I can't take the Olympics as seriously as I used to

[Rabrrrrrr]

Two (or is it three?) person beach Volleyball?

And I did hear correctly that speed walking is now an Olympic sport?

Curling?

and they want bowling?

What's next - tractor pulls, mud volleyball, and wet t-shirt contests?

[maveric]

1. Speed walking has been an olympic sport for over 40 years.

The Mexicans ruled that event during the 60's and 70's.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. really?

I'll be damned.

[rooboy]

13. 50K and 20K walking has been in Olympics since 1908.

But it's under threat as a sport because it's too hard to police. Basically the elite competitors live with constant disqualifications for lifting their heels.

[barackmyworld]

2. trampoline

is so ridiculous. If they keep adding more, at least they can eliminate some older ones. Do we really need a long jump and a triple jump?

[sidestreamer]

10. I like the trampoline event

An odd sport perhaps, but if you can do those ten jumps without falling on your ass, I say you deserve something for that.

[Kellanved]

16. they are eleminating older sports

Softball, Baseball and Shooting on a Running Target (AKA shooting gallery) are on the list.



Also, the list of sports already taken out is impressive:

• Cricket
  
• Power boating
  
• Jeu de paume
  
• Golf (that one might return)
  
• Croquet
  
• Pelote Basque
  
• Lacrosse
  
• Polo
  
• Tug-of-war
  
• rope climbing
  
• standing high jump
  
• standing long jump
  
• standing broad jump
  
• discus two-hands
  
• sack racing
  
• javelin freestyle+ 2-handed
  
• ...
  
  

[LDS Jock]

4. Did you catch the trampoline event

last Friday? Priceless! I can't believe THAT is an Olympic sport.

edit... I forgot to mention Rythmic Gymnastics. Some girl twirls a ribbon on a stick and gets a medal. Another rolls a medicine ball around and gets a medal. Funniest. Event. Ever.

[barackmyworld]

7. not just for girls anymore

Men do rythmic gymnastics, with clubs and stuff.

[LDS Jock]

8. I did not know that

funny.. I'm planning on watching it for the laughs though. The medals are this weekend for it.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. My God, it's worse than I thought!

I'm glad I don't watch it any more.

I like the real sports, like gymnastics, decathlon, track events, etc.

Not trampoline. And - though i've not seen it, thank God - rhythmic gymnastics. Sounds like a fucking crock.

[barackmyworld]

5. I forgot one

steeple chase...it appears to be hurdles+water.

[mykpart]

6. I haven't enjoyed the Olympics since NBC started broadcasting them.

ABC did a much better job, and you could watch the events you wanted to. Now it's just a f****d up disorganized mess. I don't watch them at all anymore.

[sandnsea]

11. badminton

When did they add badminton? And I still can't believe ping pong, although I know it's been around a long time. And beach volleyball, I agree. Seems like every time you turn on the tv, it's beach volleyball of some sort. They didn't even show much of the women's softball, unbelievable. Weird Olympics this year, I'm not impressed at all.

[rooboy]

12. You need to remember that some of these sports....

may not be popular in America, but are absolutely HUGE in other parts of the world. Badminton is a major sport in Asia. Top table tennis players in Europe can earn as much as a million dollars a year professionally.

Beach volleyball has a huge international circuit, and has more international credibility than baseball. Similarly softball isn't recognized much outside the USA, Australia and Japan.

The reaction of Americans to the Olympics often amuses me because it highights how insular American culture is.

[Chovexani]

15. As an American

I am slightly embarrassed by this thread.

Sure, there are some sports I don't much understand or can't get into, but I'll never deny that it's a sport.

Every four years without fail I get into argument after argument during the Winter Olympics when ignorant philistines come out of the woodwork to trash figure skating and say figure skaters aren't "real" athletes. I was a competitive figure skater on the junior level and I would like to see some of these macho assholes pull off a triple salchow without falling on their asses.

I think it's macho and juvenile. Don't like a sport? Then don't watch it. These folks have worked hard to live out their dreams and I respect them, even if I don't get sports like curling. During the Olympics I make an effort to watch every sport I can (hard to do with NBC's abysmal coverage), if only to broaden my horizons and see what human beings are capable of.

And the people bitching about trampoline? You get on there and attempt some of those moves without falling off and cracking your head open, and then you can talk about who is and who isn't an athlete.

[sandnsea]

24. Well my my my

Americans play pool more than soccer. Does that automatically make it an Olympic level sport? I said I realize ping pong has been around a long time, it still just doesn't seem to rise to the athletic standard of a sport. It isn't just about popularity and money you know. And I still think it's been horribly disrespectful of the US softball team, they barely got 5 seconds on the podium and today they're showing the gold medal soccer match. Makes no sense to me at all and it has absolutely nothing to do with American culture, it has to do with respecting ALL athletes.

[rooboy]

25. There are criteria for being accepted as an Olympic sport...

and if you didn't know, softball is most likely going to be DROPPED from the Olympics because if fails to qualify.

It is the Olympic GAMES, not the Olympic 'sports'.

And just because Americans play pool more than soccer doesn't make it an Olympic level sport. A sport needs to be played in at least 20 countries before it can even be considered for the Olympics.

[sandnsea]

26. 20 countries don't play pool?

Seriously doubt that. Interesting your title says "Olympic sport". I think people can think things like ping pong isn't an Olympic level sport without being attacked as an ugly American. I think some people might be a bit full of themselves.

[Rabrrrrrr]

27. well said

and I have to say, I'm F-ING IMPRESSED with the skill level of the ping pong players - it's bloody amazing watching them battle it out standing 20 feet from the table - but I still can't see it as worthy of the Olympics.

Nor would I accept pool as an olympic event.

and as much as I love chess, I don't want that as an olympic event, either.

Nor pie eating. Nor video games.

[theoceansnerves]

17. badminton in 1992

it was a demonstration in 1988. it's an amazingly fast sport. also table tennis aka "ping pong" is the number one participated sport in the world.

also: mixed doubles badminton, sailing, and equestrian events are the only sports in which men and women compete equally.

[Kellanved]

18. really?

I can't believe that table tennis has overtaken proper Football (AKA soccer).

:-)

[theoceansnerves]

19. i think it just passed soccer

they kept mentioning it on the broadcast. i could be wrong, they could be wrong, but it's close :)

[Rhiannon12866]

14. I got flamed for saying that I preferred the Winter Olympics

I believe that much more skill is required to participate.:shrug:

[B. P. R. D.]

20. Power walking is not a sport,

it's something old people do around my neighborhood.

(I wasn't the one who thought of that line)

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/4387/186420.html?
1092986211

[onebigbadwulf]

21. I just witnessed HORSE DANCING

WTF!!!!!!!!!??

[Kellanved]

22. Olympic since 1912

I've never been able to understand how horses fit in the modern Olympics.

[Rhiannon12866]

28. The equestrian events can be very exciting

I used to participate in events like dressage and stadium jumping, though hardly on the Olympic level. But horse dancing just has me swinging.:shrug:

[Rabrrrrrr]

23. What's next? Synchronized muscle car ballet?

[HEyHEY]

29. WHAO WHAO WHAO - Curling belongs

It is an ancient sport

[Rhiannon12866]

30. Is Curling a Summer sport?

It certainly is a sport, but belongs in the Winter Olympics, which is the one that I find far more interesting.:shrug: