Did anyone play organized sports?

[Niko]

Play in USCF rated events. I'm actually ranked in the top 1500 in the country. Would be higher if not for all these immigrants.

Here's the link.

http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlMain.php?12672331

the kids in my class played chess all the time but there was that one guy who was always winning and i figured out i'd have to put in a more than substantial amount of effort to beat him even once... just looked it up, he'd be in the top 30 if he immigrated to the US now so i guess i was right... strangely enough he did actually lose once against another guy who really wasn't too clever otherwise

i walk 50 minutes a day to work and back home and take that as my excuse for not doing any sports in the near future, never did any organized sports because i was so bad at it it wasn't any fun...

[Tom Storer]

I have never played any organized sports at all.

I was talking to a friend recently who runs in marathons and things, and he was talking about the fraternity of runners and also their fierce competitiveness. I said I have no competitive spirit whatsoever and he didn't believe me. But it's true, I have no desire to compete or to win out over others. I have pride, but that's not quite the same thing. I think it's my lack of competitive desire that explains my complete lack of interest in organized sports.

I'm still up at 2:30AM everyday

What time do you go to sleep?

[Niko]

I was talking to a friend recently who runs in marathons and things, and he was talking about the fraternity of runners and also their fierce competitiveness. I said I have no competitive spirit whatsoever and he didn't believe me. But it's true, I have no desire to compete or to win out over others. I have pride, but that's not quite the same thing. I think it's my lack of competitive desire that explains my complete lack of interest in organized sports.

i hate losing and don't get much out of winning so that may explain my lack of interest in sports... ran into a guy from high school recently who does marathons and all, first thing he said when he saw me was by how many points i had been better than him in the final examinations (4 points which is almost nothing but apparently he still wasn't through with it eight years later) and then pretty much randomly changed the subject to running, explaining in detail by how many minutes some people we both knew were faster or slower than him... then without a question followed a detailed account of why his career as a professional tennis player had gone nowhere... it was pretty spooky

[Dan Gould]

Competitive chess.

Don't laugh. It's as bloodthirsty as boxing.

Sorry but unless you have blood-splattered pieces, I call "bullshit".

[.:.impossible]

Tee Ball, Soccer, Basketball, Swim Team, Dive Team*, Little League Baseball, High School Wrestling**, High School Lacrosse

*At one point in my early teens, I was on the training and competition schedule where the next step was Olympic trials (1m, 3m). I burned out. At this stage in my life, I can barely do a proper dive.

**Aside from diving, snowboarding, this was probably where I had the most skill. I started out in the 103lb weight class. By Senior year, I was wrestling at 156. Years later, I still have the instinct to immediately go for wrist control when a friend pushes me, and am confident that I still have the upper hand in most situations if it comes right down to it. You wouldn't think that by looking at me. I know my center of gravity from all of my time on the mat in high school, and that is probably the most valuable thing I learned in all of my time in organized sports. Certainly helps on the slopes!!!

Edited November 26, 2008 by .:.impossible

[Tom Storer]

i hate losing and don't get much out of winning

I don't much care about either. This was always a sore point with my teammates in gym class sports... They felt I should be far more concerned with winning! My older brother is fiercely competitive in games and sports. As a child, if his team lost the baseball game he would weep with rage and be impossible to live with. Later he moved to chess and from there to backgammon. He made a living for a while as a backgammon hustler but has mostly given up tournament play in favor of deep, ponderous study of the game. Anyway, once I suggested he take up role-playing games--I don't like those either but I thought they could only be more fun than backgammon. He looked at me like I was crazy and patiently explained as if to a child that he played in order to win, not to dream up fantasies.

[connoisseur series500]

Competitive chess.

Don't laugh. It's as bloodthirsty as boxing.

Sorry but unless you have blood-splattered pieces, I call "bullshit".

That's because you don't play competitive chess and don't have the foggiest idea about it.

[connoisseur series500]

i hate losing and don't get much out of winning

I don't much care about either. This was always a sore point with my teammates in gym class sports... They felt I should be far more concerned with winning! My older brother is fiercely competitive in games and sports. As a child, if his team lost the baseball game he would weep with rage and be impossible to live with. Later he moved to chess and from there to backgammon. He made a living for a while as a backgammon hustler but has mostly given up tournament play in favor of deep, ponderous study of the game. Anyway, once I suggested he take up role-playing games--I don't like those either but I thought they could only be more fun than backgammon. He looked at me like I was crazy and patiently explained as if to a child that he played in order to win, not to dream up fantasies.

