What Makes Nascar a Sport?

[letthebighogroot]

Nascar drivers are as much finely tuned athletes as pro bowlers. Does it take a certain amount of skill? Yeah, I suppose. But so does basket weaving!

[Habib]

It's glorified video game playing.

 

I agree. What is the difference between a good NASCAR driver and a good Halo player?

[strike-3]

I personally don't view auto racing as a sport....I like it, but I don't feel its a sport. When you ride something that's doing most of the work, it's not a sport in my eyes. I also don't feel that competitions that must be judged (ie ice skating, cheerleading, etc...) to win, can't be sports. You have to be able to WIN, and have everyone know it so to speak.

 

I would agree with you, except where would that leave boxing. Hard to image that Ali wasn't a true sportsman.

[strike-3]

The fact that there's competition, that's all.

 

I remember an episoide of Andy Griffith where Aunt Bea was in competition for growning pickles, but that doesn't make it a sport.

[o-line]

I would agree with you, except where would that leave boxing. Hard to image that Ali wasn't a true sportsman.

 

 

 

"THRILLA IN MANILA"!!!! :thumb:

[cooperstown]

I agree. What is the difference between a good NASCAR driver and a good Halo player?

 

Well, for one, you can die driving in NASCAR. Pretty safe playing Halo. :lol:

 

But I still don't think that makes it a sport.

[halfback20]

It's glorified video game playing. Takes the same type of hand-eye coordination skills I use when driving a high rate of speed on a challenging, curvy road. Same as darts, billiards, horseshoes, etc. I have a lot more respect for those guys out at the local dirt track, who work on their own cars, etc.

 

Had I grown up a gearhead, I might have a different opinion of it, I suppose.

 

 

If it's so easy, why can't anyone go do it?

 

Anyone can go play Halo 3. Anyone can play an xbox 360...

 

If it's compareable to playing video games, anyone should be able to do it.

 

Not a good argument there.

[halfback20]

Let me ask you this question. Is golf less of a sport since the golf clubs are doing most of the work? I mean, the golfer swings the club, but the club is the reason the ball moves.

 

The driver of a nascar has to know how to draft (something most people could not do), how to keep a car inches from the wall without hitting it at 200 MPH (something most people can not do), how to drive through a wreck when they see nothing but smoke (something most people can not do), how to hit the right parts of the track to make the car go the fastest (something most people could not do).

 

It's completely different from playing video games or some of the other things it has been compared to. Saying things like that is just a crazy argument. It's not even an argument at all as a matter of fact.

[cooperstown]

If it's so easy, why can't anyone go do it?

 

Anyone can go play Halo 3. Anyone can play an xbox 360...

 

If it's compareable to playing video games, anyone should be able to do it.

 

Not a good argument there.

 

Not true. Though I've tried many times, I am apparently not bright enough or have the manual dexterity to play Xbox. I can drive a car at fast speeds pretty darn well, though.

[Habib]

If it's so easy, why can't anyone go do it.

 

If you want to buy me a car and a track I'd be happy to do it.

[o-line]

Not true. Though I've tried many times, I am apparently not bright enough or have the manual dexterity to play Xbox. I can drive a car at fast speeds pretty darn well, though.

 

 

 

If you think you have that hand/eye/arm/leg/foot coordination, then maybe you should give auto racing a try..... Find out for yourself! There are various tracks around the country, Bristol for one, that allow a variety of training entities to enable you to put your skills to the test, and include classroom instruction before suiting up. They do charge a fee, but if you really want to find out for sure, you should give it a try. :eek:

[cooperstown]

If you think you have that hand/eye/arm/leg/foot coordination, then maybe you should give auto racing a try..... Find out for yourself! There are various tracks around the country, Bristol for one, that allow a variety of training entities to enable you to put your skills to the test, and include classroom instruction before suiting up. They do charge a fee, but if you really want to find out for sure, you should give it a try. :eek:

 

Actually, I've driven a number of high speed pursuits and trained on the law enforcement (FLETC) driving training track in Glynco, GA and done quite well. Obviously, I haven't driven at speeds of 200 mph, but in all sincerity I do believe I'd fair far better at this than I would playing Xbox against my son and his friends.

[o-line]

Actually, I've driven a number of high speed pursuits and trained on the law enforcement (FLETC) driving training track in Glynco, GA and done quite well. Obviously, I haven't driven at speeds of 200 mph, but in all sincerity I do believe I'd fair far better at this than I would playing Xbox against my son and his friends.

 

 

Boy, I do understand that! At one time, I could have at least played with my boys, but the older I get, even though my mind would allow it, the reflexes just continue the dreaded downward slide.... :cry: And, if you've noticed, the more experienced(older) drivers tend to exhibit a more strategic style than those young guns who rely more on their reflexes. But I've been through the Petty school at Bristol, and those banks are steep, and short, as are the straights, but if you hit your marks at speed, you're going to get over 100 mph average on that track. It would definitely be challenging, to say the least, to do that with 42 others in the mix!

[halfback20]

Not true. Though I've tried many times, I am apparently not bright enough or have the manual dexterity to play Xbox. I can drive a car at fast speeds pretty darn well, though.

 

200 mph?

[halfback20]

If you want to buy me a car and a track I'd be happy to do it.

 

Yeah I'll do that with my thousands of dollars of debt from student loans :lol:.