Sports that shouldn't be in the olympics

fryup

I think the olympics is way too big and bloated as it is and that there's some sports that really shouldn't be there in the first place.

Synchronise swimming - come on, how can this be classed as a sport? if you're going to have this you'll might as well have ballroom dancing

Tennis - Nah, to me it just looks out of place...if it was for amatuers i wouldn't mind but having those filthy rich players trotting around dosen't feel right...most of the top players don't seem to be ares'ed anyway

Football - football has plenty of other tournaments most notably the world cup (the world's biggest event) don't see the need for it in the olympics tbh

Handball - Its not really a global sport, its only played in a handful of countries and it looks ridiculous like something a bunch of bored school kids made up during a lunch break

Beach volleyball - couldn't believe it when they made this an olympic sport really makes a mockery of the whole event, you've got proper volleyball anyway don't see the need for this

lastly..Women Boxing - call me old fashioned, sexist...but women and boxing just don't go together, no to me its not a real sport more a novelty event

Naomi00

fryup wrote: »

I think the olympics is way too big and bloated as it is and that there's some sports that really shouldn't be there in the first place.

Synchronise swimming - come on, how can this be classed as a sport? if you're going to have this you'll might as well have ballroom dancing

Tennis - Nah, to me it just looks out of place...if it was for amatuers i wouldn't mind but having those filthy rich players trotting around dosen't feel right...most of the top players don't seem to be ares'ed anyway

Football - football has plenty of other tournaments most notably the world cup (the world's biggest event) don't see the need for it in the olympics tbh

Handball - Its not really a global sport, its only played in a handful of countries and it looks ridiculous like something a bunch of bored school kids made up during a lunch break

Beach volleyball - couldn't believe it when they made this an olympic sport really makes a mockery of the whole event, you've got proper volleyball anyway don't see the need for this

lastly..Women Boxing - call me old fashioned, sexist...but women and boxing just don't go together, no to me its not a real sport more a novelty event

You lost me at that. :mad:

phasers

fryup wrote: »

lastly..Women Boxing - call me old fashioned, sexist...but women and boxing just don't go together, no to me its not a real sport more a novelty event

You were grand until this bit.

I don't see why any sports should be excluded, people have different talents and tastes. Why not cater to as many people as possible?

maddragon

I have waited 4 years for the women's beach volleyball. Don't dare try and take that from me.

fryup

phasers wrote: »

You were grand until this bit.

I don't see why any sports should be excluded, people have different talents and tastes. Why not cater to as many people as possible?

yes, i know katie taylor...but if she wasn't there would you in all honesty still have an interest???

Bannasidhe

fryup wrote: »

lastly..Women Boxing - call me old fashioned, sexist...but women and boxing just don't go together, no to me its not a real sport more a novelty event

What say you climb into a ring with Katey and see how much of a novelty it will be when she pounds you to a pulp?

ankles

A bit OT but the problems really started imo with the Winter Olympics. Its been turned into a hangout for snowboarders throwing shapes in various so-called "sports" which barely seem worthy of the name. However once the sponsors (and money) kicked in it was inevitable that some dodgier sports got in in the summer.

Beach volleyball is really a pastime. I agree re the football. If the amateur thing is completely gone now, perhaps limit it entirely to under 23's, or non-internationals perhaps.

theteal

fryup wrote: »

I think the olympics is way too big and bloated as it is and that there's some sports that really shouldn't be there in the first place.

Synchronise swimming - come on, how can this be classed as a sport? if you're going to have this you'll might as well have ballroom dancing

Tennis - Nah, to me it just looks out of place...if it was for amatuers i wouldn't mind but having those filthy rich players trotting around dosen't feel right...most of the top players don't seem to be ares'ed anyway

Football - football has plenty of other tournaments most notably the world cup (the world's biggest event) don't see the need for it in the olympics tbh

Handball - Its not really a global sport, its only played in a handful of countries and it looks ridiculous like something a bunch of bored school kids made up during a lunch break

Beach volleyball - couldn't believe it when they made this an olympic sport really makes a mockery of the whole event, you've got proper volleyball anyway don't see the need for this

lastly..Women Boxing - call me old fashioned, sexist...but women and boxing just don't go together, no to me its not a real sport more a novelty event

shhh, it's our best chance at a medal

i really don't like seeing the big pro sports that have large international tournaments already (e.g. soccer, tennis etc), the olympics really doesn't mean much when they have bigger prizes to win. I also think these sports being there take a lot of the spotlight from other great sports that wouldn't usually get much publicity.

oh, and the dancing horses, that's just stupid

Drumpot

Agree that it's a joke when any professional sports athletes in the likes of soccer or tennis are allowed to participate.

