http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/06/2 ... latestnews

So is it? Let's try not to turn this thread into hot cheerleader pictures (but if we must, we must).

Its much of a fake sport as golf.... Keep the skirts and I am happy.

Hell yeah its a sport, as mentally and physically demanding as synchronized swimming or Curling

Having said that, I think that real issue of the article you posted is funding for the said sport for the clearly cash strapped school. AND, the article barely touches on what Title 9 really is. Old and outdated policy based on the idea of equal opportunity for everyone. Lots of school cheat this system, the school in the article does this. Its simple really

Said school has a small volleyball team at 6k a female. The cheerleading squad has more than double the participants at 1k a female. So Money saved can be spent on other sports that bring the school money. This also has the bonus effect of satisfying title 9 a bit better. If you can get more females involved in a "sport" you dont have to worry so much about the amount of men you have involved in sports. Then many schools try to cheat title 9 by saying some female plays soccer, hockey, and volleyball, counts as 3 females and not 1. And again by doing this, you dont have to worry about the amount of involved in sports. Thats why schools add and drop people from the roster, to satisfy title 9.

So its really a two prong attack for a school trying to solve their predictament. Good find on the article, almost dabs with a lil bit of politics in terms of "equal opportunity for all" and "affirmative action." Something created back in the day so women could play sports as much as men, and now they are making the team regardless of athletic ability just to satisfy title 9 and save a few bucks. Its insulting to the female.

Noob- No argument from me that the true underlying tone here is political due to the money involved with costs for school activities. Most highschool clubs are given 500 dollars and that's it, whereas sports recieve money due to participation and other factors. Everything boils down to money. I just thought hmmmm this could beinteresting as what would qualify as a sport if cheerleading is given "sport status."

In that case. And a quick shout out to my alma mater




Looks like some serious technique is involved. I couldnt imagine tryin to get 3 fellas up in the air like that. At 170 pounds each, I'd say these ladies got it goin on..... with some serious technique

With out a doubt it is a sport.

sport (spôrt, sprt)

1.
- a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
- b. A particular form of this activity.
2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
3. An active pastime; recreation.

Tons of injures in cheer leading.

Definitely athletes.

I'd rather see schools cut cheerleading and golf programs than things like band.

However, realizing that each person has their own opinion of which extracurricular activities are important and have value, I'd say this one won't be resolved anytime soon... Bottom line is that school funding is screwed.

Too many administrative costs, too few academic standards, and an awful lot of time wasted, learning useless and irrelevant information. Our school system is a mess.

AZhitman wrote: Our school system is a mess.

But I'm still going to try and become a teacher who doesn't suck.

As for the topic at hand, I just have a hard time calling it a sport when you are judged on smiling and nail polish because I wouldn't call a beauty competition a sport. But here's two from my school

And the judges say .... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38347400/?GT1=43001

That's fuuuuu*ked up!

RCA wrote:With out a doubt it is a sport.

sport (spôrt, sprt)

1.
- a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
- b. A particular form of this activity.

I can debunk this definition in one word:

Chess.

AZhitman wrote:Chess.

And I can debunk that with two words...

Physical Activity.

Tell Steven Hawking that moving chess pieces isn't a physical activity.

I'll try my own word:

NASCAR.

Less thinking than chess and the car does most of the work...

AZhitman wrote:Tell Steven Hawking that moving chess pieces isn't a physical activity.

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictio ... l+activity

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz= ... d=0CBIQkAE

Sorry Mr. Hawking

bigbadberry3 wrote:I'll try my own word:

NASCAR.

Less thinking than chess and the car does most of the work...

You try driving a 120 degree car for 4 hours... You see it will test your stamina.

bigbadberry3 wrote:I'll try my own word:

NASCAR.

Less thinking than chess and the car does most of the work...

RCA wrote: You try driving a 120 degree car for 4 hours... You see it will test your stamina.

No, it will test how well I sweat and how long I can hold my pee. (Very well, think camelish).

bigbadberry3 wrote:I'll try my own word:

NASCAR.

Less thinking than chess and the car does most of the work...

