I must protest! Is this an Olympic sport ?

britexpat
By britexpat

I love the Olympics, but are these actually Olympic sports and should they be included?

Aquatics
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Football
Handball

I maen - BaseBall ??????? Just to keep the Yanks happy

By ossu joe• 9 Aug 2008 12:20
ossu joe

What the hek! Let's include cricket for the poms, dwarf tossing for the Aussies (practised in the 80's), hijacking for the new Saffies and sand dune surfing for the Arabs anyone can be champion of his own sport, as China has developed on the Russian invented athletes farms!

To realize that our knowledge is ignorance,this is a noble insight.To regard our ignorance as knowledge, this is mental sickness.Only when we are sick of our sickness,shall we cease to be sick,The Sage is not sick,being sick of sickness;this is the secret

By chiefsittingbull• 8 Aug 2008 23:46
chiefsittingbull

Deeply consider Tenpin Bowling to be included in the next Olympics. Bowling is a sport being participated in almost every country. You will find young children as young as 7 years old playing the sport. I say VOTE Tenpin Bowling into the next Olympic Games. I am sure that Great Britain will give her support!!!! and so will Malaysia!!!!!

BORN TO BOWL...........FORCED TO WORK

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 21:22
britexpat

Let's leave out the weight lifters and the shot putters please..

Last week, some of the British team had tasteful nude photos taken... Amazing phisiques...

By qatarisun• 8 Aug 2008 21:21
qatarisun

yeah.. not to mention the first woman, which maybe was doing 'it' with the stranger for her pleasure (or from respect to Jesus, like Maria Magdalena)...since then it's a multi-trillion business in the entire world...

By qatarisun• 8 Aug 2008 21:11
qatarisun

come on, brit.. maybe a very first games.. because ppl didn't know that it will be so much desirable.. as soon they got it, everyone started making money on it.. like with everything in the world! maybe the first singer on the earth also was singing only for his/her pleasure, or honor or whatever.. look how many billions these singers (thousands of them) are making now...LOL...

..

By dweller• 8 Aug 2008 21:10
dweller

I had a training partner when I was younger (and fitter) called Dorothy Hyman. She was banned from the olympics for writing a book. They claimed she was using her reputation from athletics to sell the book. I reckon she would have taken the 100m gold that year. She was re-admitted for the following olymics and only took a bronze.

Things have changed a lot. Princess Ann stood against Samarranch as IOC President to avoid it getting too far commercialised. She lost and look what's happened.

It's only money that matters now.

I'm surprised they haven't tried to take over the Soccer World Cup.

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 21:04
britexpat

Disagree... The original sports were for honour.. Hence the motto..

By the way, did you know that the original athletes competed naked !

By qatarisun• 8 Aug 2008 21:01
qatarisun

It has been commercialized from the very beginning..like any other human’s desire or type of entertainment… well.. they didn’t make as much money as they do now.. but idea was the same: you want to enjoy sport (food/show/woman)? PAY FOR IT!

By Lisa1004• 8 Aug 2008 21:00
Lisa1004

It's the weekend and everyone needs a laugh.

By Lisa1004• 8 Aug 2008 20:59
Lisa1004

You too.....geeeeezzzz you guys!!!! Be nice.

By Lisa1004• 8 Aug 2008 20:57
Lisa1004

professional basketball players Brit....get 'yer mind out of the gutter!!! LOL

By dweller• 8 Aug 2008 20:57
dweller

taking pro's to China.

Apologies to any Chinese reading this but I think it's true.

Sorry Lisa, your post wasn't up when I posted.

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 20:56
britexpat

The US women are all Pros ??????????????

I'll have to watch them..

By Lisa1004• 8 Aug 2008 20:54
Lisa1004

The basketball teams are comprised of professionals. Baseball isn't because it is baseball season in the states right now.

The US men and women's teams are both made up of nothing but pros. This I do not agree with.

By dweller• 8 Aug 2008 20:49
dweller

I think you may be wrong on the pro's not being allowed to play.

The German flag bearer is a pro in the states, as also is the giant chinaman (on a contract worth allegedly$100 million according to the Eurosport commentator). Maybe it's up to the individul country.

