BMX Is Not A Sport, It's a Hobby

[Principessa]

BMX is not a sport, it's a hobby. There I said it.

Somebody had to, just because you are good at something doesn't mean it's a sport; and needs to be included in the Olympics.

There are lots of things which come under the heading of hobby, activity, or perhaps pastime which are now considered to be serious sports. Since 1992 badminton has been an Olympic sport. :wtf1: I'm sorry that's not a real sport either. Next thing you know they'll be adding TiddlyWinks and Dominoes as Olympic events :tongue: Heck, let's add hopscotch and red light, green light 1, 2, 3, so that China's female gymnasts can compete at an activity they are used to doing on the playground. :biggrin1: Yes, I went there! Some of those girls were 10-12 years old NOT, 16.

According to Wikipedia
The Games have expanded from a 42-event competition with fewer than 250 male athletes to a much-celebrated 300-event sporting tradition with over 10,000 competitors of both sexes from 205 nations. Organizers for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing expected approximately 10,500 athletes to take part in the 302 events on the program for the Games.[1]
​

The 2004 Summer Olympics, for which organizers had also expected 10,500 competitors, drew a total of 11,099 in the 301 events offered.
​

43 different sports, spanning 56 different disciplines, have been part of the Olympic program at one point or another. 28 sports have comprised the schedule for the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Summer Olympics, though baseball and softball have been removed to give a list of 26 for the 2012 Games.[10]

The Summer Olympic Sports or Federations are regrouped under a common umbrella association, called the Association of Summer Olympic Federations (ASOIF).
​

Which activities in the Olympics do you think are not real sports?

Which sports have been eliminated, which you wish they would bring back?

 

[Qua]

I want them to bring back golf and powerboating.

And I'm all about rhythmic gymnastics.

 

[D_Bob_Crotchitch]

I tihnk they should add shooting talk show hosts. They could give them a running start.

 

[MalakingTiti]

I can live with BMX being considered a sport, but this equestrian bullshit has got to go. The horse is the athlete, not the asshole on his back. And don't even let me leave the Olympics and get started on NASCAR. What the fuck is that shit? Driving a car? Really? That's a sport? I hope nobody is saying those backward ass country fucks are athletes, because they're not. Chess players get more physical activity.

Fucking NASCAR. Those left turning sonofabastard fuck faces. What a pointless fucking event.

 

[B_lamdellboo]

I'm sorry, but I must disagree, nj.

I don't know much about BMX biking, but if the Olympic Committee decided to include it in the games as a sport, I'm fairly certain it is a sport. Traditional? Certainly not. But those who participate in and around the activity surely know better than us, mere spectators, of its validity.



...You know... "IMHO" :tongue:

 

[Catchoftheday]

OK - how about see who can jump the farthest, that can't be a sport and throwing stuff thats just silly and who would think just running could be a sport?

Maybe it's called the Olympic GAMES for a reason?

 

[hockeyguy741]

I tihnk they should add shooting talk show hosts. They could give them a running start.

look out Oprah

 

[Principessa]

It's a free country and you are entitled to your opinion . . . no matter how wrong or silly it might be. :biggrin1:

Do you realize they took out baseball and added badminton and BMX? BASEBALL!!! Now Baseball is not my favorite sport, but it is a sport and it is played internationally.

BMX is just boys on bikes with nothing else to do.

I'm sorry, but I must disagree, nj.

I don't know much about BMX biking, but if the Olympic Committee decided to include it in the games as a sport, I'm fairly certain it is a sport. Traditional? Certainly not. But those who participate in and around the activity surely know better than us, mere spectators, of its validity. ...You know... "IMHO" :tongue:

Thinking like that scares me. You cannot trust the Olympic committee to know what a sport is, just like you can't trust the Federal Government to know whats best for us.

 

[Hockeytiger]

I usually have discussions with my brothers on Olympic years concerning this subject.

My position is that any "sport" that requires significant judgment to determine who won ought to go. It ought to be fairly obvious who won and who didn't from a spectator's point of view.

