Poker Is Not A Sport!

I'm going to start of by saying...POKER IS NOT A SPORT. It's a fun game, but does not deserve to be considered an Olympic sport. The thing is, the organizers of the Olympics disagree. They are favoring allowing Poker to become an Olympic sport. They are also considering bowling to become one too. How?

What's worse, is that they are getting rid of baseball and softball from the Olympics because they don't consider them sports. One Olympic organizer under the condition of anonymity said it's because he believes team sports shouldn't be allowed in the Olympics. Then get rid of soccer, basketball, and all the track and field sports where you pass a baton. You're reason isn't good enough. Baseball and softball should be in the Olympics and not poker and bowling.

If poker qualifies as a sport, why not chess or checkers? If bowling qualifies as a sport, why not curling? Oh wait, it is too. Stupid Winter Olympics. Why not dodgeball then? How about tetherball? These sports require just as much physical exertion as bowling, if not more. Why not ultimate style fighting then?

Even legendary poker player, Howard Lederer was quoted as saying, "I don't think poker is a sport. It's the greatest game in the world, but it is not a sport."

One argument being made against baseball is that it's an American sport. So any sport, game, or anything of the such, that is created in America, can't be a sport? Baseball is an amalgum of other various sports such as crickett and rounders, both British by nature. Basketball, in it's current state, is an American sport, despite various similar games existing beforehand.

Also, how can poker become a sport before American football? I know it's more based in America, but it's slightly moving into Europe now. Or how about a stock car style racing as an Olympic sport? That takes a little more endurance than even bowling. A five hundred mile race takes a lot of energy out of a driver, let alone their pit crew.

I just don't see poker being an Olympic sport. Neither do I see bowling as an Olympic sport. At least not before other sports being dropped such as baseball or softball, or other sports that aren't even being considered, like dodgeball or American football. Country of origin should have no basis, neither should team verses solo.