Trampoline a sport?!

[Cap'n]

:rotf: Give me a break.

Looks like something out of the OCHO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50jVa25gmWs) . All these pansy "sports" that the Chinese seem to dominate are pathetic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfwqSBWDW_A

[JagGator007]

Trampoline is an Olympic sport, but they're getting rid of baseball and they refuse rugby or Aussie rules football. Traveshamockery!

[georgiaguy31015]

Trampoline is an Olympic sport, but they're getting rid of baseball and they refuse rugby or Aussie rules football. Traveshamockery!

Wait, they are keeping this supposed sport and I use the term sport very loosely and they are getting rid of baseball? What kind of sense does that not make.

[Cap'n]

Trampoline is an Olympic sport, but they're getting rid of baseball and they refuse rugby or Aussie rules football. Traveshamockery!
And don't forget speed walking. :rotf:

[JagGator007]

Yeah, this is the last year for Olympic baseball. They're also getting rid of softball. They're ditching baseball because MLB refuses to release their players to participate, so the IOC feels slighted by having basically a minor league competition + Cuba and Japan. Softball is being dropped because the US dominates it without even trying, and not enough nations are investing to have a respectable program.

I have no idea why rugby isn't an Olympic sport. It's played by plenty of countries, and it's friggin' awesome. The US is surprisingly good, given how little attention we pay it (none).

Here's the star of the US team, scoring the "try of the year" (like play of the year) last year. We're in red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWtBTvCDjX4&feature=related

[Cap'n]

Yeah, this is the last year for Olympic baseball. They're also getting rid of softball. They're ditching baseball because MLB refuses to release their players to participate, so the IOC feels slighted by having basically a minor league competition + Cuba and Japan. Softball is being dropped because the US dominates it without even trying, and not enough nations are investing to have a respectable program.

I have no idea why rugby isn't an Olympic sport. It's played by plenty of countries, and it's friggin' awesome. The US is surprisingly good, given how little attention we pay it (none).

Here's the star of the US team, scoring the "try of the year" (like play of the year) last year. We're in red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWtBTvCDjX4&feature=related
That was pretty sweet.

It's sad that baseball is getting ditched because the MLB won't allow the "pros" to play. I'd rather watch the minor leaguers play or even college players get a chance.

[georgiaguy31015]

Yeah, this is the last year for Olympic baseball. They're also getting rid of softball. They're ditching baseball because MLB refuses to release their players to participate, so the IOC feels slighted by having basically a minor league competition + Cuba and Japan. Softball is being dropped because the US dominates it without even trying, and not enough nations are investing to have a respectable program.

I have no idea why rugby isn't an Olympic sport. It's played by plenty of countries, and it's friggin' awesome. The US is surprisingly good, given how little attention we pay it (none).

Here's the star of the US team, scoring the "try of the year" (like play of the year) last year. We're in red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWtBTvCDjX4&feature=related

Well that sucks and I didn't know that about baseball or softball. As for rugby, I'd imagine the reason they don't play it in the Olympics is the same reason you don't play American football. It's too brutal of a sport to play in a tourney in a week. You can't play on back to back days in my opinion.

[ugabrad]

Supposedly the rationale for a sport's inclusion in the Olympics is how wide spread it is around the globe. American Football certainly doesn't meet that criteria, but considering the popularity of baseball in Asia and Latin America I can't see it not meeting that criteria. I hate to say, but I do believe that the reason is the battle between the IOC and MLB and not the relative obscurity of the sport.

Trampoline? Geez....

[georgiaguy31015]

Supposedly the rationale for a sport's inclusion in the Olympics is how wide spread it is around the globe. American Football certainly doesn't meet that criteria, but considering the popularity of baseball in Asia and Latin America I can't see it not meeting that criteria. I hate to say, but I do believe that the reason is the battle between the IOC and MLB and not the relative obscurity of the sport.

Trampoline? Geez....

I think that's the only reason they are cutting baseball. There's no way you can tell me that baseball isn't that popular anymore not around the world anyway.

[msudawgs1964]

It not tied into MLB not letting the pros play, but rather most of the IOC, well 50 percent of the voting block, is from Europe and baseball is not a favorite there, among other reasons. Most of, if not all, of the US team are in the minor leagues, so it is not a MLB thing.

