What Are You Doing RIGHT NOW? Part ELEVEN: Through the Wormhole...

[killer_roach]

It's politics. In general, it's just the U.S., former soviet countries, and the Greeks who are good at it. So other cry baby countries want to remove it.

And Iran - they usually win a couple of medals there.

[SheSaidSheSaid]

I agree with the sportswriter who said that any sport where the Olympics isn't the be-all and end-all of their competitive existence shouldn't be in the Olympics.

Meaning what exactly? Every sport has other competitions than the Olympics.

(That being said, would also likely nix baseball, basketball, and hockey while we're at it, and soccer would be close to getting the axe were it not for FIFA's general disrepute.)

Baseball and softball (package deal) weren't played in London and they're a longshot for Rio, too.

[killer_roach]

Meaning what exactly? Every sport has other competitions than the Olympics.

For most other Olympic sports the Olympics is the pinnacle of their competitive calendar. Not so with the ones I listed. You win a gold medal in swimming, that means more than anything else. You win a gold medal in golf... good for you, now on to next week's tour event (and prepare for the next major, which is likely a bigger deal).

[Lawdog1521]

And Iran - they usually win a couple of medals there.

And Turkey.

But I think my point is still somewhat valid. It's not as popular with the international community as a whole because they're not as good at it. (Allowing for exceptions)

[SheSaidSheSaid]

For most other Olympic sports the Olympics is the pinnacle of their competitive calendar. Not so with the ones I listed. You win a gold medal in swimming, that means more than anything else. You win a gold medal in golf... good for you, now on to next week's tour event (and prepare for the next major, which is likely a bigger deal).

Most cases aren't that cut-and-dried. What about my sport, volleyball? Would it remain under your model?

[killer_roach]

Most cases aren't that cut-and-dried. What about my sport, volleyball? Would it remain under your model?

I would think so. I don't think any national or international competition for volleyball rises to the level of the Olympics. You don't hear an elite player referred to as a "world champion" by the mainstream press, but you will hear "gold medal-winning..." on a regular basis.

[SheSaidSheSaid]

The flip-side, then, is what about something like BMX cycling? Of course the Olympics are the highest-prestige competition for that sport, because it's something that's only been around for like 25 years.

[killer_roach]

The flip-side, then, is what about something like BMX cycling? Of course the Olympics are the highest-prestige competition for that sport, because it's something that's only been around for like 25 years.

...the X-Games, perhaps? (Now you picked a great gray area sport.)

[Witticus]

I think the most gray area sport is trampoline.

[SheSaidSheSaid]

So you're saying the X-Games are equal in prestige to the Olympics?




.....actually, I guess you could make that argument. It's not as absurd as I first thought.

To my previous point on volleyball, it's not as obvious you seem to want it to be. The world championships are likewise once every four years, as is the World Cup (though that by its nature is a subordinate event to the Olympics) and even annual events like the World League and the World Grand Prix are very high-prestige as well.