Following NASCAR or making a turkey sandwich.

[Condem]

What's more important? I'll have a turkey & cheese on white, lettuce and mustard, please.

[Upton]

1. NASCAR belongs in the sports forum?

I realize it's classified as a sport, but it seems to be more of a haven for rednecks than athletic competition..

[Condem]

2. C'mon, Upton

Look at Tony Stewart. Now, that's an athlete. I hear he does 10 push-ups a day. Runs 250 yards. Full out!

[Longhorn Liberal]

5. If NASCAR is to be considered a sport

then the professional video game circuit should be as well.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/19/60minutes/main1220146.shtml

[a la izquierda]

6. I like NASCAR.

Calling me a redneck?

[Upton]

9. I stated that NASCAR was a haven

for rednecks, not exclusively redneck.

[madinmaryland]

14. Yeah. I'm sure Barry Bonds could withstand an impact at 225 mph.

Oh wait, with enough steroids...

[Forkboy]

18. His head is a permanent airbag.

:D

[Jack from Charlotte]

3. I'm a semi NASCAR fan and live in Charlotte.....

where the teams are all located... I grew up a sports car guy, BTW. In the old days, the drivers used to smoke during yellow flags, when the teams are going round but not actually racing. Also, back in the 50's a guy ran several races with a monkey in his car for the whole race.

But that doesn't make it less entertaining, does it?

[Condem]

4. Can they hit a curveball, Jack?

I do put it up there with Professional Wrestling. That's entertaining, too. To some. Really, a monkey?

[madinmaryland]

7. Have you ever tried driving one of those vehicles for 3-4 hours straight??

It's not exactly like a video game.

[Condem]

8. Spare me, madinmaryland.

I drove a taxi in NYC. Try that.

[Capt. America]

10. Auto racing = exibition of skill, not a sport.

Pretty much anything that has a "win, place, or show" is not a sport. Pretty much anything that determines a winner via judges' scores is not a sport, it is an exibition of skill. Sports have a scoring system, rules, and is based in athletic endeavor.

[TZ]

11. So by that extension

you don't think Jockeys are athletes? Man, those guys are FIT and STRONG...probably better atheletes than many pro "sports" players.

[madinmaryland]

15. So just about everything in the olympics is not a "sport"

:wtf:

The 100 meter dash??

:wtf:

[Longhorn Liberal]

22. What is sport?

It comes down to what your definition of sport is. To me, sport is physical competition based around the body. A sprinter is competing against other sprinters using his body. A team of individuals can compete against another team by using their physical bodies and abilities. I would even throw chess in there as well, chess players are competing against others with only their body and mind.

NASCAR, on the other hand, is technological competition based around a machine. The better car wins. Put Dale Earnhardt, Sr. in a Geo against (insert name of someone who has never won a race in his career) in an average modern stock car and we can be easily sure of the outcome. No amount of training or conditioning will help Dale overcome his opponent, he will only be able to compete by building an equal or superior machine.

NASCAR IS competition, but so is robot fighting. It is not physical competition. The day (and it might happen) the NFL mandates that its players wear exosuits designed to run at 100 miles per hour and equipped with super smart targeting systems that allow you place a football inside a 10 inch target 90 yards away every time is the day is ceases to be a sport.

Which is why I also believe if you inject yourself with artificial substances to enhance your ability you cease to be an athlete, and any sport that condones such behavior ceases to be a legitimate sport.

[hughee99]

16. All "sports" must be games?

madinmaryland mentioned the 100 meter dash. It has win, place and show, but is based almost strictly on athletic endeavor as opposed to skill. It has rules. Games have a scoring system because it make it easier to measure skill (combined with athleticism in the case of "sports"), but sometimes the contest is simple enough a "scoring system" isn't required to tell who is the best. First one to the finish line wins.

While I'll admit auto racing is based more far more on skill than pure athletic prowess, this is the case with athletes in other sports as well (quarterbacks and pitchers come to mind), though not necessarily to the same degree.

[frylock]

12. ahh yes -- the quarterly nascar-haters circle jerk

[Condem]

17. Quarterly, frylock?

The fucking sport goes until Thanksgiving. Sorry, this is year round hatred.

[AsahinaKimi]

13. Do you think NASCAR would be more interesting if ...

THEY ADDED TOKYO DRIFT style drivers to the race?
This is insane!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHENS-1Ncaw&NR=1

[Forkboy]

19. I can't stand it, but more power to those that dig it.

Considering that I'm listening to a dude who killed a guy and burned down two churches in Norway I really can't complain about other people's tastes. :shrug:

[happyiowan]

20. Who are you listening to, Fork?

That speedskater? Johann Koss?

[Forkboy]

21. Burzum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burzum

Can't be a bigger asshole than this guy...but his friggin' music is too cool. I hate these conundrums! x(