# Is Marching Band A "REAL" Sport? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 10, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marching-band-a-real-sport/212484 "2003-11-10T21:56:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marching-band-a-real-sport/212484/81 "2004-08-08T03:14:05Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I disagree with the notion that sport must require both competitors to be on the field at once or to directly impact one another’s performance. > > The 100-metre dash, for instance, could theoretically be run one runner at a time. It wouldn’t be as exciting but it would be essentiaqlly the same thing. But it would be absurd to claim sprinting - maybe the most fundamental sport there is - isn’t a sport. I completely disagree. Sprinting is not a sport. Sprinting is a competitive athletic event. That’s why the greatest ever are listed in Guiness’ book of World Records, instead of the Sprinting Hall of Fame. > [@](#): > > Such a definition would also exclude weight lifting and long jumping. If your definition even threatens to exclude sports as obvious and basic as long jumping and weight lifting, you need a better definition. Weight lifting and long jumping are not sports, either. They are competitions. > [@](#): > > I keep going back to the definition I was taught in university. A sport is > > - A contest of physical skill > - Played for its own purposes > - With a defined and objective criteria that determines a winner You may object to my definition in that it excludes activities like sprinting and long jumping. Using the same tactic, I object to your university’s definition because it includes competitive eating. > [@](#): > > Marching band isn’t a sport. hehheh, at least we can agree on something. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marching-band-a-real-sport/212484.md?page=4)