Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2008 August 25

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August 25

Why are snooker and pool not Olympic sports?

Question as topic. Is there any particular reason, or is it just a case that the ruling bodies of the sports have never applied to the IOC? --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 00:52, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

I don't know the answer, but it raises an interesting issue. While there's an overlap, there's still a distinction between a game and a sport, and, despite the name, the IOC admits sports rather than games. Otherwise, there might be be Olympic chess and Olympic scrabble. It's line-ball but I'd classify snooker and pool as games rather than sports; I'm sure others would disagree. -- JackofOz (talk) 01:05, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

I actually once spoke to someone in the pub who thought that chess should be an Olympic sport, FWIW. --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 01:10, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

• In recent years there was some serious lobbying to have bridge made an Olympic sport. It failed. Bridge players' opinions varied between "would have been good publicity for the game" and "ridiculous idea that got the result it deserved". --Anonymous, 03:37 UTC, August 25, 2008.

The IOC does recognize "billiards sports"... see here. -- kainaw™ 02:15, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

The real question is why they do have ping-pong and badminton. I don't care how much skill it takes, if it's not physical it's not a sport. I think there is a bit of a gray area but it's really much smaller than all this muddying-up with non-sports is trying to make it. -LambaJan (talk) 04:13, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

How are ping pong or badminton not physical? Do you mean body-body contact between opponents? This definition of "sport" ends up excluding most Olympic events, like swimming, equestrian, diving, athletics, etc. — Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 04:19, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

(ec) Not physical? I'd have said those 2 were quite physical; maybe not as much as marathon running, but a lot more than bridge or pool. -- JackofOz (talk) 04:21, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

I don't mean body contact because any sort of race (except for maybe competitive walking) would certainly meet my definition of physical. I figured it was pretty easy to figure out what I meant but if I have to define it I guess I'd say a sport is physical if, skill in execution aside, you cannot win without the proper physical training/bodytype. That is, if everyone has perfect form, the winner is the one with the most beneficial body characteristics (by training, birth or both). Frankly, I think it's an insult to swimmers, runners, football players and others when table-tennis players receive the same medals and ceremonies as real athletes. I'm not taking anything away from the competitors, I'm sure they put a lot into it, just like go players, but that doesn't make it a sport. -LambaJan (talk) 15:52, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

LambaJan, what is the distinction that does not make table-tennis players real athletes? The surely need to be fit, and have very quick reactions, talent at controlling spin and flight of the ball etc. These are all characteristics that can come from birth, training or both, though they are not visible through oversized overarms or calves. By your thinking, what is the distinction between tennis and table-tennis? Or is tennis out too, by virtue of what? I'm assuming that baseball and softball would be right out by your standards, or you have some serious explaining to do. /Coffeeshivers (talk) 16:06, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

In real tennis you need to be fit. For table-tennis you don't. Federer's form is much better (more economical) than Rafa's, but lately Rafa's been winning because his fitness level lets him hustle and get shots that a lot of other players either can't get at all or can't get on the back end of a match. I saw the woman's final for table-tennis. Neither one of them were fit. Compare them to divers or gymnasts or just about any other type of olympic athlete. -LambaJan (talk) 15:28, 29 August 2008 (UTC)

What about Archery? APL (talk) 17:14, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

That one's a bit in the grey area, if they want to argue it I won't be bothered, but it does remind me of shooting, which I think shouldn't count. I think if they allow pedal bikes but not engine bikes, then whether or not they allow bows, they shouldn't allow guns. I think you guys want to argue my wording more than the essence of my point. I have respect for games of skill, but that doesn't mean they're the same as sports. -LambaJan (talk) 15:28, 29 August 2008 (UTC)

I'm amazed that you're unsure whether competitive walking is physical or not. Stunned. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:19, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

You're right. It's definitely not (not enough to be a sport, anyway). ;-) -LambaJan (talk) 15:28, 29 August 2008 (UTC)

