Softball and Baseball out of Olympics???

**wil** · July 25th, 2008, 02:39 PM

This is a bummer...

Olympics - Jennie Finch -- pinup, mother, crusader

**wil** · July 25th, 2008, 02:50 PM

And here is another article detailing the drop. I figured I better supply this one since the first article is mostly about Jennie Finch.

USATODAY.com - Baseball, softball bumped from Olympics

**A1food4U** · July 25th, 2008, 03:04 PM

She's an 11 year old pitcher with olympic size drive. we couldn't pull her away from the college women's championship coverage, removing the ultimate goal, a national team and true WORLD championship is just sad, sad, SAD!!!

**pliny_2001** · July 25th, 2008, 03:04 PM

I'm OK with dropping most/all of the team sports. Those that have a team and individual component (gymnastics) are fine, however there needs to be a change in scoring that minimizes the influence of a particular judge (who must also be fair arbiters -- remember that Russia/Canada ice skating disaster?). And drop equestrian events -- the horse deserves a medal, not the rider.

No BMX, skateboarding, etc. Faster, higher, stronger.

**tooncesthecat** · July 25th, 2008, 03:21 PM

So they're going to keep ping pong...I'm sorry...TABLE TENNIS, all equestrian events (like pliny said, the horse deserves the medal), and sailing? Yeah, I'm sure those are sellouts at the ticket counter!

**wil** · July 25th, 2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pliny_2001

I'm OK with dropping most/all of the team sports. Those that have a team and individual component (gymnastics) are fine, however there needs to be a change in scoring that minimizes the influence of a particular judge (who must also be fair arbiters -- remember that Russia/Canada ice skating disaster?). And drop equestrian events -- the horse deserves a medal, not the rider.

No BMX, skateboarding, etc. Faster, higher, stronger.

See... here is my thoughts on sports... If you are beholden to judges to determine how well you do... I don't have time for it. Don't get me wrong, the stuff that gymnasts and figure skaters can do is amazing and I would break my neck in 1000 places trying any of it, but like you said... when particular judges can sway the outcome for any reason whatsoever... they're Russian/Canadian... I don't like their costume... whatever...

I'm rambling...

I like sports where your score is not under the thumb of a judge. In baseball you either hit the ball and score runs or you don't. Weightlifting... you either lift it or you don't... track & field... who runs the fastest and who throws the farthest...

OK... more rambling... time to stop.

And I totally agree with eliminating all the X-Games stuff.

**wil** · July 25th, 2008, 03:25 PM

Does the Olympics include that event where the girls dance around with a big ribbon or a fancy kickball?? That could go too.

**Law_Dawg** · July 25th, 2008, 03:50 PM

Here's my thoughts on this whole deal. Anybody who plays sports and loves the sport and this is their life...then why not. We did it with Basketball so why not Baseball or Softball. I love them both but the women that play softball are not paid to play when they play in exhibition. In Baseball...who would play...PROS or JOES. Meaning this...Would this be the All Stars of the sport or college guys. I guess there has to be a line but the ORIGINAL Olympics was Amatuers not Pros. They took bowling out so why not allow Tennis or Badmington. The point I'm really trying to make is...If we keep the sports we have and we keep adding sports to the games...when do we stop and say enough is enough. I'm sure there are hunters out there and anglers that would like to see their sports added too. Go back to the ORIGINAL games and play those...the other sports have their championship games and let them have it when they have it. Its ashame it has come to this but the US needs to get over the fact that we are World Champions at all Pro Sportsexcept Soccer(Football) and let the rest of the world play too. It might be interesting to see what Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic have to say about the World Series. Just my two cents.

**wil** · July 25th, 2008, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Law_Dawg

I love them both but the women that play softball are not paid to play when they play in exhibition. In Baseball...who would play...PROS or JOES. Meaning this...Would this be the All Stars of the sport or college guys. I guess there has to be a line but the ORIGINAL Olympics was Amatuers not Pros.

I agree... it should be totally amatuers.

cybrid · July 25th, 2008, 05:46 PM

I remember when they were talking about dropping base/soft-ball a while ago. The reasoning being that they aren't played in most of the rest of the world. I can understand that even if I don't agree w/ it. Especially now that MLB is pushing forward with the World Baseball Classic and pushing to get the game played in more countries.

Korea v. Japan were, hands down, some of the most exciting baseball games I have ever watched.

cybrid · July 25th, 2008, 05:48 PM

some of the newer sports could and maybe should be in the olympics. bmx slalom is skills.

**ckn** · August 14th, 2008, 04:21 AM

Just got around to this now as it's been covered a bit over here. Link to Times coverage.

The problem with softball is that it's just so uncompetitive, the US is not going to lose, ever, and if it gets to the point when mercy rules are used against a major competitor then it's not attractive viewing.

