Is Pool a Sport?

JAM said:
LOL! :D :D :D :D Now I've heard it all! :embarrassed2:

As an aside, these are some of the PAST sports of the Olympics:

Cricket
Power boating
Croquet
Rackets
Golf
Rink-hockey
Jeu de paume
Roque
Lacrosse
Rugby
Pelote basque
Tug of war
Polo
Water skiing

Tug of war, LOL!

What the heck is "Jeu de paume," aside from it being French?! :p

I'd never heard of it, but Wikipedia's got it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeu_de_paume

JAM
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Jeu de paume is called real tennis. It was played in France and England mostly by Kings and lords and is how tennis started.
 
BennyPatrick said:
Jeu de paume is called real tennis. It was played in France and England mostly by Kings and lords and is how tennis started.
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Thanks for the info! :smile:

And welcome to the forum!

JAM
 
The Fear of Relativity...

Remember, it's called the "Olympic GAMES", not the "Olympic Sports". Therefore, it matters not whether pool is a sport or not (and the IOC seems to think it is).

As far as I am concerned, I don't know whether pool is a sport, game, competition, pastime, hobby, etc.

All I know is, whatever the name, it's greatness...
 
is pool a sport or a game

The Guardian's readership is trying to work out, with varying degrees of seriousness, whether pool is a sport or a game. Since this topic comes up here every 6-12 months, I thought I'd just use the last thread on the topic rather than start my own.

See Notes and Queries link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,,-5888,00.html


I did like this answer:
"It is neither a game nor a sport. It is a way of life."
--Paul Harris, Nottingham UK
 
Pocket Billiards - Recognized Olympic Sport

Pocket Billiards was recognized as an Olympic Sport at the 107th Session of the International Olympic Committee in Nagano, Japan on Feb 3-5, 1998. Certificate was signed by Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Billiards has been rejected for inclusion into the program on 3 ocasions (if not mistaken). I'm currently searching for this info.
 
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Smorgass Bored said:
Pool is a game, POKER is a sport.
Do you think it's easy to wear sunglasses and a hat, talk on your cellphone, eat chips and dip, smoke a cigar, drink Jack Daniels on the rocks, tell jokes, watch a ballgame on the giant screen, look at your cards, count and bet your chips and go to the bathroom, all without leaving your chair for 24 hours ?

Doug
( a 1st string athlete ) :)


Putting on my uniform to go to the stadium as I type.....


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I do most of those things while I play pool......... :D
 

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Syncronized swimming. Now theres a sport that I wouldn't mind if they canceled in lieu of pool.
 
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JAM said:
Tug of war, LOL!

JAM
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On July 14, 1893, the World Tug of War Championship was held in Chicago, with teams from U.S.A. Canada, Britain, Belgium, and France. Canada won, so it is understandable why the sport declined in the U.S. and why certain Americans no longer consider it a real sport.:grin::grin:

Now I have to get back to watching curling - an Olympic sport - on TV.:grin::grin::grin:

But if croquet was once an Olympic sport, pool certainly should be, since it was derived from croquet.
 
Well, if ping pong and bowling are both sports, then I don't see how pool or billiards can be denied.

As to the Olympics--I expect billiards (3-cushion) would be accepted before pool. But I don't think it will happen in our lifetime.

Now, Mrs. OBX doesn't think that baseball is a sport--she thinks it is a sleeping pill.
 
ping pong and bowling aren't sports, but neither is pool. I would consider it a competitive game. That is not a knock on pool. I just can' t see how you can consider it a sport!
 
Perk said:
I love to play pool alot, but I am not sure where I stand on this subject.

I tend to think of pool as a game same as darts, horseshoes, bowling, redneck horseshoes, and others. It doesnt matter to me if people think its a sport or a game. IMO you dont have to be athletic to play games, however you need to be athletic to play sports. You dont need to be athletic to play pool.
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Pretty sad statement in your second paragraph. Thank god for syncronized swimming eh?
 
Ya know,I'm not really sure of the criteria....But I'll try to explain as simply as I can.

I play a lot of pool.I have for lots of years.Never,ever,not one single time did I feel as though I was engaged in a sport.I'm not sure how else to say it.
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My reply from July last year. I still play a lot. I'm still sure that when I strike out for the pool hall to play for a few hours,I'm not leaving the house to play "sports".

I'm actually amazed so many posters here think when they play pool for a few hours that they have just engaged in a hours long "sporting" event.

No insult intended to those who do think so,just speaking honestly. I suppose the difference lies in an indviduals definition.
 
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JAM said:
"...in billiards, you just walk around a table a few times...."
JAM
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I remember hearing from I think Danny DiLiberto (*sp) talking about this. He said he put a pedometer on his belt to find out how far he walks during a practice session. During an eight hour session he said he had walked 11 miles.
 
Pool takes an incredible amount of focus which can be exhausting. Pool also involves a lot of walking and bending over which while not tiring can be tiring when you're doing it for 12 hours during a tournament.
 
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