Baseball and Softball Get Kicked Out of 2012 Olympics

[Dynasty]

They could be replaced by golf, rugby, squash, or karate (or poker?).

ESPN Story (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2103234)

SINGAPORE -- Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympic program for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports were retained.

Baseball and softball are the first sports cut from the Olympics since water polo in 1936.

The IOC will consider replacing them with two sports from a waiting list of five sports: golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports.

Baseball has been vulnerable because it doesn't bring top Major League players to the Olympics. Softball has been in danger because of a perceived lack of global appeal and participation.

"Not all sports are indispensable for the Olympic program, we know that," IOC president Jacques Rogge told the delegates before the vote.

Rogge urged the 100-plus members to vote strictly on the technical merits of the sports and not for subjective, political or personal reasons.

"If you consider a modification, you should be convinced it will bring an improvement," Rogge said.

The IOC will keep the voting figures secret. Not even the IOC members or sports federations will learn the totals. The secrecy was requested by the international federations in order to avoid any ranking or embarrassment for any sports which just barely make the cut.

Rogge said the figures will be seen only by an independent official, who will send the results by sealed envelope to an IOC notary in Lausanne, Switzerland. Rogge will only open the envelope in the case of a voting dispute.

[mmbt0ne]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
golf

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Meh

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
rugby

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No thanks.

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squash

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WTF?

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
karate

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What would be so different about this than Judo?

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
roller sports.

[/ QUOTE ]

As in...Roller Hockey? Skateboarding?


And one more thing, how did speed-walking pass the vote, but not baseball?

[rusty JEDI]

Just my thoughts.

Baseball would get enough votes but softball wouldn't. But they must go as a pair because softball is all women and they can't just cut an all womens event because they gots to keep the bitches happy.


I said it long ago and pissed off Joe Tall, but I will say it again.

Womens sports = Special Olympics

rJ

[KDawgCometh]

I think rugby would probably be the sport that would get added since the 2012 games will be in england. I'd like to see them bring back the weight classes that they dropped from Men's Wrestling so they could add women's wrestling at the last summer games

[nothumb]

This is clearly because we pwned the world at softball last time out. Weak sauce.

NT

[Zeno]

[ QUOTE ]
Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and....

[/ QUOTE ]

A-ah, Obviously a conspiracy.

[ QUOTE ]
The IOC will consider replacing them with two sports from a waiting list of five sports: golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports.


[/ QUOTE ]

And obviously the roller sports crowd are the conspirators. What the Hell are 'roller sports' anyway? And should I care? I am being to think not.

-Zeno

[Drac]

OK, so "Race Walking" or WTF it's called and "Rhythmic Gymnastics" got the green light? Maybe the walking thing is part of Track &amp; Field and couldn't be nuked on it's own but the ball tossing/ribbon twirling thing is like Special Olympics for gymnists that suck.

[rusty JEDI]

If i had my way they would get rid of a lot of the swimming. Do we really need to see who can swim the fastest backwards and who can swim the fastest using some stroke that is less effecient.

We dont run the 100m dash backwards or with both arms moving in the same direction at all times.

rJ

[Non_Comformist]

[ QUOTE ]
Just my thoughts.

Baseball would get enough votes but softball wouldn't. But they must go as a pair because softball is all women and they can't just cut an all womens event because they gots to keep the bitches happy.


I said it long ago and pissed off Joe Tall, but I will say it again.

Womens sports = Special Olympics

rJ

[/ QUOTE ]


Agreed women sports are effectively stupid and shouldn't exist at all. Instead there should be sports that are open it either sex to compete.

That being said, there is a lot of evidence that playing sports is extremely beneficial to girls in their youth. For that reason only they should stay.

This doesn't change the fact that they suck, big time.

[partygirluk]

Why isn't golf an olympic sport already?

[rusty JEDI]

Yes, I agree that girls should be allowed to play sports.

However, cutting mens events to throw in some lame women events that get no spectators sucks. Correct me if im wrong but doesnt the nba subsidize the wnba? Now that is all together wrong.

rJ

[kasey2004]

[ QUOTE ]
Why isn't golf an olympic sport already?

[/ QUOTE ]

Golf should definitly make it.

It would be cool to see roller hockey too.

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Kasey /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[TylerD]

Rugby would be a logical choice considering its (probably) the 2nd biggest sport in the UK.

[Voltron87]

i can see their logic.

the new sport should clearly be squash.

[ThaSaltCracka]

wtf???


bah whatever, the Olympics suck anyways.

[Voltron87]

well rugby is a top choice but not for that reason...

