The Modern Day Re-Definining of Sports and Athletes

Is it just me, or have you noticed that there is a general shift in the world of televised sports towards activities which have historically (and rightfully so) been considered more pastimes than sports? You know, I think it has a lot to do with what people these days consider sport and how people define competition. Traditionally, I think it would be safe to say that sports were comprised of athletes who had undergone rigorous training, to the point that they are physically able to perform at competitive levels that others are not. Aspects of physical fitness such as endurance, speed, strength, and agility were highly valued in athletes, particularly with trained athletes in team sports, who competed against one another. Much of what was considered a sport was the ingrained notion of physical training, of developing speed, strength, accuracy, etc. You can see this in hockey and basketball, in swimming, tennis, and volleyball as well - these athletes are well developed physically and perform at levels most of us cannot realize for ourselves in our lifetime.

Flipping through the TV channels these days (I don't have cable, but know what's playing and also have access to internet nightly sports wrap-up shows), I see that what is now considered fodder for the sports nut is pretty loosely defined. Consider that on any given week (or even weeknight), you will see one or more of the following on the sports programs: curling, NASCAR racing, equestrian, bowling, darts, and now lately, the mother-of-all-things-non-sport, poker. My goodness. Freaking poker is now considered a sport! Actually, did not ABC Sports air the World Spelling Bee Championships earlier this summer? Sheesh! Sorry to all those folks that love to play poker, but how is poker a sport? You sit on your ass and flip cards around, while you chew on a toothpick and look through your way-too-dark sunglasses? Heck, I'd consider sitting on the toilet a more athletic activity. At the very least, you're exerting yourself physically!

Equestrian and NASCAR have always been two of my biggest beefs with televised "sports". Yes, they've been around forever (unfortunately). In either case, what kind of physical training does one really need to do? The car and the horse are doing all the work - OK, sure you need to know how to point the car or the horse in the right direction, but surely you can't tell me that making 500 left turns in one afternoon is a testament to the triumph of the human body. Or that making Mr. Ed jump some obstacles somehow qualifies as rigorous activity (before all you horse-lovers start emailing me to complain, yes, I do realize that the horse is actually working, but why is the horse not interviewed afterwards? They always interview the freaking jockey, who just pulls the reins). I'm sure there's more to it than that, but I'd say probably not much more.

Bowling - that would be a little better, but have you seen the shape of some of these guys (I mean shape from a fitness perspective, as well as from a physically geometrical perspective). These dudes will probably run out of breath leaving the bowling alley in the event that someone pulled the fire alarm. Same for darts. I'd say that yes, you train for accuracy, but throwing a dart is hardly exhausting and will burn off the calories? Again, just look at the shape of most dart players (fitness and geometry).

Yes, I know what you will say next - how come I'm not slamming golf? I mean, they have John Daly available, with all his girth and cigarette smoking. And who can forget this year's PGA championship, where eventual winner Angel Cabrera, a pretty big man, if I can say that, was seen a bit out of breath walking up the 18th green, all the while puffing a large cigar. OK, I will have to admit, golf is not a great example of athletic prowess, but it is better than all those others I described above. At least the human is actually walking. At least, there is swing strength to consider. It also works your upper body, and you're swinging much more than in baseball (which is another one of those borderline sports, but I'd chalk it up as a sport because of the fact that there is definitely fitness involved - in baserunning, in pitching, in fielding (maybe not the outfielders per se). Most recreational players in golf also have to haul their own bag around, so that adds to the workout. I am not saying that golf is on the same level as hockey or volleyball or wrestling, but it's more rigorous than the others I have listed.

I think much of this has to do with the eroding, if not all-out reduced standards for what is considered physical discipline, as it relates to fitness. You see elsewhere in society where standards have eroded (look at education or general work ethic). Even in department and clothing stores has this trend become apparent, with stores offering "plus-sized" clothing, thereby accepting that it's OK to be obese, rather than pushing people towards become more fit and active. With more people spending time in front of TVs and computers, the producers of sporting programs need to cater to a less-than-active viewership than they used to. Surely they can't continue to show physically top-of-the-level athletes to a bunch of pot-bellied couch potatoes whose idea of physical exercise is pressing the remote. Unfortunately, though, but showing these less-than-active "sports", they continue to perpetuate physical complacency amongst their viewership, and what was once considered a standard (being physically fit) that people should strive towards, is now simply a token means of empathy to the person who is willing to settle for less.