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Hey guys understand your comments about dressage and I was in your camp,until my daughter started riding and now have a different outlook. I know have a new respect for the whole equestrian thing now that I have an up front look.....plus I will not show my daughter your posts.....ou just might have a 15 year old girl throw you a brush back pitch Smile
Baseball had been abandoned in the USA for decades. Between the juicers and druggies, there were very few athletes that could honorably represent the USA on the World Stage.

This was made glarily clear once professional players were allowed to participate in order to silence the whining of the USOC. Juicers and druggies knew they couldn't pas the drug tests so they either were eliminated or eliminated themselves to save themselves the embarrassment of being exposed.

Just as in the World Baseball Classic we have come to find that the better players in the MLB are not USA citizens or natives. Teams such as Canada and the Netherlands were defeating the squads that could pass scutiny and had the desire to represent the nation.

The IBAF did a fine job of getting baseball into the Olympics, but the NGB of the USA did not hold up their end of the bargain. The NGB of USA baseball has been totally inept in their responsibilities since their founding.

Unless the IOC can forget the nightmare of the olympic baseball experiment, we may see marbles as an olympic sport before baseball is reinstated.
Last edited by Quincy
quote:
Originally posted by dad43:
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmy03:
The Olympics were designed to test HUMAN strength, speed, and endurance. If dressage belongs, so does border collie sheepherding.



You have no idea how much HUMAN strength and endurance it takes to do what these athletes do.


It takes tremendous human strength and endurance to control a thoroughbred during a race, wrestle a steer, ride a bull, or box a kangaroo. Olympics should not be about animals.
quote:
Originally posted by jerseydad:
Nothing against BMX racing however I have a hard time thinking that an XGames event is considered more of an Olympic sport than baseball?

Something about this just seems wrong to me. Frown


...I couldn't believe it when I tuned in late last night...It is Wrong, but I think we all agree that there's some strange events in the Olympics that have knocked out baseball/softball.
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmy03:
quote:
Originally posted by dad43:
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmy03:
The Olympics were designed to test HUMAN strength, speed, and endurance. If dressage belongs, so does border collie sheepherding.



You have no idea how much HUMAN strength and endurance it takes to do what these athletes do.


It takes tremendous human strength and endurance to control a thoroughbred during a race, wrestle a steer, ride a bull, or box a kangaroo. Olympics should not be about animals.



The horse is just like the archers bow or the marksman rifle...a tool of their sport an extension of the athlete
quote:
The horse is just like the archers bow or the marksman rifle...a tool of their sport an extension of the athlete


Now that's a stretch!

I missed the boat as kid with all that time spent in competition sports. Little did I know that some of our leisure activities would be competed in the Olympics; ping pong, riding my bike, going for a swim, volleyball, skate boarding .. etc. What's next; kite flying?

I don't know, we didn't ever consider any of the above a sport.
quote:
Originally posted by dad43:
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmy03:
quote:
Originally posted by dad43:
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmy03:
The Olympics were designed to test HUMAN strength, speed, and endurance. If dressage belongs, so does border collie sheepherding.



You have no idea how much HUMAN strength and endurance it takes to do what these athletes do.


It takes tremendous human strength and endurance to control a thoroughbred during a race, wrestle a steer, ride a bull, or box a kangaroo. Olympics should not be about animals.



The horse is just like the archers bow or the marksman rifle...a tool of their sport an extension of the athlete


Oh, Puhleeez.

Horse dancing, while interesting and most certainly difficult does not belong in the Olympics any more than the other activities that meet your criteria including NASCAR racing, horse racing, and whatever they call that thing where little yap dogs run through obstacles.
I think the booting of baseball was a purely 100% anti-USA move. I wish before we had bailed out Kuwait that we had conditioned our entry on mid-eastern votes for approval of baseball in the Olympics.

So what if we send college kids? It still works
for me and would be a great experience for the players. Nowhere in my criterion for sports is "Guaranteed USA victory".

Communist kickball, basketball, hockey-no more deserving than baseball...
Basketball and hockey used to be great Olympic events in my mind and they have now been ruined by the inclusion of professional athletes. The 1992 Dream Team was a big mistake imho and I was never imprsessed by that so-called over-hyped "achievement."

I used to love it when our college players competed. I have no interest in watching LeBron James and Kobe Bryant win by 40 points. The 1980 hockey team was maybe the most exciting thing in my lifetime - sports wise. Same with tennis. Who cares that Serena Williams won gold?

If they were to bring baseball back, I'd want it to be college or high school players only. If other countries want to send pros that is their perogative. I could care less if we win every event we think we are entitled to. Bring back the collegians/amateurs for our country and it will bring back the excitement in many sports.
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmy03:
The Olympics were designed to test HUMAN strength, speed, and endurance. If dressage belongs, so does border collie sheepherding.

While I see that you're a HSBB Web "Old Timer", Jimmy03, I doubt that you're old-timer enough to have been around when they designed the ancient Olympic Games, which featured naked men running around in a stadium, and...chariot racing.

