https://www.chess.com/forum/view/off-topic/are-crossword-puzzles-and-jumbles-a-sport
Is chess a sport?
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Jul 4, 2019
0
#264
Optimissed wrote:
I'm sorry but I'm starting to think that people who claim that it's a sport are really quite thick, and I'm sure that can't be the case, can it?
Nope, you are quite thick. It is evident by your lack of self awareness. You seem to think that it is justified for you to make personal attacks on other people but no one should do it against you. Get good, you hypocrite 👍.
Jul 4, 2019
0
#265
if i'm not mistaken (it would be the first time, obviously) the hot dog eating contest was broadcast earlier today on espn?
i don't think it has anything to do with standards, but ratings. it's independence day, when few spend time in front of the tube. similar to when they broadcast bowling or figure skating while the world series or football playoffs are on other channels.
That is neither here nor there. The plain truth is because an event has a viewing audience and/or participants of their own volition. The event now has one point of the criterion of becoming into a sport. Of whence exist 3.
In the following cases where an event became sports. Some of the activity that occurs sometimes doesn't cross your imaginary line of physical exertion. It doesn't even matter if all parties involved are willing participants further illustrating how any activity that has an audience qualifies.
Point of order; in the case of billiards, both parties are playing the sport willingly. But, not so much in the case of the Roman Coliseum. Although very much a sport the person who probably will lose to the Lion is not that thrilled about being part of the Event. Such is the matter of the Hunt where it is the Lion that is not happy about the event. It doesn't really matter however the common thread exists in that the audience is optimal in all those things considered constituting a sport.
There doesn't seem to be a minimum amount of physical exertion necessary as far as the audience is concerned. The viewers one concern is who will be named the victor.
Not much labor is involved in the setting of a bear trap. But, where the rug is the trophy it doesn't matter if hunting according to your concept of a sport that requires physical stamina is utilized.
Once all parties concerned decide on the rules and that it is worthy of attention albeit sometimes only the participants partake in that decision.
Then for obvious reason, the activity has now evolved from whatever into a sport!
It is not solely up to just you and your criterion but the matter has grown out of your hands.
...equals chess is a sport!
RSVP so I can write to you yet again what you should have got through your head already. Point=round peg Your head= square hole.
Timothy Scott Puente
Jul 5, 2019
0
#266
Couple of things from someone who thinks chess can be considered a sport.
1. Chess is not exercise for the body, although exercise can improve chess performance.
2. No one is gonna prove that chess is a sport. No one is gonna prove that it is not. Opinions are all you have on either side.
3. It is well established that the common understanding of the word sport--the way most people use it most of the time--refers to athletics (physical skill). Chess does not qualify.
I was gonna stop here when I started this post, but my fingers kept moving across the keyboard.
So, why do I embrace the notion of chess as sport?
Hmmm...
Deep psychological need to conceal my nerdiness?
Hunger for money?
Nope. Take your psychobabble to a place sunshine cannot reach.
I have coached youth chess players for twenty years. I like the kids, parents, teachers, and administrators to recognize the kids when they succeed at chess. Usually they do. Most of the top chess players are also fairly athletic, perform well in music competition, and abandon chess for math is cool and robotics.
I've seen people try to run chess clubs within gaming clubs. Within a few months, there are no chess players. There is a difference between chess and all those other games. One difference: no one is gonna be playing Fortnite ten years from now. In the 1970s, I spent a lot of Saturdays playing board games with a friend--Panzer Blitz, Wooden Ships and Iron Men, Tobruk, and lots that I've forgotten. There were very few games that we played twice. I decided that I would prefer to play one game well. I increased the time I spent with chess. My friend didn't enjoy playing chess with me any more. He no longer had a chance. None of that makes it a sport, necessarily. Maybe it offers a reason to distinguish chess from Parcheesi (another very old game).
Chess might be better termed a "mind sport". How, then, can we exclude Scrabble and Bridge? I'm not certain that we can.
I'm not gonna convince Optimissed, AlCervik, or PatriotGames, all of whom have brought more logic and reason to this thread that the advocates of considering chess as sport. They want proof. There is none.
I've delved into the etymology in this thread and two or three others. In the language, mild amusements are the root of sport. Original meanings do not restrict how words are used and often get left far behind. That mostly seems to be the case with sport, which has come to denote amusements of a physical nature. The root would embrace things like betting on dogs--racing or fighting, both of which might be sport for the animal, but not for the humans involved. Both also have been deemed unreasonably cruel for good reason.
