Absolutely terrible decision.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics--ioc-s-poor-decision-to-add-golf-costs-wrestling-its-spot-in-olympics-201325406.html
QuoteIOC's poor decision to add golf costs wrestling its spot in Olympics
The International Olympic Committee is dropping wrestling from competition after the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, the result of some elaborate secret ballot it holds every so often to determine its 25 "core sports."
In part because golf and rugby are coming to the Olympics, something had to go. This time it was wrestling, apparently edged out by the modern pentathlon for survival.
As such, both freestyle (somewhat similar to what you see in American high schools and colleges) and Greco Roman, each of which dated back to the 1896 Games in Greece, will soon be history. Wrestling can try to get back in, but the odds are long.
This is a poor decision and it would be only slightly less poor of a decision if it was modern pentathlon (a five-event competition of fencing, horse riding, swimming, running and shooting) that got the boot instead.
It's golf that should never have been granted access in the first place.
Forget arguing the various strengths and weaknesses of each sport. That's often a cultural opinion. This is a global event and tastes vary. In the United States, badminton is considered a joke, something played at backyard barbeques, even occasionally while sober. In the overcrowded cities of third-world countries, however, it's a way to play tennis – basically street tennis for the non-wealthy. They don't have a lot of All-Lawn Tennis Clubs in Malaysia. Millions take badminton seriously and consider watching it at the highest level a sight to behold.
And that's part of why badminton is a fine Olympic sport.
Badminton also plays to another Olympic strength – winning the gold medal is a huge deal to those athletes, the pinnacle for most. So is winning a gold medal in modern pentathlon. Same for wrestling.
That's not at all the case for golf, where a gold medal isn't a green jacket.
The Olympics are special when they offer the ultimate global competition for a group of athletes, where everyone builds to this singular moment. It doesn't matter if it's a millionaire such as Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt, or a teenage gymnast with a dream, or a poor courageous middle distance runner out of Central Africa, the Olympics are an accomplishment that brings joy and tears and importance and everything.
Rory McIlroy will win a gold in Rio and then head off to his next event. Yes, it will be cool. Yes, he'll say the right thing. Yes, he'll enjoy it – the way the professional tennis players enjoy it – but it isn't bigger than the British Open or whatever major is next.
It probably won't be as important as even the Ryder Cup, golf's fine international competition.
The IOC should seek sports that care about the Olympics, not just jamming popular TV sports into the Olympic system and pretending it's the same thing.
One of the problems with the IOC is that its history of rampant corruption makes any of its decisions suspect. Who knows why each voter voted as they did, but it doesn't take much of a skeptic to think this was a political – and thus graft-filled – process. Each sport was forced to campaign for itself and, thus, against the others.
Imagine being a voter and courted with a "fact-finding" mission by the golf industry. Oh, the incredible seaside places you could go and experience to help convince you the entire world needs to be introduced to this wonderful sport. Perhaps, after a little Olympic promotion, they'll suddenly build a "Mali National" on a nice hillside perch overlooking Timbuktu.
Now imagine the wrestling community offering a tour of, well, what? An Alburnett (Iowa) High School dual meet? Actually, that might be pretty cool, except as good as the broasted chicken is down at Mahoney's, it might not meet the discerning palate of that IOC official fat off meals in Monaco.
In the end, wrestling probably didn't stand a chance, in part, because the IOC is forgetting another of its chief positives.
The Olympics are great at celebrating – and reminding everyone – what isn't necessarily a sport, but a primal activity.
Humans run. Humans swim. Humans ski. Humans fight. Humans shoot arrows out of bows. And humans wrestle. They've always wrestled. They wrestled probably before they even became fully human. There is no explaining the concept or how anyone came up with the idea for the sport – at some point, two guys were standing around and wanted to see who could pin the other.
That's the basis of so many great Olympic sports. Want to race to that big tree over there? Done. Want to see who can sled down this mountain faster? Sure. Want to find out who can swim across the river faster? You're on.
Even as the sports fade in popularity to more modern team activities such as soccer and basketball and football, there is something wonderfully pure about it. Obviously, golf is an old, simple pursuit itself, invented by bored Scottish sheepherders. It's done fine, however, without the Olympics. And while the Games should aim to stay current with the times, golf isn't half-pipe snowboarding, a sport the next generation of kids is suddenly into. Golf is actually losing players in many countries.
