Is Leo Messi the greatest sportsman of all time do you think?

[serghei]

The problem(not really a problem but yeah...) with defining Chess as sport though is that it blurs the line heavily. If Chess is a sport then so be Super Smash Bros, World of Warcraft, Magic the Gathering, and any other boardgame, cardgame, videogame.

So the argument that physical qualities come into play doesn't hold for me. It seems to me that the IOC makes their decision on what it is a sport and whatnot based on whether it's popular and whether they are in the mood to call it a sport lol.

If anything, MMO and fighting gaming tournaments are physically much more exerting than a chess game. Sweaty palms and hands and such.

There isn't a comparison to be made between Chess and videogames. Come on, now, be serious.

What is the official federation of Magic the Gathering for example? Who is the Magic the Gathering World Champion?

1. Chess has an international federation, FIDE, like Tennis has ATP/WTA for example, football has FIFA etc.
2. It has World Championships, and one player is declared World Champion, just like other sports.
3. It is recognized as a sport by the IOC.
4. It is based on ability above all, and not mostly on chance/luck, like casino games for example.
5. It does involve physical presence and physical activity, although minimum, I admit.
6. It has a huge history behind it.

If World of Worcraft thicks all those boxes, or some other MMO game, then I would call them sports as well. But they don't.

 

[Alik]

There isn't a comparison to be made between Chess and videogames. Come on, now, be serious.

What is the official federation of Magic the Gathering for example? Who is the Magic the Gathering World Champion?

1. Chess has an international federation, FIDE, like Tennis has ATP/WTA for example, football has FIFA etc.
2. It has World Championships, and one player is declared World Champion, just like other sports.
3. It is recognized as a sport by the IOC.
4. It is based on ability above all, and not mostly on chance/luck, like casino games for example.
5. It does involve physical presence and physical activity, although minimum, I admit.
6. It has a huge history behind it.

If World of Worcraft thicks all those boxes, or some other MMO game, then I would call them sports as well. But they don't.

Except those aren't criteria used in the majority of definitions for a sport. We disagree with 3, that's the discussion.

 

[JamDav1982]

Scrabble is a sport?

Chess shouldnt qualify as one if other board games dont.

In the olympics in the past there has been sculpture and painting....those are not sports.

 

[serghei]

Except those aren't criteria used in the majority of definitions for a sport. We disagree with 3, that's the discussion.

The definition is very interpretable, hence the problems.

 

[Horatio]

1. Chess has an international federation, FIDE, like Tennis has ATP/WTA for example, football has FIFA etc.

Not sure if this is a criterium for an activity to be a sport. If it is, then I'll give you this one.

2. It has World Championships, and one player is declared World Champion, just like other sports.

WoW has World Championships. Magic the Gathering might have one as well...haven't looked into it.
FIFA(game) has world championships.

3. It is recognized as a sport by the IOC.

Moot point as I was engaging the subject of what it takes for the IOC to consider an activity a sport.

4. It is based on ability above all, and not mostly on chance/luck, like casino games for example.

I am not sure if Magic the Gathering fanatics would agree with you, as you can pre-compile your playing card deck. Anyway...there comes a lot of strategy in play.
An expert would completely trash someone of a much lower level.
Nevertheless, the argument luck could possibly only work for the example of Magic the Gathering. All the other examples I gave luck is of very little factor.
Also, one could argue for any current sport that luck is still a factor.

5. It does involve physical presence and physical activity, although minimum, I admit.

Okay.

6. It has a huge history behind it.

Is that one of the pre-requisites for something to be a sport?
How big was the history of football at the time it started having regulations?

 

[Catalan Fan]

Really, and why isn't chess a sport may I ask?

Chess is a game, darts is a pub game.If we talkin about "greatest" it surely has to be a global sport ? Not some parlour game ?

It's Ali n that's that.

 

[AnfieldEd]

He's not even the greatest Argentine footballer of all time let alone the greatest sportsman of all time.

P.s. no footballer not Pele not Maradona not Messi can touch Muhammad Ali. Simple as that.

 

[NeyMesSis]

Many boxing experts don't even rate Ali as the best boxer of all time

 

[JamDav1982]

He's not even the greatest Argentine footballer of all time let alone the greatest sportsman of all time.

Assuming you mean Maradona Messi has trounced the career he had bar the world cup.

Best club player ever v perhaps best tournament ever.....best club career is far more impressive.

 

[King5Puyi]

[youtube]m7DnWoatbCg[/youtube]
I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick

 

[La Furia]

lmao, no

 

[No Soy Galáctico]

I voted no because I haven’t been alive since the start of sport and couldn’t possibly vote yes until I have rectified this.

 

[Alik]

I voted no because I haven’t been alive since the start of sport and couldn’t possibly vote yes until I have rectified this.

You couldn't possibly vote no either

 

[Frejsgodes]

Not even close.

 

[RaidersGunz]

Without a shadow of a doubt. Fuck a single World cup to automatically make you better. 9 years of ripping Europes elite apart > a world cup.