local article--poker isnt a sport--near clemson SC

[Gunnarr]

damn, there goes my dreams of becoming a professional athlete through my poker prowess.

[Vega33]

I expect to see more articles like this in light of the fact that none of the final table guys in the WSOP are well-known professionals. And guys like Ivey and Negreanu busted out early.

Will give the poker haters a chance to crow- that's why I was hoping Gus Hansen would hang in there when he was doing well.

[Cactus Jack]

ESPN once broadcast polo. I did kinda get into Australian Rules Football. A manly sport, indeed. Bob, they did have business reports in the mornings, too. And Chris Berman had hair.

It's going to be a long time before the public accepts poker as a legitimate pasttime. Of course it's not a sport, but many of the "sports" in the Olympics aren't sports either, but competitions. A game, however, can be a sport, but not all games are sports. Easy arguments.

What can't be argued is the author of that column is a total moron, a horrible writer, and up there at the top of the list of the luckiest people on the planet to be doing what he's doing and getting paid for it. He's either Somebody's son, or has compromising pictures. It ain't his talent.

[btmagnetw]

next on scott dumb-[censored]-ason's writing block: why toddler murder is wrong

[Albert Moulton]

I think he's missing the point that all competitive sports are athletic games. And poker is a game. It's just not very athletic (unless you count staying up all night on coffee, cola, and cheap casino food).

And it is a really interesting game for those who know how to play that became fun to watch with the invention of the lipstick camera to see hole cards.

Golf is an athletic sport, but it's less "athletic" in many ways than football, for example. And golf is boring for people to watch who don't play golf.

But, for golfers, watching a pro tournament is really fun for much the same reason that card players enjoy watching poker on TV. "What's he going to do now?" "I would have used a wedge instead of a 7 iron. What's he doing." "What shot!"

Etc.

ESPN isn't the game show network, but it does televise big-money games that men (mostly) like to watch. And poker is a big-money game that men (mostly) like to watch.

[otter]

very good points!