@Kurt Shaped Box: There have been serious moves to get chess into the Olympics in the past. I believe two sticking points have been the IOC's insistence that new events be fully gender-segregated and the IOC's policy on drugs. While we're having a discussion, I'd say it's not a sport if there isn't direct interaction between competitors. All doing the same thing separately (even at the same time) and the best individual performance winning doesn't count. Thus athletics, swimming, diving, rowing, gymnastics and so on are out. The Olympics should admit that it is not just a sporting event but rather a more general celebration of human physical prowess. Algebraist 11:49, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Maybe I'm reading this wrong - but are you suggesting that there is an issue with performance-enhancing drugs in *chess*? ;)

Personally, I'd quite like to see horse racing and some form of motorsports in the Olympics. I know that they've been making a case for darts to be included over the past few years too... --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 13:36, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Yes, many chess players use caffeine and other stimulants while playing, not to mention cannabis to come down afterward and for general recreation. The IOC has a rule against sports involving motor propulsion, though that could be changed of course. Algebraist 13:50, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

'Other stimulants' too? Are these guys speeding at the board, or something? Man, I never knew that the world of chess was so rock'n'roll... --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 17:18, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

In that case, you might be interested in the benevolent Buddhist chess-dictator. Algebraist 18:13, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Bowling was an exhibition sport at one Olympics, I think it was Seoul, but it never made it on the full docket. Corvus cornix_talk 18:01, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Mega Man X9

Is Capcom will produce Mega Man X9?Aquitania (talk) 04:47, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

I would assume so. Why not? Avnas Ishtaroth _{drop me a line} 05:20, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Maximum number of competitors and medals at the Olympics

Hi

I was just curious about what the maximum possible number of competitors an NOC could theoretically have, as well as how many gold, silver and bronze medals they could earn, presuming every athlete won a medal.213.123.199.183 (talk) 09:27, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Eva Mendes' nipple slip

I heard there was a Eva Mendes' nipple slip on French television but was her "nipple" shown? -- JSH-alive ^(talk)_(cntrbtns)^{(mail me)} 11:43, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

No. Type "Eva Mendes Slip" into google image search and you'll see many copies of the screenshot. -- kainaw™ 14:11, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

buying from amazon

Hi, I've been thinking about getting dvd's from amazon.com, and I'm curious about the cheap prices on some items. I was looking at Kal Ho Naa Ho, for example, and amazon sells for over $50, but then there is an extra list which has copies from about $5, apparently from other suppliers. Does anyone know why there are these other really cheap versions, and are they likely to be of good quality? Furthermore, I live in Australia, so is it easy to specify the PAL region (4 in my case) or do people sometimes end up getting the wrong version? I know I could ask Amazon these questions, but I'm more interested in actual customer experience. Thanks, It's been emotional (talk) 17:24, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

You won't get region 4 DVDs from Amazon.com unless it specifically says that in the advert. However, the suppliers that sell through Amazon are supposed to sell genuine DVDs, although some of them might be second hand. That should all be spelled out in the product description, including the region. You can check the customers' star rating of the suppliers by clicking on their name. Personally, I've never had any problems ordering stuff thru Amazon (as opposed to eBay). If you can get stuff within Australia, however, it can save a lot of hassle further down the line if the good aren't quite what you want. You might be able to tweak your DVD player so that it becomes region free. There are websites that tell you how to do this.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 18:11, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

I use the new and used option on amazon all the time and the stuff i get is always brand new, covered in celephane, and at a really cheap price, go for it, but saying that I only buy CDs not dvds. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 10:49, 27 August 2008 (UTC)

Run Baby Run

I recently heard a song on the radio, artist and title unknown. Mostly all I can remember is the chorus "Run baby, run", sung by a male. As far as I can tell it's not "Run Baby Run" by Garbage or "Run Baby Run" by Sheryl Crow, as those are both sung by girls. The song itself (the tone, that is) is lighter than the Garbage song, and sounds similar to Good Charlotte. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? Hpfreak26 (talk) 18:36, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Roy Orbison, perhaps? Or Jason Upton? — Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 19:41, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

"Check Yes Juliet" by we the kings has the type of chorus you describe (It's also a really awesome song-Emma Hordika (talk) 20:38, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Eureka! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks a bunch. Hpfreak26 (talk) 20:55, 25 August 2008 (UTC)