WHAT IS A SPORT?
Have you ever given any thought to what constitutes a “sport” now -.today during our 2lst Century?
You well be surprised by the number and variety of types of activity which are on such a list in the general category of “sports” It is far more than simply an activity which calls for participants to move a ball through a set pattern or course against opposition to his doing so.
The term “sports”:is confused with the word “games” especially with those demanding physical exertion because “sports”, to many people suggests physical actions called exercises thought to be beneficial to the human body both in maintenance and upkeep of the structure..
When we think of such activities we usually start with the old Roman and Greek concepts of what made a sport, The so-called Roman “games” come to mind as examples of brutal competitions devised to graphically show qualities of bravery, stamina, endurance and the earlier Greek Olympic games were, perhaps, less stringent and demanding on those involved with some,e exceptions Our sports heritage stems from both sets of rules to some degree and there has been a nationalistic break-down to include regional and other activities
Some are not generally accepted as being sports:at all. We have also included “games”which are merchandised to fit current fads.
Your list would, of course, would contain those which are potentially blood-letting. What would head such a list today Where do we start? Boxing? Wrestling. Diving? High or sky ?” How about Fencing? Football, hockey, soccer and others? Where do we place automobile racing? It thrives on disaster potential in the mind of many fans.
We are going to have to re-define what we mean by the term “sports”and what we mean by a “game” which is an exhibition played largely for the accumulation of statistics which set the participants apart from others. The English language has about a dozen or so meanings for this word “sport” and we need to limit our classifications of them to keep those which are of an athletic nature separated from those which are to be observed rather than played.
Another reform which should be taken seriously concerns the rising costs of participation in favorite sports, Referring once more to the ancient Greek and Roman examples ,both were free to the public and underwritten by government. We should pay our own way in sports and , it is logical that a fee be charged to sustain the costs of the operation which can be related to the amount of financial help available through commercial sponsorship by business firms. The cost of attending baseball, football and auto racing events is currently prohibitive for many people. If sports activity is to grow in America some serious attendance must be paid to keeping the cost of admission at reasonable levels. And, there has to be a better way of paying players for their services than the existing system of public bidding in millions of dollars for extended contractual agreements.
The sports world is a bit hazy with such things obscuring the very real and essential values of sports in the well-being of our nation. Reformation is badly needed from within to avoid disaster.
A.L.M. April 5, 2004 [c551wds]
