re: What is your definition of a sport?

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No, but my point is that if you took a soccer player like Landon Donovan and gave him the athletic gifts of somebody like Bo Jackson or some other great athlete, he immediately becomes much better at his sport.

That isn't the case with golf.

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So you're saying that size, strength and power isn't important in the game of golf, and you'd be wrong.

If you took someone with as much skill as Jack Nicklaus and gave them Bo Jackson's body, strength, speed, and power he would have won over 30 majors.

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Bowling - is a sport, but the competitors are not athletes.

Tennis - both a sport and athletes.

Track & Field - both sport and athletes

Skiing - both sport and athletes

Golf - is a sport, but I wouldn't call them athletes.

Cheerleading - Not a sport, but they are athletes.

NASCAR/Indy Racing - is a sport, but not athletes.

Fishing - is a sport, but are not athletes.

Skateboarding (and other X-Games activities) - Not a sport if it's judged, but they are athletes.

Ping Pong - Is a sport, but are not athletes.

Poker - Not a sport since it isn't physical, and they are not athletes.

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I agree with this. I agree with all of this. Well said.

Sorry to debunk your neat little theories, but they don't hold up well.

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Sorry to debunk your neat little theories, but they don't hold up well.

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You didn't debunk anything. I just disagree with your hypothetical of Jack Nicklaus in Bo Jackson's body being able to win a whole bunch more majors.

There is no way for either of us to prove that so all I can do is disagree with you.

When has athleticism ever won golfers majors?

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This isn't true at all. The main thing that separates Div 1 and Div 2 college baseball is athleticism, size, power, velocity, etc.

There is much more athleticism to it than you think.

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No. Athleticism = raw athleticism + hand-eye

Absolutely unquestionably the most important aspect of the sport of baseball is being able to hit the ball.** Nothing else in baseball happens unless a ball is hit.

Batting is hand-eye. You're stationery when batting. No agility required. No speed required. No jumping required.* Pure hand-eye. Now all other things being equal, the stronger guy will hit the ball farther than the weaker, but that doesn't make batting not hand-eye. Barry Bonds was a great hitter before and after steroids. He just hit it farther after steroids.

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*Some agility, speed, and leaping is required in baserunning and fielding. Hence 98%, not 2%.

**Pitching is the other side of this coin. Pitching is its own skill. Almost like serving in tennis. Under my two-prong breakdown of athleticism, I think pitching falls under raw athleticism. It's the only upper body activity that belongs in the raw athleticism category. This should be apparent. Things done in sports with hands require hand-eye coordination. Pitching is about how much shoulder rotation can be generated. There's no reactionary component to it, which is the name of the game with hand-eye.

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See: Tiger Woods

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So he won because he was a superior athlete or was it because he was a superior golfer?

The mindset I've always gone by for a "sport" is if someone is in direct competition trying to impede your success.

Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, nascar, tennis, etc..your opponent is actively competing against you trying to stop you from succeeding.

With golf, bowling, gymnastics, cheerleading, skateboarding, etc. you basically do the best you can and compare scores after. Nobody but yourself is stopping you from doing the best you can. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying in ANY way that those aren't difficult and there's not tremendous skill involved.

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Batting is hand-eye. You're stationery when batting. No agility required. No speed required. No jumping required.* Pure hand-eye

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lol, no. Batting involves all kinds of speed (fast twitch), agility (hitting inside and outside pitches or curves are all different movements), and you're hardly what I'd call "stationary". It is an extremely violent movement.

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So he won because he was a superior athlete or was it because he was a superior golfer?

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They go hand in hand, he needed both.

But he unquestionably is/was a better golfer because of his strength especially off the tee and out of the rough.

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No. Athleticism = raw athleticism + hand-eye

Absolutely unquestionably the most important aspect of the sport of baseball is being able to hit the ball.** Nothing else in baseball happens unless a ball is hit.

Batting is hand-eye. You're stationery when batting. No agility required. No speed required. No jumping required.* Pure hand-eye. Now all other things being equal, the stronger guy will hit the ball farther than the weaker, but that doesn't make batting not hand-eye. Barry Bonds was a great hitter before and after steroids. He just hit it farther after steroids.

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*Some agility, speed, and leaping is required in baserunning and fielding. Hence 98%, not 2%.

**Pitching is the other side of this coin. Pitching is its own skill. Almost like serving in tennis. Under my two-prong breakdown of athleticism, I think pitching falls under raw athleticism. It's the only upper body activity that belongs in the raw athleticism category. This should be apparent. Things done in sports with hands require hand-eye coordination. Pitching is about how much shoulder rotation can be generated. There's no reactionary component to it, which is the name of the game with hand-eye.

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You don't know what scouts look for then or what coaches look for at showcases.

They are judging speed, agility, arm strength, size, power, etc.

They aren't looking for guys who hit for average or have a nice glove if they aren't fast, have a very strong arm, etc.

Players are drafted out of high school not because they are amazing baseball players... but because they can crush the baseball or they can throw 95 mph.

Athleticism matters a LOT in baseball, you just don't realize it.