What is a “sport”?  What is an Olympic sport?  Are
they the same thing?

Clearly being a “sport” does not carry with it
automatic entry into Olympic competition.  In August of 2009, in fact, the International Olympic Committee chose
not to include such sports as baseball, softball, or squash, and to include rugby
and golf.  Some people argue quite
articulately that golf isn’t even a sport.

So golf, previously an Olympic sport back in 1900
and 1904, now joins other Olympic competitions that are arguably not
sports:  ping pong, synchronized
swimming, and rhythmic gymnastics to name three.  Of course, there was a time when croquet and
tug-of-war were included as Olympic sports.  Yet wrestling, which was part of the ancient games in Greece and has its
roots in the first modern Games in 1896, is now out!  Who knows what prompted that decision.  Perhaps they think that wrestling scoring is
too incomprehensible for the typical Olympic audience.

It is difficult to define the term “sport.”  Here’s what my dictionary says:

Sport
is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or
team competes against another or others for entertainment.

I thought perhaps it could be distinguished from the
word “game” but here’s that definition:

Game
is a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played
according to rules and decided by skill, strength or luck.

The addition of the words “rules” and “luck” don’t
really help because all sports include these elements.  At least by using the word “or” we are able
to include poker as a “game,” although ESPN must think it is a “sport” as it
televises poker all the time, which is beyond me.  Yet they have never televised a marathon
race, a competition that features arguably the best athletes in the world. 

Of course, the most questionable IOC decision of all
has to be the one that allowed professional athletes like NBA stars and elite
tennis stars to compete in what used to be a strictly amateur competition.  That effectively destroyed the most unique element
of Olympic competition.