Etymology is part of my argument, but it's not convincing.
Jul 5, 2019
0
#267
Ziryab wrote:
26JAY26 wrote:
Chess is a competition.
Sports are a competition.
Chess is a sport.
One of the worst syllogisms I've ever seen. Almost bad enough to send me to the dark side.
I was going to say something, but it's probably fair to say neither one of us want him on your side.
Ziryab wrote:
Couple of things from someone who thinks chess can be considered a sport.
1. Chess is not exercise for the body, although exercise can improve chess performance.
2. No one is gonna prove that chess is a sport. No one is gonna prove that it is not. Opinions are all you have on either side.
3. It is well established that the common understanding of the word sport--the way most people use it most of the time--refers to athletics (physical skill). Chess does not qualify.
I was gonna stop here when I started this post, but my fingers kept moving across the keyboard.
So, why do I embrace the notion of chess as sport?
Hmmm...
Deep psychological need to conceal my nerdiness?
Hunger for money?
Nope. Take your psychobabble to a place sunshine cannot reach.
I have coached youth chess players for twenty years. I like the kids, parents, teachers, and administrators to recognize the kids when they succeed at chess. Usually they do. Most of the top chess players are also fairly athletic, perform well in music competition, and abandon chess for math is cool and robotics.
I've seen people try to run chess clubs within gaming clubs. Within a few months, there are no chess players. There is a difference between chess and all those other games. One difference: no one is gonna be playing Fortnite ten years from now. In the 1970s, I spent a lot of Saturdays playing board games with a friend--Panzer Blitz, Wooden Ships and Iron Men, Tobruk, and lots that I've forgotten. There were very few games that we played twice. I decided that I would prefer to play one game well. I increased the time I spent with chess. My friend didn't enjoy playing chess with me any more. He no longer had a chance. None of that makes it a sport, necessarily. Maybe it offers a reason to distinguish chess from Parcheesi (another very old game).
Chess might be better termed a "mind sport". How, then, can we exclude Scrabble and Bridge? I'm not certain that we can.
I'm not gonna convince Optimissed, AlCervik, or PatriotGames, all of whom have brought more logic and reason to this thread that the advocates of considering chess as sport. They want proof. There is none.
I've delved into the etymology in this thread and two or three others. In the language, mild amusements are the root of sport. Original meanings do not restrict how words are used and often get left far behind. That mostly seems to be the case with sport, which has come to denote amusements of a physical nature. The root would embrace things like betting on dogs--racing or fighting, both of which might be sport for the animal, but not for the humans involved. Both also have been deemed unreasonably cruel for good reason.
Etymology is part of my argument, but it's not convincing.
I really like this. Your best contribution by far. I totally agree it's just a matter of opinion, which is why I dont care who thinks it's a sport or not. What someone believes will never affect what I believe or what I do or what I enjoy.
Chess cannot be a sport, by definition. But I also understand people have really strong belief systems, which is why we have so many religions. As long as someones belief system doesn't hurt me or the people around me, I dont care.
BTW, ESPN does not consider chess a sport.
Jul 5, 2019
0
#270
The consensus is that whether chess is a sport or not is just an opinion. Now whose opinion is worth more Olympics Committee and SportsAccord or chess.com users.
Jul 5, 2019
0
#271
lfPatriotGames wrote:
I really like this. Your best contribution by far. I totally agree it's just a matter of opinion, which is why I dont care who thinks it's a sport or not. What someone believes will never affect what I believe or what I do or what I enjoy.
Chess cannot be a sport, by definition. But I also understand people have really strong belief systems, which is why we have so many religions. As long as someones belief system doesn't hurt me or the people around me, I dont care.
BTW, ESPN does not consider chess a sport.
Thanks.
I would modify the first sentence of the second paragraph:
Chess is not a sport according to the common understanding of the term, as the dictionary makes clear.
With such qualification of your essential point, you will get less resistance from me. Having spent a good deal of my professional life working with texts where the authors were deliberately pushing the boundaries of language, I recognize both the value and the limitations of dictionary definitions. The dictionary never settles matters when it comes to understanding poetry, for instance. But, it is often a necessary tool nonetheless.
ESPN is a company. Does it have an opinion?
I do get the sense that your last statement reflects some fact checking on your part. Can you share more?
Jul 5, 2019
0
#272
lfPatriotGames wrote:
I really like this. Your best contribution by far. I totally agree it's just a matter of opinion, which is why I dont care who thinks it's a sport or not. What someone believes will never affect what I believe or what I do or what I enjoy.
