63 year old and 52 year old "athletes" at the Commonwealth Games

[dumpthemonarchy]

In the "sport" of lawn bowling, there are "athletes" in their 50s and 60s. These are not sports and these are not athletes. At least, they ought not to be supported with tax dollars on a junket to a third world country. What a waste of money.

Pro Canadian lawn bowler bowls 'em over

 

[karrie]

It's a sport. Good on them.

 

[JLM]

In the "sport" of lawn bowling, there are "athletes" in their 50s and 60s. These are not sports and these are not athletes. At least, they ought not to be supported with tax dollars on a junket to a third world country. What a waste of money.

Pro Canadian lawn bowler bowls 'em over

Where is that carved in stone? If golf is a sport surely bowling qualifies and I don't think any athletes participate solely in golf.
I'm well past 60 and consider myself an athlete. :lol:

 

[talloola]

you have a lot to learn. there are many good athletes in their 50s and 60s, and whether you
consider the activity a sport, doesn't mean anything.

there has been debates many times, concerning many sports, (whether they are sports or not), but
the fact remains, that it takes 'skill' to achieve a high score or mark in these sports, and
because some activities don't need a lot of physical (huffing and puffing) ability, doesn't take
away from the training and practice one has put into it to achieve a high level.

my husband picks up a 93 year old man every morning during the week at 6:30 a.m., and they join
other seniors for a couple of hours of pool playing, he is a very good player at 93, and my husband
is the kid in the room at 73.

good on them, they rock.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Where is that carved in stone? If golf is a sport surely bowling qualifies and I don't think any athletes participate solely in golf.
I'm well past 60 and consider myself an athlete. :lol:

Consider yourself an athlete? No problem. But you don't expect the govt to pay for your field trips I hope. I'm no conservative tightwad, I think spending money on sport is fine for young people who are elite athletes is fine because the public wants it, look at the Olympics. But these elderly CW Games athletes are a sham and a scam. When we spend money on athletes, there has to be some possibility of getting a real gold medal or breaking a world record.

 

[talloola]

Consider yourself an athlete? No problem. But you don't expect the govt to pay for your field trips I hope. I'm no conservative tightwad, I think spending money on sport is fine for young people who are elite athletes is fine because the public wants it, look at the Olympics. But these elderly CW Games athletes are a sham and a scam. When we spend money on athletes, there has to be some possibility of getting a real gold medal or breaking a world record.

that is a sad outlook.

 

[karrie]

I agree talloola.

 

[JLM]

Consider yourself an athlete? No problem. But you don't expect the govt to pay for your field trips I hope. I'm no conservative tightwad, I think spending money on sport is fine for young people who are elite athletes is fine because the public wants it, look at the Olympics. But these elderly CW Games athletes are a sham and a scam. When we spend money on athletes, there has to be some possibility of getting a real gold medal or breaking a world record.

I don't believe true athletes are just in it to win "gold", they are in it because they love the sport. I consider myself an athlete, I climb hills and pretty fast for my age and short legs, so if a contest was held for old geezers climbing hills I might just enter and submit an expense claim to the Gov't. Is there some age in your mind where we should stop participating?

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

I don't believe true athletes are just in it to win "gold", they are in it because they love the sport. I consider myself an athlete, I climb hills and pretty fast for my age and short legs, so if a contest was held for old geezers climbing hills I might just enter and submit an expense claim to the Gov't. Is there some age in your mind where we should stop participating?

The fact that people participate in sports is great, except the CW Games cost millions of dollars to participate. They will cost billions if we are ever unlucky enough to host them again. Kind of expensive national fun for my tastes.

 

[JLM]

Maybe a lot of people don't understand the true basic reason for sport (it's certainly not to be the best), it's to improve health, it's a means of relaxation for people who are tied to a desk, it's an opportunity for camaraderie (I go bowling every Wed. evening and a bunch of have as much fun making wise cracks as we do actually bowling) we try to do our best but if it doesn't work out- well there's always the next frame. There's a few who bowl, they never smile or laugh or joke- you got to wonder why they bother.

The fact that people participate in sports is great, except the CW Games cost millions of dollars to participate. They will cost billions if we are ever unlucky enough to host them again. Kind of expensive national fun for my tastes.

A few million isn't much when it's spread around the world and probably a lot cheaper than treating the diseases that sports prevent or at delay. The games probably make a hell of a lot more sense than these Prime Ministers summits, where they talk a bunch of nonsense and get drunk. :lol:

 

[damngrumpy]

So when is a sport not a sport? I would think this is a good story.
There are people out there in their 40's that can't get from the
couch to the fridge, and you want to tell the world these lawn
bowlers are not participating in a sport? If we are putting money
out on athletes, some we know will never win, to ski, skate, run
and do God knows what, I think we should invest in these folks
lawn bowling, If we had others at this age and older, participating
in sport our medicare costs might go way down and that would be
even better. In my opinion, this snowboard stuff at the Olympics is
not a sport, figure skating the dance session is a questionable
sport, but those cases are my opinion and I don't care for snow
boarding and figure skating. That does not mean these events are
not sports. The fans of the sport have determined they are so they
should get the same respect all other athletes are entitled to.
Think of it this way, if people play games and engage in sport together
they are less apt to want to kill each other in conflict, that is an
improvement in the evolution of human society.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Maybe a lot of people don't understand the true basic reason for sport (it's certainly not to be the best), it's to improve health, it's a means of relaxation for people who are tied to a desk, it's an opportunity for camaraderie (I go bowling every Wed. evening and a bunch of have as much fun making wise cracks as we do actually bowling) we try to do our best but if it doesn't work out- well there's always the next frame. There's a few who bowl, they never smile or laugh or joke- you got to wonder why they bother.