[TylerD]

According to Sky Sports News, no new sports will be added but Baseball and Softball will be dropped.

[CollinEstes]

I heard they were replacing them with a Dancing with the Stars event. The only criteria is that none of the "stars" can acutally be famous.

[KingMarc]

I vote they add 3 legged races where each team is a tied to a spoon, which has an egg on top. They must then run 1000m over hurdles, and then at the end must swim 50m, with one guy on his front, and one guy on his back. Would take more skill than speed walking...

[KDawgCometh]

the question then would have to be, would olmpic rugby be full 15 sides with pros from all of the rugby nations, or should it be sevens so that some of the developing nations get a shot to play at twickenham. BTW olympic rugby at twickers would just be great

[Voltron87]

my only problem with rugby is that when a major sport already has a world champs/ cup, like soccer or tennis, it kind of blows in the olypmics. take olympic soccer, its usually pretty weak. for events like track, swimming, it works well. rugby would be great though, if it were at 100% capacity. but if its not, like baseball, soccer, or tennis, it shouldnt be in.

my vote goes for squash

[KDawgCometh]

which is why if rugby was to be made an olympic sport, I think going with sevens rugby would be the best idea

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
which is why if rugby was to be made an olympic sport, I think going with sevens rugby would be the best idea

[/ QUOTE ]

I like this idea. I really dont think the world rugby powers care much about having Rugby in the Olympics. Thats what the World Cup is for. I think 7s would be a great way to go.

[rusty JEDI]

How does equestrian get enough votes to stay and not baseball?

rJ

[Voltron87]

[ QUOTE ]
which is why if rugby was to be made an olympic sport, I think going with sevens rugby would be the best idea

[/ QUOTE ]

i agree. they have sevens in the commonwealth games, right? I hope it gets in.

[jstnrgrs]

[ QUOTE ]
How does equestrian get enough votes to stay and not baseball?

rJ

[/ QUOTE ]

Olympic equestrian draws all the best riders in the world. It is a major event for fans of the sport.

Olympic baseball draws almost none of the best players in the world, and baseball fans don't care about it.

[cognito20]

I think squash should definitely be an Olympic sport, and I'm actually surprised that it wasn't added to the program long, long before this. It's the perfect example of a sport which, although it is not the major sport in -any- country, it is played at a high level in almost -every- major country. It is certainly played in more countries than either baseball or softball. Perfect for a new Olympic sport. The one (slight) problem I can see is that it is also a sport where a dominant player can (and has, in the past) go years and years without losing a single match. Pakistan's Jahangir Khan and Australia's Heather Mackay are the two that come right to mind....if you get a player like these two (albeit that occurrence is rare), the gold medal would be a foregone conclusion and the competition could be rather boring. Overall, though, it would be an excellent addition to the Olympic program.

Rugby union would also be an excellent addition, although I share a previous poster's concerns that any team sport with a pre-existing World Cup competition might not be ideal for Olympic competition. The reduced size of an Olympic tourney as compared to a World Cup would also (hopefully) reduce the godawful blowouts we saw in the 2003 Rugby World Cup (anyone remember Australia 146, Namibia 0? I watched that on Fox Sports World here in the US and I couldn't believe the carnage) due to the fact that about half of the teams there had absolutely no chance to compete (the US Eagles, unfortunately, being one of them /images/graemlins/frown.gif ).

One-day cricket would have that same problem, although I wouldn't be surprised if it was added as a demonstration sport at London 2012 (No way in hell you could ever play the real, five-day, version of the game, for obvious reasons, in an Olympics). While it would be good for introducing US fans to an excellent game, I don't think that's exactly the right motivation for adding a new Olympic sport, and after the 8 Test-playing nations and Kenya (surprise semifinalists in the last World Cup -- I'm also not counting Bangladesh, who never should have been granted Test status, and Zimbabwe, who weren't that great to begin with but were at least slightly competitive up until the onset of Mugabe's insanity, and will not return to Test-level status until he's shipped off to that great asylum in the sky), no other country would stand any chance in hell. Come to think of it, neither would the West Indies, if they had to compete as separate islands rather than as a conglomerate.

I believe golf -was- once an Olympic sport, in the earlier days of the Olympics, but then again, so was tug-of-war. (I kid you not. Look it up.) The problem is, how much would winning an Olympic gold mean to a professional golfer, really? I'll bet you any of those guys would rather win even one measly PGA Championship over 5 straight Olympic golds. I wouldn't complain if they added it, but I think squash and rugby are better choices.

--Scott