Understanding the Definition of Sports
A sports movie is an independent film genre which makes use of sports as the central theme of the movie. It’s a fictional production in which an athlete, sports event, player, or fan of sports are heavily involved, and that rely on sports to an extent for their main plot point or resolution. These plots may take place in any sport-related setting, from the regular arena where athletes in real life ply their trade to far-out fantasy worlds in which the entire population of humanity becomes a participant or even audience of a single sports league.
The genre of sports movies has had its fair share of hits, including the Oscar-nominated Argo, which depicted the intrigue surrounding the anti-hero played by Will Smith’s character. Another great example would be the Bodyguard, a film directed by Tom Cruise and starring Will Smith as a private investigator who investigates the mysterious death of a professional bodyguard. While the movie was unquestionably entertaining, it was also filled with action sequences, non-stop dialogue, and a number of subplots that failed to flow into the main plotline. The movie didn’t have a particularly complex or well-developed plot; rather, the events occurred in-between the main characters, within the context of an intricate conspiracy involving political figures, organized crime figures, international terrorists, and other such agencies which aren’t really the main players but frequently came into play. Within this framework, the movie was more successful than its predecessor, The Departed, because it wasn’t trying to create anything ground-breaking or innovative to compete with The DaVinci Code, which was focused on a single set of events, had excellent characters, an original storyline, and an undeniably gripping story.
Now, when we talk about the question of sports vs. fair play. Fair play, by definition, is something that follows the rules, as established by a recognized association. It may not necessarily be an illegal act, or even an unfair advantage, however, it does adhere to established rules and regulations, so that the game can be played fairly and comfortably. On the other hand, sportsmanship refers to the ability to engage in competitive play based on agreed rules, a respect for one another, and a commitment to fair-play. This article will focus on the first. Let’s start at the very beginning…
In sports, we see people competing against each other based on skill and physical strength, using whatever means are at their disposal, even if it’s cheating or using an unfair method. In the main article, we’ll talk about how sportsmanship should be defined, and whether there is anything inherently wrong with it. In sports, the competition is usually between two people who are of equal ability and competing with one another, but competition doesn’t need to be just between two competitors, even when skill is put on the test. People should be able to take part in sports competitions, without regard to their actual ability, physical or mental, because everyone deserves a chance to win. However, it’s when competitors use unfair methods, purposely trying to ‘beat’ the competition, that it becomes a problem and an issue, because it violates what sportsmanship stands for.
The problem of course is when people start taking part in these competitions without regard for the rules and regulations of the sport itself. For example, in rugby, there’s currently a world cup team called the Springboks, and they play in the southern hemisphere. If a South African tries to bump into a New Zealander during the scrum and then stick his hand up to him, this is regarded as a physical violation, even if the bump happened during the warm up. If this was done during the actual game, then the player could be charged with a disciplinary charge for touching. So why do this?
Well, there are many sports which involve physical activity and a lot of competitive spirit between two competitors, because this is what the majority of sports are about, and this is what sports competitions are all about. But there are some sports which do not involve any contact at all, such as golf, tennis, swimming, and so on. But even in these games, players can still compete against each other in various ways, using their own judgement and skills instead of using their bodies. This is what makes sports so great – they allow us to enjoy ourselves, whether physically or mentally, and sports help us to do this.