2 Olympic Sports I'd Like Introduced

[Tom Shines]

Squash definitely.
Netball. If basketball's there, why not netball?
Softball should stay.

Karate — no thanks.
Tennis, get rid.

 

[Razor]

Softball should stay.

Take a look at the medals the 4 Olympics they've been in. Same countries dominate the sport. There's a reason it's being kicked out of the Olympics.

Netball. If basketball's there, why not netball?

And have Australia v NZ in the final and England playing Jamacia for the bronze every Olympics?

Karate — no thanks.

One of the worlds most participated in sports should be there. Squash should be there, but Karate should be before squash. Australians suck at karate, we haven't come close to winning a world championship, but the Olympics aren't about only having sports that Australia are good at.

Tennis, get rid.

Using your argument about netball, you could say "if badminton and squash are there why not tennis?" Tennis should definitely be there. One of the world's most popular individual sports, participated by a lot of countries.

 

[Shorty]

Getting rid of Soccer would be ridiculous having the u23 in the team gives the young players a chance to shine.
No way I'd get rid of Soccer.

Softball should stay,Razor you use that argument with Softball and Netball but I mean the Dream team are constantly vulnerable in basketball now aren't they?

 

[lockyno1]

I have always said this:

"If a sport has a more prestigious award than an Olympic Gold it should not be in it". Therefore sports like Tennis, Soccer (in its current format)- make it no restrictions not U23 rubbish, etc should not be in the Olympics".

 

[Razor]

Softball should stay,Razor you use that argument with Softball and Netball but I mean the Dream team are constantly vulnerable in basketball now aren't they?

2 points

Point 1 - With softball and netball you know who the 3 medalists will be every Olympics. As softball has proven again this Olympics - US, Australia and Japan are clearly aboce the rest - they show the same as the World Championships as well. Always those 3. Ditto netball - always the same 3 countries in the final 3 in their world championships. Basketball don't have 3 countries that you know will be the final 3. There's around 10 countries that will challenge for a medal.

And point 2 - Basketball shouldn't be at the Olympics. The top US basketballers rarely play. They got the bronze at Athens because they had a tenth string team.

Getting rid of Soccer would be ridiculous having the u23 in the team gives the young players a chance to shine.

The Olympics aren't the place for that.

 

[Tom Shines]

Take a look at the medals the 4 Olympics they've been in. Same countries dominate the sport. There's a reason it's being kicked out of the Olympics.

Hey Lyzor, there's a reason it's being kicked out of the games, and that's not it.

Cost cutting measures. Baseball and softball have to have one or two stadia specifically built (even temporarily) that take up a large amount of space. Sports like squash and karate can use a converted gymnasium or indoor venue at a fraction of the cost.

 

[weasel]

Futsal, Indoor Cricket.

 

[hellteam]

How about beach soccer? That seems to have a pretty big following, could be played in beach volleyball place, its on ESPN a bit and theres a lot of countries playing it. More could take it up too.

Also wouldnt have the trouble with clubs not releasing players like normal soccer would.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Slamball ;-)

 

[Razor]

Hey Lyzor, there's a reason it's being kicked out of the games, and that's not it.

Cost cutting measures. Baseball and softball have to have one or two stadia specifically built (even temporarily) that take up a large amount of space. Sports like squash and karate can use a converted gymnasium or indoor venue at a fraction of the cost.

I have no idea where you get your information from but that is not the reason.

The reason is that they are not popular worldwide.

A lot of sports require their own stadiums built.

Tennis, Swimming, diving, slalom, etc. They're not being kicked out. And convert a squash centre to a gymnasium? How would you do that without tearing it down and rebuilding it?

 

[Razor]

I'd also like to remind you Tom that softball and baseball are 2 of 7 sports on the short-list for the 2016 Olympics. If they were being kicked out because they required stadiums they wouldn't be on the short-list. The only criteria the Olympics use is how popular the sport is.

 

[Dr Crane]

Baseball should be gone. It's not even close to the highest achievement in that sport, the best league in the world doesn't even notice it's going on. Tennis at least usually has the best in the world competing, and football is just that globally popular it has to be there.

Baseball has it's own MLB eligible world championship.

I think softball is very hard done by - what do they have that's bigger than Olympic gold?