It's good to have a speed-skating race because we've had skating races since man invented the skate, and winning that race at the Olympics makes someone a legend in that sport.
The same way it does, or did, in wrestling.
Winning the gold in golf won't ever be treated that way.
That, more than anything, is why the IOC blew this one.
The IOC making terrible decisions and suffering from corruption and bullshit? Never... :rolleyes:
Not to mention pandering to mass-commercialized sports in order to increase the size of their troth? IOC is among the most corrupt organizations in the world. Nothing new to see here.
Terrible, terrible decision. Both on the sport to drop and on the sport to pick up.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 12, 2013, 09:16:12 PM
Terrible, terrible decision. Both on the sport to drop and on the sport to pick up.
Yup. Totally shameful.
Golf, really? Might as well add speed walking next.
Quote from: HVC on February 12, 2013, 09:32:28 PM
Golf, really? Might as well add speed walking next.
And in exchange for a sport that dates back to the ancients? Why the hell not.
I've never been a fan of wrestling and would prefer golf if I had to watch either on TV, but tradition, man. Wrestling has always been there.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 12, 2013, 09:16:12 PM
Terrible, terrible decision. Both on the sport to drop and on the sport to pick up.
Yeah.
QuoteI've never been a fan of wrestling and would prefer golf if I had to watch either on TV, but tradition, man. Wrestling has always been there.
Also I like watching sports I'd never otherwise see at the Olympics. So I got weirdly into the shooting, or women's football. Golf doesn't lack for coverage.
Needs a NWO run in. Or the four horsemen.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 12, 2013, 09:16:12 PM
Terrible, terrible decision. Both on the sport to drop and on the sport to pick up.
Agreed.
Though I should point out that though wrestling is a founding sport of the modern Olympics, the tradition Greco-Roman form will continue in the games. (I think)
Quote from: mongers on February 12, 2013, 10:50:31 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 12, 2013, 09:16:12 PM
Terrible, terrible decision. Both on the sport to drop and on the sport to pick up.
Agreed.
Though I should point out that though wrestling is a founding sport of the modern Olympics, the tradition Greco-Roman form will continue in the games. (I think)
"As such, both freestyle (somewhat similar to what you see in American high schools and colleges) and Greco Roman, each of which dated back to the 1896 Games in Greece, will soon be history. Wrestling can try to get back in, but the odds are long."
Quote from: Benedict Arnold on February 12, 2013, 10:57:34 PM
Quote from: mongers on February 12, 2013, 10:50:31 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 12, 2013, 09:16:12 PM
Terrible, terrible decision. Both on the sport to drop and on the sport to pick up.
Agreed.
Though I should point out that though wrestling is a founding sport of the modern Olympics, the tradition Greco-Roman form will continue in the games. (I think)
"As such, both freestyle (somewhat similar to what you see in American high schools and colleges) and Greco Roman, each of which dated back to the 1896 Games in Greece, will soon be history. Wrestling can try to get back in, but the odds are long."
Really ?
Why could they have cut back on some of the swimming events instead and trimmed some of the martial arts weight categories a bit.
Really stupid decision.
I wonder what the Japanese reaction will be. Japan's olympic wrestlers are rather popular (and succesfull)
Quote
Why could they have cut back on some of the swimming events instead and trimmed some of the martial arts weight categories a bit.
Definitely. I hate all those weight categories they have, its just ridiculous. Sure, you can:t expect somebody to try to have a judo match with somebody of roughly equal skill but twice their size, too big an advantage there..... but then that's sports. Some people are better built for them than others. You don't after all have gymnastics for people who are fat do you. Though that would be awesome.
Why do they have to drop sports at all in order to add some? It's the Olympics, it's supposed to be massive.
They should have height divisions for track and field. The 5' and under 100 meter dash would be awesome.
OK I haven't found any reference to Greco-Roman being ended as an Olympic sport as opposed to Freestyle wrestling.
Quote from: Valmy on February 12, 2013, 11:04:36 PM
They should have height divisions for track and field. The 5' and under 100 meter dash would be awesome.
I think I saw that South Park episode.
Quote from: Valmy on February 12, 2013, 11:04:36 PM
They should have height divisions for track and field. The 5' and under 100 meter dash would be awesome.
hurdles
Quote from: mongers on February 12, 2013, 11:07:06 PM
OK I haven't found any reference to Greco-Roman being ended as an Olympic sport as opposed to Freestyle wrestling.