Interesting story.

[7/4]

You know what....I don't think it was the game as much as was the people with a bad attitude that made it all so unbearable. I didn't even like taking phys ed in school.

dB

[connoisseur series500]

Niko and Tom Storer have got it right. You really need to care about winning and losing if you are to be good in any competitive sport.

Here is a link to the final few seconds of the US woman's Championship. Watch the second video around the 25-30 second mark.

It gives a little glimpse about the bloodthirstiness of chess.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4686

[T.D.]

I'm not going to get into the "is chess a sport?" debate, but will say that, in addition to a certain aggression/competitiveness, competitive chess requires serious mental and physical stamina. Some tournament games can take as long as seven hours, and the intense thought and pressure over such a long time is incredibly stressful. I occasionally play offhand in a chess club, and although I'm in good physical condition, I really run out of gas (mentally and physically) after only about two hours of chess!

Edited November 26, 2008 by T.D.

[papsrus]

Competitive chess.

Don't laugh. It's as bloodthirsty as boxing.

Sorry but unless you have blood-splattered pieces, I call "bullshit".

That's because you don't play competitive chess and don't have the foggiest idea about it.

Competitive chess of course requires a high degree of skill. The general rule of thumb though is, if you can smoke a cigarette while doing it, it's not a sport. (That rules out golf, too, although the only professional golfer I've seen who smokes while he plays is John Daly, and his performances would suggest that indeed you CAN'T smoke while playing golf.)

Bowling's out as well under the controversial "smoking" rule (the French hate it). Darts, pool, etc., also. They are all skilled competitions, but not sports, IMHO. And that's not to degrade them. It's just, as Dan suggested, "sport" generally requires some sort of "physical" competition. ... I think.

Then again, the dart player might argue that the difference between darts and throwing a javelin is one of degree, so ...

Maybe a better title for the thread would be: Did anyone participate in organized competition? Chess and the others would qualify, of course. But then we gotta let in those guys in science competitions and their solar-powered cars, too. It could get wild!

[Alexander]

I played soccer as a kid for many years. I'm not a terribly athletic person, so the kids always insisted that I play defense (they wanted the glamor of scoring). The result is that I became one of the league's top defensemen. When I was in college, I would play soccer games with my floormates (I lived on an all-male floor, so having an interest in sports was required) and they were impressed. Its hard to get a ball past me (for some reason, though, I'm not a good goalie. I think it requires a different set of skills. A defenseman can be a lot more aggressive, going TO the person with the ball and repelling it) or at least it used to be (haven't played in years). My daughter is doing soccer now and I'm LOVING watching her games. She's also doing basketball, which I've never really played, but which I enjoy watching nevertheless.

Also, while in college, my floormates helped to set up an inter-dorm baseball league and I played on their team. I was a catcher, but I wasn't very good. I much prefer watching baseball to playing it.

Edited November 26, 2008 by Alexander

[rockefeller center]

Here is a link to the final few seconds of the US woman's Championship. Watch the second video around the 25-30 second mark.

It gives a little glimpse about the bloodthirstiness of chess.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4686

Just watching this makes me choke; lots of pressure there. Being a "fuck it, this isn't going to be easy" kind of guy I admire the mental strength of those people who consistently make semifinals/finals in their respective sport and have lots of respect for any people who can (or can almost) make a living doing competitive sports.

[Tim McG]

Did anyone play organized sports?

I did.

Four years HS Basketball [Power Forward and Center] and Track [i was a Miler].

As an adult, 8 years City League Softball.

[7/4]

I'm not going to get into the "is chess a sport?" debate,

I hope it doesn't stop anybody else.

Seems like a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays.

[Dan Gould]

Competitive chess.

Don't laugh. It's as bloodthirsty as boxing.

Sorry but unless you have blood-splattered pieces, I call "bullshit".

That's because you don't play competitive chess and don't have the foggiest idea about it.

Niko and Tom Storer have got it right. You really need to care about winning and losing if you are to be good in any competitive sport.

Here is a link to the final few seconds of the US woman's Championship. Watch the second video around the 25-30 second mark.

It gives a little glimpse about the bloodthirstiness of chess.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4686

Competitive chess.

Don't laugh. It's as bloodthirsty as boxing.

Sorry but unless you have blood-splattered pieces, I call "bullshit".

That's because you don't play competitive chess and don't have the foggiest idea about it.

