(04-28-2022 11:03 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(04-28-2022 06:02 PM)peanutgallery Wrote:  

(04-27-2022 04:23 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  Of course, we could get into whether or not golfers are "athletes". I don't believe that they are, simply by virtue of being golfers. It's true that a small number of athletes are good at golf, but it's a skill sport, not an athletic one.

This comment is the nerdyous of Rice nerd statements ever.

Putting and chipping don't require athleticism but do require physical precision. Driving and mid to long irons require an incredible amount of athleticism.

I believe a few years Dustin Johnson won an all-around contest with athletes from all sports competing with each other in a lot of different sporting events. Tiger Woods, while at Stanford, was evaluated as the most fit athlete of all Stanford athletes. Brooks Kopeka won all his majors recently when he went on an incredibly rigorous weight-lifting regimen.

I guess WRC79 is defining athleticism by how much running is done in the sport. Running in a race doesn't seem to require any thinking whatsoever, so by that measure I wouldn't call running a sport.

I said nothing about running. As I wrote, a small number of athletes are good at golf. And, of course, several of those very serious about improving their game have turned to certain "supplements" - the most obvious being Tiger, Rory and Bryson. But, Shane Lowry won the 2019 British Open, and Patrick Reed won the 2018 Masters. Numerous other "athletes" regularly win PGA tournaments because they are very SKILLED.

Just because someone may be overweight does not mean they are not athletic. I can think of several baseball players.

Also waiting to see if shot putters and discus throwers are athletes.

Years ago I was helping with schedules for a summer college basketball league at St. Thomas (university not high school). I received a call from a person that said "Marty B. told me to call you...I want to play Tuesday night"...well we have two games on Tuesday night...which game works for you..."both games"....okay, we'll see what we can do.

When he walked into the gym on Tuesday night, I thought...this guy is way out of his league...he's out of shape and will get his head handed to him....about two minutes into the first game he made a power dunk that brought down the backboard....no two games that night....he was apologetic and I regretted underestimating his athletic ability...by the end of the summer he was in much better shape...his name...I'll give you one guess

Answer: Charles Barkley (athletic?)

The Round Mound of Rebound.

(04-29-2022 09:41 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I think every kind of competition involves both a mental and physical component. Some more to one, some more to the other. But nothing, not even chess, is all one or the other.

I speak as a former high school trackster, and the former roomie of a Rice T&F star. Now, as I approach age 77, I am involved in another arena of competition, but which still involves both mental and physical abilities.

Agreed. It's never one or the other. For example, Steve Nash was not as athletic as many (most?) point guards, but his skill component was off the charts.