What's Your Favorite Sport

[BAMF]

Maybe not with you...

[Judith]

Shooting defenseless little animals! :devil:

I've been hunting only a few times, and while I don't particularly like killing the poor birds, I very much like eating the delicious birds!

Here's an invention whose time has come. Makes me hungry just reading about it:

http://www.seasonshot.com

They've replaced the lead or steel shot in a shotgun shell. "Season Shot is made of tightly packed seasoning bound by a fully biodegradable food product. The seasoning is actually injected into the bird on impact seasoning the meat from the inside out. When the bird is cooked the seasoning pellets melt into the meat spreading the flavor to the entire bird. Forget worrying about shot breaking your teeth and start wondering about which flavor shot to use!"

Flavors:

» Cajun

» Lemon Pepper

» Garlic

» Teriyaki

» Honey Mustard

[Danneskjold]

Haha, that's unreal. I'll have to show that to my friend.

[Rich Engle]

Michael; I think they meant games that use the whole body. I think it is worth mentioning that before Bobby Fischer became a nut case he always looked pretty fit.

*sigh*

But anyway, chess is a game of the mind. I play a lot, but it's not exercise, unless you include maybe lifting up a beer pilsner.

And Bobby F. was always kind of twitchy, that's why he was so good. Head full of very strange wires.

Anyway, right now I'm playing a marginally "sports" type game, which is billiards. Never thought I'd like it but it does make you move and think... the geometry of the spheres and all.

As far as full body, most all of the combative sports; that's where I put in all my years. I still spar occasionally with 1-2 old friends. I'm not built for ground grappling, never liked it, but I'm learning a lot about that too. All hand weapons are basically approached the same way, but Phillipino-style knife fighting is great. Most of the stuff I like requires working drills up to combat speed without someone getting nailed, but one tries. I enjoy boxing quite a bit.

Getting a little too old and injury roadmapped for that stuff, though. But I always do at least one thing related to it every day.

[Danneskjold]

Ground grappling sounds like my type of thing. One time I learned how to do a move that you can use to KO someone from watching a UFC tournament, then I actually used it on a friend that I was wrestling with but stopped before he passed out. It was fun.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I have a favorite story from Ambrose Bierce about shooting little animals. It is from Fantastic Fables.

The Sportsman and the Squirrel

A SPORTSMAN who had wounded a Squirrel, which was making desperate efforts to drag itself away, ran after it with a stick, exclaiming:

"Poor thing! I will put it out of its misery."

At that moment the Squirrels stopped from exhaustion, and looking up at its enemy, said:

"I don't venture to doubt the sincerity of your compassion, though it comes rather late, but you seem to lack the faculty of observation. Do you not perceive by my actions that the dearest wish of my heart is to continue in my misery?"

At this exposure of his hypocrisy, the Sportsman was so overcome with shame and remorse that he would not strike the Squirrel, but pointing it out to his dog, walked thoughtfully away.

Why does this remind me of certain online Objectivists?

Michael

[studiodekadent]

If debating counts, then debating.

Otherwise, I am not even remotely interested in any sport; playing or watching. Id rather play with my synthesizers or listen to music.

[Kat]

Wel....I watch football every twenty-something years. Does that count????

I'll admit I am not a big sports fan, I haven't participated much aside from gymnastics as a kid. I still enjoy watching gymnastics and ice skating. I rollerblade or bike sometimes, but since it is not competitive, those wouldn't count either. So guess we're back to to the original competitive sport, sex.

Kat

[Chris Grieb]

It is interesting that figure skating is almost as popular with women as football is with men. Some of the highest rated sport tv is woman's and men's figure skating.

[SaulOhio]

I am addicted to wind powered sports, windsurfing, kitesurfing, and kiteskiing. That last one I am going to be doing tomorrow, on a frozen bay in Erie, PA. with about a dozen or so friends.

