Competitive Cheerleading is not a Sport

[ktguen]

Another point is that many other questionable activities that are generally accepted as sports (gymnastics, diving, NASCAR) have huuuuge histories and have over gone many changes.. Competitive cheerleading is basically in an infant stage. It needs time to work out kinks. Will it ever get to that point? Maybe, maybe not. But it could definitely benefit from time to work itself out.

[Erik]

NASCAR is a sport, but so is curling, both are dull to watch.

[Spur's Addiction]

Originally Posted by Lalli25

I'd agree, all those aren't sports either. Any judge decided ever isn't a sport. Dancing isn't a sport either. The Olympics have many events I'd not consider a sport.

Kind of a broad, arbitrary statement.

So:
Gymnastics is not a sport but Billiards is?
Snowboarding Half-pipe is not a sport but darts is?
Boxing is not a sport but bowling is?
Cheerleading is not a sport but chess is?
Freestyle Moto-cross inst a sport but NASCAR is?

[ElectricCock]

[2000grad]

They're making a left turn!!!!

[GamecockUltimate]

Originally Posted by ktguen

Agreed, and that's one of the things I hated about coaching school cheer. What other sport in high school has to bring in outsiders to decide who makes the team? Baseball, football, track, and all other sports the coaches assessed everyone and decided who makes it and who doesn't. Cheer gets that dramatic stereotype from movies like you mentioned and now that Cheer Perfection show that airs on TLC now. It's basically Toddlers and Tiaras for cheer. And makes me look stupid to my friends who think THAT is what I dedicated so much time to. It's not realistic at all.

everyone thinks Cross Country is just running......and we arn't athletes. CRAZY. Cheerleaders are athletes, sport not but a damn hard competition. get a scoring system down and you will be good as gold.

[GamecockUltimate]

Originally Posted by Spur's Addiction

Kind of a broad, arbitrary statement.

So:
Gymnastics is not a sport but Billiards is?
Snowboarding Half-pipe is not a sport but darts is?
Boxing is not a sport but bowling is?
Cheerleading is not a sport but chess is?
Freestyle Moto-cross inst a sport but NASCAR is?

Darts is tuff. those guys that are good are able to stick three darts in about a 1inch by 1/2 area. You think it isnt hard go practice for 3 months and you still wont be close to doing that. Crazy hand eye coordination.

also yea, Sport and Competition are different things. nothing wrong with it. Chess isnt a sport either, its a game.

[GamecockUltimate]

Originally Posted by Erik

NASCAR is a sport, but so is curling, both are dull to watch.

CURLING IS THE SHITTTT

[Lalli25]

Originally Posted by Spur's Addiction

Kind of a broad, arbitrary statement.

So:
Gymnastics is not a sport but Billiards is?
Snowboarding Half-pipe is not a sport but darts is?
Boxing is not a sport but bowling is?
Cheerleading is not a sport but chess is?
Freestyle Moto-cross inst a sport but NASCAR is?

Boxing isn't purely a judged event. If you knock them out than you win. Judges only come in as last resort. Chess, as someone else alluded to, its a boardgame not a sport. Something being difficult and a sport are not the same thing. Snowboarding is cool and all, but the fact that its subjective to how a judge likes what you throw together makes it not a sport.

[auslander]

Originally Posted by Lalli25

I'd agree, all those aren't sports either. Any judge decided ever isn't a sport. Dancing isn't a sport either. The Olympics have many events I'd not consider a sport.

My point was that it IS a sport. As far as having "judges" negating cheerleading as a sport goes consider this how many times have the judgements made by a referee or umpire completely changed the course of a game??? Just because something is ball and stick centric does NOT mean it is completely objective. And in fact when we get right down to it ALL sports have a subjective angle.

Cheerleading is also über dangerous. Next time you watch a routine pay attention to the flier. If she is dropped or falls wrong she can be hurt or even killed and she has nothing to protect her but a hairbow and a skirt. The same thing can be said of the bases, if the flier falls on them (even though she is tiny) it could mean disaster. Just look at all the knee and ankle braces on them next chance you get. They are every bit as banged up as football players.