It's all wrestling.
Quote from: katmai on February 12, 2013, 11:10:10 PM
Quote from: mongers on February 12, 2013, 11:07:06 PM
OK I haven't found any reference to Greco-Roman being ended as an Olympic sport as opposed to Freestyle wrestling.
It's all wrestling.
OK, thats an even worse call as in some ways it one of the sports most clearly referring back to the ancient games.
Gee, who would have thought that the IOC would drop a sport that has a large following outside of North America and Europe and add a boring "sport" that's dominated by white people. :rolleyes:
Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 12, 2013, 11:04:28 PM
Why do they have to drop sports at all in order to add some? It's the Olympics, it's supposed to be massive.
Expenses. Hosting Olympics is expensive, and the cost of it is a major concern for possible applicant cities; plus the perceived benefit is rather small.
As I wrote in the Miscellaneous Sports thread (thanks for not reading, Tim <_< ), I appreciate that the IOC is trying to keep the list of events relevant to public interest, but ditching a sport that has such a long history and tradition seems wrong.
Quote from: Syt on February 13, 2013, 12:51:27 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 12, 2013, 11:04:28 PM
Why do they have to drop sports at all in order to add some? It's the Olympics, it's supposed to be massive.
Expenses. Hosting Olympics is expensive, and the cost of it is a major concern for possible applicant cities; plus the perceived benefit is rather small.
As I wrote in the Miscellaneous Sports thread (thanks for not reading, Tim <_< ), I appreciate that the IOC is trying to keep the list of events relevant to public interest, but ditching a sport that has such a long history and tradition seems wrong.
Isn't it alot easier to have a little gym to do wrestling than a massive golf course? Did they need some sort of really expensive venue just to do wrestling? I do not get the cost angle.
No, that was aimed at the limited number of events comment in general.
Quote from: mongers on February 12, 2013, 11:07:06 PM
OK I haven't found any reference to Greco-Roman being ended as an Olympic sport as opposed to Freestyle wrestling.
Did you read Tim's article? My quote that I replied with earlier was taken directly from it. It clearly stated the loss of Greco-Roman.
Meh, on one hand it's a tradition, but on the other, with the changing social mores, do closeted gay men really have to resort to aggressive cuddling in public to get their groove on?
Quote from: mongers on February 12, 2013, 11:00:42 PM
Quote from: Benedict Arnold on February 12, 2013, 10:57:34 PM
Quote from: mongers on February 12, 2013, 10:50:31 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 12, 2013, 09:16:12 PM
Terrible, terrible decision. Both on the sport to drop and on the sport to pick up.
Agreed.
Though I should point out that though wrestling is a founding sport of the modern Olympics, the tradition Greco-Roman form will continue in the games. (I think)
"As such, both freestyle (somewhat similar to what you see in American high schools and colleges) and Greco Roman, each of which dated back to the 1896 Games in Greece, will soon be history. Wrestling can try to get back in, but the odds are long."
Really ?
Why could they have cut back on some of the swimming events instead and trimmed some of the martial arts weight categories a bit.
I'd imagine the plethora of swimming and track events are profitable. So cutting down won't help them hold more other sports.
Sad for wrestling. Golf isn't going to make it, again. 2-3 games & then gone in favor of BMX freestyle jumping.
Sports with popular yearly or semi-yearly competitions where the best in the world compete against each other shouldn't be included in the Olympics. It should be a venue where athletes are given opportunities to compete on the world stage that wouldn't otherwise. No tennis, golf or soccer. Hockey has such a great tradition at the Olympics that it can stay.
Quote from: Martinus on February 13, 2013, 02:36:47 AM
Meh, on one hand it's a tradition, but on the other, with the changing social mores, do closeted gay men really have to resort to aggressive cuddling in public to get their groove on?
I'd be okay if they replaced it with turkish oil wrestling.
Quote from: frunk on February 13, 2013, 08:19:25 AM
Sports with popular yearly or semi-yearly competitions where the best in the world compete against each other shouldn't be included in the Olympics. It should be a venue where athletes are given opportunities to compete on the world stage that wouldn't otherwise. No tennis, golf or soccer. Hockey has such a great tradition at the Olympics that it can stay.