A few million isn't much when it's spread around the world and probably a lot cheaper than treating the diseases that sports prevent or at delay. The games probably make a hell of a lot more sense than these Prime Ministers summits, where they talk a bunch of nonsense and get drunk. :lol:

A few million dollars go to a small number of athletes, trainers, coaches and bureaucrats, not the masses. No disease is cured, no roads, and no sewers are built for the general good or public health and well being. You're mixing apples and bananas here.

My health would improve hugely if the money spent for the airline flights for those way over the hill athletes was given to me for my overall enjoyment instead.

Oh yeah, the G7/20 summits in big cities are a waste. They can be conducted just fine on Baffin Island, Siberia or the Falklands for a fraction of the cost.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

I dunno about this... What do we call the people who participate in sports? Athletes. I associate athleticism with superior physical conditioning and stamina and things like that, and for something to be considered a legitimate sport it seems to me it should require athleticism. You can, for instance, be a smoker and drinker and 50 pounds overweight and be a world class curler, so curling's not a sport, it's recreation and entertainment. For the participants. Watching it I find about as exciting as watching paint dry. I'd put golf in that category too. And billiards, bowling, lawn bowling, skeet shooting, dressage (the horse is the athlete there, not the rider), darts, archery, bobsledding, luge, ah the list is endless.

 

[TenPenny]

In the "sport" of lawn bowling, there are "athletes" in their 50s and 60s. These are not sports and these are not athletes.

Why would you say it's not a sport?

 

[JLM]

I dunno about this... What do we call the people who participate in sports? Athletes. I associate athleticism with superior physical conditioning and stamina and things like that, and for something to be considered a legitimate sport it seems to me it should require athleticism. You can, for instance, be a smoker and drinker and 50 pounds overweight and be a world class curler, so curling's not a sport, it's recreation and entertainment. For the participants. Watching it I find about as exciting as watching paint dry. I'd put golf in that category too. And billiards, bowling, lawn bowling, skeet shooting, dressage (the horse is the athlete there, not the rider), darts, archery, bobsledding, luge, ah the list is endless.

Going on that line of reasoning a 50 lb. overweight, smoking, drinking wrestler is not an athlete and hence wrestling isn't a sport. Babe Ruth was overweight and drank like a fish, but would anyone dare to say he wasn't an athlete.

 

[YukonJack]

Where is that carved in stone? If golf is a sport surely bowling qualifies and I don't think any athletes participate solely in golf.
I'm well past 60 and consider myself an athlete. :lol:

I would consider golfers "ATHLETES" if they were men enough to carry their own equipment and did not demand total silence when they drive or putt. Can you imagine a football player before a crucial field goal attempt, or a basketball player before a penalty shot, or a batter at bat demanding complete silence? They would be laughed out of the arena/stadium, as the so-called "athlete" golfers should be laughed off the links.

 

[Spade]

If golf is a sport surely bowling qualifies and I don't think any athletes participate solely in golf. :lol:

Whooooaaah!
Golf requires a high degree of fitness and physical vigour! Look at Tiger!
Golf requires drive and purpose! The ability to walk and swing at the same time!
Look at lawn bowling. Participants could compete supported by walkers! Athletes? Well, that "depends"!

 

[YukonJack]

Whoooaaah! Look at John Daly, Colin Montgomery or Craig Stadler!

 

[JLM]

I would consider golfers "ATHLETES" if they were men enough to carry their own equipment and did not demand total silence when they drive or putt. Can you imagine a football player before a crucial field goal attempt, or a basketball player before a penalty shot, or a batter at bat demanding complete silence? They would be laughed out of the arena/stadium, as the so-called "athlete" golfers should be laughed off the links.

Good point Y.J.- you're lucid this morning. Golfers consider themselves a cut above the mainstream of society- not all of them but a fair number. :smile:

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Going on that line of reasoning a 50 lb. overweight, smoking, drinking wrestler is not an athlete and hence wrestling isn't a sport. Babe Ruth was overweight and drank like a fish, but would anyone dare to say he wasn't an athlete.

Except Babe ruth hit a ball a huge distance, which 99.9% of the population cannot do. He had a unique skill so he's an athlete. Lawn boowling is a walk in the park, and therefore, not a sport. Sport has bit of a higher standard these days, Babe Ruth would have had to give up a few bad habits to play at the same level.