By dweller• 8 Aug 2008 20:46
dweller

the last President of the IOC Jose Sammaranch. He commercialised them, it's all about money now.

Even the torch bearers have to pay for the torch that they carry if they want to keep it. Same thing happened in Qatar with the OCA

By caliafrica• 8 Aug 2008 20:40
caliafrica

It takes a lot of hand movement on the keybaord and you can easily get a exhausted if you type too much. lol

By caliafrica• 8 Aug 2008 20:35
caliafrica

They also show the spelling bee contest and fishing and I guess they consider them as sports

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 20:34
britexpat

I just think that the Olympics have lost their way.. They're now too commercialized and include these sports just to make extra money..

I agree about Cherleading, but then there's Ballroom dancing, which is just as hard and the yanks even have competitions for skipping and if you've seen the film - Drumline - Marching bands..

All the above require skill and practice, but ARE THEY SPORTS /?

By dweller• 8 Aug 2008 20:32
dweller

If the Eurosport channel is anything to go by, then poker qualifies. It's shown regularly on the channel!

By Gypsy• 8 Aug 2008 20:30
Gypsy

Baseball isn't just popular in the States, it's big in Canada, Japan, Korea and the South American nations as well. I'd argue that baseball is more popular in Japan and Korea right now then the States.

I'm not sure I see your point Brit, if you exempt these sports from the Olympics then what sports would we play??

In many cases and baseball and basketball are one of them, professionals aren't allowed to compete, only amateurs. It used to be the same for Hockey in the winter Olympics, but they changed that rule, much to the determent of the sport I think.

Visit www.qatarhappening.com

By caliafrica• 8 Aug 2008 20:27
caliafrica

I am just wondering what else can pass a sport

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 20:26
britexpat

My apologies..

On a serious note.. Yes, Cheer leading is very athletic and hard... But can we call it a sport ?

By caliafrica• 8 Aug 2008 20:23
caliafrica

Cheerleading will probably make it to the olympics in a couple of years. I can't believe they consider it a sport. Well then again, a lot of things are considered as sports nowadays, ie..fishing, poker, and let's not forget cheerleading. I knew a friend who got a cheerleading scholarship from a university.....hmmmmmm

By someonenew• 8 Aug 2008 20:05
someonenew

Badminton is extremly exciting and so is Basketball. I think both these sports are good for Olympics.

I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 20:05
britexpat

There's another version called "softball"..

I think its only played by octagenarians or Eunuchs..

By qatarisun• 8 Aug 2008 19:53
qatarisun

yes it is dweller...

it is rounders for "men"...but for non-men Yankees it's a baseball...LOL...

By dweller• 8 Aug 2008 19:46
dweller

Is that rounders for men?

By qatarisun• 8 Aug 2008 19:43
qatarisun

did i piss you off, goodlookinG baby??? ..by the way,... didn't "G" fit the available length of the name? or where has it got lost??..

anyway, goodlookin or goodlooking.... calm down.. go get couple of tequila shots and relax.. LOOOOOOOOOL

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 19:26
britexpat

You always spoil everything....

I will go along with what you say, but I still can't take Synchronized swimming and Baseball seriously............

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 19:26
britexpat

You always spoil everything....

I will go along with what you say, but I still can't take Synchronized swimming and Baseball seriously............

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 19:26
britexpat

You always spoil everything....

I will go along with what you say, but I still can't take Synchronized swimming and Baseball seriously............

By goodlookin• 8 Aug 2008 19:19
goodlookin

I have know idea what soccer is (narrow thinking my arse!).

I'm talking about football, you know the sport that is played all over the globe. The one you actually have to use your feet, not the stupid yanky version.

p/s...you think my name is stange for a guy, yep i'm definately the one who is narrow minded.

britexpat - The football in the Olympics is played by players all under the age of 23. Although each team is allowed 3 players over 23, don't ask me why!

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 19:17
britexpat

Luckily, only Amateur boxers still take part in the Olympics..