I love being out in the elements, out where a human being really shouldn't be, using my mind as much as my body to use the forces of nature for my own purposes. I occasionally get my ass kicked by those forces, but when things really come together, and my gear and I are in tune with the conditions, it feels like I should be wearing blue tights and a red cape.

Windsurfing:

http://www.putfile.com/downloadfile/SaulLaydown

http://media.putfile.com/MeHeadlands1

Kitesurfing:

http://media.putfile.com/SaulSalvo1

Kiteskiing:

http://media.putfile.com/Kiteskiing-Presque-Isle-Feb-2007

Edited February 16, 2007 by SaulOhio

[Judith]

I rollerblade or bike sometimes, but since it is not competitive, those wouldn't count either.

I don't know that I buy Jeff's definition of "sport" as necessarily competitive. Others here have mentioned rock climbing. I mentioned dressage, which admittedly is an Olympic sport, but there are two aspects to it -- sport and art. I'm definitely into it as a noncompetitive art form, not a sport. Biking has a competitive aspect, but not everyone does it competitively. Same for skiing, shooting, and lots of other forms of recreation that just about everyone by consensus calls "sports". I think that a sport would have to be something physical, as opposed to a board game. I'd think that if you can buy equipment for it in a sporting goods store, it would definitely qualify, but that other things might also qualify. (For example, sporting goods stores don't usually carry horse equipment.)

Judith

[Ross Barlow]

I agree with Judith and others here that an activity does not have to be competitive to be considered a sport. I think that many examples could be listed.

Climbing, in its widest sense, is usually considered a non-competitive sport, in that you cooperate with your climbing team members and are competing against gravity (or against the mountain’s difficulties or against your own limitations, etc.).

Yes, there is a sub-genus of the sport consisting of competitive climbing, usually indoor climbing-wall competitions where you try to climb harder and/or faster than others. (By the way, the incredible Hans Florine, the longtime speed-climbing champion, was hugely influenced in his life by Ayn Rand.)

And, on big prestigious mountain climbs and/or on choice first ascents, there often will be a competitive spirit to be the first on the summit. Climbers are very individualistic with big egos, and competition often comes into the picture. But teamwork for the safe ascent of technically difficult and dangerous climbs is the default rule.

Most of my own personally memorable climbs were solo efforts, without spectators. Those efforts were certainly sporting, in that I trained fanatically hard with an athlete’s focus, I tried to stay within a chosen ethical style of climbing rules for myself even in a dangerous situation, and I pushed myself beyond my limits both physically and mentally. (Of course, family and friends have told me that it is not sport, it’s madness.)

When I did succeed and pull up over the top, I was the joyful winner, but who did I defeat? Most climbers would say that I defeated something within my own self, something that was too complacent and too comfortable, and I achieved a minor kind of Nietzschean self-overcoming.

-Ross Barlow.

.

Climbing Log: records of my climbing adventures:

http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/blog/zenwind

.

[Chris Grieb]

Ross; I agree about rock and mountain climbing being sports. They are not competitive in the sense of other people but you are going against nature in almost rawest sense.

[Rich Engle]

I keep putting it off because I have too many other pursuits, but eventually I'm going to get into fencing. That is some tough, split-second, elegant stuff.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I learned to LOVE soccer in Brazil, especially during the World Cups.

It really is a wonderful team sport.

Michael

[Mikee]

Baseball is my favorite sport to watch though I was never any good at it. It's complicated enough to be interesting. Some people call it boring but I find the transitions from stillness and waiting to intense highly skilled action to be a rush. It is an analogy to the hunt in nature. It appeals to my predatory instinct. Unfortunately, I seem to be a jinx to my favorite team, the Giants. They can be ahead by nine runs, if I turn on the TV they can find a way to lose. Sob.