Tell you what - You meet me at any road course, do 20 laps in the PASSENGER seat and we'll see how well you hold up.

NEITHER of those statements is accurate.

Pro race car drivers are athletes. Anyone who says otherwise has never done any track time.

RCA wrote:Sorry Mr. Hawking

Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that result in an expenditure of energy.

Any form of exercise or movement.

Physical activity does not require athletic or competitive skill - It can be as simple as small motions. Ask any nursing home staff.

(...waits for the inevitable "old guy" wisecracks... )

AZhitman wrote:Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that result in an expenditure of energy.

Any form of exercise or movement.

Physical activity does not require athletic or competitive skill - It can be as simple as small motions. Ask any nursing home staff.

(...waits for the inevitable "old guy" wisecracks... )

You forgot a key phrase in that sentence

Any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that increases energy expenditure above a basal level.
- http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/glossary/

So yes, chess "could be" considered a sport... if you were Steven Hawking.
But we are not, assuming you are a healthy man, chess wouldn't be considered a sport to either of us, but cheerleading would be.

But the more I look into it, the more clear the definition of physical activity becomes.
http://www.medhelp.org/medical-informat ... l-activity
http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/oei_ss/downl ... TICAL4.pdf

It is safe to say that when defining the word "sport" no one used the term physical activity to describe the fundamental movements that occur on a daily basis. If that was the case Scrabble would be a sport.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1424733/

So, if we're saying ALL sports involve "rigorous" physical activity, I'd propose that golf is not a sport.

AZhitman wrote:

bigbadberry3 wrote:I'll try my own word:

NASCAR.

Less thinking than chess and the car does most of the work...

Tell you what - You meet me at any road course, do 20 laps in the PASSENGER seat and we'll see how well you hold up.

NEITHER of those statements is accurate.

Pro race car drivers are athletes. Anyone who says otherwise has never done any track time.

I said NASCAR for a reason. They do maybe one road course a year?

Nevertheless, sports and the definition of sport is open to interpretation. Sport does not equal athletic.

Well you brought the word "rigorous" into the conversation but "above basal level" seems more appropriate. As for golf being a sport, I think it should be technicality a sport but I feel it is the least physical of sports. It is the closer to chess then it is to "sport". I personally have a difficult time saying golf is a sport but if the definition of sport is what I posted earlier, then yes, I guess it is a sport.

But for me, if you retire at 65 and then decide to play golf to relax... It can't be a sport.

bigbadberry3 wrote:I said NASCAR for a reason. They do maybe one road course a year?

Nevertheless, sports and the definition of sport is open to interpretation. Sport does not equal athletic.

I still think you are WAY off but I don't see this going any where so...

bigbadberry3 wrote: I said NASCAR for a reason. They do maybe one road course a year?

Even if they did none, I'd still disagree. Amazing physical stamina and concentration required to run 200mph in a balky, hot, loud car in heavy (and aggressive) traffic.

Some surgeries take that long for doctors to perform and those require immense concentration and standing for hours.

bigbadberry3 wrote:Some surgeries take that long for doctors to perform and those require immense concentration and standing for hours.

When was the last time you saw two doctors having a surgery contest?

I'm stating there are lots of things that require immense concentration and physical stamina and they are not considered sports.

If anything that contains competitiveness equals sports than pretty much everything in the world could be considered a sport.

bigbadberry3 wrote:I'm stating there are lots of things that require immense concentration and physical stamina and they are not considered sports.

Right - But you left out athleticism, speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, balance, etc.

I think a PROPER definition would include some or all of those.

And I still hold that auto racers are indeed athletes. Concentration and physical stamina are not their SOLE traits. They possess most, if not all, the ones I listed above.

This is not a fair question. At my school we had compitition squad cheerleaders. Its the kind of stuff you seen on ESPN sometimes. Maybe they call it dance team or something but they wear the cheerleading outfits and we called them cheerleaders. For them I would say its a sport. To say its not a sport would be saying gymnastics is not a sport. But in the case of football, wrestling, basketball, ect cheerleaders, no its not. I think the only sport with those cheerleaders is who can get nailed the most.