The olympics

[Pladio]

American Football is not played at a pro level outside of the US enough to be in the Olympics.

As far as I know Rugby is coming to the Rio Olympics in 4 years time.
They change sports every Olympics. they're also doing Golf (which I personally would not even consider a sport) in Rio.

EDIT: Pibbur beat me to it...

 

[azarhal]

Rugby have been at the Olympics before, it was "dropped" in 1924 (according to wikipedia).

 

[GhanBuriGhan]

My point was that there are plenty of other sports that have limited international appeal beyond competing in the Olympics, yet are Olympic sports.

It's not an entirely logical selection, certainly. Lot's of historic reasons, some good lobbying etc. probably play a role.

Also, not to be rude, but there are tons of amateur/semi-pro American football leagues in both Western Europe and Asia. The skill level is definitely way down there, but they do exist.

yeah, I'm aware, but it's really VERY fringe over here. Don't get me wrong, I lived long enough in the states myself to enjoy football, but it just has a very limited following everywhere else and a fair competiton would be impossible internationally (unless we exclude the US maybe, or only allow you to send a highschool selection - and even then…)

They do play basketball in the Olympics.

And who always wins, normally by an enormous margin? And will continue to do so for the next 40 years at least? That's my point, it would be even worse for football.

I'm not a big stats person when it comes to sports, so yes, I would enjoy it. They've hosted an international tournament for teams in the NYC several times and its been a blast.

That was more me poking fun at baseball. I was amazed by the amount of stats they show on the TV, and how they talk about that stuff at length. To me: boooring! To my friends over there: Exitement!
I'll admit, I don't get baseball

Apart from that I'll say that I enjoy seeing some of these more exotic sports every 4 years. I really do think that the main problem for baseball and american football is the extreme dominance of a single country.

P.S. Cool, rugby is in? I wonder if Germany will be able to field a team? That would be fun, to see us get rubbed into the dirt by the Kiwis!

 

[JDR13]

American style football would be an automatic gold medal for the USA. I wouldn't want to see it as an olympic sport unless it could be competitive, and right now it wouldn't be.

Baseball wouldn't be as bad, but it would most likely always be the USA vs Japan for the gold.

 

[joxer]

Pibbur, what's the excuse David Tennant didn't appear on closing? Or Eccleston. Or at least Tom Baker?

 

[JDR13]

Is Tom baker still alive? He would have to be close to 80 years-old by now.

I was a big fan of him as The Doctor.. seen every one of his episodes.

 

[joxer]

He's alive and well, currently making voiceovers for upcoming Saving Santa animated movie. And if Eric Idle could make possibly the best act on the closing, don't see why Baker couldn't also appear in the show for at least a few seconds.

I guess Posh and Kung Fu Candy were more interesting to the director. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against boobs.

 

[Icefire]

Baseball wouldn't be as bad, but it would most likely always be the USA vs Japan for the gold.

Methinks thou hast forgotten Cuba?? Three gold & 2 silver in 5 tries. US has 1 gold & 2 bronze. Japan has 1 silver & 2 bronze.

 

[bloodlover]

Anyone knows what's the deal with Iron Maiden and the Olympics? A lot of folks on the internet seem to want them play at the ending ceremony.

 

[JDR13]

Methinks thou hast forgotten Cuba?? Three gold & 2 silver in 5 tries. US has 1 gold & 2 bronze. Japan has 1 silver & 2 bronze.

That was when the players were required to be amateurs. I'm talking about if anyone was allowed to play… like in basketball.

 

[blatantninja]

American Football is not played at a pro level outside of the US enough to be in the Olympics.

How many pro Water Polo or Gymnastics teams are there in the world?[/QUOTE]

 

[blatantninja]

And who always wins, normally by an enormous margin? And will continue to do so for the next 40 years at least? That's my point, it would be even worse for football.

Which is why I wouldn't want pros (for basketball either, though that gap has really narrowed in the past 20 years)

American style football would be an automatic gold medal for the USA. I wouldn't want to see it as an olympic sport unless it could be competitive, and right now it wouldn't be.

If you excluded pros and maybe even current college players, it wouldn't necessarily be an auto gold. There is an actual World Cup of American Football. It was held in Japan last year (IIRC). We've won it the last two times, but Japan won it the first two, and the USA has been played close by a lot of teams.

 

[blatantninja]

That was when the players were required to be amateurs. I'm talking about if anyone was allowed to play… like in basketball.

Cuba has enough MLB players (and probably more that just haven't made the jump) that I doubt it would make a difference.

 

[Pladio]

How many pro Water Polo or Gymnastics teams are there in the world?

[/QUOTE]

That's not the point. The point is no one can beat the US in American Football.

That's just not fair and wouldn't be a lot of dun to watch either.

 

[Pladio]

Which is why I wouldn't want pros (for basketball either, though that gap has really narrowed in the past 20 years)



If you excluded pros and maybe even current college players, it wouldn't necessarily be an auto gold. There is an actual World Cup of American Football. It was held in Japan last year (IIRC). We've won it the last two times, but Japan won it the first two, and the USA has been played close by a lot of teams.

Yeah, wiki says the US didn't participate the first two times …

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

"The defending champions are the United States, who won the 2011 championship after winning the 2007 edition in their first appearance. Japan won the 1999 and 2003 championships."

 

[JDR13]

Cuba has enough MLB players (and probably more that just haven't made the jump) that I doubt it would make a difference.

I don't doubt that Cuba would be beating most contries, but they wouldn't be beating USA or Japan if pros were allowed to participate.

 

[azarhal]

I don't doubt that Cuba would be beating most contries, but they wouldn't be beating USA or Japan if pros were allowed to participate.

Cuba would have their own pros…and Canada. Everybody always forget about Canada.

By the way, Baseball have been at the Pan Am Games for years and it was at the Olympics between 1992 and 2008 (with pros starting in 2000).

Not sure if the Pan Am Games allows for pros to play. I couldn't find the information.

 

[blatantninja]

That's not the point. The point is no one can beat the US in American Football.

That's just not fair and wouldn't be a lot of dun to watch either.

No one could beat the Soviets for 50 years straight in Gymnastics, yet they never dropped Gymnastics.

 

[blatantninja]

Yeah, wiki says the US didn't participate the first two times …

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

"The defending champions are the United States, who won the 2011 championship after winning the 2007 edition in their first appearance. Japan won the 1999 and 2003 championships."

I had thought we played in the second one, guess I was mistaken.

 

[Pladio]

Watching two teams fight it out is fun. Watching one team massacre every other team to the point where a final results in a 50-7 match is quite boring. It's like letting me play tennis against Nadal or Federer ...

Gymnastics aren't usually (As far as I understand them) team sports, except for the duo jumpy things and people who like watching them understand all of the intricacies.


On the other hand, having American Football on the Olympics might increase the sports' fame and make it get better leagues in some places in the world... Like China's Shanghai buying some players from the Premier League and so on (not that the Olympics made that move possible, but I think you get my point)

So, maybe it might not be a bad thing. But I know letting the entire team be Pro players from the NFL would just result in full-on boredom.

Maybe let a maximum number be pro or something like that.