I've seen this stance before but why? To make sure that it is a bunch of sports most people don't want to watch? :unsure:
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:42:54 AM
I've seen this stance before but why? To make sure that it is a bunch of sports most people don't want to watch? :unsure:
Olympic soccer is pretty much a flop. The top players cannot or do not play.
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:42:54 AM
I've seen this stance before but why? To make sure that it is a bunch of sports most people don't want to watch? :unsure:
Because the sports already have a world stage and a competition with the best players. How is the olympics materially different in a competitive sense?
Quote from: frunk on February 13, 2013, 08:19:25 AM
Sports with popular yearly or semi-yearly competitions where the best in the world compete against each other shouldn't be included in the Olympics. It should be a venue where athletes are given opportunities to compete on the world stage that wouldn't otherwise. No tennis, golf or soccer. Hockey has such a great tradition at the Olympics that it can stay.
Yes I can go along with that, football has first or second greatest sporting event in the world plus several really strong continental contests, wedded to the intensity of the club game and player availability, I see little reason for football to be in the Olympics.
Quote from: frunk on February 13, 2013, 09:52:40 AM
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:42:54 AM
I've seen this stance before but why? To make sure that it is a bunch of sports most people don't want to watch? :unsure:
Because the sports already have a world stage and a competition with the best players. How is the olympics materially different in a competitive sense?
I guess it depends on what you think the point of the Olympics should be.
Quote from: Valmy on February 13, 2013, 09:48:52 AM
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:42:54 AM
I've seen this stance before but why? To make sure that it is a bunch of sports most people don't want to watch? :unsure:
Olympic soccer is pretty much a flop. The top players cannot or do not play.
Ok, so are you suggesting that if we removed the all sporting events that already have their own world stage tournaments/competitions that we'd see the same viewership/interest for the Olympics?
Quote from: frunk on February 13, 2013, 08:19:25 AM
Sports with popular yearly or semi-yearly competitions where the best in the world compete against each other shouldn't be included in the Olympics. It should be a venue where athletes are given opportunities to compete on the world stage that wouldn't otherwise. No tennis, golf or soccer. Hockey has such a great tradition at the Olympics that it can stay.
Um huh? Hockey has no equivalent tournament to the Olympics. Soccer and the individual sports are the only ones that do.
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:41:36 AM
I'd be okay if they replaced it with turkish oil wrestling.
Isn't that what got Tom Cruise trapped by the Scientologists in the first place?
I applaud the IOC for adding Tiger Woods to the next Olympics. How can wrestling compare to Tiger?
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 13, 2013, 10:00:30 AM
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:41:36 AM
I'd be okay if they replaced it with turkish oil wrestling.
Isn't that what got Tom Cruise trapped by the Scientologists in the first place?
I'm not part of the Tom Cruise fan club so I've no idea.
This is bullshit. At least replace it with pankration then.
One of the cool things about wrestling at the international level is the geographic dispersion.
How can you not root for a sport practiced by Americans, Turks, Central Asians, Iranians, and Russians?
So many terrible sports they could have axed instead.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2013, 10:07:31 AM
One of the cool things about wrestling at the international level is the geographic dispersion.
How can you not root for a sport practiced by Americans, Turks, Central Asians, Iranians, and Russians?
So many terrible sports they could have axed instead.
Agreed.
Quote from: Martinus on February 13, 2013, 02:36:47 AM
Meh, on one hand it's a tradition, but on the other, with the changing social mores, do closeted gay men really have to resort to aggressive cuddling in public to get their groove on?
They should come out of the closet and practice diving instead.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on February 13, 2013, 10:11:14 AM
They should come out of the closet and practice diving instead.
Well they will have to now :(
Seriously though why is diving gay? Swimming isn't. Weird.
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:41:36 AM
Quote from: Martinus on February 13, 2013, 02:36:47 AM
Meh, on one hand it's a tradition, but on the other, with the changing social mores, do closeted gay men really have to resort to aggressive cuddling in public to get their groove on?
I'd be okay if they replaced it with turkish oil wrestling.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fxa.yimg.com%2Fkq%2Fgroups%2F5690620%2Fhomepage%2Fname%2Fhomepage.jpg%3Ftype%3Dsn&hash=75f44d6deca77e6a7bf6a4ce336c5a8110395288)
Quote from: Valmy on February 13, 2013, 10:16:09 AM
Seriously though why is diving gay? Swimming isn't. Weird.