Not sure I agree with much else.

doomed

Agree with most of your list apart from the women's boxing. You have women's contests for all of the martial arts - why not boxing?

The beach volleyball is a complete joke. You might as well have frisbee throwing, beach soccer or throwing a stick for the dog.

Soccer, Tennis and Golf shouldn't there either not because they are not major sports but for the opposite reason. They are too big for the olympics and have titles that are a lot more important to the competitors than an olympic gold medal.

bbam

Jumping on a feckin Trampoline is now an Olympic sport. They need to draw a line somewhere.

nothing

bbam wrote: »

Jumping on a feckin Trampoline is now an Olympic sport. They need to draw a line somewhere.

So is jumping off a board into some water...

sleapy235

Just to all those saying that rich professionals in tennis and soccer shouldn't be competing in the Olympics, the Olympics is no longer amateur! The only sport where professionals can't compete is boxing and professionals will be allowed compete in 2016. The Olympics is as much about money and advertising as it is about sport. Hence they want the biggest global sports stars competing!

I_smell_fear

Walking is actually a sport. They just look like they're trying to hold in a massive shíte

Nozebleed

have to disagree with you on handball, its a great event. better to watch than soccer(olympic) anyway. you just have to understand the game. boxing is always the highlight for me..women make it even more interesting.

actua11

Football is a tricky one as it's a massive tournament in the women's game and for the men's game in South America/Africa. I would like to change the football tournament to a futsal competition such that the 100 odd yeas of olympic tradition is continued while not trying to over reach itself by playing in massive stadiums (5-10,000 people in a futsal arena vs. 10,000 at Hampden park) and bending the rules to slip in a couple of top names into each team.

An example of how this might work is seen in rugby. In 2016 rugby 7's will be played as a sport, with no complaints of it not being the full version of the game while still acting as a representative of the sport.


With the women's boxing we are maybe a bit lucky to have had Katie come through as such a great ambassador of the sport, because outside of boxing circles I do remember it being seen as a bit of a novelty (foxy boxing etc.) Luckily, that's changed


Also drop dressage and bring back the good old tug of war!

Richard Hillman

I feel equestrian is ridiculous. Unless they hand the medals out to the horses. If Equestrian is in it then why not horse racing. You wouldnt say Joseph O'Brien was running a race with the fact he was riding Camelot in the small print.

titan18

Dressage and synchronised swimming. Probably tennis too, could leave the doubles tennis in, but for the main guys, they don't seem too bothered, and they already have a long season as it is.

Would love to see futsal in it instead of normal football.

Other sports that should be included imo are lacrosse (Ireland aren't actually bad at it, finished 9th in the last world championships), and some sort of amateur MMA, or else just more martial arts if that isn't possible.

Pisco Sour

titan18 wrote: »

Other sports that should be included imo are lacrosse (Ireland aren't actually bad at it, finished 9th in the last world championships)

And why not throw in Hurling while you're at it.

To be in the Olympics a sport needs to be played to a high level in a specified number of countries. That rules out Lacrosse. Ireland coming 9th shows how weak the sport is on an international level as f*ck all people play it here. I know people who took up the sport and were on the Irish team a year later, and half the Irish team were North Americans living in Ireland.

My mate was telling me they were looking to get it into the Winter Olympics at one point as the criteria is easier for the winter games with regards the number of countries needed to be playing a sport. However the no ice and snow aspect of the sport rules it out. Even lacrosse people know they dont have a hope of being in the summer games.

God, the amount of rot that has been spouted on this thread and forum since Friday is mad. If it wasn't for Dan Man and Dodge's great posts then I'd be getting my coat!

Guy:Incognito

Bring back the art section!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_competitions_at_the_1932_Summer_Olympics

Pisser for Josef Suk in the music section. Only one medal is awarded and he gets silver.

