New Olympic Sports

[Flutterby]

So Women's Boxing will be in the Olympics in London 2012. The Rugby 7s and Golf will be in for 2016.

What do people think of these sports being included?

For me, I don't follow boxing. My opinion on whether women should compete in it at all is that it is not a sport for women. However each to their own if they choose to compete in boxing so be it. I also think well if they are allowed to do boxing then they should be able to compete in the Olympics as well as the men.

Golf - I do not think that this should be an Olympic Sport. UNLESS only amatuers are allowed to compete. I think the same about Tennis, Basketball and many other sports currently in the Olympics. Basically I think if you are making your living in a professional environment playing that sport then you should be ineligible to compete in the olympics. I like how boxing only allows amatuers in the olympics and in soccer it's an U20s tournament.

I know people will argue that some of the world's best swimmers, athletics and other sports get paid as well - but here is where I make the distinction. In these sports the athletes do not get paid often for their actual sport but rather they get paid from sponsorships and other activities they do. In the likes of golf, tennis, professional basketball etc - these players would still have a more than comfortable living from just their prizemoney and/or match payments even without sponsorships. This is where a distinction should be drawn IMO.

Rugby 7s I don't have a problem with it being in the Olympics (with provisos as per above).

So does anyone else have any thoughts about these sports being added?

 

[ronnyd]

When people like Phelps and rice are on multi multi million dollar contracts I thing its ridiculous to discount other sports due to professionalism.

However I do think that sports like golf and tennis shouldn't be in the games because they aren't the pinnacle of their respective sports. I can't imagine Tiger or Rafa really being overly bothered with winning an olympic gold, so it kinda makes a mockery of the games concept.

 

[Jeba]

Golf - I do not think that this should be an Olympic Sport. UNLESS only amatuers are allowed to compete. I think the same about Tennis, Basketball and many other sports currently in the Olympics. Basically I think if you are making your living in a professional environment playing that sport then you should be ineligible to compete in the olympics. I like how boxing only allows amatuers in the olympics and in soccer it's an U20s tournament.

I agree about golf and tennis, but I think basketball should definately be an Olympic sport because it is actually the pinnacle of the sport as far as a "world championship" goes. Plus the Dream Team are just awesome to watch.

But golf, tennis and soccer are ones I would definately scrap. They aren't the pinnacle when you have the PGA Tour, Grand Slam events, and World Cup.

I'd have softball make a comeback. Don't know why they scrapped it in the first place.

 

[Ari Gold]

So long as Equestrian Events are considered an Olympic Sport, I think Scrabble, Guess Who and Connect Four are also worthy sports. Absolutely the biggest joke excuse of a sport I have ever heard of. Look at me, I can ride a horsey!

As for Rafa, he did win Gold in China and his participation in the event may well have contributed to his recurring injuries. Federer even played doubles in China in order to get a gold medal, so I think it's harsh to say the top tennis players don't treat it seriously. I do agree that being the pinnacle of the sport is a decent barometer of a sport's worthiness, but you'd have to send a few other sports out the door too (Road Cycling, Boxing, Baseball)

As for only amatuers, I think it's a horrible idea and any sport that restricts participation should be immediately scrapped. The Olympics should be about the best athletes in the world coming together to battle for the title of the best of the best. If it's not, why the hell should anyone care about it?

 

[Coxy]

Agree with ari gold. All horse related activities should not be considered sports. They are a contest of animals, not people. And animals should not be used in such a way.

As for the olympic sports, i'd go a step further. No team sports in the olympics. Not even hockey. Olympic games are an individual event, with exception of rowing crews and relay teams. All team sports have their own world cup or world championship and should not be included.

 

[Jeba]

Nah that's crap.

 

[Coxy]

Nah that's crap.

Post of the year. Thanks for your excellent, considered, fact supported rebuttal.

 

[Jeba]

No worries!

 

[Coxy]

The dream team winning however many gold medals in the last 20 years has cheapened the olympic games. Fact. Might as well play aussie rules and give us gold every 4 years. Waste of time.

 

[Jeba]

The other countries absolutely love the challenge of coming up against the Dream Team in the Olympics. Of course it's odds-on that they'll win gold, but it's still the pinnacle of the sport internationally.

What you have suggested would do nothing more than make the Olympics boring.

 

[Coxy]

The other countries absolutely love the challenge of coming up against the Dream Team in the Olympics. Of course it's odds-on that they'll win gold, but it's still the pinnacle of the sport internationally.

What you have suggested would do nothing more than make the Olympics boring.

Pffft. Only douches give a shit about the team sports in the olympics. Athletics, swimming, cycling, that's what it's all about.

 

[Jeba]

They are the spotlight no doubt. Don't see what that has to do with the culling of the team sports though.

 

[Coxy]

They are the spotlight no doubt. Don't see what that has to do with the culling of the team sports though.

They're boring and take the spotlight away from the real olympic sports.

 

[Jeba]

I see no evidence of them taking the spotlight away. If say, for example, the men's 100m final clashed with the basketball grand final, they will always televise and focus on the 100m final. Always.

 

[Ari Gold]

Truth be told, most of the Olympics IS boring. But because it is the Olympics, people sit there engrossed in what's happening. In reality, it's not the sport that matters anyway -- it's the set-up, the journey up til now that defines the memorable moments. Would Anna Meare's Silver in China have been any less memorable if she achieved it in swimming or running or road cycling? As long as she was still coming back from that injury I don't really think it matters what sport it was (so long as it wasn't Equestrianing).

Besides, there are lots of "Olympic Sports" that, even in the Olympics, that are still dead boring. Take Gymnastics for example - there's like a million events -- by the time the 500th comes around who really cares? (Unless it's the female bars one...ya know, the one with Nastia Liukin in it. Even her name rocks. Conjures up all sorts of nasty bedroom girl images icon_thumbs_u )

 

[Sabu_2008]

Pffft. Only douches give a shit about the team sports in the olympics. Athletics, swimming, cycling, that's what it's all about.

What about relays...they're team sports...

 

[Coxy]

I knew some mega douche would try and compare relays to stupid ball-based team sports :P

 

[Flutterby]

Relays rock!!!