. It is a recognized sport as far as the IOC is concerned. It just isn't an "official" sport, meaning it is included in the games.

Of course, whether it should be included in the games is a different debate. But keep in mind the IOC's criteria can be quite different than our own. They are not just concerned with whether the competitors sweat, get their heart rates up, requires years of extensive physical training, etc., but also in things like is the game widely played, will many countries be competitive, will it generate interest (i.e. make money), and does it reflect the "Olympic ideal"?

In regard to the Olympics what it has going for it in addition to having an international federation is that it is now played throughout many parts of the world so numerous countries would be competitive. Also, it apparently has drawn pretty good crowds at the World Games.

What goes against it are the perception of it's competitors as athletes (age and conditioning). Comparisons to some other events like curling are not really applicable since curling is in the winter Olympics, which has fewer sports and more room to add events. I'm not sure if the IOC has deemed cue sports as a summer games only type event, but it is the summer games that the WCBS has petitioned for inclusion in. The summer games is tapped out right now and anything new can only get in if another sport is dropped.

 

[Fast Lenny]

When I go to Barnes and Nobles for pool books I cannot find any in the sports section, the reason being is there are none, they are all in the game section.

 

[Lumocolor]

If 10M Air Pistol is in then Pool should be in too imo. There are also what seems like 10,000 swimming events... Why is pool undeserving again?

Probably because those who shoot air pistol know the rules, while even pro pool players don't know what the rules are from tournament to tournament...lol

Hell, the second referee in the 8-ball accu-stats thing didn't even know the rules and had ken yelling at him on what to do and how to rack the balls properly.

 

[3andstop]

Maybe darts should be in the olympics too? And horseshoes... Shuffleboard, and even that bean bag toss thingy

Darts is the same as Archery and Shuffleboard is the same as Curling. I think you might be on to something.

BTW I have a table in my basement and I break a sweat just walking down the stairs to get to it. :scratchhead: so you lost me with that statement.

 

[Espartaco_7]

Sport is all forms of competitive physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and provide entertainment to participants. Hundreds of sports exist, from those requiring only two participants, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals.

So, I bet that "Olympic Pool" is way far more phisical and demanding than "Olympic Shooting" "Equestrian" or "Archery".

 

[Roadie]

When I go to Barnes and Nobles for pool books I cannot find any in the sports section, the reason being is there are none, they are all in the game section.

Barnes and Noble isn't the arbiter of what is a sport or not. We call it the game of billiards. Then again the Olympics are actually The Olympic Games.

You play a game of tennis, a game of basketball, a game of football, and so on...

 

[hang-the-9]

Barnes and Noble isn't the arbiter of what is a sport or not. We call it the game of billiards. Then again the Olympics are actually The Olympic Games.

You play a game of tennis, a game of basketball, a game of football, and so on...

Then Thermonuclear War should be in the Olympics, that's a game. Just ask WOPR.

 

[Roadie]

Then Thermonuclear War should be in the Olympics, that's a game. Just ask WOPR.

Well since ESPN now broadcasts video game tournaments I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen.

 

[EL'nino]

If you don't sweat when playing pool then you aren't betting enough.

nuff said........

 

[Prey]

If handball is an olympic sport, anything can be.

 

[Palmetto cue]

If 10M Air Pistol is in then Pool should be in too imo. There are also what seems like 10,000 swimming events... Why is pool undeserving again?

Absolutely! If standing stationary while firing a rifle is in then why not Billiards? By the way, The lady that shot 99 out of 100 was amazing! :grin:

 

[FranCrimi]

The short answer is yes, cue sports is an Olympic sport. It just isn't included in the games.

It seems this debate always comes around to who thinks it's a sport versus a game. But the reason this debate has some legs is because cue sports is recognized as a sport by the IOC, and that makes it at least possible to be considered for inclusion in the Olympics. So as far as this Olympic debate goes the point is moot. It is a recognized sport as far as the IOC is concerned. It just isn't an "official" sport, meaning it is included in the games.

Of course, whether it should be included in the games is a different debate. But keep in mind the IOC's criteria can be quite different than our own. They are not just concerned with whether the competitors sweat, get their heart rates up, requires years of extensive physical training, etc., but also in things like is the game widely played, will many countries be competitive, will it generate interest (i.e. make money), and does it reflect the "Olympic ideal"?

In regard to the Olympics what it has going for it in addition to having an international federation is that it is now played throughout many parts of the world so numerous countries would be competitive. Also, it apparently has drawn pretty good crowds at the World Games.

What goes against it are the perception of it's competitors as athletes (age and conditioning). Comparisons to some other events like curling are not really applicable since curling is in the winter Olympics, which has fewer sports and more room to add events. I'm not sure if the IOC has deemed cue sports as a summer games only type event, but it is the summer games that the WCBS has petitioned for inclusion in. The summer games is tapped out right now and anything new can only get in if another sport is dropped.

I think it's all about money. I don't know how the selection process works but I'm sure there's lots of money paid to get a sport included --- both over and under the table.

 

[raise1]

If you don't sweat when playing pool then you aren't betting enough.

But if you are betting enough where you sweat, then you are betting more than you can afford to lose. :wink:

 

[CreeDo]

When I go to Barnes and Nobles for pool books I cannot find any in the sports section, the reason being is there are none, they are all in the game section.

what pissed me off is that borders put the pool books under "gambling", buried amongst the poker books. I was about to leave thinking they flat out didn't carry them.