Guy:Incognito

Drumpot wrote: »

Agree that it's a joke when any professional sports athletes in the likes of soccer or tennis are allowed to participate.
.

How many sports are actually amateur at this stage? The athletics sure as hell isnt. The cycling, swimming etc either.

titan18

Pisco Sour wrote: »

And why not throw in Hurling while you're at it.

To be in the Olympics a sport needs to be played to a high level in a specified number of countries. That rules out Lacrosse. Ireland coming 9th shows how weak the sport is on an international level as f*ck all people play it here. I know people who took up the sport and were on the Irish team a year later, and half the Irish team were North Americans living in Ireland.

My mate was telling me they were looking to get it into the Winter Olympics at one point as the criteria is easier for the winter games with regards the number of countries needed to be playing a sport. However the no ice and snow aspect of the sport rules it out. Even lacrosse people know they dont have a hope of being in the summer games.

God, the amount of rot that has been spouted on this thread and forum since Friday is mad. If it wasn't for Dan Man and Dodge's great posts then I'd be getting my coat!

Well, you clearly know nothing. To be eligible for the Olympics, a sport needs a sole organisation in charge of it and has to have at least 75 countries in 4 continents competing. Lacrosse is now up to 45, and is growing at a fast rate and whilst the standard is much higher in the US and Canada, there's a huge difference in standards in most sports in the Olympics. Lacrosse has already taken steps towards being in the Olympics, such as joining SportAccord, are aiming to be in the Olympics in 2024(saying that this is the first realistic possibility), and they more than likely will be.

They've been added into the World Games in 2017, which is an IOC event, and is part of the evaluation criteria used to enter new sports into the Olympics.

Considering the improvement of Lacrosse over the last few years, if that rate is kept up, it'll be an Olympic sport in the next few games imo

If the difference in standards was a big issue, basketball wouldn't be at the games

byhookorbycrook

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I feel equestrian is ridiculous. Unless they hand the medals out to the horses. If Equestrian is in it then why not horse racing. You wouldnt say Joseph O'Brien was running a race with the fact he was riding Camelot in the small print.

Never tried to go cross country over 1.20 m fences I take it??

Pisco Sour

titan18 wrote: »

Well, you clearly know nothing. To be eligible for the Olympics, a sport needs a sole organisation in charge of it and has to have at least 75 countries in 4 continents competing. Lacrosse is now up to 45, and is growing at a fast rate and whilst the standard is much higher in the US and Canada, there's a huge difference in standards in most sports in the Olympics. Lacrosse has already taken steps towards being in the Olympics, such as joining SportAccord, are aiming to be in the Olympics in 2024(saying that this is the first realistic possibility), and they more than likely will be.

They've been added into the World Games in 2017, which is an IOC event, and is part of the evaluation criteria used to enter new sports into the Olympics.

Considering the improvement of Lacrosse over the last few years, if that rate is kept up, it'll be an Olympic sport in the next few games imo

If the difference in standards was a big issue, basketball wouldn't be at the games

Fair enough. Still certainly a long way from Olympic status at the moment though. And my point about the weakness of the sport on a world level stands. Ireland 9th in the world yet I have first hand information on how few people play the sport here. My friend made the Irish team literally one year after taking up the sport. Admittadly this was a few years ago but during this time something like half of all Lacrosse players were in UCD. Correct me if I'm wrong of course.

BorneTobyWilde

What i don't get about beach volley ball is
that no matter whats going on the cameraman will
have this shot constantly,


Its like expected, ??? I don't get the constant up close shots , Why not pan out LOL

titan18

Pisco Sour wrote: »

Fair enough. Still certainly a long way from Olympic status at the moment though. And my point about the weakness of the sport on a world level stands. Ireland 9th in the world yet I have first hand information on how few people play the sport here. My friend made the Irish team literally one year after taking up the sport. Admittadly this was a few years ago but during this time something like half of all Lacrosse players were in UCD. Correct me if I'm wrong of course.

