What makes someone an athlete?

[salsadancer7]

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.

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?

 

[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).

 

[salsadancer7]

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!! :up:up:up

 

[SabresRule]

This is an athlete:

This is not an athlete:

 

[meStevo]

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.

 

[WTguy]

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.

 

[SamCdbs]

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.

 

[Ramy]

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.

 

[cybok0]

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.

 

[meStevo]

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 disagree, Tiger is a fantastic athlete because of his skill, but his sport doesn't require him to be athletic, two different things that I think have been merged somehow to define the word resulting in the creation of this thread.

 

[Ramy]

John Daly doesn't win, because he doesn't work out and try to stay in shape.

 

[salsadancer7]

It takes MORE skill to do what Tiger does to be as good as he is and less athletism. With Lance, it takes it takes more athletic skills to be as good as he is. They are both athletes....if Tiger was not in the physical condition he is in....he is GOOD...MAYBE even great. But not all-world amazing.

 

[DodgerKing]

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.



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?

I often make a distinction between athletics and sports. All sports have athletes and all sports are athletic events, but not all athletes play a sport and not all athletic events are a sport.

Too me a sport must be both athletic and a game. There are many athletic events that involve a lot of athleticism, such as running or skiing (my weekly athletic hobby), but I would not consider them a sport as they are not games.

 

[AntAltMike]

I believe SandraC's comment regarding offense and defense is being misconstrued. I took it to mean that she doesn't regard a sports competition as an athletic endeavor if someone's efforts aren't being physically challenged or impeded by someone else.

Golf in an endeavor in which athleticism is an asset, but not as important as it is in other sports,. I can outrun a few guys who have played on the pro-tour. can outwrestle a lot more, and I can hit a golf ball farther than Corey Pavin can. Am I a better athlete than they are? I think most people will say I'm not. My low round of golf, on a wide open course, is only an 80.

In fact, just about any kid currently playing varsity high school baseball can hit a golfball farther than Corey Pavin can, even if he has never played golf.

 

[TNGTony]

I wonder if anyone saying that race car drivers are not athlete have ever driven a car on a race track at speed for more than 10 minutes. Even a scale car on a scale track. I have (both scale and full-size). I can tell you that if you are not in shape, you are out of breath in no time due to the physical exertion just trying to keep yourself in the seat! This is especially true on a road course. Towards the end of Richard Petty's career he had to have an oxygen bottle to be competitive. There are some chubby race drivers out there, but do you all remember baseball's Fernando Valenzuela?

Driving a race car fits any definition of athlete you care to come up with. I know it is heresy to say this to some. From physical exertion to competition to hand-eye coordination, to teamwork to offensive and defensive tactics to any other parameter you wish conjure up race car drivers fit the bill.

To me the word athlete conjures up thought of physical exertion and competition. Chess, Poker, and other board games do not meet my definition. However, the strict definition of athlete is a participant in a sporting event. The word sporting can be extended to any competitive activity which does include things like poker, unfortunately.

 

[anders5189]

Race car drivers are no more athletes than delivery guys for UPS are.

 

[raoul5788]

Race car drivers are no more athletes than delivery guys for UPS are.

You have never driven a Winston Cup car, have you? I have, and believe me, it's not that easy. I drove one for 20 miles at 135 mph with two other cars on the track. Try it with 20-30 others at 200 mph, 6" apart! They are athletes.

 

[anders5189]

You have never driven a Winston Cup car, have you? I have, and believe me, it's not that easy. I drove one for 20 miles at 135 mph with two other cars on the track. Try it with 20-30 others at 200 mph, 6" apart! They are athletes.

Keep telling yourself that. Are pilots and astronauts athletes too? If you have an engine powering you you are not an athlete. Horses are more athletes than race car drivers.

 

[salsadancer7]

Race car drivers are no more athletes than delivery guys for UPS are.

LMAO!! You kill me some times....

 

[mccoyrj]

Golfers aren't athletes...

Agreed. Case in point...

Also, anyone that can bike those passes in the Tour de France at the speeds they do - without doping - is an athlete.