Someone enlighten me as to why people in motorsports are considered athletes.

Careful what you say

 

Car drivers: not athletes. Unless they actually are an athlete....I consider an athlete someone to be someone in incredible physical condition, and intensely strong willpower/drive.

Any physical sport requires athletes. Driving a car does not require an athlete. That's just how I see it...don't mean to offend any of you.

Don't get me started on golfing and curling.

 

So take a car driver, put him on the field, offset the players for wieght and what not give them some time to practice and I bet they will do fine. Probably won't be vip but they'll do fine. Lol

 

correct. driving a car does not require one to be an athlete.

racing a car is different.


so...? if you "consider an athlete someone to be someone in incredible physical condition, and intensely strong willpower/drive"

would a business man who sits behind a desk...but is in incredible physical condition...and has an intense willpower & drive, to be an athlete?

 

Different sports require different types of athletes. To be professional is to make money while doing it. IMO

 

Just call them athletes. Scuba diving just happens to be a sport where old fat white men who smoke are usually the best divers.

 

If he's an athlete then he's an athlete no matter what his job. He's an athlete because he hits the gym hard and trains to be an athlete.

 

Uhh... most common divers, thanks to Sport Chalet and PADI's "Resort Course"... sure.
Best? Not by a long shot.

 

As a scuba diver myself... Its not an easy thing to do. I wouldn't classify diving as a sport, but more of a recreational hobby. Free diving is a different story.

This thread is like a race teams garage. Full of tools.
Saying golf isn't a hard sport. Have you played it? Try a full round of golf walking in the heat, betting money on each hole. Tell me your ass ain't sore the next day.the amount of practice and determination to hit a small ball with pin point accuracy doesn't come with a few rounds of golf. My friends learned this the hard way. A few played college ball, some are extremely athletic and can run triathlons. Give them a club and its comedy. You don't muscle your way through a golf swing. Don't knock it till you try it. I used to think golf was lame until I actually went out and tried it. It will f*ck with your mind and if you are weak minded.. You'll end up losing your temper. Its a gentleman's sport.

Motocross. Don't even get me started on this. Most of you probably wouldn't even be able to kick start a 450 race bike let alone launch off the line. All the unsprung weight throwing you around and mental strain is ridiculous. Now factor in a bunch of guys banging into you and block passing you. Oh that jump or line you just took the last lap? That jump now has a rut or a crazy lip in it now and that line you took the last lap... What line? Its gone.

NASCAR. I'm not a fan of it, but it is a difficult sport. Ricky Carmichael and Travis pastrana do it and they even have a horrid time excelling at it.

Franklin d Roosevelt I believe said it best in his quote which has already been posted.

Don't sit there and talk sh*t about a certain sport because you don't like it or think its for old, fat, lame people or losers with flat brim caps. Narrow minded people are the ones that hold this country back.

Each sport has their own set of people who are athletes within that sport.

Saying a race car driver is not an athlete is like saying the guy who plays catcher for baseball is not one. I mean after all.. He moves his fingers, catches a ball, throws a ball, and tags people out, right, ?

A race car is an extension of ones body... Just like a baseball bat or hockey stick is to a player. 90% driver 10% car/truck/ motorcycle. Put Ryan v on a pit bike and me on his bike. He WILL beat me. Put Travis pastrana in a dodge dart, put me in a rally car. I'll die... He wins

 

Yes, professional athlete? No.

 

So an overweight Guy pulling .07 G's in a Taco while holding a cigarette isn't an athlete? Damn it.

 

Sorry bud, I would have to say no

 

This thread sucks. I remember when an athlete was someone who could perform tasks with their body that other people couldn't dream of. Now if you can swing a golf club well, or drive in circles real good, you're an athlete? Pffft. I suppose this lands on the same level as teacher not being able to give "zeros" to students. Everyone gets an award! Everyone is a winner! Everyone is an athlete!

 

.

 

most of the stuff i wrote wasnt aimed towards you in general, but more towards the whole thread.

There is a quote somewhere about racing that states that racing a car is pretty much correcting every mistake the car makes. cant remember the exact quote, but thats the gist of it lol

 

I'm I an athlete because I play on my local men's soccer club ?

 

I still think f1 is more of a sport than gently gliding a rock across ice. Bleh!

 

I stuck my head in here, and then I was all: