baron-pierreIV Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 Per a NY Times report, IOC prexy Jackie Rogge spoke about Baseball's chances of being reinstated in the Olympic Games. IOC prompts baseball in how to get back in... Which means SF2016 will put baseball in Pac/AT&T Park (and therefore softball at the proposed new A's home in Fremont) -- leaving Stanford, MacFee Stadium, Spartan, and the possible new Earthquakes home, also in Fremont, handling soccer duties -- with the finals at Olympic Stadium in Candlestick. Whoops... missed out that part that Rogge would like to see it played in more countries, too. So 2016 might not be a sure thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox334 Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 The coment about Baseball being played in more country is about Softball, not Baseball. In my opignon, if the MLB REALY want Baseball back in the Olympic program, it could hapen as early as 2016. Softball's task is a lot more complicated: for Softball, it realy is an universality probleme... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 yeah, yeah. Baseball - softball - same thing. They are still played in fewer than the minimum 35 countries, spread out evenly to a certain degree among the 6 continents -- that the IOC charter specifies. I'd really rather those boring Games not return to the Olympic slate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rav3n Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 The World Baseball Classic held at March of this year (winned by Japan), anybody know's if the event will be continued the next years?. The competition would be a great chance to promote the baseball arround the world, and having more chances to return to the olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunkWithBode Posted October 21, 2006 Report Share Posted October 21, 2006 The World Baseball Classic held at March of this year (winned by Japan), anybody know's if the event will be continued the next years?. The competition would be a great chance to promote the baseball arround the world, and having more chances to return to the olympics. The next WBC will be held in 2009, and they'll come every four years after that (2013, 2017, 2021, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2006 The thing about baseball (& softball) is that it's only popular in North & Central America, some countries in the Caribbean, 3 Asian nations, and maybe some token participation by Italy and Australia. Otherwise, it really leaves out the rest of Europe, Africa, the 11 nations in South America, and what? the 40 or so other nations of Asia. The game has to be fairly universal (or at least include maybe a dozen European nations) for it to keep its place in the summer Olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA84 Posted October 21, 2006 Report Share Posted October 21, 2006 Yea but it is as popular than some of these other inane Olympic "sports" that are still on the program. I mean, I am sorry but table tennis (a/k/a ping pong), badmitton, etc. I know are popular in some countries but worldwide it has as much a following as baseball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2006 Yea but it is as popular than some of these other inane Olympic "sports" that are still on the program. I mean, I am sorry but table tennis (a/k/a ping pong), badmitton, etc. I know are popular in some countries but worldwide it has as much a following as baseball. Yeah, but ping-pong. taekwondo, badminton, are sopwiths to the Asian countries who have contributed to the Olympic Games. There are already 3-US originated sports in the summer O. program (basket, and the 2 volleyballs); so losing 1 shouldn't be too bad. Otherwise, without the Asian sports, the whole program would just be geared to the 'western' sports. Believe it or not, badminton has a great following in the middling countries of the world. The other thing about baseball/softball is that it requires stadia from countries that will have no use for them afterwards. And further, remember 'baseball' was added as one of 3 demo sports in the 1984 Olympics, so 'basketball' and the 2 volleyballs should be enough for sports contributed by the U.S.A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceNarcissus Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Yeah, but ping-pong. taekwondo, badminton, are sopwiths to the Asian countries who have contributed to the Olympic Games. There are already 3-US originated sports in the summer O. program (basket, and the 2 volleyballs); so losing 1 shouldn't be too bad. Otherwise, without the Asian sports, the whole program would just be geared to the 'western' sports. Believe it or not, badminton has a great following in the middling countries of the world. The other thing about baseball/softball is that it requires stadia from countries that will have no use for them afterwards. And further, remember 'baseball' was added as one of 3 demo sports in the 1984 Olympics, so 'basketball' and the 2 volleyballs should be enough for sports contributed by the U.S.A. I concur! Vive le badminton! vive les shuttlecocks! It's the only sport I could ever hope of qualifying for the Olympics in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyc Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Yeah, but ping-pong. taekwondo, badminton, are sopwiths to the Asian countries who have contributed to the Olympic Games. There are already 3-US originated sports in the summer O. program (basket, and the 2 volleyballs); so losing 1 shouldn't be too bad. Otherwise, without the Asian sports, the whole program would just be geared to the 'western' sports. Believe it or not, badminton has a great following in the middling countries of the world. The other thing about baseball/softball is that it requires stadia from countries that will have no use for them afterwards. And further, remember 'baseball' was added as one of 3 demo sports in the 1984 Olympics, so 'basketball' and the 2 volleyballs should be enough for sports contributed by the U.S.A. The same criticisms can be leveled at many of the other team sports. Soccer is an exception, but it doesn't send its best players to the games. Just playing the devil's advocate, but if you want to downsize the games, one way to start woud be to eliminate all outdoor team sports. If you want to limit the number of sorts originated in the US to three,you will need to cut back a number of other