I think the original meaning for 'sport' is something like 'diversion'. In other words it's a diversion from the regular daily life. I don't see any problem with calling it a sport. It doesn't need to be a competition to be a sport.
No way. I don't see how is can be a sport when it is not a competition. There is no winner or loser. It is an activity/hobby/pastime. Of course there are many of us here who take bowhunting very seriously and enjoy it more than most can understand. There are certainly feelings of accomplishment and at times you can even feel defeated, but that is not a valid reason to call it a sport IMO. You can experience these same feelings at your job. It is not a sport. I like Kyle's description, "strategic game". It's sorta like a chess game that you know will never end.
sport /spɔrt, spoʊrt/ Show Spelled[spawrt, spohrt] Show IPA –noun 1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf,bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc. 2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors. 3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime. 4. jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry: What he said in sport was taken seriously. 5. mockery; ridicule; derision: They made sport of him. 6. an object of derision; laughingstock. 7. something treated lightly or tossed about like a plaything. 8. something or someone subject to the whims or vicissitudes of fate, circumstances, etc. 9. a sportsman. [Middle English sporte, short for disporte, from Old French desport, pleasure, from desporter, to divert; see [FONT=arial,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]disport[/SIZE][/FONT].] ....for those interested in the actual definition.
That's how I thought up until today, but you can make anything competitive or not competitive, even a sport. Just like you can chose to make bowhunting competitive. Traditionally I would have never called bowhunting a sport. But today I compared the characteristics and I found nothing that suggested bowhunting wasn't when compared to all the traditional sports, which is why I'm utterly shocked for the day. What I realized today is it's your choice. If you take it serious, you can compete with others, which for me was the one missing characteristic. Up until this year I was never really competitive with my hunting. Whether you're competiting for antlers, a buck, or a doe, it's still dependent on the level you chose to take it. Some guys might just do it to sit in the woods to relax. Well... others lift weights, run, and hit a few golf balls to relax. Does that mean those are not a sports at all? No, it means they chose to not compete with others, but it's still a sport.
Thanks Christine, that's the first thing I did when I started rolling all of this around in my head. Gotta love dictionary.com.
With the criteria you are using, anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, could be considered a sport. Competition =/= Sport
When I think of a sport, I think of an activity that challenges my body and my mind, bowhunting does both, and while I might consider it a sport in instance, you'll probably not hear me refer to bowhunting as a sport. Creating run-on sentences, that's my sport.
Hunting is not a sport..LOL. If the deer knew we were hunting them and could turn the tables on us and KILL US, then it would be considered a sport.
To me bowhunting is the farthest thing from a sport! I'm not in it for competition, I don't join any sort of contests etc..... I hunt for me, its more of a life style!
why? Golf hasnt' been leisure for me in about 20 years. no... bowhunting is NOT a sport. Hard work? Yes. So is working at a steel mill. Sport? no.
Aside from the fact that I want something to show for my hard work? I'm competiting against other people to see who can get a deer. I'm not in a place where you see hundreds of deer each season and there are plenty of hunters. So wheter I want to or not, I have to compete against other hunters just to see a deer, let alone kill one.
Thank you. What's interesting......is the votes are almost 50/50....and nobody's admitted it's a sport......lol. ESPN? Please. You DO know what ESPN stands for...................right?