No,I understand the sport is weak here, or there's a lack of people doing it mostly, but it's a great sport to watch and play. It's not close now to getting in, but at the rate it's going, I think it'll definitely be a sport at the Olympics. It's growing at a pretty strong rate worldwide atm, and it's taken steps to be in the Olympics. Ireland could probably be pretty good at it too

Samich

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

What i don't get about beach volley ball is
that no matter whats going on the cameraman will
have this shot constantly,


Its like expected, ??? I don't get the constant up close shots , Why not pan out LOL

Because the person crouched over gives hand signals behind their back and this is why they look at the arse. Killing 2 birds with the one stone

Nozebleed

sailing..what a load of bollocks.

jdooley28

What i heard in the dressage today.

'There is a strong wind out there now you can see him having to adjust his tophat' wtf, it is not sport if you wear a tophat.

I don't know how dressage ever got into the olymics but get it out of there soon please!

edit:i do know dressage is only part of an event

ITS_A_BADGER

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

What i don't get about beach volley ball is
that no matter whats going on the cameraman will
have this shot constantly,


Its like expected, ??? I don't get the constant up close shots , Why not pan out LOL

You should subscribe to this guys channel then http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1TGTm9HBKH0
he seems to be getting ass shots of all the female athletes lol

byhookorbycrook

jdooley28 wrote: »

What i heard in the dressage today.

'There is a strong wind out there now you can see him having to adjust his tophat' wtf, it is not sport if you wear a tophat.

I don't know how dressage ever got into the olymics but get it out of there soon please!

edit:i do know dressage is only part of an event

Dressage is all about suppleness and obedience. It's a test of both horse and rider. As to the tophat, it's tradition, nothing more.

ScumLord

I can only assume that people that don't like the idea of women boxing is because they see boxing as two lads beating the head off each other looking to knock the other guy out. It's nothing like that in amateur, it's about pure athleticism and skill. You don't have to come close to knocking the opponent out to be an obvious winner in Olympic boxing.

Richard Hillman

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Never tried to go cross country over 1.20 m fences I take it??

No and as a keen horse follower i fully understand, respect and admire skilled horse riders and the dangers they face. I just feel that since it is the horse that does the the jumping its not really an event for humans to be given the full praise. As i said previously, why not put horse racing in the Olympics.

Maire2009

Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it should be done away with.

However, I do see some of your argument especially the football one - nobody really cares about the men's one, but could you keep the women's one and do away with the men's? Hardly.

As for the women's boxing - its completely different from the professional men's arena. Suppose if RTÉ could be arsed to show more than one of Katie Taylor's fights it'd be nice. Jaysus, that woman should have the freedom of the country by now - probably our most outstanding sportsperson of the last decade but hey she's not a man finishing 5th in something we're not normally good at :rolleyes:

Nothing against our male athletes at all but what this woman has achieved is beyond phenomenal, yet no open top bus for her for any of her world/european victories.

fryup

you can add water polo to the list as well, what a boring stupid sport

Sparks

You know what? I'll read this thread (instead of skipping to the end to post) the day we get a single person posting on it who's won a medal in an Olympic sport. Or hell, even a single person who's represented their country in an Olympic sport, I'm not that fussy.

The rest of ye... well, let's just say that I have more time for the opinions of those who've walked the walk already.

Though I have to admit to agreeing with the comments about the camera work during beach volleyball. But that's not really a sport complaint, that's a complaint about race-to-the-bottom advertising controlling TV...

byhookorbycrook

But the same argument can be done for formula 1-the car does the work??

Guy:Incognito

Sparks wrote: »

that's a complaint about race-to-the-bottom advertising controlling TV...

Advertising toilet paper or what? It's an arse, not a billboard.

VinLieger

ankles wrote: »

A bit OT but the problems really started imo with the Winter Olympics. Its been turned into a hangout for snowboarders throwing shapes in various so-called "sports" which barely seem worthy of the name. However once the sponsors (and money) kicked in it was inevitable that some dodgier sports got in in the summer.

Snowboarding is a so-called sport?
Jesus spot the skiing piste nazi as its only snowboarders included here even though skiing has nearly exactly the same events now. They are doing pretty similar acrobatic and aerobatic acts as the gymnasts in the summer games so dont understand whats wrong with it? Or did a snowboarder just come too close to you once and youve just got a massive chip on your shoulder?

coulagh

Tennis Soccer Golf (2016) shouldn`t be in the olympics in my opinion.
At the start of the year Nadal Federer Murray goal is to win one of the 4 majors.

