I was having this argument with one of my friends last night watching Phelps and he said he was the best athlete in the world. I don't see swimming as a sport because it's not 1 on 1 competition and anybody can do it. You need skill to hit a 95 MPH fastball or throw a football 50 yards.

I just wanted to see if you guys thought it was a sport. Not taking away from what Phelps is doing, but it’s not a sport. The Olympics have a lot of stupid events like badminton, table tennis, and air rifle. Now they are taking away baseball and keeping these so called sports. I have no interest in the Olympics and sick of ESPN throwing this in my face like the Favre shit the past month.

What do you guys think?

Goes hand in hand with golf...its all about how you define an athlete. Are Phelps and Tiger tremendous competitors and sports figures? Yes. Are they great athletes? I say no. An athlete to me is someone who can pick up any piece of sports equipment and excel in using it. See: Michael Jordan, Deoin Sanders, Bo Jackson, Terrell Owens, Dave Winfield, etc...

While Tiger and Phelps are great in their respective events, I dont think they could hold their own against pros in the mainstream sports. Hence, why they chose to go into golf and swimming in the first place...

I was having this argument with one of my friends last night watching Phelps and he said he was the best athlete in the world. I don't see swimming as a sport because it's not 1 on 1 competition and anybody can do it. You need skill to hit a 95 MPH fastball or throw a football 50 yards.

I'd say it's not skill, but power.
You need a certain level of skill, yes, but a huge amount of sheer power and control to throw 50 yards on the button, or 95MPH.

If it was so simple, we'd all be setting world records in the pool.

Yes, I definitely think that swimming is a sport, especially since it's a race. However, this argument that Phelps is one of the greatest athletes of all time is ridiculous. I mean if every sport were divided up into 20 different categories (or however many swimming events there are), there would be more people winning multiple gold medals.

I want to got to a baseball GAME.. Football GAME.... There is no sport harder than swiming. anyone can do it 1 person can do it as well as Phelps can.... Team is not spot.. Individual is sport.. Running, swimming, cycling...

There is no sport harder than swiming.

What are you smoking?

I want to got to a baseball GAME.. Football GAME.... There is no sport harder than swiming. anyone can do it 1 person can do it as well as Phelps can.... Team is not spot.. Individual is sport.. Running, swimming, cycling...

I don't know whether to agree or disagree with you...I have no idea what you just said

I like swimming because there are no black people. it's a nice diversion from my job as a parole officer.

I like swimming because there are no black people. it's a nice diversion from my job as a parole officer.

Black guy on US team who got them back in that race.

sport |spôrt|
noun
an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment

Going by that definition, absolutely. Swimming takes much more 'physical exertion' than golf. John Daly used to smoke cigarettes and pound beers during major golf tournaments. I think swimmers are in a bit better shape than that. Swimming is a sport.

Black guy on US team who got them back in that race. "It's not a competition, it's a cooperation!"

"It's not a competition, it's a cooperation!" "stupid bitch!"

sport |spôrt|
noun
an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment

Going by that definition, absolutely. Swimming takes much more 'physical exertion' than golf. John Daly used to smoke cigarettes and pound beers during major golf tournaments. I think swimmers are in a bit better shape than that. Swimming is a sport.


I'm always on the fence about whether or not golf is a sport. When I look at Daly, I think there's absolutely no way it's a sport. But, then I look at Tiger and clearly being in good shape has helped his game.

Anybody can swim? Sure. But can you do what Michael Phelps is doing this week? No, because if you could, you'd be there, instead of on your lazy, fat ass on the couch making stupid shit threads.

skill + competition = sport

What's so hard to understand about that?

If it takes skill (golf, swimming fast, throwing a 95mph heater, sinking a 3 pointer)
And there's competition (self explanatory)
Then it's a sport. End of discussion.

I can get talked into swimming being a sport, but Phelps isn't the greatest athlete of all time.

If there are no blacks in it then its not a sport.

I can get talked into swimming being a sport, but Phelps isn't the greatest athlete of all time.
That's because having a 'who's the greatest athlete' discussion is like having an argument on what's the best color. It's stupid ESPN shit.

I can get talked into swimming being a sport, but Phelps isn't the greatest athlete of all time.

Greatest athlete of all time is something to be debated forever. There will always be a new contender to the different person each of us thought was the greatest.