Incedentally I have a baby girl due in may, and you guessed it she's going to take cheer.

[Spur's Addiction]

I guess this isn't a sport either

Velasquez emerged victorious Saturday, retaking the heavyweight belt with a unanimous decision in the hardest-fought victory of his career at UFC 155 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Judges scored the bout 50-45, 50-43 and 50-44 for Velasquez, who avenged a loss to Dos Santos 13 months prior at UFC on FOX.

[Lalli25]

Originally Posted by auslander

My point was that it IS a sport. As far as having "judges" negating cheerleading as a sport goes consider this how many times have the judgements made by a referee or umpire completely changed the course of a game??? Just because something is ball and stick centric does NOT mean it is completely objective. And in fact when we get right down to it ALL sports have a subjective angle.

Cheerleading is also über dangerous. Next time you watch a routine pay attention to the flier. If she is dropped or falls wrong she can be hurt or even killed and she has nothing to protect her but a hairbow and a skirt. The same thing can be said of the bases, if the flier falls on them (even though she is tiny) it could mean disaster. Just look at all the knee and ankle braces on them next chance you get. They are every bit as banged up as football players.

Incedentally I have a baby girl due in may, and you guessed it she's going to take cheer.

Danger doesn't make something a sport. People on a high wire can get hurt seriously, doesn't make it a sport. Cheer events are called competitions for a reason, they aren't a sport but competitions. A ref can make a judgement call but that doesn't mean they decide the victor. In cheer you literally have people saying you win and you lose. In football or any other sport, the athletes compete and decide on the field the score and victor.

I'm very familiar with cheer, seeing as my wife coaches it, and I have no problem saying it isn't a sport. Is it tough, athletically demanding? Yes. Does that make it a sport? No.

[Lalli25]

Originally Posted by Spur's Addiction

I guess this isn't a sport either

Again, no the fighters had a chance to decide the winner prior to the judges scoring the fight. This continuously incorrect use of a counterpoint would be like saying college football isn't a sport because their is a ranking system. The fighters beat the hell out of each other with a chance to directly determine the winner. Then, for safety, there is a time period that ends it and there is a panel that chooses A or B won. Cheer has no point where someone can win without being selected by a subjective set of rules and panel of judges.

If boxing started subtracting points for not smiling or techniques of how you threw your punches than it would be more comparable to cheer and these other judges competitions. Literally smiling or not yelling loud enough can be deamed by a judge as a deduction while others don't judge that way. The same routine performed exactly the same can get a 30 point swing depending on who is judging it. That isn't how a sport works.

[Spur's Addiction]

I personally don't care if people consider cheer leading a sport or not.

I just think the assumption that if something is judged then it is not a sort is ludicrous.

[Don Giovanni]

Originally Posted by Spur's Addiction

I personally don't care if people consider cheer leading a sport or not.

I just think the assumption that if something is judged then it is not a sort is ludicrous.

Absolutely correct!

[JaxcockFL]

It could be a sport if the women were nekkid and oiled up.

[Lalli25]

Originally Posted by Spur's Addiction

I personally don't care if people consider cheer leading a sport or not.

I just think the assumption that if something is judged then it is not a sort is ludicrous.

Just as I think the thought that a judge only decided competition to be considered a sport is ludicrous.

[TheUSCMike]

Originally Posted by auslander

If she is dropped or falls wrong she can be hurt or even killed and she has nothing to protect her but a hairbow and a skirt. .

Bunch of sexists, men are also on cheerleading squads.

[ktguen]

Originally Posted by TheUSCMike

Bunch of sexists, men are also on cheerleading squads.

Haha yes, but not so often are they the ones in danger of being dropped.

[GamecockUltimate]

Originally Posted by Spur's Addiction

I personally don't care if people consider cheer leading a sport or not.

I just think the assumption that if something is judged then it is not a sort is ludicrous.

my point is, a judge makes something a competition, you are competing to win favor in the judges eyes, sport is head to head the match that is decided between the two parties. doesnt really matter in the scope of things, nor does it make people athletes or not. I see where you come from, i hope you see where I and a few others come from, and we just gotta agree to disagree. :)