> > It's like saying that someone who plays in the NBA is an athlete, but a lineman in the NFL isn't an athlete because he can't make a bastketball free throw to save his life.
>
> This raises the highly theoretical question of whether Shaquille O'Neal is an athlete.
>
> ^v^:)^v^
> F"yay for buttered cats!"B

Hmmmm. What exactly *is* and athelete? Shaq has strength, size, coordination, speed, etc., but I don't know how much of this stuff is required to qualify him as one.

Is Mark Martin an athelete? He is not as big as Shaq, but he is in excellent physical condition and displays more stamina than other race drivers half his age. He has excellent reflexes as well. He has a competitive nature and is often a winner.

Some would not have judge Babe Ruth to be an athelete. He didn't take very good care of himself, and was not in the best condition when he was writing the record books, but he had swinging a bat down to a science.

Runners have no particular skill. They just train, train,train until they have speed and endurance, but they might not be able to sink a three-pointer or hit a softball past second base. I even heard a champion runner say that running is not a sport. It's just hot dirty work. I am not sure I agree with her.

What about champion pool players? Gymnists? Golfers? People who pitch horse shoes? I really don't know. I guess it all depends on your definition.
How"not one, never was"ard