events, including triathlon and several events/disciplines in cycling,swimming and track. Moreover others would have to be cut because of the large number of sports originating in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 The same criticisms can be leveled at many of the other team sports. Soccer is an exception, but it doesn't send its best players to the games. Just playing the devil's advocate, but if you want to downsize the games, one way to start woud be to eliminate all outdoor team sports. If you want to limit the number of sorts originated in the US to three,you will need to cut back a number of other events, including triathlon and several events/disciplines in cycling,swimming and track. Moreover others would have to be cut because of the large number of sports originating in the UK. It's not the matter of where the sport originated. I just mentioned the US has contributed 3; not because any other nation has contributed more or less -- but of course, Greece (& the ancient world) have contributed T&F (the foot races, discus, etc.), Archery, stupid Boxing, and Wrestling. And then the revived Games by my great-grandpappy added Swimming and Shooting. But when you said 'outdoor' - surely, you don't mean T&F also? (Not that I personally care for it) but that's the centerpiece of the Summer Olympic Games. The thing is the Big 6 within the IOC framework (IAAF, FINA, FIFA, the Gymnastics Federation and FIVA (Volley) and FIBA (basketball)) are so powerful that they pretty much get to add a discipline here, a discipline there vs. the others. (I don't even know why the Triathlon was added in Sydney other than to show off Sydney's harbor and the Opera House.) If there are any to be taken out, I would personally remove Boxing (riddled with bribery, doping and judging controversy), Weightlifting (another stupid "sport") , Water Polo, Taekwondo and Field Hockey. But that's for another topic to cover. Shooting should also be removed because unlike Archery, Shooting actually breaks one of the Olympic rules in requiring something 'mechanized' -- which it is, to create that shot. But it can be kept in the Biathlon -- one of the weirder winter sports that I like to see. I would also bring back Chariot-racing instead of NASCAR -- with a female event; and mixed-gender races!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyc Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 It's not the matter of where the sport originated. I just mentioned the US has contributed 3; not because any other nation has contributed more or less -- but of course, Greece (& the ancient world) have contributed T&F (the foot races, discus, etc.), Archery, stupid Boxing, and Wrestling. And then the revived Games by my great-grandpappy added Swimming and Shooting. But when you said 'outdoor' - surely, you don't mean T&F also? (Not that I personally care for it) but that's the centerpiece of the Summer Olympic Games. The thing is the Big 6 within the IOC framework (IAAF, FINA, FIFA, the Gymnastics Federation and FIVA (Volley) and FIBA (basketball)) are so powerful that they pretty much get to add a discipline here, a discipline there vs. the others. (I don't even know why the Triathlon was added in Sydney other than to show off Sydney's harbor and the Opera House.) If there are any to be taken out, I would personally remove Boxing (riddled with bribery, doping and judging controversy), Weightlifting (another stupid "sport") , Water Polo, Taekwondo and Field Hockey. But that's for another topic to cover. Shooting should also be removed because unlike Archery, Shooting actually breaks one of the Olympic rules in requiring something 'mechanized' -- which it is, to create that shot. But it can be kept in the Biathlon -- one of the weirder winter sports that I like to see. I would also bring back Chariot-racing instead of NASCAR -- with a female event; and mixed-gender races!! I was referring to outdoor team sports. Right now they are limited to soccer ,baseball/softball and field hockey. Eliminate field hockey and you are left with soccer football. This sport is expensive to run and doesn't include its best comoetitors. The question would then be why continue to have it when field hockey, baseball, rugby football, cricket and(down the road) american football aren't allowed in. Maybe the IOC could award medals based on these sports World Cups. How come FIVA is part of the big 6? Volleyball isn't in the same league with the other five,in terms of popularity I would think that the UCI would be a more likely candidate for #6. The questions of which sports will be in the games, which of their events will be included and how many competitors will be allowed are becoming increasingly important due the increased size of the games . I have serious doubts as to how the IOC is handing these issues. Finally adding Triathlon made much more sense then the other sports added in recent years. It is much more akin to the core sports of the summer games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox334 Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 I don't tink remouving occer would make much sence: enven whitout the best players of the world present in the male competition, it is still the world's most popular sport. And besside, the women's tournement has no age restriction so the best can participate. As for the sport I would remouve, I would start with Modern Pentathlon and Shooting (I mean, who watch those things?), then Weightlifting and Equistrian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgescuro Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 I'd really rather those boring Games not return to the Olympic slate. Who says they're boring??? Did you even catch the WBC??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 How come FIVA is part of the big 6? Volleyball isn't in the same league with the other five,in terms of popularity I would think that the UCI would be a more likely candidate for #6. Actually, even if the US teams aren't playing, the volleyball coverage in the Sydney and Athens Games (for both indoor and beach) came in as the 5th most watched sport, in the monitored US viewership. So they had Swimming (#1), Gymnastics, T&F, Basketball, THEN Volleyball in terms of sports that US audiences stuck to in the last 2 summer Games. So FIVA can deliver the numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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