Sports that should be in Olympics

[Milo]

For many athletes, winning the 7 Golden League events (and the million dollar prize money) would be a far greater priority than an Olympic gold medal.

To be honest, the Olympics is a hugely outdated ideal, it should have no professional sportsmen or women in it and currently most of the participants should not be there if this ideal is to be upheld. Most of the athletes (the sports one most associates with the Olympics) deliberately miss the opening ceremony, preferring to stay at training camps in other countries before flying in and out for their events.

It should be ended now.

[greg]

We could add Frog Baiting now

[Paoli]

Originally Posted by Milo

To be honest, the Olympics is a hugely outdated ideal, it should have no professional sportsmen or women in it and currently most of the participants should not be there if this ideal is to be upheld

Bob Dylan once wrote, "The Times are a-changin' ". Unfortunately, the Olympic times have a-changed, and there is no place for the amateur; except for the boxing. I have to disagree with the outdated ideal part; The Olympics is the only event that can unite the world undividely regardless of race, class and sex for two weeks every four years. Cynics may disagree, but the Olympics is by far the best example.

My Olympic Sports:

1. Athletics
2. Aquatics
3. Wrestling
4. Rowing
5. Weightlifting
6. Boxing
7. Football
8. Hockey
9. Cross-Country Equestrian (Although Dressage is a good tranquiliser)
10. Trampoline Gymnastics (Artistic and Rythmic go for about three months, at least this one involves a few party tricks)
11. Cycling
12. Volleyball
13. Beach Volleyball, Womens
14. Canoe/Kayak (Slalom and Flatwater)
15. Burnouts
16. Handball

Now, the reason for some of my leaving-outs are:

Table Tennis- Apart from that Swedish bloke, exclusive to Asians; and it really is a garage game. Not a sport.
Badminton- Although more of a sport, a bit too exclusive.
Tennis- Just practice for the US Open...
Baseball- Well, I understand having a World Series in the Olympics, but for Christs Sake, who wants to see a bunch of minor leaguers running around in an exclusive American game?
Softball- Like Baseball.

Burnouts gets the obvious mention because it is the No.1 Spectator Sport. Watching a bunch of blokes spinning their V8's around, doing burnout after burnout, is a sight that can surely only be matched by a night at Broadmeadows Station.

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by Milo

For many athletes, winning the 7 Golden League events (and the million dollar prize money) would be a far greater priority than an Olympic gold medal.

I strongly disagree - Kelly Holmes wouldn't swop one of her gold medals for winning the Golden League races, nor would the likes of Michael Johnson, Cathy Freeman or any of the olympic greats. They have plenty of opportunity's to make the money in other ways, for an athlete the Olympics has always been the ultimate goal, what they spend the season preparing and working for. Athletes aim to be in top form for the Olympic games in Olympic year, not for the 7 Golden League events!! Those events are just icing on a cake, even the World Championships would be of more signiicant.

[Milo]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Harris

I strongly disagree - Kelly Holmes wouldn't swop one of her gold medals for winning the Golden League races, nor would the likes of Michael Johnson, Cathy Freeman or any of the olympic greats. They have plenty of opportunity's to make the money in other ways, for an athlete the Olympics has always been the ultimate goal, what they spend the season preparing and working for. Athletes aim to be in top form for the Olympic games in Olympic year, not for the 7 Golden League events!! Those events are just icing on a cake, even the World Championships would be of more signiicant.

As an ex-athlete, I have spoken to a number of athletes whose priority in the modern professional sport is to make a living out of the event. Almost all modern athletes are driven by financial gain, this is why all of them turn up at races on guaranteed appearance money, why many of them threatened boycotting the world championships unless prize money was awarded (they had no use for the prestige and a gold money - and finally settled for a mercedes - many of them now want paying to turn up at the Olympics) and only once their financial security is established can they spout out the nonsense like 'the Olympics means everything to me'. And only then, does it really mean that their appearance money goes up from £10000 a meet to £30000-£50000 if they win.

Try offering Michael Johnson his gold medals at the expense of his multi million dollar contract with Nike, and see which he would choose. It's easy to harp on about the Olympics being the most important thing in an athlete's career, but the truth is it's only that once the finances of that athlete have been secured. Now if that makes the Olympics such a great thing...then so be it.