There are many more competitive team sports with a greater competition for the top 3 slots and a greater worldwide participation but they can't get entry so it has always surprised me that softball and baseball have been allowed.

**wil** · August 14th, 2008, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckn

Just got around to this now as it's been covered a bit over here. Link to Times coverage.

The problem with softball is that it's just so uncompetitive, the US is not going to lose, ever, and if it gets to the point when mercy rules are used against a major competitor then it's not attractive viewing.

There are many more competitive team sports with a greater competition for the top 3 slots and a greater worldwide participation but they can't get entry so it has always surprised me that softball and baseball have been allowed.

Exactly why I think ALL team sports need to go back to amatuer athletes.

**ckn** · August 14th, 2008, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wil

Exactly why I think ALL team sports need to go back to amatuer athletes.

Not necessarily. Apart from some of the swimming medals, none of the other larger team events in the Olympics are so one-sided that you could effectively hand out the medals before the event starts. For example, field hockey, soccer and water polo are hotly contested events with the final medals being very difficult to predict.

There are other sports that want to get in the Olympics but can't due to the weird voting rules plus the limit imposed on the number of sports, for example, rugby and cricket, each with a very competitive worldwide reach. To exclude sports like rugby while keeping the very one-sided softball would be slightly perverse. To me, if there are less than 5 nations worldwide with a realistic chance to take a gold then the sport should not be in the Olympics.

The problem with amateurism and team sports is that the managers, officials and governing bodies all make lots of money from the huge amount in the game while the players get nothing bar a bit of dodgy boot money. The players are the stars, they deserve the money.

**wil** · August 14th, 2008, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckn

Not necessarily. Apart from some of the swimming medals, none of the other larger team events in the Olympics are so one-sided that you could effectively hand out the medals before the event starts. For example, field hockey, soccer and water polo are hotly contested events with the final medals being very difficult to predict.

There are other sports that want to get in the Olympics but can't due to the weird voting rules plus the limit imposed on the number of sports, for example, rugby and cricket, each with a very competitive worldwide reach. To exclude sports like rugby while keeping the very one-sided softball would be slightly perverse. To me, if there are less than 5 nations worldwide with a realistic chance to take a gold then the sport should not be in the Olympics.

The problem with amateurism and team sports is that the managers, officials and governing bodies all make lots of money from the huge amount in the game while the players get nothing bar a bit of dodgy boot money. The players are the stars, they deserve the money.

I see what you mean. OK... out with softball, baseball, basketball (I still can't bring myself to root for our NBA thugs-in-uniforms). I guess while we're at it women's beach volleyball should go too since Misty May and Kerri Walsh are pretty unstoppable.

**ckn** · August 14th, 2008, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wil

I see what you mean. OK... out with softball, baseball, basketball (I still can't bring myself to root for our NBA thugs-in-uniforms). I guess while we're at it women's beach volleyball should go too since Misty May and Kerri Walsh are pretty unstoppable.

Women's beach volleyball is one of the main reason British men watch the Olympics! PLEASE don't take this away from us

**wil** · August 14th, 2008, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckn

Women's beach volleyball is one of the main reason British men watch the Olympics! PLEASE don't take this away from us

Women's beach volleyball is the main reason I watch the Olympics!

**tooncesthecat** · August 14th, 2008, 06:56 AM

The idea of taking softball or baseball out because "no one can beat the Americans" isn't valid in my opinion. Dynasties are evident in other sports. Ice hockey, 1980, USA vs. USSR? I'm not sure but my guess is that the Asian countries pretty much own badminton. Romania owned gymnastics for years.

I also don't agree that we should ditch sports that "no one plays outside America and Asia" (baseball and softball again). I mean, there are sports like handball and badminton (again) which are rarely, if ever, played competitively outside some certain countries. And what about rhythmic gymnastics? Give me a break!

**wil** · August 14th, 2008, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tooncesthecat

The idea of taking softball or baseball out because "no one can beat the Americans" isn't valid in my opinion. Dynasties are evident in other sports. Ice hockey, 1980, USA vs. USSR? I'm not sure but my guess is that the Asian countries pretty much own badminton. Romania owned gymnastics for years.

I also don't agree that we should ditch sports that "no one plays outside America and Asia" (baseball and softball again). I mean, there are sports like handball and badminton (again) which are rarely, if ever, played competitively outside some certain countries. And what about rhythmic gymnastics? Give me a break!

Rhythmic gymnastics rulez!!!!

1texas1 · August 14th, 2008, 08:33 AM

No baseball/softball....thats just crazy, because baseball/softball is the AMERICAN way........If they would put poll dancing in the olympics as a sport (dancing) I would try out for that one..haha