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Author Topic: is bowling a sport  (Read 5038 times)

cheech

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is bowling a sport
« on: April 23, 2009, 03:31:45 AM »
i am doing a speech for my communications class and i need to persuade people to think that bowling is a sport. so im asking for your guys help.so first of all:

is the general public opinion that bowling is just an activity or a real sport?

what could i argue that would make it a sport?

heres what i have so far:

it has a professional tour just like golf
long tournaments require you to be in shape
it is a game of strategy
its not just a bunch of fat drunks throwing a ball down the lane
i will try to explain basic ball dynamics and oil patterns

thanks for everyones help

--------------------
HG:300x2(SR300 both)
HS:792(SR300)
2004 NYSPHSAA team champions
2007 NYSPHSAA individual high game(300) and series(1411-6 games)
arsenal: sauce rival arch rival dead flush blue vibe scout jazz SR300 plastic
sacred heart university bowling, frosh.
greatest accomplishment:shooting 603 and not shooting one 200 game(130,173,300)...lol
p.s. go leftys
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JPezza

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #16 on: April 23, 2009, 10:25:06 PM »
JD, bowlers can definetly influence their competion by what line they play, surface of the ball, rev rate, all that. It all determines the transition of the oil making your opponent figure out how to play the lane to better their score to hopefully take home the win.
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Baboon

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2009, 10:35:25 PM »
I didn't read the whole thread, but I'd take out the professional tour thing.

Scrabble has a professional tour as well, and requires plenty of endurance to complete a tournament.
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DON DRAPER

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #18 on: April 23, 2009, 10:47:11 PM »
of course bowling is a sport. it all boils down to how competitive you want to be. also, the bowling equipment used( the balls ) are as technologically advanced as the clubs and balls in golf and the rackets used in tennis.
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AngloBowler

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #19 on: April 24, 2009, 07:32:45 AM »
Generally people who don't see bowling as a sport do so either because they have picked a definition of the word which excludes it.

I think that if you're going to try and decide whether bowling is a sport, then there's no real debate. In the broadest definition of the word (i.e. that given in teh dictionary) there can be no doubt, Bowling is a sport.

If you choose to put additional qualifiers on what defines a sport, then that's up to you, but it likely reflects your biases based on what sports you like.

I have often seen the comment that there's no sport without defense. The implication being that if you can't respond in a direct, confrontational way to your opponents behaviour then it's not a sport. I would contend that it's simply a different kind of sport.

Besides, in bowling you can do a number of things that directly affect your opponent:
Changing the oil in a part of the lane they're playing
altering the tempo of the game to mess with their rhythm
and there are probably others I can't be arsed to think of.

I will grant you, bowling isn't what I would call an athletic sport, in that there is no real significant demand for aerobic fitness or large amounts of physical strength or speed. Bowling, instead, requires other abilities, that are no less worthy, just less obvious.

Over the last few years I've come to the conclusion that if someone believes bowling is not a sport, there's no point in arguing. Usually they've arrived at their decision as a result of an assumption that they're not willing to recant (such as mentioned above).

As for the OP.

I would say that bowling, competitively, requires a skill level above that found in the general population. Open bowling is to the sport of bowling as a touch football game is to the NFL, the former being a friendly game you enjoy in your leisure time, the latter being a sporting competition.
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Buddy Christ

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #20 on: April 24, 2009, 07:47:15 AM »
quote:
I think bowling, and golf are games.  IMO, sports are competitions where it's you against someone else, and you each have the ability to directly influence your opponet.  In bowling, you put up your best score and can only hope it's good enough.  Same for golf.  Tennis, your opponet makes a great shot, but you still have a chance to make a great play of your own.  Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, etc...

As far as ESPN showing bowling, they also show the National Spelling Bee.

Just a quick question.

Would drying out a certain section of the lane, or trying to push oil further down to benefit your shot be considered influencing an opponent?
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formosasproshop

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #21 on: April 24, 2009, 06:24:37 PM »
Canada introduced a "Child Fitness Tax Break" to parents who put children into organized sports.  It is in hopes to get kids motivated and to help parents recover some of the costs of some of these sports.  The original list of approved sports DID NOT include bowling as a sport.  

However, a group of us along with CTF (Canadian TenPin Federation)fought and we managed to get bowling on the list of APPROVED SPORTS for the tax credit.  More info on this can be found at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whtsnw/chcklst-eng.html

A few definitions of what is sport grabbed from around the web

~ an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition. Believe me if you haven't bowled 21 games in a day (or weekend for that matter) you don't know how physically draining bowling can be.  And anyone who has bowled on $$$ leagues you know how much competition there can be!!

~ the occupation of athletes who compete for pay. Need I say more??

