Is NASCAR a sport?

[TigerHeat 9]

Also? I find the idea expressed in a post above that NASCAR is "beneficial to society" utterly laughable. Please, if you may, list some of these societal benefits.

It gets all the uat fans together in one location so that a tactical nuclear weapon could be used if deemed acceptable?

An excellent suggestion. I highly recommmend it. Except what if the radiation only serves to make their mutations even more severe? I mean bushier mullets, a greater propensity for teeth to fall out, knuckles that completely scrape the ground.

Tactical nuke? No, how about a tactical fluoride, followed with a carpet bombing of Rid. That'll help them keep their teeth, and it'll prevent the bushier mullets from becoming lice-infested. Can't help you with the knuckle-dragging stuff.

[DyeEraTiger 0]

It's obvious enough to me that it is very subjective and I guess we can't determine what is and isn't a sport. To me, driving is not a sport. You can have driving competitions, races, whatever you want to call it but it just ain't a sport. I'm sure some of the guys are in great physical condition and are probably good athletes but their driving ability does not make them an athlete to me. Doesn't anyone remember some of the beer-belleyed boys in the 70's and early 80's that were drivers? I don't think we would be so quick to call the drivers athletes if they still looked like that.

[townhallsavoy 2]

I don't think it's as much of an argument against it being a sport as it is an argument against it being interesting. What's so great about 5 and a half hours of car driving? There's a lot of mechanics involved but you don't really see or interact with it. Also, most of the mechanical situations happening are redundant.

[DyeEraTiger 0]

I don't think it's as much of an argument against it being a sport as it is an argument against it being interesting. What's so great about 5 and a half hours of car driving? There's a lot of mechanics involved but you don't really see or interact with it. Also, most of the mechanical situations happening are redundant.

Some folks like chess and opera--some cheese grits and NASCAR. To each their own.

[C-villetiger1 0]

I think the narrow minded folks that have posted on this subject have never once turned a wrench on a race car and just dont get it. When is a football game won?? In practice!!!! These guys spend countless hours and many nights away from family to make this A SPORT. To say that it isnt is to take away all that they worked on and I truly have lost all respect for some of you. You act like the only way it can be a sport is if you played it or like it. Just because you dont like soccer does not mean it isnt a sport. The men that play the offensive line look just like some of the race car drivers of the 60's and 70's. And the idea that they just sit and do nothing for 3.5 hours is just unreal. And today as in every other SPORT the people that are good at it are in good shape. Minus offensive lineman they are large and strong yes but in shape??? come on!! IF you dont like it dont watch it but to trivialize it and put down the people that do it is worse than making fun of it. The only thing that I wish people would get is that most of the fans and people that do it arent even from the south. All you have to do is look at the last few guys that have won the Cup!!

Please understand that even though you dont like it these people put thier lives into this SPORT and you do not reserve the right to judge them or the sport they participate in!!!!!!!!!!

[aumd03 2]

I don't really have a dog in this fight, but i find it terribly ironic for all of us sitting in the comfort of our homes or offices surfing the net and saying that the guy that slid across the start finish line on his cars roof at 180+ mph with the thing on fire isn't really an athlete. Ironic. Sorry, I digress...

[C-villetiger1 0]

Oh and GG you are truly an arrogant arse! You are truly spitefull and most of all your opinon is not the only one on this board that matters!! To say the things that you do shows your true colors. Arrogance is a disease fuled by self doubt!

[otterinbham 0]

I think the narrow minded folks that have posted on this subject have never once turned a wrench on a race car and just dont get it. When is a football game won?? In practice!!!! These guys spend countless hours and many nights away from family to make this A SPORT. To say that it isnt is to take away all that they worked on and I truly have lost all respect for some of you. You act like the only way it can be a sport is if you played it or like it. Just because you dont like soccer does not mean it isnt a sport. The men that play the offensive line look just like some of the race car drivers of the 60's and 70's. And the idea that they just sit and do nothing for 3.5 hours is just unreal. And today as in every other SPORT the people that are good at it are in good shape. Minus offensive lineman they are large and strong yes but in shape??? come on!! IF you dont like it dont watch it but to trivialize it and put down the people that do it is worse than making fun of it. The only thing that I wish people would get is that most of the fans and people that do it arent even from the south. All you have to do is look at the last few guys that have won the Cup!!

Please understand that even though you dont like it these people put thier lives into this SPORT and you do not reserve the right to judge them or the sport they participate in!!!!!!!!!!

It's not a sport. It's an ingenious ruse designed to keep (Mod Edit: Disagreeing and debating is one thing, but you are crossing the line with your name calling of fans of a certain sport. You are insulting fellow AU brothers and sisters on this board just because they like NASCAR and you dont. Again, watch the name calling rants)

Stock car racing is nothing more than a noisy, pointless spectacle, allowing several hundred thousand of these (Mod Edit: namecalling, insulting members of this board is not tolerated) to buy their tickets and bake in an infield all day on the off chance that they can watch somebody die in a car crash. That's because the fan base is nothing more than a (Mod Edit: Do you feel better degrading others just because you don't agree with them? Does that make you feel more superior? Either debate in a civil manner or don't debate at all) they will attend these lemminglike competitions. That way, they can brag Monday morning at the loading dock how they saw Earl smack into the retaining wall at 200 mph, the seamy equivalent of (Mod Edit: please refrain from using vulgar sexual terms) in a zoo cage for entertainment and pretending for a moment that he's outside of the bars and in possession of a real life.

