The word “sport” had a slightly different meaning in the Old West.
Back in the days of the Old West, professional gamblers were often called “sports,” and the entire industry was referred to as the “sporting community.” They did bet on some athletic endeavors—boxing matches, horse races, etc. But the terms also referred to the card and board games that men like Doc Holliday played, in many cases, every day. Today, those words have taken on a very different meaning, of course.