 

[JoeD]

If you say that, then what about athletics

Short distance-running, hurdles
At long distance - running and walking

And then throwing - lots of different styles of throwing - hammer, shot put, javelin, discus. No different to the different styles of swimming.

I agree- walking should be gone. Its a farce of a sport with virtually every competitor 'running' most of the time.

Hurdles are fine. They require a different skill. How many times has the same person won the 100m sprint and the 110m hurdle?


Same for the different throwing events - I though i don't have any specific knowledge about it, it seems very rare for the same person to win two different throwing events.

 

[Shorty]

2 points

Point 1 - With softball and netball you know who the 3 medalists will be every Olympics. As softball has proven again this Olympics - US, Australia and Japan are clearly aboce the rest - they show the same as the World Championships as well. Always those 3. Ditto netball - always the same 3 countries in the final 3 in their world championships. Basketball don't have 3 countries that you know will be the final 3. There's around 10 countries that will challenge for a medal.

You can use that argument for just about every sport.
All sports in the Olympics have countries that are more talented at it than others due to culture.
Look at Handball or Table Tennis or even Swimming.

And point 2 - Basketball shouldn't be at the Olympics. The top US basketballers rarely play. They got the bronze at Athens because they had a tenth string team.

Again this is used for numerous sports.

The Olympics is trying to appeal to a younger generation,taking Basketball out would be detrimental to that.
It's a still a worldwide sport and should be represented.

The Olympics aren't the place for that.

Why?
It's the big stage it strengthens the depth in Soccer.
And it's important to the women as well.

Same with softball,I agree with the above poster Softball has been hard done by.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

Softball will be back in the future i feel. however these were 2 reason outlined by the softball people about why they were punted.

1. is the stadiums. the brits are never going to use em again so that was a cost cutting measure. Its not a popular sport in england at all.

2. they were grouped in with basball. this was a major downfall for softball.

the problew with baseball is that the Americans wouldnt release their major league players to the tournament. if they had there would have been alot more interest and more tickets sold. But, The major league owners were very much against losing their star players (A Rod, Matsuzaka etc)
also, Baseball in america dosnt exactly adhere to WADA's anti drug code of conduct.

so there would have been many issues with drug testing and what not.

Softball is a popular sport in many countries. (Italy, for exapmple has its own proffesional league where the majority of our players play)

 

[Razor]

You can use that argument for just about every sport.
All sports in the Olympics have countries that are more talented at it than others due to culture.
Look at Handball or Table Tennis or even Swimming.

Handball and table tennis don't have the same 3 medalists every Olympics

Again this is used for numerous sports.

Only basketball and baseball has the world's best players missing, especially baseball.

And it's important to the women as well.

Keep womens soccer. But mens soccer should be gone unless they scrap the under-23 requirement which FIFA will not do. And if they do and the worlds best players constantly miss the event scrap mens soccer.

I'm also quite surprised by the US softball teams comments

Crystl Bustos, who hit a record five homers during the 2004 Olympics, said the one-sidedness of the softball tournament should not have been used as a factor. The Americans outscored opponents 51-1. “I don’t mean to cut anybody down, but it’s supposed to be the best of the best, and if you get knocked for your excellence, then that’s just not right.”

Yes Crystl it is the best of the best. But there needs to be competition. Using your argument why not put the NFL or AFL into the Olympics?

 

[Tom Shines]

I have no idea where you get your information from but that is not the reason.

The reason is that they are not popular worldwide.

A lot of sports require their own stadiums built.

Tennis, Swimming, diving, slalom, etc. They're not being kicked out. And convert a squash centre to a gymnasium? How would you do that without tearing it down and rebuilding it?

No you dickhead, convert a gymnasium into a squash centre.

 

[abpanther]

Bullrush
Arsies
Real handball (with a tennis ball)

 

[Marshall_magic]

The World Baseball Classic was announced (in MLB off season) there was no point having Baseball in the Olympics anymore. However this resulted in Softball getting treated harshly. I think Baseball is the only sport that should of been removed for the above reason, and the fact that it is the only sport that won't send any elite players.

 

[Shorty]

Also...how about the usual 3 countries winning medals in softball Razor.
I guess Japan always wins the gold against America huh?

LOL That kind of blew up in their face,idiots.