[aubie57 119]

I seriously doubt people watch just for the chance to maybe see someone die. That as well as the rest of your post was harsh. You could have simply said you don't like it. It amazes me how sensitive people on this forum are when someone makes a comment about something or heaven forbid disagrees with someone on a subject. I don't think that this post or any of my previous post can be taken as personal attacks on any one person or a group of people. Maybe I am just too simple minded to understand this hatred for things that people have that are not the same as that individuals. If everyone liked the same things it would make for a boring world. i would like to think however that people could disagree in a more civilized manner. I personally do not like golf, you don't see me hammering the holy dog crap out of that hobby/sport/game/whatever, I am afraid to call it any particular thing due to repercussions, nor am I bashing the people that do enjoy golf. Why is that necessary??

[TigerHeat 9]

I seriously doubt people watch just for the chance to maybe see someone die.

Wrong, Bud. Remember the gladiators? We're no different.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

I don't think it's as much of an argument against it being a sport as it is an argument against it being interesting. What's so great about 5 and a half hours of car driving? There's a lot of mechanics involved but you don't really see or interact with it. Also, most of the mechanical situations happening are redundant.

Some folks like chess and opera--some cheese grits and NASCAR. To each their own.

I like chess and cheese grits.

And shrimp and grits is divine.

[auwallace 6]

I think the narrow minded folks that have posted on this subject have never once turned a wrench on a race car and just dont get it. When is a football game won?? In practice!!!! These guys spend countless hours and many nights away from family to make this A SPORT. To say that it isnt is to take away all that they worked on and I truly have lost all respect for some of you. You act like the only way it can be a sport is if you played it or like it. Just because you dont like soccer does not mean it isnt a sport. The men that play the offensive line look just like some of the race car drivers of the 60's and 70's. And the idea that they just sit and do nothing for 3.5 hours is just unreal. And today as in every other SPORT the people that are good at it are in good shape. Minus offensive lineman they are large and strong yes but in shape??? come on!! IF you dont like it dont watch it but to trivialize it and put down the people that do it is worse than making fun of it. The only thing that I wish people would get is that most of the fans and people that do it arent even from the south. All you have to do is look at the last few guys that have won the Cup!!

Please understand that even though you dont like it these people put thier lives into this SPORT and you do not reserve the right to judge them or the sport they participate in!!!!!!!!!!

It's not a sport. It's an ingenious ruse designed to keep the stump-necked, gap-toothed, knuckle-dragging, polyester-wearing, stoop-gait, turkey neck, cousin-kissing, boob baring, biscuit-eating, beer swilling, book burning rabble distracted long enough to keep them from inbreeding and further filling up the welfare rolls with yet another generation of genetically questionable halfwits.

Stock car racing is nothing more than a noisy, pointless spectacle, allowing several hundred thousand of these inbred goobers to buy their tickets and bake in an infield all day on the off chance that they can watch somebody die in a car crash. That's because the fan base is nothing more than a bunch of deprived losers who lives are so desperately inadequate that, for want of adrenaline and significance in their pathetic lives, they will attend these lemminglike competitions. That way, they can brag Monday morning at the loading dock how they saw Earl smack into the retaining wall at 200 mph, the seamy equivalent of chimp masturbating in a zoo cage for entertainment and pretending for a moment that he's outside of the bars and in possession of a real life.

yet again your opinion, don't belittle it because you don't like it, you say these people live vicariously through nascar, i say a lot of cfb fans live vicariously through their team. And to write it off as simply a redneck event is downright ignorant and narrowminded. Don't like it? Don't watch it.

[SKCAUB 0]

Gentlemen...have we actually digressed to the point of NASCAR BOBO Honking!!!???

[GalensGhost 0]

One more thing, you are right about the bobcat rental. I do not know how much it costs to rent one....I own one.

Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever on this board (and likely any other) we have BOBCAT smack!

[WaReAgLe83 0]

I'll just say this...ditch the cell phone, bring back Winston. Nextel Cup? Please.

[GalensGhost 0]

Oh and GG you are truly an arrogant arse! You are truly spitefull and most of all your opinon is not the only one on this board that matters!! To say the things that you do shows your true colors. Arrogance is a disease fuled by self doubt!

Why thank you, thank you very much. It's nice to know that I'm spiteful because I don't think NASCAR is a sport.

And last time I checked, my opinion WAS the only one that mattered. I don't think anything's changed.

[bammanmr 0]

I wish i'd clicked on this topic earlier!

I agree with one sentence more than others.

Racing is an intense competition

....and imo, that's as far as it goes. However, the definition of sport is fairly ambiguous. So by technical terms, nascar, f1, soccer, bowling, fishing, hunting and golf for that matter, are sports. Now that's not saying that race drivers or bowlers or golfers are athletes. That's a whole'nother discussion.

I watch pretty much every nascar nextel cup race that's on tv. Mainly b/c cars going in a circle (and that's what they do) puts me to sleep faster than thanksgiving turkey. I usually enjoy the finish of the races, but the way nascar finishes races sometimes is just crap. These green-white-checker finishes are the worst. They are penalizing the leaders b/c some hack can't drive. They really need to treat a late caution as they do other cautions or red-flag the race anytime there's a wreck. One or the other. Sorry for getting offtopic there, but the reason it's being pushed is not the attendance, or the excitement, it's b/c nascar now has an association with ESPN, FOX and TNT; 3 HUGE networks. And it's going to be shoved down our throats for a while, just like the wnba was.

btw, if you want to see real drivers, real racing and real expensive cars, watch a Formula One race.

[otterinbham 0]

I think you can get a clue on the appeal of the "sport" by watching the highlights on the news.

1) Crash.

2) Crash.

3) Engine blowout, followed by crash.

4) Crash.

5) Crash.

6) Another crash.

7) Obligatory crash footage from the DriverCam.

8) Helicopter evacuation of injured driver to hospital.

9) Car crossing finish line.

10) Driver spraying champagne everywhere while Miss Nextel proudly thrusts out her breasts in the background (That's the part I like).

[AU_tiger_2000 0]

According to ESPN auto racing is the 32nd toughest sport in the world. Link. I'm not saying that ESPN is the most authoritative figure in what makes a sport a sport (they are the ones who air the national spelling bee and poker tournaments) but at least their list is a bit more scientific than what we are doing here (I'm just waiting for somebody to post "Your mama wears army boots").

For those of you too lazy to look at the link

1. boxing

2. hockey

3. football

32. auto racing

36. swimming

44. weight lifting

60. fishing

Based on what takes the most nerve

1. auto racing

2. bull riding

3. ski jumping

based on what takes the most analytical skill.

1. ice hockey

2. soccer

3. auto racing

based on what takes the most hand eye coordination.

1. baseball

2. table tennis

3. tennis

4. racquetball

5. auto racing

Personally I think the guys are athletes and racing is a sport. It's not my favorite sport, but still something I like to watch. I like NASCAR more than Indy because in NASCAR the cars are set up to run the same which means the drivers skill (and a healthy amount of luck) are more in play. In Indy car the team with the most money and the most corporate help win.

Also all the people who think that the NASCAR fans are a bunch of redneck baboons: you do realize that is what 80% of the people north of Kentucky and west of Austin think of college football fans? Don't throw stones. Also I know that NASCAR is nation wide now. Every year I take a trip up north to the yankee-est of yankee places (South Dakota) and we have to call an end to our hunting trip early on Sunday so that we can all track back inside and watch the NASCAR race.

[aumd03 2]

Have any of you guys actually driven anywhere close to that fast? To say these guys don't have the proverbial balls of steel is crazy. I drove 155 in a friends car down the interstate one time and it scared the bejesus out of me. When the car the lane over is doing 70 and you approach like you were doing 85 and they are standing still, its a little unnerving.

These guys drive on the brink of control the whole time. Did anyone watch Harvick approach Martin at the end of the race and just the prescense of Harvick caused Martin to start to break lose and his back end get squirly. At 185. Its like driving on an oval oil slick. These guys may not be "athletes" per se, but they are the best at what they do.

I think the sport argument is semantics. Thats like arguing which girls are hot. You are never going to reach a consensus. As for the espn poll, I played hockey my entire life. I don't think there's that big of a gap between the toughness of hockey and nascar. Just my opinion.

For those that think NASCAR is just a redneck sport, it has a HUGE following throughout the country. Probably some of the biggest fans are in the midwest and northeast far from what I would consider "redneck country"

[aubie57 119]

One more thing, you are right about the bobcat rental. I do not know how much it costs to rent one....I own one.

Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever on this board (and likely any other) we have BOBCAT smack!

Glad I could be a part of a first on the board!!!

[otterinbham 0]

Maybe they should race Bobcats. Heck, they're racing pickups and lawnmowers already. In fact, you could have the extra dimension of the shovel on the front being used to push competitors out of the way.

[cadillacattack 0]

i wonder if some of the folks on here do as much research in forming their opinions about CFB as they do about Nascar ?

[otterinbham 0]

i wonder if some of the folks on here do as much research in forming their opinions about CFB as they do about Nascar ?

Research? I have first-hand research. About a dozen or so weekends spend helping one of my clients sponsor a car in the Busch series. Good grief. Those are 24 days I'll never get back again.

[otterinbham 0]

This Week In Sports History

Feb. 22, 1959:

In the very first Daytona 500 run on the Superspeedway oval, stock-car patriarch Lee Petty's car suffers a catastrophic mechanical failure; however, with his steering wheel stuck all the way to the left and his throttle stuck open, Petty wins easily.