Olympics drop baseball/softball for 2012 games

[APW 0]

The International Olympics Committee in it's "infinite" wisdom has decided to drop the sports of baseball and softball beginning with the 2012 games.

Replacement sports being discussed include roller hockey,ballroom dancing,and squash. :blink:

[NordicBearskin 0]

Good. Neither sport deserved to be an Olympic event imo, and I'm glad that they will be dropped. Not enough nations play either sport at anywhere near a professional level to justify it being there (like... Table tennis, for example) nor is there a historical context for these sports within the Olympics. (Like the decathlon)

Edited July 8, 2005 by NordicBearskin

[trekz 7]

If you want to be traditional, fine. Then only have traditional track and field sports and drop ALL the non-traditional sports for the Olympics. Don't include some modern sports and exclude others. And when it is decided to drop a sport, have the intestinal fortitude to announce the numerical results of the vote. That way, depending how decisively a sport was rejected, its proponents can decide whether to push for its reinstatement with all the facts, not just conjecture.

[APW 0]

Good. Neither sport deserved to be an Olympic event imo, and I'm glad that they will be dropped. Not enough nations play either sport at anywhere near a professional level to justify it being there (like... Table tennis, for example) nor is there a historical context for these sports within the Olympics. (Like the decathlon)

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Not enough nations play?

What rock have you been hiding under?Baseball and softball are played everywhere.Asia,Australia,Latin America,the Caribbean....

As for historical context,if we look at that then 75% of all Olympic sports go out the window immediately.

How many nations have professional ballroom dancing?

What's next a gold medal for foosball?

[NordicBearskin 0]

What rock have you been hiding under?Baseball and softball are played everywhere

 

Not enough nations play either sport at anywhere near a professional level to justify it being there

 

Baseball and softball are played in a lot of countries, but only in a very few countries are they played at a standard that can realistically compete in the Olympics.

 

As for historical context,if we look at that then 75% of all Olympic sports go out the window immediately.

 

If you look carefully, I said either large number of nations or historical context as discriminating factors, not both.

 

And when it is decided to drop a sport, have the intestinal fortitude to announce the numerical results of the vote.

 

The decision to axe both sports was the result of a democratic vote, the fact that the scores have not yet been made public doesn't detract from that in any way.

Edited July 9, 2005 by NordicBearskin

[APW 0]

Somebody better tell all the foreign born players in Major League Basebal that they come from country's incapable of playing at a professional level.

I think the Cubans,Dominicans,Japanese,and many others would disagree.

 

I wonder when Basketball will get the axe?

That and track & field events....then the IOC won't have to play the U.S. national anthem quite so often.

Which is,afterall what this is all about anyway.

[Odie 0]

Since when does roller hockey, ballroom dancing,and squash have any historical context in regards to the Olympics? There lots of countries around the world that play basebase ball at the professional level. It just looks like another attack on the US.

Edited July 9, 2005 by Odie

[APW 0]

It sure looks that way,Odie.

 

Its obvious that the Olympic committee has joined in on the hate America bandwagon.They couldn't wait to drop New York City from the list of cities attempting to win the 2012 games and now they throw out two of the more POPULAR sports in the entire summer games....

Its ridiculous.

 

 

Okay,I just checked with mlb.com.There are currently more than 50 foreign-born players on major league rosters,and major league baseball is televisied in twice that many countries every year.For more than two decades the number of foreign players capable of playing at the PROFESSIONAL level has increased in MLB....

The numbers for women's softball are even higher,particularly in the far east and oceana....

Looks like somebody doesn't know what they're talking about. :blink:

....as usual.

Edited July 9, 2005 by admiralpeewee

[NordicBearskin 0]

Looks like somebody doesn't know what they're talking about. 

....as usual. :)

 

Ad hominem (and borderline flamebait) attacks don't do anything for your arguements. :blink:

 

I doubt the reason for these sports being dropped is a zealous anti-US streak, and New York lost because there were better bids. No conspiracy there.

[Itchygomba69 0]

baseball is alot more popular the you think, alot of countries in Asia have pro teams, plus it doesnt have to be a prosport to be an olympic sport, alot of countries in South America, North America, Asia. play it, just because its not played in Europe doesnt mean nobody else plays it, Plus organized baseball historically has been around since the 1840's I think thas traditional enough, BaSKETBALL HAS NOT BEEN AROUND THAT LONG

[NordicBearskin 0]

I know that baseball is a global sport, I think/said that there aren't many nations that have a national baseball team and league that can realistically compete in the Olympics at a professional standard. Softball is in fact played here, in much the same way that rugby is played in the US. :)

 

EDIT* Odie, I still can't find where I said that roller hockey, ballroom dancing and squash should be included, I haven't even mentioned them until just now. :blink:

Edited July 9, 2005 by NordicBearskin

[trekz 7]

One argument for not having baseball and softball was that the stadiums built for them could not, or would not, be used after the games. It seems a field could be made of dimensions that could be used for other sports, such as soccer, etc. I guess that I would repeat my statement that if being nontraditional is a big part of the argument, then ALL nontraditional sports (those not played at the original olympics games) should be removed. That would be fair - otherwise you are favoring some newer sports over others imo.

[Odie 0]

There are statiums that are built to be multi-funtions. If a host city wants the Olympics that should be able to host all the events and still find away to re-use the buildings. If they can't than they should not have gone through the process.

 

If baseball/softball was elimate because there are not many countries that can compete in it shouldn't just stop at those two games. Any sport where some countries can't complete should be elimated from the games. Maybe they should just stick to track and field like the accient Greeks had during their Olympics.

 

*Edit Sorry, NordicBearskin :blink:

Edited July 9, 2005 by Odie

[Bethlehem 8]

For me softball and baseball are about as exciting as watching grass grow. I do how ever believe there was some anti USA sentiment with the voting.

[NordicBearskin 0]

Is there any evidence of these sports being axed because of direct anti-US feelings? (I honestly don't know, I haven't been keeping tabs on this one)

 

If there is then it of course should be investigated and a re-vote should be taken at once (And it would be disgraceful if it turned out to be true), but if there isn't it seems premature to assume that just because these sports have American origins, their cancellation must be due to hostility towards the United States. After all, the IOC is designed explicitly to be an independent, non-partisan organisation, and it's not like these were the only two sports to be voted upon.

 

(Odie, I can be very hard to understand at times, and I was pretty vague in that post. I was just checking that I hadn't said something without meaning too :blink:)

Edited July 9, 2005 by NordicBearskin

[APW 0]

Being American and having witnessed so much anti-US sentiment over the past several years,we hardly need concrete evidence to know when we are being singled out again.

 

Baseball may yet get a reprieve,though....I read in my local newspaper that the Cubans are very upset.Fidel castro is like the world's biggest baseball fan,afterall...and the Cubans have won their share of Olympic baseball medals.Perhaps if the US and the Koreans,or Japanese also protest,the IOC will have no choice but to allow the games back.

[Itchygomba69 0]

baseball is as exciting as Soccer IMO, but i love to watch both

 

I would love to see NFL style football, and Aussie Rules Football in the summer games

[APW 0]

baseball is as exciting as Soccer IMO, but i love to watch both

 

I would love to see NFL style football, and Aussie Rules Football in the summer games

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I wonder whose players are the toughest...AFL or NFL?

To tell the truth,I'd be worried about the Americans....those crazy Aussies play without pads....ouch! :)

Edited July 12, 2005 by admiralpeewee