Basketball ?? I can imagine Canada coming up against the Dream Team of USA and surviving..

Call me old fashioned... Oh you just did.. But I think there are varying degrees of professionalism and IMHO, truly professional sports like Football, Basketball and Baseball do not belong in ther Olympics..

Oh, I forgot Tennis... Can you imaging someone from Africa or Middle East coming up against the Williams sisters or Rafa Nadal..

If Rafa does win a Gold medal, then is he really, really , really and Olympian ???

By qatarisun• 8 Aug 2008 19:14
qatarisun

eeehhh.. brit.. all sports are professional since long time ago.. and all sportsmen are PROFESSIONAL athletes...

do you believe that at least one of the athletes in the Olympic games has another "full-time" (or even part-time) job?? and that the sport is only his hobby??

are you serious??

they are all professionally trained and professionally paid...

By anonymous• 8 Aug 2008 19:11
anonymous

Britexpat, all athletes are professional now, it is 30 years since the IOC demanded that the Olympic Athletes had to be Amateurs. And what is wrong with having the best athletes in the world competing ?

A comment to Bastook and his comment about Canadian Games in the Winter Olympics, what is that about(The Canadians, to my knowledge hasn't invented anything)

By Dracula• 8 Aug 2008 19:06
Dracula

http://en.beijing2008.cn/

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 19:04
britexpat

are truly "professional" sports.. That means that only the top nations have any real chance of winning medals in them..

The number of sports should be cut down and the "professional sports" outlawed....

By qatarisun• 8 Aug 2008 19:00
qatarisun

ok.. so let's leave in the Olympic games only Football(by the way which one you mean? American football or soccer?), and exclude all other sports from the Olympics as "based on GL rubbish"... OMG! what a narrow way of thinking!!...r u sure you are 18-25?? in your age you should be a bit more open-minded, bro!

By goodlookin• 8 Aug 2008 18:50
goodlookin

ummmm what's not rubbish, maybe the world's fav sport...football!!!!

Goodlookin (i can't help it)

By qatarisun• 8 Aug 2008 18:39
qatarisun

and what's not "rubbish" in your opinion, GOODLOOKING (hey what a weird nick for the "guy")?

By goodlookin• 8 Aug 2008 18:32
goodlookin

"what's wrong with Basketball".....oh dear so many answers so little time. Ahem...No1 - it's rubbish!

A sport isn't worth playing unless we invented it and then let everyone else beat us at it!

By heero_yuy2• 8 Aug 2008 18:31
heero_yuy2

...and I'm breathing properly.

"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

By janeyjaney• 8 Aug 2008 18:27
janeyjaney

how does the olympic committee decide which sport shld be included in the olypics?? When does somethng become a sport anyway? -------------------------------------------------

╬ We are the renegades of funk! ╬

By qatarisun• 8 Aug 2008 18:22
qatarisun

and what's wrong with BASCKETBALL, brit??? it is one of the best games ever! are you also against it????

By Vegas• 8 Aug 2008 17:41
Vegas

You can't teach experience

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 17:39
britexpat

That's partly it:0)

However, Javelin, Discus, Running etc were the original Olympic sports, but how many countries actually play or want to play Baseball????

By Bastook• 8 Aug 2008 17:23
Bastook

In the Cookies of Life, FRIENDS are the Chocolate Chips

www.bastook.com

http://www.freewebs.com/alayam/

By heero_yuy2• 8 Aug 2008 17:17
heero_yuy2

...they don't seem to be Olympic-related sports in the first place...

...but maybe we can consider aquatics at least...

"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

By Vegas• 8 Aug 2008 16:51
Vegas

You can't teach experience

By britexpat• 8 Aug 2008 16:50
britexpat

this year, so it will be a farce..

By Bastook• 8 Aug 2008 16:45
Bastook

I was almost going to say Baseball isn't an international game to get to the Olympics

but There are Canadian games in the winter Olympics

so I don't know why nit

I though football was part of the Olympics or is it only in the Asian Olympics???

In the Cookies of Life, FRIENDS are the Chocolate Chips

www.bastook.com

http://www.freewebs.com/alayam/

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