Favourite Sports

[Whirlwind]

Athletics - along with swimming, possibly the "purest" form of sport - running, jumping, throwing etc ?

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You have to include boxing, wrestling, judo, karate...on the list of the purest sports of all.

Think about boxing: two men in shorts just competing to see who can better the other guy. No equipment. Just one human body against another to see who can overcome the other. Not be faster, not throw farther, not jump higher...no. Who can beat the other. That's as pure a sport as any sport can ever be.

[Tony S]

Athletics - along with swimming, possibly the "purest" form of sport - running, jumping, throwing etc ?

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You have to include boxing, wrestling, judo, karate...on the list of the purest sports of all.

Think about boxing: two men in shorts just competing to see who can better the other guy. No equipment. Just one human body against another to see who can overcome the other. Not be faster, not throw farther, not jump higher...no. Who can beat the other. That's as pure a sport as any sport can ever be.

Well, I don't have to include those, but yeah, ok, combat based sports go back a very long way. Especially wrestling. There are forms of wrestling still practiced today which date back millenia. Obviously we can ignore all that WWE / WWF or whatever it is nonsense. The Romans also boxed. I'm sure judo & karate have their roots in very ancient martial arts too.
However, one person against another in combat is no purer than competing to see who can run fastest or jump furthest for example (again, no equipment necessary).

[Whirlwind]

However, one person against another in combat is no purer than competing to see who can run fastest or jump furthest for example (again, no equipment necessary).

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Of course one against another in physical combat is purer. The goal is to overcome the other. Running faster or jumping farther is really a meaningless skill. Wow, that guy can run faster than me. But guess what? I can jump farther, jump higher, throw a disc farther, go faster over hurdles....and so what. Those are all just little niche achievements. In combat sports one is physically beating the other - proving ultimate superiority. That makes it as pure as any sport can be.

Two opponents, no equipment -- who will be left standing. You can't get more basic than that. Sport at it's purest level.

[cthulhu]

Sport at it's purest level.

Your purity is a lie.

[Whirlwind]

Your purity is a lie.

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Purity is a virtue, purity is an angel, purity is two boxers confronting each other.
That lyric comes from an early demo version of "Purity."

[cthulhu]

Purity is a virtue, purity is an angel, purity is two boxers confronting each other.
That lyric comes from an early demo version of "Purity."

I know that. It's from the phonograph cylinder demo from 1896.

But you failed to mention that it also continues:

Purity is a virtue, purity is an angel,
purity is two boxers confronting each other
And then they egg each other on and on
Like battered boxers staying the course
So don't let the Whirlwind blow
So much chuzpe into the world
And let the Whirlwind knoooow
that he is just not better than them

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Ignoring debates about purity of sports I'll just comment on the original thread. 

Not hugely a sporty person but somehow I remain with an interest in F1 and International football.

As for taking part ........ the only sport I do is Archery - target shooting only but kinda reassuring to know I could kill at 75m come the promised End Of Days 

[Whirlwind]

...I remain with an interest in F1 ...

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More power to you for that. F1 is losing followers by the hundreds of thousands. What was once a fantastic sport (hell, I used to watch practice sessions!) is now an unwatchable parade featuring uninteresting competitors.

What made that sport great was the guys would actually race. That just doesn't happen any longer.
What made that sport great was the guys were fascinating personalities. Current F1...a tire has a better personality than Lewis Hamilton.

[Red]

I like most sports but especially motorsports and love the thrill especially when I was involved in running a team a few years ago.
It was scooter racing in the BSSO and we used old Lambrettas that had been tuned 'slightly'

210cc maximum capacity but geared for 115mph and just under 40bhp, a standard lambretta 200cc is approx 9bhp

We built the team in 2010 and started competing in 2011 with the goal to be challenging towards the top end in 2016 and eventually to be competing for the championship in 2017 onwards

We actually won the British Championship in 2014 and also came 2nd, 3rd and 5th

As for other sports I watch football, snooker, tennis, cricket (especially limited over games)

I used to play table tennis at school to a decent level, just below county standard

Don't do much else myself these days apart from a bit of snooker, pool, and darts (Have a pool table and darts board at home)

I had a dabble at archery a few years ago and need to get back into it, I only use the proper recurve bow not the compound which is in my eyes is cheating as once you've drawn it over the cam you can hold it for ever to get your aim.

It takes power and balance to hold a recurve bow before the release

[Anna Woman von NRW]

I had a dabble at archery a few years ago and need to get back into it, I only use the proper recurve bow not the compound which is in my eyes is cheating as once you've drawn it over the cam you can hold it for ever to get your aim.

It takes power and balance to hold a recurve bow before the release

Too right Red - Compound is fake, Recurve is the only way to go  I don't use stabilizers but do use a sight. Would love to be strong enough for a traditonal yew longbow but sadly I never will be 

[Red]

I had a dabble at archery a few years ago and need to get back into it, I only use the proper recurve bow not the compound which is in my eyes is cheating as once you've drawn it over the cam you can hold it for ever to get your aim.

It takes power and balance to hold a recurve bow before the release

Too right Red - Compound is fake, Recurve is the only way to go  I don't use stabilizers but do use a sight. Would love to be strong enough for a traditonal yew longbow but sadly I never will be 

Just another American way of trying to win everything

I've tried stabilisers but cant get on with them

I also use a sight

Have an ex workmate who uses a bare bow and he's bloody good at it

Definitely need to get back into it, work and the travel involved limits what I do though