touching a catcher's back

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

And UFC....

That's a sport ?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by umpduck11

That's a sport ?

Why would you say otherwise? Just as much a sport as boxing, and unlike pro wrestling, it's real.

[JJ]

I've never put my hand on the catcher, and I've never understood why umpires do it. Jeepers, he's right in front of you - you don't have to touch him to know when he moves or shifts.
Oops - I DO occasionally touch a catcher - if he's done a good job and we haven't "exchanged words" during the game, in the last inning I'll slap him on the shoulder and say, "You've done a nice job today". I figure they don't hear it enough, and everyone deserves a compliment now and then.

JJ

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Why would you say otherwise? Just as much a sport as boxing, and unlike pro wrestling, it's real.

UFC--not a sport
Boxing--not a sport
Wrestling--not a sport
Poker--not a sport

and the big one:

NASCAR is not a sport

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by BigTex

UFC--not a sport
Boxing--not a sport
Wrestling--not a sport
Poker--not a sport

and the big one:

NASCAR is not a sport

Boxing not a sport? Uh, yes it is. If it weren't, it would not be a Summer Olympic sport.

Poker, pro wrestling, not sports...I agree. No athleticism required to play cards, and pro wrestling has a fixed outcome, and includes a great deal of acting, which disqualifies it from "sport" status.

NASCAR, and other auto or motorcycle racing, while not traditional sports, require a high degree of athleticism. They all take tremendous physical training and talent, and the outcome of the event is not pre-determined. If racing were not a sport, they would not carry it on ESPN, or Wide World Of Sports, for that matter.

Ultimate Fighting requires so much athleticism that only the most physically fit can participate. It is very much a sport. Try it sometime if you don't believe that it is.

A ball or puck is not required to qualify as a sport.

[tibear]

The whole discussion about what is and what isn't a sport is interesting.

Lawn bowling for instance was part of Commonwealth Games for many, many years.(Not sure if it still is.) Have you seen some of those lawn bowlers? Granted it takes skill, but athleticism???

How about darts or billiards(pool)?? Again a great deal of skill but wouldn't really call them sports.

As well, things such as lumberjack competitions, caber tossing, or even some construction jobs. All of these require a great deal of atheticism but are these really sports???

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Boxing not a sport? Uh, yes it is. If it weren't, it would not be a Summer Olympic sport.

Poker, pro wrestling, not sports...I agree. No athleticism required to play cards, and pro wrestling has a fixed outcome, and includes a great deal of acting, which disqualifies it from "sport" status.

NASCAR, and other auto or motorcycle racing, while not traditional sports, require a high degree of athleticism. They all take tremendous physical training and talent, and the outcome of the event is not pre-determined. If racing were not a sport, they would not carry it on ESPN, or Wide World Of Sports, for that matter.

Ultimate Fighting requires so much athleticism that only the most physically fit can participate. It is very much a sport. Try it sometime if you don't believe that it is.

A ball or puck is not required to qualify as a sport.

Boxing is a contest, not a sport.

NASCAR, does require a high degree of athleticism, endurance, physical training, etc, however, it is not a sport. i did not say it was not difficult and physically demanding, just not a sport.

UFC is a contest that most certainly does require its participants to be in prime physical shape, it isn't however a sport, and not only have I tried it, but my job requires me to do it almost daily, however, I do it with a gun and my opponents are bad guys.

[LMan]

...but is touching a catcher's back a sport?

[FVB9]

Brian, my perspective on this comes from a slightly different angle than what I've read here. I wouldn't want to give some paranoid parent a reason to tell the AD that I was touching his child. This is a weird society we live in, and unfortunately a lot of it is warranted. So to me, the touching of a catcher's back on every pitch is taboo at the HS level, but probably not so much at the Collegiate level, and definitely accepted at the pro level.

Couple this with it's inconsistent with what we've learned in terms of a locking mechanism. My words, for what they're worth.

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

If racing were not a sport, they would not carry it on ESPN, or Wide World Of Sports, for that matter.

Equestrian events, ice skating, poker, lumberjack events, skateboarding, fishing, hunting, ballroom dancing, bowling, darts, motocross, drag racing, billiards, world's strongest man, paintball, horse racing, cheerleading.....all on ESPN, all entertaining (to someone).....none of them are sports.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I'm glad you have an opinion. Please respect the rights of others to have their own, ocifer.

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I'm glad you have an opinion. Please respect the rights of others to have their own, ocifer.

I merely gave my opinion, and pleaded my case, I don't remember disrespecting anyone's rights or inferring anyone's differing opinion is less valid or not as important as mine. I thought we were engaged in discussion and debate, my apologies if I have shown you disrespect.

[Tim C]

" . . . all on ESPN, all entertaining (to someone).....none of them are sports."


. . . that is precisely why ESPN stands for:

Entertainment & Sports Programming Network.

Even ESPN couldn't define "sport" because of discussion just like this one.

Regards,

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by BigTex

UFC--not a sport
Boxing--not a sport
Wrestling--not a sport
Poker--not a sport

and the big one:

NASCAR is not a sport

Careful about NASCAR. You're speaking to the biggest NASCAR fan ever Alot of the reason why people don't think something is a sport is because they know very little about it, and its requirements for success. Its more than just left hand turns and gas pedals.

Stepping off soapbox.

Don't touch catcher's backs.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Careful about NASCAR. You're speaking to the biggest NASCAR fan ever Alot of the reason why people don't think something is a sport is because they know very little about it, and its requirements for success. Its more than just left hand turns and gas pedals.

Stepping off soapbox.

Don't touch catcher's backs.

Reminds me of one.....what has twenty legs and twenty teeth?


Ten NASCAR fans.