Many times people who belong to a fandom will wrongly label their favorite activity as a “sport,” when in reality, it may not be.

These people have an idea in their heads that makes them believe their favorite competition, activity or game is a sport. People may try to bend the definition of a “sport” to fit what they want it to, but the definition is set. I’m talking to the NASCAR fans, the people who somehow think that chess, pool, or darts are a sport.

Although I could go on and on for about five thousand words explaining how delusional these people are and describe in detail how much they need to get their head out of another dimension, I’ll resort to more facts.

The literal definition of a sport is an activity that requires physical exertion and is played competitively. If you try to say NASCAR or chess is a sport then you need a reexamination of what physical exertion is. The problem with declassifying something as a sport is the can of worms that opens immediately after that.

People who participate in activities that they consider sports are often quick to defend the status of said activity. I may not do anything athletic, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out videogames should not in any way, shape, or form considered a sport. Yes, there are people who actually believe that, look it up.

Chess is another hot topic when it comes to borderline “sports.” This one isn’t even close to fitting the definition of anything athletic. No one watches chess for entertainment on FOX or CBS, and there is no physical activity at all in chess. Oh, yes, there are also people who believe chess is a sport and they do not care for any argument. Again, look it up.

Just because these activities aren’t sports, does not mean these people are not professionals at what they do. They still get paid for what they do, which could be driving cars or playing chess, not being an “athlete.”

There is really nothing wrong with being in an activity that isn’t a sport. Anything that you do outside of school will be good for you in all ways, but when you talk about sports, some things just don’t fit the mold.