Thread: What makes someone an athlete?

I am curious to know everyone'e opinion. Sandra here stated that Lance Armstrong nor Tiger Woods are NOT athletes because they do not play defense or offense.

Originally Posted by SandraC

While you can consider him an athlete if you like, IMHO he is certainly not an athlete in the same context as baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, etc. players are.

And again, I love Lance Armstrong. I'm a triathlete, but even if I won every race I entered I am not an athlete either, at least not in the same sense as Mia Hamm, Serena Williams, Diana Taurasi, etc. are.

Am I in good shape and extremely conditioned? Yes. Can I come close to doing what they do? Not a chance. Nobody plays defense on you in a triathlon.


Sandra

What do you folks think, do you HAVE to play defense or offense to be considered and athlete? And WHO do you consider an athlete?

Athlete: anyone who competes in a sport requiring physical activity.

Non-Athlete: race car drivers, poker players, chess players (ie: if you sit on your ass or need an engine you are not doing anything more than I am typing this).

Originally Posted by anders5189

Athlete: anyone who competes in a sport requiring physical activity.

Non-Athlete: race car drivers, poker players, chess players (ie: if you sit on your ass or need an engine you are not doing anything more than I am typing this).

SPOT on!!

This is an athlete:



This is not an athlete:

the literal definition is 'someone trained to compete in sports' and has little/nothing to do with how fit or the effort required.

If some of you think you can do what Tiger does, feel free, he's the first billion dollar athlete for a reason, and it's not cause he has more hoes than luke wilson has post cards on that ATT commercial.

Trying to say Lance Armstrong isn't an athlete is pretty ridiculous, what he does is as strenuous as marathon runners and whatnot. Again, if you think you can do better who's stopping you. Oh, toss in some cancer (and then beat it) while you're at it and you'll have the full Lance Armstrong experience.

I tend to agree with Charles Barkley's definition, as an example he said Tiger Woods is not a great athlete but is highly skilled (and this was recently confirmed by one of Wood's mistresses, although it was a different arena).

Race car drivers, jockeys, etc., are good because of their skills, they may or may not be good athletes, it really is not relavent to their event. I used to drive to Denver on business trips and I hardly felt athletic after the 8-9 hour drive.

I think every board, talk radio show, and friendly discussion at a bar, has been down the "are race drivers athletes" path, along with bowlers, card players, etc. The "must play offense and defense" idea is a new one on me, though.

Personally, I think that anything that is judged is not a sport. Gymnastics, diving, figure skating, etc. The people doing it are athletic, but so are people unloading a truck. Its just a judged competition, like a science fair.

As to races, be they on foot, on a bike, in a pool or whatever, its a sport. Its just not a very interesting sport.

Auto racing, at its highest level, involved highly trained reflexes. Race car drivers, along with jockeys and such, are athletes.

As to the NBA, wrestling, etc. Not sports. Performances.

Originally Posted by anders5189

Athlete: anyone who competes in a sport requiring physical activity.

Non-Athlete: race car drivers, poker players, chess players (ie: if you sit on your ass or need an engine you are not doing anything more than I am typing this).

I agree except the race car drivers. They have to be in very good physical shape to turn the wheel of a 6000 pound vehicle at 180 mph. You try it sometime.

Golfers aren't athletes, John Daily is the example. Damn I agreed with Sandra.

Lance Armstrong is a athlete, Ok I disagree with her again, whew things are right with the world again.