That being said, you can't deny what Phelps is doing this week. It is absolutely amazing that he can swim so much and still be so good this far into the competition. If he sweeps the gold in all of his events, then he did something incredibly special and something that may not be done ever again.

(I am not saying he is the greatest, I just feel his accomplishments can't be dismissed very easily)

Swimming is a sport only if you're a sperm.

Guarante Phelps wins Man of Year for SI.

Not taking away from Phelps, but it's not like he is facing some of the best athletes in the world. Who grows up to want to be a swimmer?

Guarante Phelps wins Man of Year for SI.

He's someone everyone can masturbate too, figuratively speaking. Until his next DWI.

Not taking away from Phelps, but it's not like he is facing some of the best athletes in the world. Who grows up to want to be a swimmer?

Funny. But these are the best swimmers each country has to offer. People may not wake up saying, "I want to be a swimmer" but these dudes get into it in high school and shit and find that they are really good and boom, here we are at the olympics.

He's not beating scrubs off the street. He's beating the finest swimmers in the world.

I hope by everyone you mean women Dave. I can see why you love Phelps now :D

Not taking away from Phelps, but it's not like he is facing some of the best athletes in the world. Who grows up to want to be a swimmer? He's facing the best swimmers in the world. Are you saying if Tiger Woods was in the 200m Freestyle he'd be competing for the gold? I don't get your point.

swimming is about as much of a sport as eating or taking a shit

My point is it's harder to play baseball or footbal than swimming. Phelps is the best swimmer ever, but in the end it is still swimming.

I hope by everyone you mean women Dave. I can see why you love Phelps now :D

I mean everyone can talk about and think "wow, I want my kids to grow up like him". Not ejaculate to. lol


But yeah..women. I'm into jacking it to the chick beach volleyball players. ;)

My point is it's harder to play baseball or footbal than swimming. Phelps is the best swimmer ever, but in the end it is still swimming.

Who are you to make that decision? Have you tried swimming a 200 meter breast stroke and breaking a world record?

swimming is about as much of a sport as eating or taking a shit

And that's why you're a gold medalist. :rolleyes:

My point is it's harder to play baseball or footbal than swimming. Phelps is the best swimmer ever, but in the end it is still swimming. To me it's the same thing as track & field, only in the water. I wouldn't say track stars aren't athletes. Just because hitting a baseball may be harder it doesn't make it any more of a sport. Try doing the butterfly (correctly) for 200m and tell me if that's harder or easier than catching a football.

I think he's obviously impressive and a great athlete. But, I think the whole thing greatest athlete ever thing is ridiculous because of the number of swimming events. Who's to say Kobe or Lebron wouldn't win 8 gold medals if they gave out medals for a 3 point competition, 1 on 1 basketball, 3 on 3 basketball, foul shooting contest, etc...?

It's not a sport. Its bullshit. If a sprinter wins the 100 and 200, and they make up some shit events like the 25 and 50 and he wins all win, it just means hes fast not a great athleete.

TO is the best in the world.

I think he's obviously impressive and a great athlete. But, I think the whole thing greatest athlete ever thing is ridiculous because of the number of swimming events. Who's to say Kobe or Lebron wouldn't win 8 gold medals if they gave out medals for a 3 point competition, 1 on 1 basketball, 3 on 3 basketball, foul shooting contest, etc...?

Greatest athelete ever is, like mets said, a discussion that will go on forever. it's stupid of espn to do shit like that.

ESPN IS THE FUCKING Worst. The only good things on ESPN is Wendy Nix, Erin Andrews and Teddy Atlas.

Greatest athelete ever is, like mets said, a discussion that will go on forever. it's stupid of espn to do shit like that.

I can see it now. It'll be next summer's version of "who's now?" or "titletown."

I think he's obviously impressive and a great athlete. But, I think the whole thing greatest athlete ever thing is ridiculous because of the number of swimming events. Who's to say Kobe or Lebron wouldn't win 8 gold medals if they gave out medals for a 3 point competition, 1 on 1 basketball, 3 on 3 basketball, foul shooting contest, etc...? How many championships or MVPs does Lebron have? Jordan is regarded as being the best ever in part because he won 6 championships. Look at it that way.

