Game of Thrones or Sport of Kings?

[steepholm]

I just asked this on FB, but would be interested in opinions here too.

I've never understood why Formula 1 is classed as a sport. Or, if it is, why chess is not so classified, given that both are sedentary activities characterized by periods of sustained concentration. Or, it's a question of quick reactions as well as concentration, why are marathon sessions of Street Fighter 2 played from the comfort of one's sofa not seen as a sporting activity?

Is there a real distinction between sports and games (albeit with the possibility of an intersection between the two sets), or is just a question of historical happenstance which activity acquires which label?

Comments

[cmcmck]

F1 is not sedentary- those guys lose pounds in weight during a race!

[kalypso]

It's this generation's take on chariot-racing, isn't it? Which I think has been classified as a sport at least since the Bronze Age.

Part of my mind insists that chess is a sport - at least at the top levels, which I believe require certain levels of physical fitness, despite the sedentary image.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

It doesn't directly address your concentration, but F1 also demands some measure of physical strength, stamina and dexterity, being two hours of concentrated driving at the most demanding level - very frequent cornering, overtaking &c

[karinmollberg.livejournal.com]

From what I've heard and seen of it, it's extremely physically demanding to just hold a Formula 1 vehicle on its course and not have it fly about senselessly so that seems kind of sportive but of course, the good old mind is the best sport and doing anything creative the truest sportsmanship of all. I hate games of almost all kinds though I used to be good at some at school, I just can't seem to see the point in fighting imaginary fiends when Real Life is so overfilled with menacing meatspace ones such as drug mafias and their disciples though I guess that's kind of sporty too for they need a well-functioning nervous system but then, so do poets and lovers, ballet dancers and Lippizano horses.
Chess is only fun to watch for the sporty leg-shake most players cannot stop, I used to know a Swedish master of chess who was so extremely boring I had to throw sweets at his head.

[lilliburlero.livejournal.com]

Strangely enough, this very discussion (sport vs game, rather than F1 vs chess, though chess was the game that sparked the discussion) has just been proceeding in my sitting room. Someone cynically suggested 'marketing strategy.'