Why figure skating is not a sport...

I know that it is the most widely watched event at the Winter Olympics, but there is no way you should be able to consider figure skating a sport. Here are my reasons:

#1- You earn points from a judge. There is no goal to score, no points earned by completing a task, no finish line to cross. It is all based on how good you look.

#2- There is no chance involved. You create a routine, you perform the routine. Sure, skaters fall (like that Chinese girl that ate a big one the other night) and miss moves, but that is lack of execution, not dealing with changing situations like the opponent's defense.

#3- They wear costumes. What is the difference between costumes and uniforms? Uniforms are uniform, meaning the whole team wears the same outfit, thus signifying that they are on the team. Costumes are worn for artistic effect, and there is no room for art in sport.

#4- Its a show, not a competition. What other "sport" is done not only for points, but also as a show purely for entertainment. I will admit that I went, as a gift, to a "Stars on Ice" event. That was a show, but the only difference between that and the Olympics was the lack of judges.

Here are reasons why people say figure skating is a sport and why I think they are wrong:

#1- It takes a lot of training. So does being a police officer, joining the military, etc.

#2- It physically strenuous (its hard to do). Yeah, well, working construction is physically strenuous, but you don't see them putting on sequin-covered outfits and getting judged for framing a good wall.

#3- It takes a lot of talent. Doing any job well takes a lot of talent. There are people that are naturally talented painters, but that is not an Olympic event.

In any case, I don't want to discredit the ability of the skaters, I just question the validity of calling figure skating a sport. There are a lot of "sports" that fall into this same category. Most of the "extreme sports" are questionable when they involve judging because they are based entirely on subjective value, not a direct competition. It doesn't require any less ability to be a good snowboarder than a good luger, but when people compete in the luge, there is no doubt who won because he/she went faster.

I'm just sayin'.