I'm not familiar with all the Olympic "sports", but here's my list

Clearly ought to go
Diving
Synchronized Swimming
All gymnastics
Figure Skating (including ice dancing)
Snowboarding

Maybe ought to go
Boxing
Wrestling

Ought to be brought back
Cricket
Croquet (maybe)
Golf
Lacrosse
Rugby

I've also believed that sports that use locomotion other than your own power or use a contraption ought to be, at least, considered to be dropped as well. If not, then why isn't genuine horseracing or autoracing included? This would include:

Equestrian (Though, pissing off PETA is a good enough reason to keep it IMO)
All cycling (though I'm ok with keeping it)
Sailing (though I can be persuaded to keep it)
Canoeing/Kayaking/rowing (etc.) (though again I may be persuaded otherwise)
Pentathlon (at least the horse part)
Bobsleigh
Skeleton
Luge

 

[Xcuze]

Im watching it now & its very exciting to watch. There are about 50 other events in the olympics that should be ditched first! Dressage, rhythmic gymnastics and those fucking stupid silly walk races that go on for hours(until theyre disqualified 20 metres from the finish line!). Dont even get me started on synchronised swimming again either. BMX is very physical, very dangerous & extremely competitive. So how can it not be a sport? The UKs Shanaze is an indoor cycling speed champion too so her sporting abilities are beyond doubt. Shame shes just fucked up & crashed on her way to gold. Doh!

 

[B_lamdellboo]

Thinking like that scares me. You cannot trust the Olympic committee to know what a sport is, just like you can't trust the Federal Government to know whats best for us.

It's ok, nj-- your thinking scares me, too. :biggrin1: Especially when you slightly misunderstand what I say, giving my words new meaning.

Oh, and just for the record, I don't trust gov't of any kind... but can we say, "necessary evils"?

 

[Principessa]

Oh please, if you are gonna allow BMX then you have to allow skateboarding;:tongue: and I am not having that.

I usually have discussions with my brothers on Olympic years concerning this subject.

My position is that any "sport" that requires significant judgment to determine who won ought to go. It ought to be fairly obvious who won and who didn't from a spectator's point of view.

I disagree, just because you never heard of it or don't understand how it's judged doesn't mean it's not a sport.

I'm not familiar with all the Olympic "sports", but here's my list

Clearly ought to go
Diving Disagree. I can't dive but I know a bad one when I see it.
Synchronized Swimming Slightly Disagree
All gymnastics Adamantly Disagree
Figure Skating (including ice dancing) Adamantly Disagree
Snowboarding Agree

Maybe ought to go
Boxing Disagree
Wrestling Disagree
I never watch boxing or wrestling; but I do recognize them as being legitimate sports.

Ought to be brought back
Cricket Disagree*
Croquet (maybe) Hell No! Are you crazy?
Golf Disagree, it was never a sport plus it's too long and boring.
Lacrosse Disagree, we've done w/o it for 100 years for a reason.
Rugby Disagree, I believe it was discontinued due to lack of interest.

*Since Cricket is only avidly played in about 8 countries, I see no reason in it being added to the Olympics as a world event.

I've also believed that sports that use locomotion other than your own power or use a contraption ought to be, at least, considered to be dropped as well. If not, then why isn't genuine horseracing or autoracing included?

:wtf2: well that's just stupid. just because you are on a horse or in a kayak does not mean that if you were removed from the equation the animal or vessel could execute the course alone.
This would include:
Equestrian (Though, pissing off PETA is a good enough reason to keep it IMO)
All cycling (though I'm ok with keeping it)
Sailing (though I can be persuaded to keep it)
Canoeing/Kayaking/rowing (etc.) (though again I may be persuaded otherwise)
Pentathlon (at least the horse part)
Bobsleigh
Skeleton
Luge

There's no horse in the Pentathlon. However, it should go because all those events are covered by track and field events.

My "to go" list would also include curling, skeleton, luge that event where they dance around with a ribbon on a stick.

 

[uncut1234]

i can think of a hell of a lot of other things that shouldnt be considered a sport before bmx isnt... and what makes you say BMX isnt a sport? the stunts they do.. they are all in great shape and practice non stop...how about fuckin olympic WALKING?!? there are tons of things that should be thrown out, BMX is not one of them, and skateboarding should be allowed too... seeing ass your ass probably couldnt even stand up on a skaateboard.. any idiot can "walk"
basically anything you like should be a sport? anything yuo are unable of understanding or have no knowledge or experience in, u want gone.. hmm.. makes sense

 

[D_Bob_Crotchitch]

You cannot trust the Olympic committee to know what a sport is, just like you can't trust the Federal Government to know whats best for us.