Nor do I reckon you're old-timer enough to have been tight with Baron De Coubertin when he designed the modern Olympic Games in the 1890's. The modern Olympic Games were built around the lifetstyle of the aristocracy (hence the emphasis on amateurism. Can't have a gentleman competing with those filthy working class people, or his sports instructors.) 1890's Aristocrats were a pretty horsey set, thus equestrian events have been on the Olympic program since the 2nd Olympic Games in 1900.

A lot of people have a lot of opinions about what the Olympic Games should be, but in the end, the Olympic Games are a brand of multi-sport events owned and operated by the International Olympic Committee. The Olympic Games are, and always will be...whatever the IOC wants them to be.

What the IOC has done with their event, is create a brand awareness so strong that people forget, it's just a brand of event. We, the viewing public have attached an importance to the brand that equates it to excellence - but really, it's just a glorified track meet with a universally known logo. If you don't like the way the IOC runs their Games, don't watch - or start your own international multi-sport games (Goodwill, Unity, Pan-Am, ***, X...) Good luck with that...

As far as baseball is concerned, the IOC has pretty much stated that they're not much interested in sports that can't/won't send the worlds best to the Olympic Games ("Football" is an exception, because FIFA is more poweful than the IOC). If MLB decided to find a way to let their players play in the Olympic Games, I think the IOC would eagerly reinstate baseball to the Olympic program.

...And yes, softball kind of got screwed on this one, although the sheer dominance of the US over time didn't help. Sports aren't very compelling when the same team wins EVERY time. Olympic softball was only slightly less predictable than a Harlem Globetrotters game for a while. Sure the US lost in Beijing, but it was too little, too late, I guess.
quote:
Originally posted by FNL:
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmy03:
The Olympics were designed to test HUMAN strength, speed, and endurance. If dressage belongs, so does border collie sheepherding.

While I see that you're a HSBB Web "Old Timer", Jimmy03, I doubt that you're old-timer enough to have been around when they designed the ancient Olympic Games, which featured naked men running around in a stadium, and...chariot racing.

Nor do I reckon you're old-timer enough to have been tight with Baron De Coubertin when he designed the modern Olympic Games in the 1890's. The modern Olympic Games were built around the lifetstyle of the aristocracy (hence the emphasis on amateurism. Can't have a gentleman competing with those filthy working class people, or his sports instructors.) 1890's Aristocrats were a pretty horsey set, thus equestrian events have been on the Olympic program since the 2nd Olympic Games in 1900.

A lot of people have a lot of opinions about what the Olympic Games should be, but in the end, the Olympic Games are a brand of multi-sport events owned and operated by the International Olympic Committee. The Olympic Games are, and always will be...whatever the IOC wants them to be.

What the IOC has done with their event, is create a brand awareness so strong that people forget, it's just a brand of event. We, the viewing public have attached an importance to the brand that equates it to excellence - but really, it's just a glorified track meet with a universally known logo. If you don't like the way the IOC runs their Games, don't watch - or start your own international multi-sport games (Goodwill, Unity, Pan-Am, ***, X...) Good luck with that...

As far as baseball is concerned, the IOC has pretty much stated that they're not much interested in sports that can't/won't send the worlds best to the Olympic Games ("Football" is an exception, because FIFA is more poweful than the IOC). If MLB decided to find a way to let their players play in the Olympic Games, I think the IOC would eagerly reinstate baseball to the Olympic program.

...And yes, softball kind of got screwed on this one, although the sheer dominance of the US over time didn't help. Sports aren't very compelling when the same team wins EVERY time. Olympic softball was only slightly less predictable than a Harlem Globetrotters game for a while. Sure the US lost in Beijing, but it was too little, too late, I guess.



Smile
quote:
Originally posted by slbaseballdad:


And the NBA basketball players do such a fine job of representing us in the meantime???????


Say what you like about the NBA players on the Olympic team. They were able to pass the steroid and drug tests, unlikee the MLB stars. Further they have become one of the greatest attractions at the Olympic Games.
quote:
Originally posted by slbaseballdad:

And the NBA basketball players do such a fine job of representing us in the meantime???????


Not to impugn Quincy's post as it might very well have valid points, but I was thinking the same thing.
Apparently many NBA guys are at least pot heads, so my guess is that the Olympics do not test for it. I guess it depends which poison they are testing for that will determine which athletes we can send.
quote:
Originally posted by Quincy:
Could it be possible that NBA players are not pot heads, but top quality athletes donating their time and efforts to the nation ?



Maybe, but I then wonder how long you must be pot free to receive a negative test. Lets face it, good old Michael Phelps was obviously doing pot between Beijing and London. So if they do test for pot use which your linked article says they do, there must be a certain time period they are dope free to pass the tests.
quote:
Originally posted by jerseydad:
I know there were valid arguments as to why they excluded baseball (best players weren't participating, in season, etc...) however I think softball really got hosed when they drooped both sports.
Softball as dropped because Team USA dominated without any competition. After ther decision was made China and Japan became competitive. Baseball became a sidekick victim along with the best players weren't playing. There's no way MLB is going to take 7-10 days off for the Olympics.
Last edited by RJM

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