12/22/24
August 13, 2009
Women's boxing set for 2012 Olympics, golf and rugby sevens for 2016: The big losers of the IOC's executive board meeting: squash, once again stiffed because of its limited US presence and supposed unbroadcastability, and baseball and softball, having been axed for 2008. Golf is included, presumably, to get Tiger to the Olympics, though as Brian Cazeneuve suggests, it's hard to see the top players treating it with the same respect as the Majors... or bunking down in the athletes' village.
Wonderful! Another sport for overcompensated professionals instead of the many amateur golfers, tennis players, basketball players, et al!
JJ, I read this to a few of my colleagues at the office -- rip-roaring funny!
posted by jjzucal at 02:09 PM on August 13, 2009
I don't know from squash, but I am sorry to see no baseball or softball in the Olympics. I do love the phrase "squash, once again stiffed ", though.
As far as golf is concerned, glad to see it in the Olympics. Although I thought we were just in a flap about how El Tigre expresses his "respect for the Majors" as of late? And I don't think the U.S. men's basketball team stays in the village, do they? I wouldn't expect the golfers to.
posted by THX-1138 at 02:11 PM on August 13, 2009
I can't help but wonder if this is just going to lead to further milking of the taxpayers' wallets to construct/renovate a course worthy of an Olympic tourney. Not everyone has a Pebble Beach or Augusta or Southern Hills or whatever nearby.
posted by Ufez Jones at 02:15 PM on August 13, 2009
Golf?
Damn, there goes the Republic of Kiribati's chance at ever hosting the Olympics.
posted by owlhouse at 03:16 PM on August 13, 2009
I don't think the U.S. men's basketball team stays in the village, do they? I wouldn't expect the golfers to.
There were a few unlikely village residents in Beijing, but yeah, the golfers will probably fly in on their private jets, do their thing, then fly out. Still, if golf's going to be at the Olympics, make it matchplay. Or crazy golf through windmills and tunnels. Not another 72-hole tournament. (I'm equally blah about Olympic tennis.)
Squash really is the Rodney Dangerfield of racquet sports, as far as the IOC's concerned: tennis, table tennis and badminton are already in. It had preliminary approval for 2012, but missed out because of the previous requirement for two-thirds approval and a "one in, one out" rule. Millions of players, immensely popular worldwide, especially in places that don't win that many medals for their large populations, and an Olympic tournament would have immediately become the crown jewel of the sport.
Baseball and softball were always going to have trouble getting back in, on account of MLB's indifference and the relative weakness of non-US competitors, respectively. But Sevens will be a good addition, I think: it's already in the Commonwealth Games, and has just the right structure for the Olympic schedule: good pace, crowd-friendly, high-scoring, easy to complete a full tournament in a few days, perhaps even sharing a venue with another event.
The addition of women's boxing for 2012 is relatively small-scale: three weight divisions, 36 competitors in total. One of the men's divisions will be dropped to keep the total numbers the same. But Rogge was a big advocate for its inclusion, and it's either a testament to the fast growth of the sport, or a sad reflection on what the IOC thinks will get viewers, depending on your point of view.
posted by etagloh at 03:44 PM on August 13, 2009
Or crazy golf through windmills and tunnels.
Hell yes! Make it so.
posted by THX-1138 at 04:06 PM on August 13, 2009
Not a big fan of golf being added. Can't see how the field would be much different than a typical Ryder Cup, and does anyone really care about that besides the golfers?
Not that Kenya, Estonia, or The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago won't have time to put teams together, just don't see them being competitive with the players already on the tour.
posted by dviking at 05:29 PM on August 13, 2009
Thumbs down to golf as an Olympic sport, thumbs up to squash. This is why I've never been allowed on the IOC.
