The rise of NASCAR in our society has made me ill. NASCAR's continued coverage and fan-fare over the last few years has made me wonder how anyone could actually proclaim it as a sport.

This mind-numbing question has clouded my thoughts for several weeks now and has brought me to make my own criteria for what is a sport and what isn't.

It has brought me great pain and joy in blowing up certain games, but I think I have been fair in my judgment.

First of all, if the contest is judged and not officiated, it is not a sport. This means that if a judge makes the final decision on who wins and not some sort of scoring system the contest is forever axed as being considered a sport.

The French can fix any competition they want, but they can't do it to true sports anymore. This new rule brings death to cheerleading, gymnastics, juggling, figure skating, and the X-Games as sports.

Sorry boys and girls but your competitions have been downgraded to games.

Secondly, the contest must take physical activity. If a driver is sitting down, pressing a pedal down, that doesn't count as enough activity.

I have heard the arguments that NASCAR takes endurance and focus for the three to four hours that they sit in their intensely hot car. I understand that, and respect it, but siting in a hot car doesn't make NASCAR a sport.

If endurance and focus constitutes something being a sport then ESPN would have to add sex, constipation, and binge drinking to their lineups too, and I'm not personally ready to see that.

The last part of these criteria is, if you can smoke, drink alcohol, or eat while participating, it's not a sport. Getting cut off the air of ESPN are bowling, spelling bees, pool, fishing, and poker.

I know slaughtering NASCAR, bowling, and figure skating may get me hurt in sports circles, but I have to stick with my beliefs. NASCAR isn't a legitimate sport and bowling and figure skating are maybe on the bubble if they made a few changes.

NASCAR may eventually get passed if they started pedaling the cars instead of having them run on gas fuel.

That would make democrats happy because the mindless waste of gas for a race in a circle would be over. It's not like fossil fuels are depleting or anything. It would also pass the physical activity part.

If they decide against racing Flintstones style, they will have to pull their teethless heads together and find another way. NASCAR may take my suggestion or may not. I truly don't give a damn. The truth of the matter is NASCAR isn't a sport and hopefully one day will not be regarded as one.