Not that weird. Figure skating is gay and hockey is not gay. Any sport where the object is to look pretty is bound to attract gays.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2013, 10:07:31 AM
One of the cool things about wrestling at the international level is the geographic dispersion.
How can you not root for a sport practiced by Americans, Turks, Central Asians, Iranians, and Russians?
So many terrible sports they could have axed instead.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yoursoulpurpose.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F08%2FOLYMPICS-US-IRAN-WRESTLERS-USED-13-08-12.jpg&hash=afe9d8b5f7f40ccb6d43cdc72dd79ba57fbcbab8)
Quote from: Octavian on February 13, 2013, 10:17:09 AM
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:41:36 AM
Quote from: Martinus on February 13, 2013, 02:36:47 AM
Meh, on one hand it's a tradition, but on the other, with the changing social mores, do closeted gay men really have to resort to aggressive cuddling in public to get their groove on?
I'd be okay if they replaced it with turkish oil wrestling.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fxa.yimg.com%2Fkq%2Fgroups%2F5690620%2Fhomepage%2Fname%2Fhomepage.jpg%3Ftype%3Dsn&hash=75f44d6deca77e6a7bf6a4ce336c5a8110395288)
Okay? :unsure:
I have to admit - I'm much more likely to watch olympic golf than I am olympic wrestling.
And I don't even like golf.
Now to drop that curling bullshit.
Quote from: Ed Anger on February 13, 2013, 12:06:20 PM
Now to drop that curling bullshit.
The Winter Olympics can't drop any sports, filling up 3 weekends of TV is priority #1.
Snowball fort construction is better than using a broom.
I'm better with broomball than I am with some of those ski flipping events.
Quote from: Ed Anger on February 13, 2013, 12:06:20 PM
Now to drop that curling bullshit.
Never!
Apparently curling gets very good tv ratings during the olympics. :cool:
It's a shame I'm stuck on a bad team this year. We've only won one game all year. :(
Quote from: Ed Anger on February 13, 2013, 12:08:48 PM
Snowball fort construction is better than using a broom.
Can't build a snow fort if we can keep having Winter Olympics in cities where it barely fucking snows.
Wrestling just needs to adopt more TV-friendly attitudes to get the IOC to love it again. Maybe if the Undertaker were somehow involved?
Curling can stay on as long as Stella Heiß still plays for Germany.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_5--ca8rX4ks%2FSyDm5MznplI%2FAAAAAAAAMlg%2FresHkuIpcAw%2Fs400%2FLead-Germany-2.jpg&hash=949db1f589ae4e74f06bd959b0f94e1f19158eea)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spox.com%2Fde%2Fsport%2Fdiashows%2Fwintersportlerinnen-huebsch-sexy%2Fstella-heiss.jpg&hash=3a52534515490945e0dee079326021aa84ef68a3)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spox.com%2Fde%2Fsport%2Folympia%2Fwinterspiele-2010%2Fcurling%2F1002%2FBilder%2Fstella-heiss-curling-514.jpg&hash=47f7647fe72156c089b0573bef06b7ba096fcf9a)
(https://mil.bundeswehr-karriere.de/resource/resource/MzEzNTM4MmUzMzMyMmUzMTM1MzMyZTM2MzEzMDMwMzAzMDMwMzAzMDY4MzMzNjdhNzU2ODY1MzcyMDIwMjAyMDIw/image_popup.jpg)
(The military is one of the biggest facilitators of non-mainstream sports in Germany.)
Quote from: Syt on February 13, 2013, 12:23:38 PM
(The military is one of the biggest facilitators of non-mainstream sports in Germany.)
Curling is a mainstream sport. :mad:
Quote from: Barrister on February 13, 2013, 12:24:40 PM
Curling is a mainstream sport. :mad:
The watershed for that stream is tiny.
Quote from: Neil on February 13, 2013, 12:17:54 PM
Wrestling just needs to adopt more TV-friendly attitudes to get the IOC to love it again. Maybe if the Undertaker were somehow involved?
BRING BACK THE STRONGBOW BROTHERS THEY WERE SO RIPPED OFF BY THE SAMOANS
Quote from: Syt on February 13, 2013, 12:23:38 PM
Curling can stay on as long as Stella Heiß still plays for Germany.
Hot Chick here.
Do you remember those Finish girls from Vancouver 2010? The 18 year old(I think) was so hot.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2013, 12:25:29 PM
Quote from: Barrister on February 13, 2013, 12:24:40 PM
Curling is a mainstream sport. :mad:
The watershed for that stream is tiny.