That and my total lack of qualification.
posted by Joey Michaels at 05:36 PM on August 13, 2009
The Olympic games should include sports that are being played globally. Rugby yes, softball and baseball are provincial US sports that don't deserve a place. No other country except the US is pushing for it. What's next, NFL throwball? I'll take Aussie Rules before that.
posted by trueblueroo at 06:44 PM on August 13, 2009
Squash really is the Rodney Dangerfield of racquet sports, as far as the IOC's concerned: tennis, table tennis and badminton are already in. It had preliminary approval for 2012, but missed out because of the previous requirement for two-thirds approval and a "one in, one out" rule. Millions of players, immensely popular worldwide, especially in places that don't win that many medals for their large populations, and an Olympic tournament would have immediately become the crown jewel of the sport.
They have a point, though -- how the hell do you televise a sport that's played on a small court with four high walls around it?
Baseball isn't exactly a sport that's restricted to only one or two countries, so I think it passes the popularity test. I'm trying (and failing) to think of a sport that is more globally popular and that isn't already in the Olympics. Anybody got one?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 06:51 PM on August 13, 2009
... softball and baseball are provincial US sports that don't deserve a place.
Baseball's hardly a provincial U.S. sport, given the number of countries where it's played professionally. The Wikipedia entry does a pretty good job running it down.
No other country except the US is pushing for it.
When did China, Taiwan, Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela stop being countries?
posted by rcade at 07:01 PM on August 13, 2009
I think rcade just identified the 'Axis of Baseball.'
posted by Joey Michaels at 09:16 PM on August 13, 2009
Tiddywinks is next. Maybe a throwback to the early X Games -- street luge.
posted by jjzucal at 11:17 PM on August 13, 2009
There are more countries that could assemble a competitive baseball team, than will be able to get more than one qualified golfer to the Olympics.
Plus, baseball just seems so much more of a spectator sport.
I'm all for street luge.
posted by dviking at 12:39 AM on August 14, 2009
how the hell do you televise a sport that's played on a small court with four high walls around it?
In the past, they've done a pretty good job with a see-through court, brightly lit inside and what amounts to 'mood lighting' outside in the spectator area. Still, it's a very technical sport and even top matches end up as a war of attrition, which is probably bigger hindrances to mass appeal than the confines of the court.
The ball's a bugger to see, as well.
posted by owlhouse at 08:27 AM on August 14, 2009
Surely squash is no harder to televise than any of the shooting events?
Extremely happy to see rugby sevens get approval for 2016. It's a great game. Fast, fun, high scoring, extremely easy to understand, and works well in a big tournament arena (it's been a big hit at the Commonwealth Games). Plus it's a lot more competitive at international level than the 15-a-side game - it should give countries like Fiji a good opportunity for a medal.
posted by afx237vi at 10:04 AM on August 14, 2009
I'm trying (and failing) to think of a sport that is more globally popular and that isn't already in the Olympics. Anybody got one?
I heard that karate is the most popular non-Olympic sport in terms of competitive participation, and has never got in the door because the IOC's South Korean delegate was also head of the taekwondo federation, and basically kept karate out. (It was on the shortlist for 2016, but missed out.)
The problem with baseball, as I hinted, is that MLB just ain't going to play ball with an August competition. Softball, on the other hand, was considered plain uncompetitive back when the decision was made to drop it. (The US went and lost the 2008 gold medal game, but they swept the prelim round, scoring 53 runs in 7 games and conceding 1.)
posted by etagloh at 10:33 PM on August 14, 2009
I can see it now - Woods finally wins his 19th major at the PGA in 2015, eclipsing Jack's record. Debate still rages about whether or not that makes him the greatest player that ever lived until the following year when he does the golden slam of all four majors plus a gold medal before announcing his retirement. The following day he throws his hat into the ring for the presidential race and in November 2016 becomes the youngest US president in history at 41. Inspired, Harrington finally wins a fourth major and is elected Taoiseach in a landslide the following year. Monty never realises his dream of becoming prime minister. Even in 2016, the memory of another dour, clueless, tactless, charmless Scot are still fresh in the British public's mind.