Is it a Sport: Bowling?
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Bowling is one of those activities everyone thinks they're good at.
It looks so easy on TV, and when you think about it, how hard can it be to knock down a few hapless blocks of wood with what amounts to a lethal weapon?
But when you finally get around to hitting the lanes for your nephew's birthday party, you remember that bowling is pretty dang tough. It can be embarrassing, really, although it usually makes for some good laughs.
But I digress. What we're really trying to decide here is whether bowling is a sport.
Why Bowling might be considered a sport Let's start with the customary "it's on ESPN" argument. The four-letter generally stays within the vicinity of real sports coverage, although ESPN2 is less credible and that's usually where you find bowling.
Bowling is also competitive and has objective standards for excellence: an average in the mid-200s with an occasional 300 is nothing to snub your nose at.
And finally, there's that heavy ball, which is presumably the reason bowlers wear those sexy wrist guards. When it comes to bowling, threat of carpal tunnel is a serious occupational hazard.
Why Bowling might not be considered a sport By my definition (you can review the original What is a Sport? debate, if you'd like), an activity has to involve competition and require physical fitness for excellence to be considered a sport.
No argument for criteria #1.
The physical fitness element, however, I have a problem with. A particular bowler may be in tip-top shape, and the activity itself may even be considered a workout. But you would have a hard time convincing me that a physically fit bowler has a leg up on the competition.
Rolling a 12-lb. ball does require a modicum of strength, but more strength or even incredible stamina does not equal more closed frames.
Final Ruling: Bowling is not a sport
Percent certainty: 100 (incidentally, that's about my average score. Yep, that's how I roll.)
For more Is it a Sport? debates, check out All on the Field sports blog.