My sports in high school were gymnastics, wrestling and cross country running. Wrestling came after gymnastics when I got kicked off of the gymnastics team. I was never very good at taking orders. I wasn't motivated by competition as much as working out. I really enjoyed using my body to the max. I was close to school records in push-ups and pull-ups and rope climb, decent in long distance running, but no awards. After high school and the Navy martial arts were my "sport" of choice. Ten years of competition in open karate tournaments here on the west coast. I still enjoyed the working out more than the competition but I got a few trophys. After the lower belts, no more first places however. It's a bit hard on the body. I gave as good as I got but I broke my leg one time, another time broke my hand. I've had a couple of concussions, innumerable stiches over and under both eyes, incapacitated with kicks to the groin a couple of times, some nerve damage to my left arm, separated my shoulder. I walked into a side kick once that I swear the guys foot connected with my spine from the front. I probably bruised every internal organ. I fell down, got up, fell down again. Yeah, it gets old after awhile. As you go up the ranks the competition gets much harder. How well you can absorb punishment counts as much as skill. The top ranked individuals can all take an unusually hard blow to the head and still fight.

These days I run a little and walk a lot. Plenty of pushups and pullups and lift weights a couple of times a week. I have a nice workout on my heavy bag two or three times a week. If I ever get the chance I enjoy a fast game of ping pong.

My wife and I enjoy watching figure skating (favorite: Michelle Kwan). The winter olympics are a big deal at our house. We also watch golf occasionally. I enjoy watching golf even though I've never played it. I find it absolutely amazing that they can knock a ball with those weird looking sticks and make it go where they want. Favorite: Tiger Woods.

[Danneskjold]

I'm sorry, but I HATE the Giants until they get rid of Barry Bonds. I would say I hope he dies of Lou Gehrig's Disease (my own personal worst nightmare of a way to die), but I think that dying in the same manner as a man and ballplayer as great as Lou Gehrig would be too much of an honor for the scum bag. I hope the guy gets some combination of AIDS, dissentary, malaria, and the black plague. Actually, I almost hope that the guy just gets to the point where he can't live with himself and commits suicide. Then again, at that would be too noble. Whatever happens, I hope it happens before he breaks Hank Aaron's record. The sooner that and every other roid user in baseball stops and retires, or bites the dust, the better.

[Chris Grieb]

Jeff; I don't like Barry Bonds either. I guess I draw the line at wishing he die of a horrid disease because I'm think it will come back on you.

[Danneskjold]

If I am ever the moral equivalent of Barry Bonds, I hope someone does wish I die/I do die of a horrid disease. A death satisfactory for Barry Bonds is one that will make the Darwin Awards.

Edited February 18, 2007 by Jeff Kremer

[Chris Grieb]

Jeff; Tell us how you really feel!

[Judith]

If I am ever the moral equivalent of Barry Bonds, I hope someone does wish I die/I do die of a horrid disease. A death satisfactory for Barry Bonds is one that will make the Darwin Awards.

Who is this guy, and what has he done to inspire such passionate hatred?

You've got me curious.

Judith

[Chris Grieb]

Barry Bonds is the leading home run hitter the past several years. Charges that he used various enhancers have been made. I don't care for him although I dislike him less than Jeff.

[Danneskjold]

He's chasing Hank Aaron's all-time home run record. Allegations have been made by people who supplied him with steroids, and by many other people.

[Mikee]

Jeff,

Damn. "If I'm ever the moral equivlent of Barry Bonds....etc".

I think Barry was a superstar before he every touched steriods. When he is in his groove his home run swing is simply ballet to watch. I stlll like the guy. Of course, being an old guy, I'm a little more sympathic to someone who tried to extend their career a little when the aches and pains started to set in. The temptation must have been pretty hard to resist given the fuzzy line between the muscle building "proteins" and "amino acids" and the new formulations of "steroids?" being pushed by his trainers. The rules were also a little fuzzy in baseball a few years ago I believe. He's being investigated for lying to a grand jury not actually for what he took. Anyway, I STILL like Barry Bonds. I don't care if he doesn't get along with the press either. So shoot me.

[Danneskjold]

I couldn't care less what he does with the press. I care what he does with the juice.