drummers are musicians.

In fact, at least in my opinion, the most important musician in every, and I do mean every band.

A bad drummer makes being a good band utterly impossible. I've played with good, great, and many bad drummers, and bad drummers just suck the fun right out of it.

You can not be a good, or great, full band without a massively solid at least drummer.

In my musician book, that puts them at the top. I will then put bass players, right smack up there, slightly under the drummer in level of importance. If bass player sucks, can't keep good groove time, get locked in with the drummer, the whole process is impossible as well.

So, yeah, I definitely defend the "drummers are musicians" notion. Absolutely.

And for the record, I do think golfers and drivers are athletes.