Nascar Drivers. Athletes or not?

#11

"Sanitarium [Incarcerated]" <spaamtrapper (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

Quote:

"Chuck Steak" <Chuck_Steak (AT) nospam (DOT) com> wrote in message
news:bbGdnZJhObp0nyPfRVn-rg (AT) rcn (DOT) net...
In article <9Hmve.28070$X57.856793 (AT) news20 (DOT) bellglobal.com>,
"Josh" <joshsaw (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:
I have a friend who keeps arguing that Nascar Drivers are not
athletes. I
would like to get a general consensus of what you all think.
Athletes or
not?

just tell him he's right.
it's not worth the effort.
if he's one of those that thinks a sport has to have a ball
involved, you'll never change his mind.

I always tell people like that, motor racing sports are the only
ones that require two balls.

Good thing I wasn't drinking coffee...

Well put.

-Russ.

#12

"Electrician" <electrician (AT) xo (DOT) com> wrote

Quote:

In article <9Hmve.28070$X57.856793 (AT) news20 (DOT) bellglobal.com>,
joshsaw (AT) hotmail (DOT) com
says...

I have a friend who keeps arguing that Nascar Drivers are not athletes. I
would like to get a general consensus of what you all think. Athletes or
not?

It's obvious neither you nor your friend has ever raced a car in formal
competition. You both need to go to your local track and enroll in a
competitive driving school, it'll more than answer your question.

Yes, and makesure he wears a head to toe fire suit, balaclava, gloves,
booties, full faced helmet, goes out for a 4 hour stint and turns the air
conditioning off and make sure it's 100 degrees out.

-Russ.

#13

"ray o'hara" <roh (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote

Quote:

"Mike Marlow" <mmarlowREMOVE (AT) alltel (DOT) net> wrote in message
news:b504f$42be134a$4528971f$4314 (AT) ALLTEL (DOT) NET...

"Rod Williams" <rodw (AT) adelphia (DOT) net> wrote in message
news:9Anve.2506$Q27.1721 (AT) trndny02 (DOT) ..
Josh wrote:
I have a friend who keeps arguing that Nascar Drivers are not
athletes.
I
would like to get a general consensus of what you all think.
Athletes
or
not?

I would like to see baseball or basketball players play their sport,
non
stop, for 3-5 hours at 130 degrees. Who do you think the real athletes
are?

Well, that's not very meaningful. Hell, I'd like to see any Cup driver
play
an NBA basketball game. Even with lower temps, less time, they're just
not
in shape for that sort of thing. Apples and oranges, you just can't
compare
atheletes from different sports.

--

-Mike-
mmarlow (AT) alltel (DOT) net

race drivers are in better shape than any others. they have to withstand
high g's and viscious heat that tire you out, nobody in basket,base or
football could survive 500 laps around bristol. races last 3-5 hours with
no
time out, even pitstops require the drivers to be alet and totally
engaged.

race drivers are most assuredly atheletes.

Than any others? I disagree -- not that I don't think they are atheletes,
but let's see them do the ironman in 100 degree heat. To say any one sport
is "in better shape than an others" will never hold up, they all train to
extremes in different ways. That said, what drivers do at cup level is very
physically demanding.

Are sailors atheletes? It's an olympic sport.

-Russ.

#14

"ÐW" <ÐW (AT) thehouse (DOT) tv> wrote

Quote:

Then I guess we can classify fighter pilots as athletes. They travel 3
times
faster and withstand 4 times the G force a stock car driver will ever
endure.

Or we can just call the American Soldier/Marine in Iraq the all-time
athlete, he goes without sleep, humps his body weight plus an extra 50
lbs,
and withstands temps over130F all day long, and doesn't piss and moan
about
an extra man to give him a drink, or clean his goggles.

All combat soldiers are atheletes, except that what they do is not a sport.

-Russ.

#15

"ÐW" <ÐW (AT) thehouse (DOT) tv> wrote

Quote:

Then I guess we can classify fighter pilots as athletes. They travel 3
times
faster and withstand 4 times the G force a stock car driver will ever
endure.