~ Sport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. There are numerous governing parties.  Most common are PBA, USBC, CTF, etc..

~ Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome.  Isn't that the reason why there are those in the PBA and then the rest of us?  Those who have the physical capabilities rise to the top in any alley.

~ Sport is commonly defined as an organized, competitive and skillful physical activity requiring commitment and fair play. USBC, CTF, PBA any certified league is considered an organized, competitive league.  And many top end bowler knows how skillful you must be to maintain our 200+ averages.

~ Some view sports as differing from games based on the fact that there are usually higher levels of organization and profit (not always monetary) involved in sports. PBA?? Sport Leagues??

~ Accurate records are kept and updated for most sports at the highest levels, while failures and accomplishments are widely announced in sport news. Yearbooks are kept, records are kept, there are numerous bowling hall of fames.  In our city a lot of the leagues are published weekly in the newspaper sports section.

Hope some of this helped you out.
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Kid Jete

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #22 on: April 24, 2009, 09:48:38 PM »
quote:
quote:
Bowling is about as close to golf as it is to checkers.  I don't understand why people compare the two.  Yeah every sport has some kind of similarity if you compare two of them but come on.  If anything I think golf is about the complete opposite of bowling.
Just curious, but how so?  (I personally see a lot of similarities)


What do yu mean how so?  You mean how not?  There's nothing similar.  What edactly is similar?  If they were anything alike bowling wouldnt be in the crapper right now.  Golf is ones of the highest revenue sports in the world.  Walking up to a line and throwing a ball is NOTHING close to a golf swing.  I know because I have done both for a long time and even golf professionally.  Other than them being pretty much individual sports there's nothing similar.  Bowling is a joke compared to golf.  I'm sorry but it's true.
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evildoctor

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #23 on: April 24, 2009, 09:55:12 PM »
quote:
Bowling is a joke compared to golf.  I'm sorry but it's true.


Then why do golfers dress like clowns and drive around in those little clown carts?
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It should be the chiefest aim of the wise to rid mankind of the insolence of self sacrifice, of the calamity of chastity.  Faith must be slain by certainty and chastity by ecstasy.
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jorr19

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #24 on: April 24, 2009, 09:58:10 PM »
Its a skill competition not a sport. Don't be insulted, so is golf and they are both great.
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In my bag... Cell, Cell Pearl, Widow Venom, Rapid Fire Pearl, Raw Hammer Psycho, Avalanche Slide, Rattler and Storm Paradigm.
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Buddy Christ

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #25 on: April 24, 2009, 09:59:07 PM »
quote:
What do yu mean how so?  You mean how not?  There's nothing similar.  What edactly is similar?  If they were anything alike bowling wouldnt be in the crapper right now.  Golf is ones of the highest revenue sports in the world.  Walking up to a line and throwing a ball is NOTHING close to a golf swing.  I know because I have done both for a long time and even golf professionally.  Other than them being pretty much individual sports there's nothing similar.  Bowling is a joke compared to golf.  I'm sorry but it's true.

So, making an accurate shot, timing on your 'swing', choosing the right equipment for the 'shot'.. are all not related?

Just curious.
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jnblues

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #26 on: April 24, 2009, 10:19:47 PM »
KIDJETE, YOU MUST NOT BE VERY GOOD AT BOWLING THEN, ONE SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN HAND POSITION AND Your BALL REACTS DIFFERENT, IF BOWLING IS SUCH A JOKE HOW MANY 300'S DO YOU HAVE.
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cheech

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #27 on: April 24, 2009, 10:46:25 PM »
ok thanks for the replies and i will take everything into consideration. here are the things that i thought i would compare bowling to golf:

bowling balls=golf clubs
both mostly singles events
no defense in both
professional level both based on national tours
both are more mental than physical games
swinging the ball can be like slicing a golf ball
reading greens is like reading lane oil except you may be able to see slight bumps on the greens
--------------------
HG:300x2(SR300 both)
HS:792(SR300)
2004 NYSPHSAA team champions
2007 NYSPHSAA individual high game(300) and series(1411-6 games)
arsenal: sauce rival arch rival dead flush blue vibe scout jazz SR300 plastic
sacred heart university bowling, frosh.
greatest accomplishment:shooting 603 and not shooting one 200 game(130,173,300)...lol
p.s. go leftys
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Blows

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #28 on: April 24, 2009, 11:46:21 PM »
nope bowling is far from a sport...........


Why would you think its not a sport? If its not a sport what is it?

Is napcar a sport]
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Gazoo

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Re: is bowling a sport
« Reply #29 on: April 25, 2009, 08:48:02 AM »
At the professional level the answer is yes it is a sport. Below that it is just a competitive recreational activity. Doesn't matter whether it's bowling, baseball, football, or ping pong. The same rule applies.
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