Baseball and Softball Get Kicked Out of 2012 Olympics

Dynasty · #1 07-08-2005, 12:32 AM

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

ESPN Story

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 · #2 07-08-2005, 01:53 AM

<blockquote>En réponse à:<hr />
golf

[/ QUOTE ]

Meh

<blockquote>En réponse à:<hr />
rugby

[/ QUOTE ]

No thanks.

<blockquote>En réponse à:<hr />
squash

[/ QUOTE ]

WTF?

<blockquote>En réponse à:<hr />
karate

[/ QUOTE ]

What would be so different about this than Judo?

<blockquote>En réponse à:<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 · #3 07-08-2005, 02:10 AM

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 · #4 07-08-2005, 02:12 AM

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 · #5 07-08-2005, 02:23 AM

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

NT

Zeno · #6 07-08-2005, 02:24 AM

[ 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 · #7 07-08-2005, 02:29 AM

OK, so "Race Walking" or WTF it's called and "Rhythmic Gymnastics" got the green light? Maybe the walking thing is part of Track & 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 · #8 07-08-2005, 03:41 AM

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 · #9 07-08-2005, 04:51 AM

[ 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 · #10 07-08-2005, 06:07 AM

Why isn't golf an olympic sport already?