Chess cannot be a sport, by definition. But I also understand people have really strong belief systems, which is why we have so many religions. As long as someones belief system doesn't hurt me or the people around me, I dont care.
BTW, ESPN does not consider chess a sport.
How do you define the word sport, that's what matters. The definition of the word sport varies between sources.
Ziryab wrote:
lfPatriotGames wrote:
I really like this. Your best contribution by far. I totally agree it's just a matter of opinion, which is why I dont care who thinks it's a sport or not. What someone believes will never affect what I believe or what I do or what I enjoy.
Chess cannot be a sport, by definition. But I also understand people have really strong belief systems, which is why we have so many religions. As long as someones belief system doesn't hurt me or the people around me, I dont care.
BTW, ESPN does not consider chess a sport.
Thanks.
I would modify the first sentence of the second paragraph:
Chess is not a sport according to the common understanding of the term, as the dictionary makes clear.
With such qualification of your essential point, you will get less resistance from me. Having spent a good deal of my professional life working with texts where the authors were deliberately pushing the boundaries of language, I recognize both the value and the limitations of dictionary definitions. The dictionary never settles matters when it comes to understanding poetry, for instance. But, it is often a necessary tool nonetheless.
ESPN is a company. Does it have an opinion?
I do get the sense that your last statement reflects some fact checking on your part. Can you share more?
You are right. I did. ESPN does not consider chess a sport, just as it does not consider the national spelling bee a sport. But apparently at some point it has covered both. He said there are no plans currently to cover chess, but that could change. I guess that makes sense since I think the E in ESPN means entertainment.
hikarunaku wrote:
lfPatriotGames wrote:
I really like this. Your best contribution by far. I totally agree it's just a matter of opinion, which is why I dont care who thinks it's a sport or not. What someone believes will never affect what I believe or what I do or what I enjoy.
Chess cannot be a sport, by definition. But I also understand people have really strong belief systems, which is why we have so many religions. As long as someones belief system doesn't hurt me or the people around me, I dont care.
BTW, ESPN does not consider chess a sport.
How do you define the word sport, that's what matters. The definition of the word sport varies between sources.
I think the definition is pretty clear. Maybe a better way to look at it is the fact is chess is not a sport, but the belief is that it can be. You can believe in something that's not true, people do it all the time.
I propose a truce. I will agree that chess is not a sport, if you agree that women are always right.
Jul 5, 2019
0
#275
If you consider a sport to be strictly a physical activity then chess is not a sport. But since many sources define the word sport based on a different criteria, they also include Chess as a sport.
My unbiased opinion is that given the history and popularity of chess and some other activities/sports which are not strictly physical, were included as a sport by the esteemed Olympics Committee and SportsAccord. Thereby implying that a sport does not necessarily have to be a physical activity.
Everyone agrees that the above mentioned Sports bodies are the two sole international sports bodies. Since they define the word sport to include activities which are not strictly physical in their nature, therefore I say that in the real world Chess is a Sport.
Jul 5, 2019
0
#277
Like the Art crowd squabbling about what is Art... and what is not. Even a dictionary cannot win this argument, because there will be different definitions. Kasparov said Chess is Art... and he is better player than anybody here. Argument over.
Jul 5, 2019
0
#278
It feels like if I say chess is a sport, then moving my thumbs on the remote control to watch TV is exercise.
But I love chess and also Im a total couch potato... so Im not complaining.
Jul 6, 2019
0
#279
hikarunaku wrote:
If you consider a sport to be strictly a physical activity then chess is not a sport. But since many sources define the word sport based on a different criteria, they also include Chess as a sport.
My unbiased opinion is that given the history and popularity of chess and some other activities/sports which are not strictly physical, were included as a sport by the esteemed Olympics Committee and SportsAccord. Thereby implying that a sport does not necessarily have to be a physical activity.
Everyone agrees that the above mentioned Sports bodies are the two sole international sports bodies. Since they define the word sport to include activities which are not strictly physical in their nature, therefore I say that in the real world Chess is a Sport.
This thread is concluded by this explanation. Thank you for your contributions.
if i'm not mistaken (it would be the first time, obviously) the hot dog eating contest was broadcast earlier today on espn?
i don't think it has anything to do with standards, but ratings. it's independence day, when few spend time in front of the tube. similar to when they broadcast bowling or figure skating while the world series or football playoffs are on other channels.