2013-02-13, 07:42 | Link #26461 | |
今宵の虎徹は血に飢えている
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Just that saying it is not particulary athletic is way off mark
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2013-02-13, 07:57 | Link #26462 |
Knight Errant
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 35
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The definition of Athletic is "of or pertaining to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina". Now Auto Racing is skilled but it doesn't require the use of strength, agility or stamina. It is physically "skilled" in the way carpentry, metal working, painting or sculpting are physically skilled, and no one would describe those as being "athletic", or having a place in the Olympics. The same goes for auto racing, or shooting.
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2013-02-13, 08:07 | Link #26463 | ||||
Meh
Join Date: Feb 2008
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By your criteria though, what about stuff like diving? after all, every sport have a different set of physical skills/abilities involved. Quote:
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Now, a driver doesn't need to be a heavy weight lifter or a marathon runner (though training regiments do involve lifting and running ), but to say that auto racing does not require strength or stamina is so off the mark I don't know where to begin. The physical demands placed on a driver on a professional course is no joke - even in NASCAR where they're making 1000 left-turns as I call it, the drivers are under a lot of force and stress throughout the race. Last edited by kyp275; 2013-02-13 at 08:18. |
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2013-02-13, 08:13 | Link #26464 | ||
Knight Errant
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 35
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2013-02-13, 08:27 | Link #26465 | ||
Meh
Join Date: Feb 2008
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This sums it up pretty well, it's directed specifically at NASCAR, but many of the points applies to other type of racing as well. |
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2013-02-13, 08:31 | Link #26466 | |
今宵の虎徹は血に飢えている
Join Date: Jan 2009
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It's sitting in an oven going at speeds that put enormous strain on the muscles and joints. Same reason why you don't say piloting a fighter jet is not physically demanding
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2013-02-13, 08:49 | Link #26468 | |
AS Oji-kun
Join Date: Nov 2006
Age: 74
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I think the Olympics lost its way when it began allowing professionals to play and added sports like tennis and basketball which are simply another venue for professionals in those sports to compete. Even though I am a golfer, I don't believe golf should be an Olympic sport either, not when it comes at costs of a sport called "Greco-Roman" for a reason. The situation was complicated in the Cold War years when it was an open secret that the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellites fielded teams with members who were amateurs in name only. The US victory over Russia in hockey at Lake Placid remains celebrated because the Americans fielded a team of collegiates who could defeat the mighty Russian "amateurs." So the IOC decided to resolve this problem by letting professionals play and adding events like tennis precisely to showcase professionals. Did having the "Dream Team" play basketball at the Olympics boost US television ratings? Of course it did. Did it undermine the whole notion of the Olympics as a showcase for amateurs? Of course it did. For those wondering why sports like dressage continue on while wrestling was cut you need only look at who competes in and watches these types of equestrian events. People with money. People that the likes of Mercedes-Benz wants to advertise to. Golf is another example. I'm sure we'll see the course in Rio littered with signage like we see in European and Asian events with ads for UBS and BMW.
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2013-02-13, 08:51 | Link #26469 | |
Meh
Join Date: Feb 2008
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I'd imagine it's because fighter jets aren't really associated with sports. There are many activities in the military that are quite physically demanding and would certainly require its participants to be "athletic", but you'd never hear people describe them as "athletic" events. |
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2013-02-13, 08:53 | Link #26470 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Dai Korai Teikoku
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2013-02-13, 09:05 | Link #26471 | |
Knight Errant
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 35
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For me, I think the Olympic "Athletics" should celebrate and demonstrate the raw power and capabilities of what the Human body is capable of. Shooting is hard, I won't deny it, but when I watch Shooting it feels more like the Gun is what has the power and agency, even though the Guns are all of standardised designs. It would be like if instead of Shot-put, we had Cannon aiming, aiming a cannon is hard, but (ask any artilleryman), but as a sport it wouldn't really feel like it was about the power of the human body. Shot-put, on the other hand, is. Not only that, but I think that Olympic sports are at their best when they use minimal "simple" equipment, things you can imagine our distant ancestors using. |
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2013-02-13, 09:20 | Link #26474 |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 34
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I'm with Don on the athletics discussion. I can be completely wowed and respect the skill of a shooter, pilot, or race-car driver, and acknowledge the physical components of each, but I don't think it fits the definition of an athletic event, really.
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2013-02-13, 09:29 | Link #26479 | ||
Meh
Join Date: Feb 2008
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In many ways it's quite similar to archery, neither are really in-your-face about sheer physical power, but rather concentrate on the physical finesse. Same thing for the USMC, which is both designated AND operates as its own branch of service. Last edited by kyp275; 2013-02-13 at 09:40. |
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2013-02-13, 09:32 | Link #26480 | |
Sensei, aishite imasu
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Hong Kong Shatterdome
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That'd at least make it interesting televised.
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current affairs, discussion, international |
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