Titletown is almost as bad as little league baseball. BUt I actually made some scratch off little league last year.

These fucking gymnists are better athleetes then Phelps.

Is this dude sporting wood? :jj:

These fucking gymnists are better athleetes then Phelps.

Can they swim as fast as him?

Look, you can't compare athletes between sports because they ...

shit..okay, you can't compare a gymnast to a swimmer. different muscles used, different competition.

You can't compare baseball players to football players. It's not fair to say "Peyton Manning is a better athlete than Jason Giambi"

swimming is a sport. Phelps is a great swimmer. However he happens to play in a sport where there are many medals to win for virtually the same event. he is not the greatest athlete

How many championships or MVPs does Lebron have? Jordan is regarded as being the best ever in part because he won 6 championships. Look at it that way.

Basketball is a bad example of the point I'm trying to make. Let's take something like the triathlon where there's only 1 gold medal to win. Suppose some guy destroys the competition and wins the triathlon by a mile. Is Phelps really that much of a greater athlete than the triathlon winner because Phelps has 8 golds and the triathlon guy has 1? Is it the triathlon guy's fault there aren't 8 different versions of his race to win?

Yes, I definitely think that swimming is a sport, especially since it's a race. However, this argument that Phelps is one of the greatest athletes of all time is ridiculous. I mean if every sport were divided up into 20 different categories (or however many swimming events there are), there would be more people winning multiple gold medals.

Your argument is waaaaay faulty. Each swimming discipline is vastly different than the others. Proof? If it weren't all the swimmers would compete in every category but they don't. Dave and Meet are the only two on here with any sense on the matter.

Basketball is a bad example of the point I'm trying to make. Let's take something like the triathlon where there's only 1 gold medal to win. Suppose some guy destroys the competition and wins the triathlon by a mile. Is Phelps really that much of a greater athlete than the triathlon winner because Phelps has 8 golds and the triathlon guy has 1? Is it the triathlon guy's fault there aren't 8 different versions of his race to win?

ANd yet, another bad example further illustrating you're grasping at straws to make your paper thin point.

Swimming is a sport .
I cant believe the retards here even question it.

Swimming is a sport .
I cant believe the retards here even question it.

Well that mostly has to do with the athletic ability of most of the potato's on here.

swimming is a sport.
Phelps is the best swimmer of alltime. not even close. He dominates like no one has ever seen.

best athlete of alltime is arguable.

If someone is the greatest athlete/performer of their sport than they are arguably the greatest athlete ever. Its all subjective

i wont believe phelps is the best athlete in the world till he beats chad johnson in a swimming race!

Your argument is waaaaay faulty. Each swimming discipline is vastly different than the others. Proof? If it weren't all the swimmers would compete in every category but they don't. Dave and Meet are the only two on here with any sense on the matter.

ANd yet, another bad example further illustrating you're grasping at straws to make your paper thin point.


Ummm.... I'm making the same point as Dave and Meet. It's impossible to compare across sports.

I was having this argument with one of my friends last night watching Phelps and he said he was the best athlete in the world. I don't see swimming as a sport because it's not 1 on 1 competition and anybody can do it. You need skill to hit a 95 MPH fastball or throw a football 50 yards.

I just wanted to see if you guys thought it was a sport. Not taking away from what Phelps is doing, but it’s not a sport. The Olympics have a lot of stupid events like badminton, table tennis, and air rifle. Now they are taking away baseball and keeping these so called sports. I have no interest in the Olympics and sick of ESPN throwing this in my face like the Favre shit the past month.

What do you guys think?


:rolleyes:

Swimming's a game not a sport.....

Any game you can piss your pants while playing without skipping a beat can't be a sport!!!

I'm just not sure why darts isn't an Olympic sport. I mean, if archery and trap shooting are, why the fuck not darts?

The entire country of Ireland agrees with me.

If asking stupid questions was a sport you would win a medal.

Its a sport,

and best athlete in my opionion belongs to those extremely rare athletes who excel at multiple sports at the highest level. (Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson).


Whats not a sport are about 90% of these fucking games.

50m air pistol??? wtf
Trampoline!!!!!???

its just excuses for some of these shitty countries to get medals in events that nobody else cares for. Ping Pong is a sport for them and just a hobby for us. But they are taking away baseball and softball...