Should Debate be an Olympic Sport?

[Love365]

Should debate be an Olympic sport?

 

[hislegacy]

Congrats! you just won the gold medal for the most unique question on the internet so far this year.

 

[HTacianas]

Should debate be an Olympic sport?

Actually, no. And there's a reason for it. I think any activity that requires judges to score points isn't a sport at all. It's more artistic performance. Take cliff diving for example. The winner of the cliff diving competition should be whoever dives off the highest cliff.

 

[timothyu]

Even the Greeks of old would most likely say no. They knew exercising the muscle between our ears was not a physical performance like those who ran around naked throwing things and wrestling with each other like a greased pig contest. Jocks have never fit in the philosophical category of being great thinkers any more than spiritual thinkers are of the material world.

 

[Love365]

Actually, no. And there's a reason for it. I think any activity that requires judges to score points isn't a sport at all. It's more artistic performance. Take cliff diving for example. The winner of the cliff diving competition should be whoever dives off the highest cliff.

Figure skating and gymnastics have judges.

 

[Say it aint so]

Only if it's scored by antics such as rolling up your sleeves, frothing at the mouth in a elevated tone, and cutting people off as they provide an answer to your question you don't want to hear.

 

[timothyu]

That would be form, not substance so to make that a sport no one would have to speak.

 

[durangodawood]

Just imagine trying to debate and judge across dozens of different languages.

 

[DaisyDay]

Actually, no. And there's a reason for it. I think any activity that requires judges to score points isn't a sport at all. It's more artistic performance. Take cliff diving for example. The winner of the cliff diving competition should be whoever dives off the highest cliff.

And if 27 people dive off the same highest cliff? There still must be criteria for judging the relative dives.

Red Bull Content Pool

The Red Bull content platform offers latest news, images, videos & music free for editorial use and premium license-required products from the world of sports, culture, lifestyle & entertainment.

www.redbullcontentpool.com

 

[timothyu]

Just imagine trying to debate and judge across dozens of different languages.

Would it matter? The judging, it being a physical event, would rely upon antics rather than speech. Actually we already have debate olympics. It is called political speeches and there is never a winner.

 

[Desk trauma]

Should debate be an Olympic sport?

No.

 

[Love365]

Just imagine trying to debate and judge across dozens of different languages.

People start training for the Olympics when they are young.

The younger you are,
the easier it is to learn new languages.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Great idea!

 

[Desk trauma]

Alternate proposal: do away with the quadrennial international graft and doping festival.

 

[Bradskii]

I was thinking of cooking.

 

[Pommer]

Alternate proposal: do away with the quadrennial international graft and doping festival.

I’m with Harry Shearer on this one, he’s got a radio-show /podcast “le show” which takes a humorous gander at the weekly news, which has a segment called “News of the Olympic Movement”; the end line is “It’s a ‘movement’ and we all need one, EVERYDAY!”

 

[Say it aint so]

I was thinking of cooking.

Now you're talking. Kind of an international March Madness Iron Chef.

 

[timothyu]

It’s a ‘movement’ and we all need one, EVERYDAY!”

Now THAT would be a true olympic event.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Now THAT would be a true olympic event.

And somehow Bono would always win.

 

[Pommer]

And somehow Bono would always win.

Randy Marsh for the Silver?