Is paintball a sport

[Devrij]

Despite being a seriously played out thread (even in the short time I've been on here ), I'll add a sociological perspective here. The definition of a sport has nothing to do with the sport in question, it has to do with the agents that have the authority to define something and change language usage. So, like Robbo said: we ain't a sport until someone else says we are. And they won't say we are until we are organised etc. etc. So, the question "are we sport?", depends on your ontological perspective. If you view language as symbollic, then no (for now at least). If you think there's some sort of base definition of "sport" that precedes the language and people that define it...well you're probably retarded, so you can try working that one out by yourself. poobumwilly

 

[Robbo]

Despite being a seriously played out thread (even in the short time I've been on here ), I'll add a sociological perspective here. The definition of a sport has nothing to do with the sport in question, it has to do with the agents that have the authority to define something and change language usage. So, like Robbo said: we ain't a sport until someone else says we are. And they won't say we are until we are organised etc. etc. So, the question "are we sport?", depends on your ontological perspective. If you view language as symbollic, then no (for now at least). If you think there's some sort of base definition of "sport" that precedes the language and people that define it...well you're probably retarded, so you can try working that one out by yourself. poobumwilly

Dev, whilst composing that post, did you disappear up your own ass mate?

 

[Robbo]

I see what you did there!

I'm glad you noticed, it's so nice to be appreciated

 

[karseras69]

I cannot remember the details so this will sound very weak but i will find them and add accordingly.

How can it NOT be regarded a sport when i can clearly remember a player (i think of the ironmen) received a Sporting Visa and was allowed residence in the USA because he played paintball. Im pretty sure i read this in a paintball magazine, more than likely it was PGI since i received it every month.

 

[EELZ]

Manc Union appeared on the T.V show 'They think it's all over' which is a sports panel quiz so wouldn't that suggest that the T.V executives do consider it as a sport.?

 

[Devrij]

Dev, whilst composing that post, did you disappear up your own ass mate?

In short: yes.

 

[balf]

I cannot remember the details so this will sound very weak but i will find them and add accordingly.

How can it NOT be regarded a sport when i can clearly remember a player (i think of the ironmen) received a Sporting Visa and was allowed residence in the USA because he played paintball. Im pretty sure i read this in a paintball magazine, more than likely it was PGI since i received it every month.

I believe it is classed as a sport in the USA but here it's not.

 

[dave t]

Dev, whilst composing that post, did you disappear up your own ass mate?

hang on a minute....that post was for real ???!!!

 

[Devrij]

hang on a minute....that post was for real ???!!!

Yeah dude, I was just pointing out that the word "sport" isn't some kind of independent fixed-meaning thing. It changes with time and usage. So using the definition of the word sport to decide whether paintball is a sport or not is pointless, since, as has been pointed out, it's just a status ascribed to various activities by various bureaucratic governing boards. So: we're not a sport because we're not recognised as one. The types of activity we engage in are irrelevant unless you're trying to argue why we should be recognised as a sport. Even then it's all relative (see Robbo's example of synchronised swimming). But, that's just my interpretation of the matter.

 

[Robbo]

Kars / Eelz, you really need to read a few of the above posts where they explain exactly why we ain't a sport.
Just because some guy gets a sports visa or some TV show watched by 3 people happen to mention 'sport' when talking about paintball means nothing ....these are not the people who decide I'm afraid.

And so you guys can rattle off 1001 instances of people regarding paintball as a sport but it doesn't further our quest for recognition one inch.

Before we even get near recognition we have to have structure, accountability and uniformity - we have none of these on a national level let alone international; until we get all these 3 in the bag, you guys can talk all you want but it's all BS I'm afraid.