Pool isn't a Sport?

JAM said:
Does one have to be physically fit to compete in sports? I'm thinking about the strategy to win. You can have two athletes, both fit, and the one who executes the best strategy will win. In this regard, one does need a modicum of intelligence to compete in sports. Being physically fit doesn't mean you can always win. You have to have the smarts too! :wink:

I'm trying to think of other sports that don't require physical strength. Some that come to mind at the time of this writing are archery, curling, golf, just to name a few. :)
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If you want to consider those sports, you are free to do so and pool would certainly be in the same category, but most of us wouldn't.
 
Masayoshi said:
If you want to consider those sports, you are free to do so and pool would certainly be in the same category, but most of us wouldn't.
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I can see your point, but archery and curling are in the World Olympic Games. ;)
 
Masayoshi said:
Pool is as much of a sport as golf, bowling, darts, croquet, etc...Which is to say, not really, but kinda sorta.

In other words, when elderly, fat, or otherwise physically unfit people do it, its a sport. When anyone who can jog more than a half a mile without having a heart attack does it, its a game that involves some hand-eye coordination.
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Didn't you get that backwards? Should be read as "In other words, when elderly, fat, or otherwise physically unfit people do it, its a game that involves some hand-eye coordination. When anyone who can jog more than half a mile without having a heart attack does it, its a sport."
 
JAM said:
I can see your point, but archery and curling are in the World Olympic Games. ;)
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If you don't think pulling and holding off a fully drawn 50lb recurve bow takes alot physical strength then......

Anyways...

I don't think pool is a 'sport' but I know I've beaten more than my share pool players who can't bend over a table very long or focus for very long periods of time. In those cases my fitness can certainly win out even in pool.

Bowlers get a bad rap for fitness but I see the same things there. A long weekend Tourny regularly takes out high skilled bowlers who can't physically hold up over many series. Throwing a 16lb ball a couple hundred times takes a lot of effort over time. Physique certainly can win out there too yet I'm sure I would call it a sport either.

Golf "sport" comes up a lot but I think it's pretty clear that the largest percentage of top level golfers are in quite good shape or better. Especially nowadays and the trend will certainly continue. Pro level Tourny golf is very strenuous. Few other sports take 5-7 hours of continuous activity each day for 4 days straight to just complete one competition. Not to mention quite a bit of strength and flexibility in the proper areas. I'd say it's much closer to a "sport" than many of the others in question.

There will always debate about what makes something a sport. No one will ever agree and bottom line is it doesn't really matter anyway does it ?

:)
 
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nahog99 said:
Didn't you get that backwards? Should be read as "In other words, when elderly, fat, or otherwise physically unfit people do it, its a game that involves some hand-eye coordination. When anyone who can jog more than half a mile without having a heart attack does it, its a sport."
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Nope. I meant what I wrote.
 
KMRUNOUT said:
I couldn't help but look at, well..., other areas. It seems she may have lost some weight. Not that she needed to. So maybe yeah...working out.

KMRUNOUT
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I think she looked better before the weight loss. She now looks ill to me. In fact I was wondering if had gone through an illnes when I saw the pics on the hom page.
 
I had to hop up like that once too because I left some oreos on top of the refrigerator and I was trying to see where they were. I'm not sure if oreo hopping is a sport however.
 
cleary said:
It's a great game, we all love it. I just don't see why people have to try to make it into something it's not. There are some great athletes that happen to be very good at pool. Also some people that can hardly tie their shoes who are great at pool. Sure, playing a 10ahead set, you might walk 15 miles. But walking 15 miles isn't a sport either.

It takes the same amount of physical ability to play pool as it does to throw darts or beer pong. The break is the only part of pool that really takes some sort of athletic ability but lets be real... if you're sweating and out of breath from playing pool you're the opposite of an athlete.
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Beer pong for dinner next time I see u.Its on..
 
Nothing is a sport that an old man or an obese person can beat me at. That includes golf, bowling, darts, pool, deer hunting, car racing, eating and fishing. Especially deer hunting, I think they should call it "baiting", but that's a debate for a different time.