Oooo that is more like a moderate or conservative Democrat talking. Just for that, Oprah and Dr. Phil said you have to watch marathons of their shows for the next 4 weeks.

 

[Principessa]

i can think of a hell of a lot of other things that shouldnt be considered a sport before bmx isnt... and what makes you say BMX isnt a sport? the stunts they do.. they are all in great shape and practice non stop...how about fuckin olympic WALKING?!? there are tons of things that should be thrown out, BMX is not one of them, and skateboarding should be allowed too... seeing ass your ass probably couldnt even stand up on a skaateboard.. any idiot can "walk"

I agree, take out the walking and speed walking they are equally lame.

Stunts are not needed to be a sport.

Honey, I'm a Jersey girl. I was skateboarding before you were even a glimmer in your mom's eye. I was part of the group of young people that petitioned to get the first skateboard park in Ocean County opened back in the 1970's.
I didn't keep it up, but I do appreciate the skill involved; and I still maintain it's not a sport. :tongue: Heck, if I got on a skateboard at my age I might brake a hip.

 

[Hockeytiger]

My reasoning is that if we don't know who won, then it isn't a legitimate sport. It ought to be self-evident. In general, if we have to be told who won, then it ain't a sport.

If an extremely knowledgeable spectator can't figure out who won, then it isn't a sport. How often now have we had many extremely knowledgeable people aghast at the decisions of "judges"? If it requires that much subjective judgment that can differ so much from person to person, then it isn't a sport, even if it requires a great deal of athleticism. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of those events, but if we all can't agree on who won, or at least have some objective means of determining it, then what's the point? I need certainty that the winners actually deserve the medals they won, otherwise it is a farce.

IMO Boxing needs to go because the scoring system is still so flawed and unjustifiable that I have no reasonable belief that the person who wears the gold was the genuine winner.

Wresting is a different matter. I'm ok with it staying as I hear of few complaints that would bring the winners results into question, and the system is fairly justifiable.

I understand your point that very few countries actually play cricket, but they account for about 2 BILLION people. How many countries avidly support synchronized swimming? I'm willing to bet it is near zero. About 1 billion more people avidly watch cricket than watch baseball, let alone softball.

I agree that golf isn't a true sport, but neither are a bunch of Olympic "Sports". It is supported enough internationally that it ought to be included. If baseball is enough of a sport to be included, then so is golf.

If there isn't enough interest in an event, I have no problem with letting it go.

As for my suggestion that events that use animals or apparatuses to provide locomotion ought to be considered to be removed, let me clarify my problem. Who won the race? Was it the person, the animal, or the apparatus? I have no idea, and neither does anyone else. Thus it is the same problem as I stated above. I have no faith that the person who won ought to have won. Should the animal or the engineer who built the machine be on the podium instead? If one can't be sure, then there's no point in it.


The Pentathlon most definitely includes horses. It includes five disciplines, shooting (10 m air pistol), equestrian riding, running (3 km run), swimming (200 or is it 400? m freestyle swim), and fencing.

 

[mista geechee]

Then what is a "real sport" ?

Sorry, but I can deal with BMX. What about walking, weight lifting, or diving?

..........baseball is in the olympics.

 

[Xcuze]

I have not seen baseball at all in this Olympics. Its actually being ditched before the next Olympics. Good riddance.

 

[Notthe7]

BMX ....
not a sport?

What defines a sport?
Aren't sports hobbies?
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. 3.diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

Knowing a bunch of 'bmxer's' myself, I'd say it's a sport.

I'm sick of the Olympics...
what a joke..
That's a different story.

 

[Shelby]

There's a radio talk show host in the Seattle market who believes the Tour de France is not a true sporting event because 'anyone can ride a bicycle'. What a joke.

I love the Olympics, some events more than others, but I can see the skill required in them all. If anything, I'd like to see more added. Especially Jai Alai, because it's just sick.

I wish the rest of the folks in the U.S. had access to CBC tv. They actually show the sporting events rather than hour upon hour of sappy human interest stories.