Or we can just call the American Soldier/Marine in Iraq the all-time
athlete, he goes without sleep, humps his body weight plus an extra 50
lbs,
and withstands temps over130F all day long, and doesn't piss and moan
about
an extra man to give him a drink, or clean his goggles.

being a fighter pilot requires a good amount of athleticism. but it is not
a sport. ex-fighter pilots would probably make a good stocker.

#16

"Somebody" <somebody (AT) nospam (DOT) russdoucet.com> wrote

Quote:

"ray o'hara" <roh (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote in message
news:Mpidnbfgl_BThyPfRVn-gQ (AT) comcast (DOT) com...

"Mike Marlow" <mmarlowREMOVE (AT) alltel (DOT) net> wrote in message
news:b504f$42be134a$4528971f$4314 (AT) ALLTEL (DOT) NET...

"Rod Williams" <rodw (AT) adelphia (DOT) net> wrote in message
news:9Anve.2506$Q27.1721 (AT) trndny02 (DOT) ..
Josh wrote:
I have a friend who keeps arguing that Nascar Drivers are not
athletes.
I
would like to get a general consensus of what you all think.
Athletes
or
not?

I would like to see baseball or basketball players play their sport,
non
stop, for 3-5 hours at 130 degrees. Who do you think the real
athletes
are?

Well, that's not very meaningful. Hell, I'd like to see any Cup
driver
play
an NBA basketball game. Even with lower temps, less time, they're
just
not
in shape for that sort of thing. Apples and oranges, you just can't
compare
atheletes from different sports.

--

-Mike-
mmarlow (AT) alltel (DOT) net

race drivers are in better shape than any others. they have to
withstand
high g's and viscious heat that tire you out, nobody in basket,base or
football could survive 500 laps around bristol. races last 3-5 hours
with
no
time out, even pitstops require the drivers to be alet and totally
engaged.

race drivers are most assuredly atheletes.

Than any others? I disagree -- not that I don't think they are atheletes,
but let's see them do the ironman in 100 degree heat. To say any one
sport
is "in better shape than an others" will never hold up, they all train to
extremes in different ways. That said, what drivers do at cup level is
very
physically demanding.

Are sailors atheletes? It's an olympic sport.

-Russ.

in the 60s there was a tv show called the superstars that pitted atheletes
from different sports in competition against each other. richard petty was
on and he finished high up in the standings and he won the weight lifting
competition, the weight lifting was judged by how much they could lift in
relation to their body weight, petty one of the smaller competitors not only
won on that criteria he flat out lifted more than any other contestant.
afterwards he remarked " i hope this puts to rest the idea drivers aren't
atheletes"

#17

If you think those fat asses like Tony stewart and Jimmy spencer
are athletes, you must be crazy, and hell their are little women doing
the same thing (Shauna robinson).....They are no more athletes then
golfers. Lance Armstrong... Now theirs an athlete.

#18

"ray o'hara" <roh (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote

Quote:

race drivers are in better shape than any others. they have to withstand
high g's and viscious heat that tire you out, nobody in basket,base or
football could survive 500 laps around bristol. races last 3-5 hours with
no
time out, even pitstops require the drivers to be alet and totally
engaged.

Can they do wind sprints up and down a court? Withstand getting sacked by a
300 lb gorilla? Hit a baseball out of the park, or jump up and catch one
before it does, swim 100yds? Not likely in every case. Like I said - you
can't compare them. Different sports, different skills. Each participant
develops the skills and the attributes he needs to excel in his particular
sport - makes no difference that those from other sports can't do the same
thing - they haven't developed those attributes.

Quote:

race drivers are most assuredly atheletes.

Indeed they are - never suggested they were not.

--

-Mike-
mmarlow (AT) alltel (DOT) net

#19

I told you guys......
don't do it....

Dan
----------------------------------------------
The biggest difference between marriage and a car battery,
is that the battery has a positive side....

#20

YES, they are!

"Josh" <joshsaw (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote

Quote:

I have a friend who keeps arguing that Nascar Drivers are not athletes. I
would like to get a general consensus of what you all think. Athletes or
not?