Talk:Joke sports

Female version of sports

Hi, long time reader but new editor as I wanted to give something back to the project. I was just wondering why Women's boxing is the only female specific sport listed. To be consistent surely sports such as women's weightlifting, wrestling and some of the athletics events what require pure strength (shot-put, hammer etc) should be included. What do more experience members think of including these? Can I also suggest the 20km walk race?

The other female sports you list seem more legitimate than women's boxing. Women's boxing appears to be particularly artificial - how often are there schoolyard boxing matches between girls?--Andy Schlafly 19:55, 9 August 2012 (EDT)

It happened often enough where I grew up, but I probably came from a tougher neighborhood than you. RayM 20:02, 9 August 2012 (EDT)

I doubt they boxed as boys and men do. I have never, ever heard of that happening, and the small town I grew up in had plenty of fistfights.--Andy Schlafly 20:15, 9 August 2012 (EDT)

You must have lived a particularly sheltered life then Andy!! --DamianJohn 20:54, 9 August 2012 (EDT)

How often on your schoolyard did you see fencing matches? Or two first graders break out into a clean-and-jerk competition? Or archery? Or the down-hill slalom? Or the pentathlon? Or sailing? I think it's fair to say that if you are an Olympics athlete, you probably focused on it outside of the schoolyard.
On a personal side note, as a person who was in both track relays and swimming relays; swimming relay exchanges are much harder. You have to time it such that you enter the water at the exact same time that the person in front of you touches. In track, it's just wait for "Go", then run; wait for "Hit", then put your arm back. Close hand, run some more. But I'm just some guy on the internet; you probably shouldn't take my word for it. But if we are going to have this footnote, could we add some citation at least giving a reputable opinion that track is harder than swimming? PaulRP 21:34, 9 August 2012 (EDT)

I'll second that comment: swimming relays are difficult to get right, and easy to blow. Disqualifications are common at the high school level, and not unheard of in college swimming because of the split-second timing required by all but the first swimmer in the relay.--Bwebster 00:23, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

But I don't think difficulty is the test. Lots of silly new televised competitions are difficult, but are not legitimate sports.--Andy Schlafly 00:34, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

So swimming relays are illegitimate because of the absence of a baton. That is your argument? RayM 00:35, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

criteria?

I'm wondering what our actual criteria are for inclusion on this list. I, for one, don't think that Swimming relays, BMX, or beach volleyball are "joke" sports, unless we want to include golf as a joke sport, sailing as a joke sport (please don't do this. the sailing fan in me would be sad). In fact, it seems to me that even dressage requires more athleticism than, say, prone rifle shooting. I realize that people higher up the pecking order on this site than me may have something invested in this article, so I won't make edits until there's a clarified set of criteria for this article.--DTSavage 20:46, 9 August 2012 (EDT)

You raise excellent points. What is the criteria for separating the legitimate from the joke sports, or for including an event in the Olympics? Why isn't golf an Olympic sport?

I've added "underlying purpose" to the sport as a criterion. More insights are welcome.--Andy Schlafly 00:13, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

What is the underlying purpose of any sport? CasparRH 10:26, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Golf will return to the Olympics in 2016. RayM 00:18, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

It was also contested at the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympic Games. GregG 01:23, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Dressage

I wonder if the editor who listed dressage as a joke sport is aware of the history behind the sport? It developed over centuries of military training and tactics for the cavalry, when horse and rider needed to move in harmony with each other during battle. Just because it has become a rich man's sport in today's society does not erase its meaningful history - it certainly wasn't a "joke" to thousands of cavalrymen. A Brief Outline of the History of Dressage by Dr. Thomas Ritter. SharonW 00:22, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

I'm going to remove it from the list, until someone can come up with a realistic reason it should be on here. SharonW 09:35, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Because, for all intents and purposes, there's very little difference between dressage and Crufts, and I don't see many dog events at the Olympics?--CGrande 09:41, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

I said a logical reason, thanks. SharonW 09:43, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Technically you said a realistic reason. Dressage is about training between man and beast so said beast will do what you command, this is the same as some of the events at Crufts. There's no racing as a test of speed or rider's abilities. On that level I can't see any difference.--CGrande 09:46, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Racing or speed are not necessary components in a competition. As for not testing the rider's skill? Seriously, you're being absolutely ridiculous. The whole event is about showing the rider's skill in directing the horse through its movements. While I haven't participated in dressage myself, I have been around horses and riders enough to know that including dressage on this page is the joke created by a bunch of envious, armchair quarterbacks. If you can't do the activity, then don't open your mouth to criticize. SharonW 09:54, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Just because it's hard to do doesn't make it a serious sport. Ballet is hard to do. So is playing the 'cello. Neither of those are sports. Just because it has a long history doesn't make it a serious sport. It is an elitist activity that the average sports fan cares nothing about. RayM 10:02, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Alright, go ahead. Disparage these athletes all you want. I have my doubts that any editor who has contributed to this page could compete in any of these "joke sports" on an Olympic level. It sounds like sour grapes to me. SharonW 10:16, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

That's a sore loser's argument. Do you limit your opinions to those things you can do at an elite level? That would mean not having preferences about most things in the world, unless you are so gifted that you can compose poetry, play jazz piano, paint, sculpt, figure skate, design a building and cook at the level of the best in the world. Which none of us can. Just because a person can't do something doesn't mean they can't have an informed opinion about it. RayM 10:23, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

I have yet to see an "informed opinion" on any of the sports listed on this page. What I see is a bunch of editors who think it's fun to disparage hard-working athletes for their own amusement. SharonW 10:27, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Greco-Roman wrestling

I removed Greco-Roman wrestling from the list. All wrestling styles have their particular rules, but that doesn't make them not a real sport. Saying it artifically prohibits the match is like saying hurdles is not a real sport since it hinders running. If anything, the role of throws requires more strength to compete properly. PaulRP 10:14, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Table tennis

Have you actually watched any of the table tennis matches? The skills required to compete in this event - the quickness, agility, perspicacity - are at least equal to those in regular tennis. CasparRH 10:29, 10 August 2012 (EDT)