What makes an athlete?

[Mystical]

I don't think there's any other sport, where the players take it dead serious! Starting as a little kid, learning pain, army like drills, lifting weights for hours, every day, being proud to ya team, your town and your school....there's a lot of drama in football, a win is like you conquer the world, a lose is like someone took your dreams and heart...the dedication we give to football, is unreachable, blood, pain, love, dreams, pride and glory...

I'm just going to say 'no' here. I live in America and don't hold football as the end all be all sport that takes more skill or determination that other sports. Also about the dead serious part, there is a fine line between kids and adults having a passion and healthy life to the borderline obsession of football I see to much in the states it consumes them to destruction.

 

[S. Yogurt]

How the heck is one sport "more" or less athletic than another? It's either a sport, or it isn't. By the definition of a sport, auto racing of any form fits that bill. As for atheticism, go drive a racecar and tell me it's easy. If you can say it doesn't require and skill or any form of fitness, I'll bow down and say football wins all.

Of course, you don't need to do that, because there is a number of real drivers here that have already had that experience. Don't claim one sport's better than another. Golf, bowling, curling - all sports, by definition. Don't argue it. It is or it isn't.

Racing is a sport, drivers are athletes, if you can't accept that, go rant on a football forum about how great your sport is.

/endrant

 

[BredCooper]

CJ won't run out Usain Bolt on the full track, but til 40 yard dash, he will be ahead of Bolt, football players practice for incredible acceleration to reach top speed just after few yards, which is needed if you wanna pass the defense and gain yards and score.

4Wide

Every second of the play...

@S. Yogurt

When I say drivers aren't athletes, I don't mean it negative or rating them down, the word athlete just fills a different category of sports (football, baseball, basketball, swimming, surfing, running,...) and not motorsports (NASCAR, F1, ...) ...in motorsports they are called race drivers/drivers.I never heard them to be categorized as athletes, even tho they sure go to the gym and do other fitness stuff...

 

[S. Yogurt]

Every second of the play...

How about every hundredth second for three and a half hours.

 

[JeffJordan]

How the heck is one sport "more" or less athletic than another? It's either a sport, or it isn't. By the definition of a sport, auto racing of any form fits that bill. As for atheticism, go drive a racecar and tell me it's easy. If you can say it doesn't require and skill or any form of fitness, I'll bow down and say football wins all.

Well, some sports don't require as much fitness/athleticism as others. It would be hard to say that soccer and darts require the same level of physical fitness.

 

[David24]

That combination of size, speed and strength can't be found anywhere else in sport.

Tony Stewart, 190+mph, a 3,400lbs stock car pushing 900hp

 

[S. Yogurt]

Well, some sports don't require as much fitness/athleticism as others. It would be hard to say that soccer and darts require the same level of physical fitness.

Yeah, I see your point. However, both, by definition, are sports - so is one better than the other?

 

[labontefanboy]

This video pretty much proves that NASCAR drivers are athletes....800 40lb reps with the neck in one race, and a heart rate equal to that of a world class marathon runner....lasting for almost twice as long?

NASCAR drivers are athletes. Enough said.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkKKMI9laIU]Denny Hamlin Sport Sciences ESPN - YouTube[/ame]

 

[S. Yogurt]

This video pretty much proves that NASCAR drivers are athletes..

I was actually gonna post that but I coulda sworn it already was... Maybe I'm just going crazy

 

[David24]

I was actually gonna post that but I coulda sworn it already was... Maybe I'm just going crazy

It was posted in the Homestead race thread lol.

 

[BredCooper]

You all don't understand me, you guys think I rate drivers down to not be enough to be athletes...but I'm not.

In the theory, they are athletes, same conditions on the body as in running (...,...) sports, but officially they are (race) drivers and not actual athletes.

My point is, I never heard that the category 'athlete' involves motorsports / drivers as well. That is absolutely new to me.

Show me an official source that defines drivers (of any motrsport) to be athletes or that the category race driver is a sub category of athletes.If you find it, I'll say then they are athletes, because I don't have a problem with that.

The definiton athlete to me was always a football player, basketball player, baseball player, swimmer, other track and field sports,....

 

[S. Yogurt]

What kind of official source do you want? From the US Government? Really? I want to see your source where it says the others involve real athletes. Not contesting that they are, but have you seen a "source" for your argument?

 

[4WideRacing]

Who cares if there is an official wording to call them athletes? Who cares if history hasn't considered them athletes. The point is that they are athletes and possibly the best there are.

 

[BredCooper]

So I assume there's no definition of drivers being athletes, but what's your problem? They aren't categorized as athletes, because they are in a different kind of sport - motorsport.

Athletes are the players you call in sports.
Race drivers are the players you call in motorsports.

Is an airforce pilot an athlete? No, he's a pilot...is a saylor an athlete, no he's a saylor...
Yes, there's definition of what athletes are...it's the way it is

Let's hold it fair, race drivers are the athletes of racing sports.

I don't mean to be rude! So if you're pissed off, don't be! Blame the guys who wrote the books

 

[moppenheimer]

is a saylor an athlete, no he's a saylor...

A Sailor on a racing boat, ala the America's cup, is certainly an athlete...

 

[ChevyMan150]

A Sailor on a racing boat, ala the America's cup, is certainly an athlete...

I completely agree. Plus they produce some of the best racing I've seen.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHdmviq1kyg]Replay: AMERICA'S CUP FINAL - RACE 19 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[EatSpit24]

 

[S. Yogurt]

I guess if that's how you're looking at it, baseball players aren't athletes, they're ball players. Soccer players aren't athletes, they're soccer players. Football players aren't athletes, they're football players...

Your reasoning makes no sense to me. Perhaps someone else could clarify?

 

[4WideRacing]

So I assume there's no definition of drivers being athletes, but what's your problem? They aren't categorized as athletes, because they are in a different kind of sport - motorsport.

You still haven't given us any answer of who/what defines an athlete. Any why do you always have to separate motor sports from the broad category of sports?

I don't mean to be rude! So if you're pissed off, don't be! Blame the guys who wrote the books

I know you don't mean to be rude, it's just you want to prove that you as a football player are in the category of best athlete. And who wrote these "books"??? :-/

 

[David24]

You guys are getting really deep with this lol