Definition of sport is physical and skill used to compete against each other and I believe bowling has both requirement.

Bowling is a sport.. You keep score, you take on an opponent(s), you exert physical activity, etc etc...

"Bowling is not a sport, because you have to rent the shoes"
 
    George Carlin (RIP)
 
So as long as you have your own shoes, it's a sport I guess.

You guys got "Sport" on a pedestal...it doesn't have to be athletic (ESPN has spelling bees).  It's just another word for 'competition', even if it's against yourself.

Some 'sports' are simply more difficult than others.

i think that bowling gets a bad rap because it is formatted for the weakest players.  Everybody, even here on this site talks about the easy conditions leading to big and maybe overinflated scoring.  But the idea of the THS and the league conditions, the way balls are made ect, is so that the low guy can acheive some sort of success.  this is the only "sport" that tries to cater to the low guy.  the minor leagues of baseball do not have shorter fences, football does not have shorter fields, basketball 9 ft rims.now this is simplistic but you get the idea   

this won't be popular, so go ahead and rip me for what i'm gonna say, but i think that lane conditions make this not a sport.  I bowl on (and someone mentioned wood lanes) overlays, and i average about 200 each year.  i have never bowled 800 and no 300 (my games have not been bowled at my center) and i cannot stand in the same spot and throw the ball all night long. i am also not the best bowler in my house and yet i go the state tourny and take 4th in scratch, 14th or so in doubles (my partner only shot 522)  13 or so in all events, and handicap is was even higher.  did i have a good day sure, but on the second day i averaged 244 for 6 games (first game 188 )  and never move a board.  we even had to switch lanes, as is customary, and played the exact line again.  at my home alley, i can't play a game and a half on the same line. 

i think in our attempts to make the game easy for the average guy, we have done damage to what would make our game a sport.  any hack can lay the ball down in the same spot for three or more games, but to be a sport there has to be a challenge.  NOW, i do not, and have not really bowled on sport shots so i do make that concession.  they are just not available, so that could change my opinion

Coco,
     Your first point isn't really relevant. Most sports do this, that can. How many new golf balls come out every year that say they will fly straighter and farther? Are they designed for Tiger and Phil? How many new drivers come out every year that say the same thing? Are they designed for the already hitting the ball 300 yards? No, they are designed for the lowest caliber golfers to try and help them enjoy the sport more. This is true even in sports like football....new gloves that help you catch/throw the ball better, and baseball...new gloves and new bats, etc.. This is universal, not just with bowling.

On your second point, I think you are severly underestimating the skill it takes to be a good bowler. Sorry, not "any hack" can lay the ball down in the same spot for 3 games. The reason there are such high scores on THS is because of the fact that you don't have to do that to score well. Look at the highest USBC Sport average for any of the last 4-5 years, it's in the 220 range. While people routinely average 240-250+ on THS. If any hack can lay the ball down the same spot for 3 games, don't you think the Sport averages would be closer to THS? Bowlers practice for years to get good enough to consistently hit the same mark. Any little variation in your armswing can make it difficult if not impossible to do so. Then add the fact that you need to release the ball the same every shot and you add another element into the mix. You said you might get flamed well you are getting your wish. Saying any house hack can hit the same spot for 3 games is wrong, and ignorant.

i think that bowling gets a bad rap because it is formatted for the weakest players.  Everybody, even here on this site talks about the easy conditions leading to big and maybe overinflated scoring.  But the idea of the THS and the league conditions, the way balls are made ect, is so that the low guy can acheive some sort of success.  this is the only "sport" that tries to cater to the low guy.  the minor leagues of baseball do not have shorter fences, football does not have shorter fields, basketball 9 ft rims.now this is simplistic but you get the idea   

this won't be popular, so go ahead and rip me for what i'm gonna say, but i think that lane conditions make this not a sport.  I bowl on (and someone mentioned wood lanes) overlays, and i average about 200 each year.  i have never bowled 800 and no 300 (my games have not been bowled at my center) and i cannot stand in the same spot and throw the ball all night long. i am also not the best bowler in my house and yet i go the state tourny and take 4th in scratch, 14th or so in doubles (my partner only shot 522)  13 or so in all events, and handicap is was even higher.  did i have a good day sure, but on the second day i averaged 244 for 6 games (first game 188 )  and never move a board.  we even had to switch lanes, as is customary, and played the exact line again.  at my home alley, i can't play a game and a half on the same line. 

i think in our attempts to make the game easy for the average guy, we have done damage to what would make our game a sport.  any hack can lay the ball down in the same spot for three or more games, but to be a sport there has to be a challenge.  NOW, i do not, and have not really bowled on sport shots so i do make that concession.  they are just not available, so that could change my opinion

Anything i can do while drunk is not a sport. 

Anything i can do while drunk is not a sport.

Then you obviously aren't a good drunk. If you don't have anything constructive or relevant to say, please don't say it at all.