Pool is a game. JMHO.

-J
 
cleary said:
... if you're sweating and out of breath from playing pool you're the opposite of an athlete.
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Sit and watch Thorsten Hohmann practice for an hour or so. He gets flushed and his skin looks shiny from perspiration. Few pool players are as fit as Toastie, but he puts a lot of energy into his practice and it shows.

When someone is controlling everything from their toes to their fingertips in a very precise and controlled way, they expend a lot of energy that's just not apparent to a casual observer. I used to do Tai Chi for several hours a day. To the outside observer I looked relaxed while I moved in ultra-slow motion. Inside I could feel the heat build up until the sweat poured off me. Back then I ran 5 miles a day, so it wasn't like I was out of shape. Lol

I'm in pretty rough shape these days do to various maladies, so I can't exercise like I used to, but I get warmer and more flushed moving around the table practicing hard than I do taking a brisk 2-mile walk. Just me, maybe... me and Hohmann. :cool:
 
Sport vs. Game

Baseball, football, basketball, golf, bowling, billiards and darts. These are all games (this is fact). These are all games that are played at professional levels (also fact). Some of these games are considered sports, some are not. I'm fairly certain that if you asked the people that played these games professionally if they considered them sports the answer would be yes from all of them.

As far as physical fitness goes? Anybody that plays this game that considered themselves to be out of shape, try this: work some more physical activity into your practice regimen. I do not mean arm or ankle weights I mean through in some cardio. Wake up, go for a twenty minute walk, go to work, come home, have dinner, hit the table for some practice and then go for another twenty minute walk. Wake up and do it all over again. Do this for six months and see if your game improves. I garuntee it will. Myself for example. I walking to the pool hall for practice (thanks to a DUI in Feb 2012). What was a 10 minute drive became a 45-60 minute walk. I can now make that walk in 25 minutes.

The better you stamina the better your game will be.

Jasmin, you look better than ever. Would you like walk to the pool hall with me for some practice?
 
Standbykid said:
Nothing is a sport that an old man or an obese person can beat me at. That includes golf, bowling, darts, pool, deer hunting, car racing, eating and fishing. Especially deer hunting, I think they should call it "baiting", but that's a debate for a different time.

Pool is a game. JMHO.

-J
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You wanna make dear hunting a sport, give the deer an automatic rifle and let em wait for the hunters. Then it would be a sport.
 
LuckyStroke said:
... walking to the pool hall for practice (thanks to a DUI in Feb 2012). What was a 10 minute drive became a 45-60 minute walk. I can now make that walk in 25 minutes.
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Sounded like a good idea to me since the pool hall is only a 15 minute drive. I just looked at it on Google Maps and its like 9 miles away. I ain't ever doing that one in 25 minutes. :eek:
 
RRfireblade said:
If you don't think pulling and holding off a fully drawn 50lb recurve bow takes alot physical strength then......
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Heck, Howard Hill used recurves well over 100 pound draw. 99% of pool players could never learn to draw the thing, he fired at charging lions.

Anyone thinks archery is just a game ought to check out this guy:


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2yorHswhzrU&feature=plpp


Notice that he doesn't ascribe to the SPF school of thought, either, and he never misses.

:rolleyes:
 
According to Earl it's a game.

I think a person doesn't have to be physicality fit to play well but it helps. I think we can all agree that boxing is a sport and yet Butterbean still competes despite being out of shape. Football is a sport and how many pro centers are in shape? (other than round of course!)

I don't think a person being athletically fit is a determining factor on whether the activity should be considered a sport or game.

Personally I think pool should be classified as a game as well as golf. For me, a sport is when your opponent/opponents have a direct physical impact on the outcome. In golf, pool, darts and other games when it is your turn, your opponent is powerless and cannot effect your performance during your turn. In baseball, football, hockey etc, your opponent can have a direct physical impact on whether or not you are successful.
 
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