Commentary

I need to clear up a few things. For the last week, everyone has been talking about “skategate” and its effect on the sport of ice skating. Herein lies the problem: Ice skating is not a sport.

There are some rules and definitions aligned with sports that go back to Greco-Roman times. It seems as though those rules have been forgotten. Consequently, it’s time for a refresher lesson.

The first step in identifying a sport is analyzing whether or not there is physical activity involved. Although the amount of physical activity will vary from sport to sport, there has to be some exertion. Thus, activities such as chess and checkers will not fall into any athletic category.

The basis for a sport is that there is a clear-cut winner and loser. This requires one of a few possibilities. First, one opponent outscores the other. Second, one time is faster than the next. Third and final possibility, one combatant lies unconscious on the ground. Result: Sport.

The second category that is often mistaken for sports is that of a competition. A competition is an activity that upon completion, can harbor a debate as to who has won or lost. Competitions are any events in which participants are judged. Judging, by definition is a subjective decision. Thus, there is no definite winner or loser. Result: Not a sport.

The third category that is mistaken for sports is that of pastimes. A pastime is something that occupies one’s spare time. There are no winners or losers, and there are no judges. Result: Not a sport.

Now that the definitions have been laid out, it is time to examine what activities are and are not sports.

Sports: Basketball, baseball, football, hockey, soccer, track and field, softball, swimming, bowling, golf, horseshoes, jai-alai, horse racing, auto racing, skiing, tennis, luge, curling, field hockey, polo, table tennis and the caber toss. Of course, these are not all the sports, but in each of the aforementioned activities there is a definite winner and loser.

Competitions: Ice skating, gymnastics, diving, cheerleading, bull riding, snowboarding, skateboarding, synchronized swimming, surfing, dog shows and bodybuilding. No winners, except through subjectivity.

Pastimes: Hopscotch, jump rope, four square, marbles, skip-it, tag, hide and seek and ghost in the graveyard. No winners or losers, and certainly no judges.

The basis for the distinctions is quite simple, however, some people are going to disagree. I do not deny the fact that gymnastics and ice skating require a great amount of physical ability. The athletes who take part in those competitions are superbly skilled in their field. What makes ice skating a competition instead of a sport is that the outcome rests solely on the mood of the French judge.

Regardless of what sport you are playing, the referee or umpire is going to make a mistake. It happens and the athletes move on. The interaction of the referee is kept to minimum because any athlete anywhere will tell you that referees are horrible.

Given the established fact that referees are imperfect, why would any activity want to give a referee or judge more power? In essence, that is what figure skating does. The referees/judges actually get to decide the outcome of the event. That makes no sense.

If I were an ice skater would I really want to worry about what judge is bitter about the fall of communism? Or, would I want to have to actually wonder at the end of the competition whether or not I won?

These questions are the defining line between sports and competitions. Until changes are made and the world rids itself of the scourge of the judge we will continue to have fiascos like “skategate.”

And I remind you-ice skating: Not a sport.