Saturday, August 09, 2008
Cutting out the Olympics fat
One of the problems of the modern Olympics, in my opinion, is the proliferation of official sports and de-emphasis of track and field, the heart and soul of the games. So as a public service, here is Hub Blog's list of sports that would be eliminated if the IOC had the common sense to implement my recommendations:
FYI: I eliminated some well-known sports because they're Olympic late-comers and/or already have their own well-established championships (baseball, soccer and tennis). Others were nixed because they're just silly (beach volleyball, trampoline etc.; there's the brand issue again). I've left some sports, such as basketball, because they're long established within the games. But I wouldn't shed a tear if basketball got the boot, as well as a few other sports.
FYI II: I'd also put the Winter Olympics (which needs its own events pruning) back in the same year as the Summer Olympics. Holding the games every four years makes them special. Every two years is dilution and over-exposure.
FYI III: Check out 'Finnish baseball,' or Pesäpallom, once a demonstration sport. Never knew. The rule differences are fascinating.
One of the problems of the modern Olympics, in my opinion, is the proliferation of official sports and de-emphasis of track and field, the heart and soul of the games. So as a public service, here is Hub Blog's list of sports that would be eliminated if the IOC had the common sense to implement my recommendations:
Synchronized swimmingThere's precedent for such moves (see list of 'discontinued sports' and of 'demonstration sports' that, thank goodness, never made it to official-sports status). I'd also eliminate the whole notion of 'recognized Olympic sports' that aren't even played at the games and only serve to confuse and draw contempt (chess, tug of war, surfing etc). Why call them Olympic sports if they're not played at the Olympics? The IOC is not protecting its brand.
Badminton
Baseball
BMX
Mountain biking
Field hockey
Judo
Soccer
Trampoline
Handball
Softball
Table tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Beach volleyball
FYI: I eliminated some well-known sports because they're Olympic late-comers and/or already have their own well-established championships (baseball, soccer and tennis). Others were nixed because they're just silly (beach volleyball, trampoline etc.; there's the brand issue again). I've left some sports, such as basketball, because they're long established within the games. But I wouldn't shed a tear if basketball got the boot, as well as a few other sports.
FYI II: I'd also put the Winter Olympics (which needs its own events pruning) back in the same year as the Summer Olympics. Holding the games every four years makes them special. Every two years is dilution and over-exposure.
FYI III: Check out 'Finnish baseball,' or Pesäpallom, once a demonstration sport. Never knew. The rule differences are fascinating.
