splitting off from the tiger woods thread -- would you consider tiger one of the greatest athletes of all time? what about tony gywnn? michael jordan? peyton manning? walter johnson? babe ruth? pele?





when we say tiger isn't an athlete, do we mean all-around athlete? there aren't a ton of great all-around athletes. skill and coordination are main aspects of each sport, and raw fitness alone don't suffice. the most fit person in the world may also be the worst basketball player you can imagine.

Well Tiger regular participates in sport. He has physical abilities way above the norm, he has a very well-developed physique which was obtained by gruelling physical training and he sticks to a very disciplined diet.

Therefor, Tiger=athlete. End. Of. Story.

if they're black i consider them an athlete

to me an athlete is someone who excels in a sport that causes a significant increase in the persons heart rate due to physical exertion.

yet how do we truly define sport? that seems just as important to this definition of an athlete. i could easily say, with this definition of sport, that sexual activities fit in.

good point, like your definition of sport above says, "governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively." In my sac the rules are stay away from my ass and the only one I am competing with is myself. Same thing goes for when I am masturbating.

I wish HTT still posted here:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=41788

I would go along with that largely myself, although I think Tiger has broken the mould.

You wouldn't catch me calling Mickelson an athlete.

an athlete is someone who plays a sport. we then have adjectives to further clarify what type of athlete we are talking about.

Then the debate of whether darts/pool/chess or whatever other stuff comes into consideration.

Like whether fake or real boobs are better, it's all subjective.

No, no and no

Unless pool=swimming, then yes.

If it doesn't take any "real" physical exertion, ti's not a sport. A good rule of thumb, if you can spend 95% of the time with a beer in your hand, it's not a sport (yes that includes chasing a little white ball all day). A lot of times I have a hard time calling baseball a sport and I played it for 15 years (it definitely is for pitcher/catcher).

Are marksmen and archers athletes?

Are racehorses athletes? Secretariat was one of Sports Illustrated's greatest athletes of the 20th century.

How about chess players? Magnus Carlsen became the youngest grandmaster in the world through ruthless competitiveness and by having the stamina to outlast more seasoned and skillful opponents, and forcing them to commit errors through sheer exhaustion.

How about competitive musicians? The elimination rounds of the major international music competitions are grueling, the pressure intense.

no, no, athletes as far as animals go cant compare animals to humans, no, no.

Chess seriously? That requires athletic ability? Should I be considered a World class athlete because I have the stamina to write a 20 page graduate paper in one nite? I can play drunk chess all nite and now I'm considered an athlete???

So would an equestrian rider be an athlete? I still need convincing that dressage counts as a sport.

I watched this program on tv where a poker player claimed competitive poker to be a sport considering how long they need to remain in focus over a few days o get from qualifying to the final table.

If that's the argument, then a doctor's internship would be a sport too- if they don't stay focused and on the job, people die!

How good at it are you?

And have you ever watched a chess tournament?

Medical care isn't a competition. The word "sport" implies competition.

Then you don't consider jockeys or racecar drivers athletes? I read in Sports Illustrated that jockeys have perhaps the best overall conditioning of any athlete. And equestrian riders are extremely well-conditioned. Controlling 1200 lbs of horseflesh takes a lot of strength.

Talent has absolutely nothing to do with being an athlete. I can play racquetball extremely poorly, but because I do I'm an athlete, albeit a poor one.

Chess requires no athletic ability. None. Having stamina doesn't imply athletic ability. If so, I'm an athlete now because I can stay up all nite to write a paper?? I've watched TV for 36 hours straight, so now I'm athletic?? Give me a break

Here's Merriam-Webster's definition of the word "athlete."

a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/athlete

The word athlete implies some degree of accomplishment if not extraordinary talent. The fact that you play racquetball does not make you an athlete. And I'm not sure that there is any sort of competition inherent in your 36 hour television watching marathon, so I don't see how that qualifies you as an athlete.

And I'm not sure what it is that you want me to give you a break in. Spotting you some points should we ever play racquetball?

Actually playing racquetball does make any who plays it an athlete. If you're playing that sport, obviously there is a modicum of accomplishment.... You don't need to be world class, like you were saying of chess players, -- you just said the fact you need stamina. Stamina alone doesn't make one athletic.

there are competitions to see who can watch TV the longest, so now, according to you this is a sport (it has stamina and competition)... You'd make a great Secretary of Health. "Kids, get your exercise in the sport of TV watching!!!"

A game does not = sport. If yo'ure playing a game, you are not an athlete.