SportsArchive1

January 22, 2002
Leo Rizzuti, Editor

As we near the Winter Olympic Games I feel that it is an appropriate time to state our official position as to what exactly the term �sports� encompasses. I know that this may come as a great surprise to many of you, but there are certain aspects of the Olympic Games that are not technically sports. This is especially prevalent in some of the most popular areas of world competition, as you will plainly see.

First, however, we must clearly define what is meant when someone says the word �sport.� To be engaged in sports, one must be involved in a competitive activity that has a set standard for rules, a set method of scoring, and an equal playing field for all competitors in order to ensure fairness. It is mainly the aspect of scoring that knocks most "sports" in the Olympics out of their proper stature, and it is this area that I shall expand upon.

There are many events that are legitimate sports that make up the Winter Games. Included in these are hockey, speed skating, ski jumps, slalom skiing, and bobsled racing just to name a few. On the Summer side, legitimacy is found in track and field events, wrestling, weightlifting, and archery. Suprisingly, the events that do not constitute sports are some of the greatest attractions for the Olympics. Chief among these are figure skating and freestyle skiing in the Winter Games, and gymnastics in the Summer Games. I can hear you now: �How the heck can you possibly take the stand that these aren�t sports? Why, some of the greatest athletes to ever compete on the world stage were involved in these areas!� If you will just calm down and keep your �I Love Michelle Kwan� shirt on, I shall enlighten you.

What is it that makes hockey a sport and not figure skating? Both involve an ice rink, skates, and split-second timing. Correct, but that is where the differences begin. Hockey has the distinction of having a legitimate score for a measurable action, whereas figure skating does not. �Oh, come on now�, you may be saying. �I�ve seen figure skating and I know for a fact that there is a whole lot of scoring going on there.� You would be right, too. They do give scores in figure skating. But wait! Who is �they�? �They� are the judges, and �they� are what makes figure skating a non-sport. How many times have you watched figure skating and heard the comment �Boy, the German judges didn�t like that one. Everyone else gave high marks, but the Germans are two full points lower. That�s really going to hurt Mitzi down the road�? I have some shocking news for you people: any time someone�s opinion on how well something is done determines who wins and loses, that event ceases being a sport and becomes a �competition�. If this was a true sport, then you could honestly make the argument for including watercolor painting in the Olympic Games. Could you imagine Wayne Gretsky scoring a goal and then having a judge on the sidelines jump up and say �Well, Wayne, it is true that you scored a goal. However, the scorer from Indonesia didn�t quite like your form on the landing, so we�re only giving you a half of a point�? It doesn�t matter if a goal is scored as the scorer is falling face first into the popcorn vendor, a goal within the rules is a goal. Are gymnasts and the such athletes? Certainly. Does it take years of dedicated training to be a world-class figure skater? Of course it does. Do people enjoy watching them? Oh, yeah. Heck, I know some guys who tape figure skating just to pan the jumps in slow motion. Does this make them become a sport? No. A competition, yes.

But not a sport.