16,000 USAians are curlers.
Of course, there are approx 1,000,000 Canadians who curl. -_-
Wasn't Linda Blair raped by a broom in that bad prison flick she made back in the '70s?
Quote from: Barrister on February 13, 2013, 01:05:54 PM
16,000 USAians are curlers.
Of that 16,000, 15,900 are Chinese kids kidnapped from their parents and forced to play broomball 14 hours a day so they can win more Olympic gold.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2013, 01:07:47 PM
Quote from: Barrister on February 13, 2013, 01:05:54 PM
16,000 USAians are curlers.
Of that 16,000, 15,900 are Chinese kids kidnapped from their parents and forced to play broomball 14 hours a day so they can win more Olympic gold.
That's not what the Annual Report of the US Curling Association said.
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:41:36 AM
Quote from: Martinus on February 13, 2013, 02:36:47 AM
Meh, on one hand it's a tradition, but on the other, with the changing social mores, do closeted gay men really have to resort to aggressive cuddling in public to get their groove on?
I'd be okay if they replaced it with turkish oil wrestling.
Something tells me you've never actually seen two 270lb pehlivans get it on.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 13, 2013, 01:06:34 PM
Wasn't Linda Blair raped by a broom in that bad prison flick she made back in the '70s?
This is relevant to my interests.
Quote from: Queequeg on February 13, 2013, 01:12:02 PM
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2013, 09:41:36 AM
Quote from: Martinus on February 13, 2013, 02:36:47 AM
Meh, on one hand it's a tradition, but on the other, with the changing social mores, do closeted gay men really have to resort to aggressive cuddling in public to get their groove on?
I'd be okay if they replaced it with turkish oil wrestling.
Something tells me you've never actually seen two 270lb pehlivans get it on.
Something tells me it is a waste of time typing to you.
Quote from: Barrister on February 13, 2013, 01:10:56 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2013, 01:07:47 PM
Quote from: Barrister on February 13, 2013, 01:05:54 PM
16,000 USAians are curlers.
Of that 16,000, 15,900 are Chinese kids kidnapped from their parents and forced to play broomball 14 hours a day so they can win more Olympic gold.
That's not what the Annual Report of the US Curling Association said.
Naturally, they would want to cover such a thing up.
Quote from: Barrister on February 13, 2013, 01:10:56 PM
That's not what the Annual Report of the US Curling Association said.
I misread USAians as Asians.
Please stop using that word.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2013, 02:43:55 PM
Quote from: Barrister on February 13, 2013, 01:10:56 PM
That's not what the Annual Report of the US Curling Association said.
I misread USAians as Asians.
Please stop using that word.
Ah, that makes sense.
Yeah, I very much doubt there are 16,000 Asian curlers out there.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2013, 02:43:55 PM
I misread USAians as Asians.
Please stop using that word.
It was pretty funny, though.
Psellus, looks like I wasn't the only one who had oil wrestling in mind.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/catesish/turkish-oil-wrestling-is-a-totally-legit-sport
Golf? I guess I could go along with it being added but not at the expense of wrestling, or many other sports. The article gives the reason for badminton that many poorer nations play it and really get into it, as opposed to Western and more affluent nations where it's mainly a thing to do at parties and barbecues. Same thing should apply to golf vs wrestling. I'd think more nations can get into wrestling than golf which is more of an affluent nation's activity. Besides, as the article states, sports like wrestling are primal activities, like running, swimming, etc.
I don't even like the idea of basketball being in there, and like it even less because pros play. And I guess that will be the way with golf. Maybe give Tiger Woods and who ever else are top golfers another venue to shine, like they need one. Nah, I'll never watch golf on the Olympics. I rarely watch any sport that's going to take a long time for one game, like basketball, soccer, baseball (is baseball an Olympic sport). Though I'll more likely watch soccer because it's something different to me.
The IOC just giving in to monetary or lobbying pressures, or something. Watering down the games. Pretty soon everyone will get a trophy just for competing! ;)
Quote from: Valmy on February 13, 2013, 01:00:00 AM
Isn't it alot easier to have a little gym to do wrestling than a massive golf course? Did they need some sort of really expensive venue just to do wrestling? I do not get the cost angle.
Yes cost may be more for golf, but revenue and marketing opportunities are much greater.