Same could be said with soccer players ambitions at the start of the year. Their focused on Champions League, Premiership Euros World Cup.. Ryan Giggs main goal would to win Premiership with Man United.

As much as I`ll be cheering on Padraig Harrington hopefully in 4 years and I would love nothing more than see him win an Olympic medal, again his goals at the start of the year are the 4 Majors.

The point I`m trying to make is Olympic Medals should be the highest honour you can recieve in your chosen sport. In the above sports the biggest honour you can win is not an Olympic medal and thats why I feel sports like that shouldnt be in the olympics

Boskowski

fryup wrote: »

Handball - Its not really a global sport, its only played in a handful of countries and it looks ridiculous like something a bunch of bored school kids made up during a lunch break

Just because you have no connection with it doesn't mean its nothing. Its a full time professional sport in many European countries drawing big attendances. There is a bloody champions league and btw Barcelona are very good at it. I played Handball when I was a kid and it was a number two in my country after football then and arguably still is.

As for synchronized swimming I wouldn't see much in it myself but in fact its a physically very demanding sport and nothing like ballroom dancing.

Your viewpoint is a bit ignorant really isn't it?

somefeen

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Never tried to go cross country over 1.20 m fences I take it??

Its a piece of piss, probably easier on a horse, then again I have long legs.

AlfaZen

Pisco Sour wrote: »

And why not throw in Hurling while you're at

Because GAA sports are a bit ****e to be honest and they help make Ireland less competitive at other international sports like Rugby and Football.

If the GAA was disbanded Ireland would win many more Olympic medels.

Boskowski

AlfaZen wrote: »

Because GAA sports are a bit ****e to be honest and they help make Ireland less competitive at other international sports like Rugby and Football.

If the GAA was disbanded Ireland would win many more Olympic medels.

In Rugby or in Football?

MrCreosote

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

But the same argument can be done for formula 1-the car does the work??

Motor sports are not sports. No coincidence that they're no longer in the Olympics and no chance of them ever getting in.

Equestrian is different- both the horse and rider are athletes. You can't separate the two.

I can't think of any sport in the Olympics that shouldn't be in. Plenty of others that should though- rugby (sevens will be in in Rio), squash, bench-pressing etc

Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it's not a sport, or not worthy of its place.

Gary The Gamer

Walking
All swimming styles except free style.

If you are going to have a race then just do it the fastest way possible without resorting to stupid rules about arm/leg mechanics.

doomed

Sparks wrote: »

You know what? I'll read this thread (instead of skipping to the end to post) the day we get a single person posting on it who's won a medal in an Olympic sport. Or hell, even a single person who's represented their country in an Olympic sport, I'm not that fussy.

The rest of ye... well, let's just say that I have more time for the opinions of those who've walked the walk already.

Though I have to admit to agreeing with the comments about the camera work during beach volleyball. But that's not really a sport complaint, that's a complaint about race-to-the-bottom advertising controlling TV...

That logic presumably precludes any discussion on death.

Sparks

doomed wrote: »

That logic presumably precludes any discussion on death.

Yup - specifically any on the existence or nature of an afterlife.
You'd be surprised how peaceful a life that leads to...

Doesn't preclude discussing the mechanics of it with doctors, morticians, or anyone else who's got first-hand knowledge. Keeps the signal-to-noise ratio nice and high.

Put it this way - everyone's entitled to an opinion, and to be able to express it - but that doesn't mean that everyone's opinion is actually worth listening to.

Cinaptic

Gary The Gamer wrote: »

Walking
All swimming styles except free style.

If you are going to have a race then just do it the fastest way possible without resorting to stupid rules about arm/leg mechanics.

I agree totally, it's no wonder it's always the swimmers who come away with a massive haul of medals - a handful for actually swimming fast and the rest for farting about in the pool! There's only one long/medium distance swimming event, the 10k. Wouldn't it be better to have the same distances as for runners? A swimming marathon - now there's an epic athletic sport!!

Triple jump is also bull****.

nucker

I've heard that the Rio Olympics in 2016 will include golf of all "sports". That should never be included. It seems like the IOC just want any crap so they can go up a rub shoulders with famous sports people in that "sport".

Oh dear, the Olympic spirit is truly dead

TOMP

All the equestrian events should not be there. Its clearly an elitist sport, that has nothing to do with 'fastest, highest, strongest'.