Competitive chess of course requires a high degree of skill. The general rule of thumb though is, if you can smoke a cigarette while doing it, it's not a sport. (That rules out golf, too, although the only professional golfer I've seen who smokes while he plays is John Daly, and his performances would suggest that indeed you CAN'T smoke while playing golf.)

Bowling's out as well under the controversial "smoking" rule (the French hate it). Darts, pool, etc., also. They are all skilled competitions, but not sports, IMHO. And that's not to degrade them. It's just, as Dan suggested, "sport" generally requires some sort of "physical" competition. ... I think.

I'm not getting into whether or not chess is a sport. It obviously is not.

Paul asserted its "bloodthirsty" I called bullshit and see no reason to change my mind after watching that video.

You may call me a literalist, I don't care. Don't compare chess to boxing for blood thirstiness when no blood is spilled. Is it tense? Sure looks that way.

But until a chess babe loses an eye, it ain't bloodthirsty, and no one could possibly claim that it is.

[Dan Gould]

BTW, according to Merriam-Webster:

blood thirsty

One entry found.

Main Entry:

blood·thirsty Listen to the pronunciation of bloodthirsty

Pronunciation:

\ˈbləd-ˌthər-stē\

Function:

adjective

Date:

1935

: eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, violence, or killing

When Paul explains how competitive chess is eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, violence or killing, then I'll withdraw my claim of "bullshit".

Main Entry:

bull·shit

Pronunciation:

\ˈbu̇l-ˌshit also ˈbəl-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

1bull & 6bull

Date:

1914

usually vulgar : nonsense ; especially : foolish insolent talk

[ejp626]

I'm not getting into whether or not chess is a sport. It obviously is not.

Paul asserted its "bloodthirsty" I called bullshit and see no reason to change my mind after watching that video.

You may call me a literalist, I don't care. Don't compare chess to boxing for blood thirstiness when no blood is spilled. Is it tense? Sure looks that way.

But until a chess babe loses an eye, it ain't bloodthirsty, and no one could possibly claim that it is.

I can't believe people missed out on this -- Chess-Boxing!

The matches work like this: competitors alternate between three-minute rounds of boxing and four-minute rounds of speed chess with one-minute breaks in between to get the gloves off and hunker down at the chess table. The winner is determined by knockout, checkmate, or referee decision.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1821639,00.html

Not to get too Veblenesque, but a society that comes up with things like this, or paying people to play video games, or snowboard (and now off-road unicycling!) just doesn't have its priorities in order.

[Tom Storer]

My daughter is doing soccer now and I'm LOVING watching her games.

My nephew, age 12ish, plays hockey, and scored in a game not too long ago. My brother was so excited jumping up and down cheering that he fell over his seat backwards in a hilarious pratfall.

[Alexander]

I note that there is a movement to have chess made an Olympic sport...

Should Chess Be an Olympic Sport?

[Tom Storer]

When Paul explains how competitive chess is eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, violence or killing, then I'll withdraw my claim of "bullshit".

You're just being literal-minded. Psychologically, it's gory stuff.

[A Lark Ascending]

I was one of those kids who was given a ball and then abandoned by the Physical Education teacher whilst he focused on those with natural talent. Not surprisingly, I have an exaggerated dislike of all sport.

Pleased to say it's very different today - my PE colleagues are amazing at being inclusive and letting all levels of ability take part at their own level.

Good old days. Pah!

[JSngry]

What I dug about sports wasn't so much beating the other guy(s), it was winning.

I know that sounds like so much B.S, but what I mean is that I dug (and still do) the type of "competition" that forced me to up my own game in order to stay afloat. I took (and still very seldom take) pleasure in "crushing" an opponent (on the rare occasion when it happened...) but instead looked forward to the situation where it was a tight back and forth, where winning might well involve finding some "level" or "gear" inside yourself that you didn't know you had, or that you thought you might have had, or that you used once or twice but weren't sure if it was still there or not.

That's the part of competitive sport that teaches a true "life lesson", and that's the part that I find woefully neglected in most such endeavors, both then and now. The focus is all on winning as an end to itself, not on winning as a means to a greater end.

[7/4]

I was one of those kids who was given a ball and then abandoned by the Physical Education teacher whilst he focused on those with natural talent. Not surprisingly, I have an exaggerated dislike of all sport.

That was me too.

also:

My ball team would stick me out in right field where I'd get bored and start picking weeds. Then the other team would notice that I wasn't paying attention and hit the ball over my way.

Needless to say, I'd then get a lot of shit from the people on my team with good sportsmanship.