Here is some interesting comments from the MLB office and the MLB Players Association on it.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080814&content_id=3311332&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[jrltiger]

That was pretty sweet.

It's sad that baseball is getting ditched because the MLB won't allow the "pros" to play. I'd rather watch the minor leaguers play or even college players get a chance.

I'm with you, watching the college and minor league guys is much more fun IMO.

And I also wish they'd play some rugby.

[JagGator007]

That's not exactly correct. Officially, it's because of lack of reach around the globe, but that's complete bull. They wouldn't have let in to begin with if that was the problem. Remember, MLB's refusal to release players effects not just the US, but practically all of the Latin countries except Cuba (who has no non-defectors in MLB), and many Japanese.

Can you think of another sport in the Olympics that uses vastly inferior players? The Olympics are supposed to be the best athletes in the world, and the baseball competition is no where close.

You think if the Olympics had A-Rod, Manny, Ortiz, etc they would still get rid of it? Not a chance.

[Brummett_For_UK]

Can you think of another sport in the Olympics that uses vastly inferior players

Soccer.

[CaribbeanTide]

Gotta love it. China's likely going to beat us in the gold medal count (although probably not the overall medal count) which will look impressive . . . until you see what a lot of those sports were.

I'd feel sorry for losing baseball if MLB didn't seem hellbent on destroying their sport. I'm not a baseball lover anyway (it's a horrific TV sport IMO; much more enjoyable in-stadium) but of the big 3 sports in the US they've clearly proven themselves to be the most of out of touch.

[msudawgs1964]

That's not exactly correct. Officially, it's because of lack of reach around the globe, but that's complete bull. They wouldn't have let in to begin with if that was the problem. Remember, MLB's refusal to release players effects not just the US, but practically all of the Latin countries except Cuba (who has no non-defectors in MLB), and many Japanese.

Can you think of another sport in the Olympics that uses vastly inferior players? The Olympics are supposed to be the best athletes in the world, and the baseball competition is no where close.

You think if the Olympics had A-Rod, Manny, Ortiz, etc they would still get rid of it? Not a chance.

do you think the NBA would release their players if basketball was at the same time as the Olympics? I doubt it.

[boxvic]

I could care less about baseball being dropped, but I agree some of the sports that are considered sports are crazy.

When is Four Square going to make the cut? Back in middle school I was the man at Four Square. I want my Olympic shot.

As for Rugby, I've never figured it out. It is so similar to Football, yet so dissimilar, that my brain shorts out.

[boxvic]

Ok I just watched a video explaining Rugby on youtube.

So Rugby is basically just one giant always live option play. I dunno, it just doesn't pull me in and make me want to watch I guess.

[CaribbeanTide]

When is Four Square going to make the cut? Back in middle school I was the man at Four Square. I want my Olympic shot.Sweet. Maybe we can take turns carrying the flag into the stadium then. I plan on medaling in tetherball. And I knew a kid on one of those jump rope 'teams.' I'm sure he could still tear it up. Or maybe his kid. She's only 6, but her passport says she's 16.

[boxvic]

Seriously, we used to play Four Square doubles with tennis rules (meaning no air balls).

It was like a combination of tennis and volleyball... and it kicked ass, and was much more interesting to watch than trampoline.

It was the only game I was ever actually any good at. Me and another guy used to team up all the time to play doubles and we totally owned that ****. It got to the point where we weren't allowed to play in the same singles games anymore because we took turns advancing each other to the first square. Man I miss those day.

[georgiaguy31015]

I could care less about baseball being dropped, but I agree some of the sports that are considered sports are crazy.

When is Four Square going to make the cut? Back in middle school I was the man at Four Square. I want my Olympic shot.

As for Rugby, I've never figured it out. It is so similar to Football, yet so dissimilar, that my brain shorts out.

What the hell is 4 Square? I've never heard of that game before.

[TimmyFred]

I've never heard of Four Square living in Albany, but we used to play it religiously for the three years I was in Ohio during elementary school.

[GoBigO]

I have no idea why rugby isn't an Olympic sport. It's played by plenty of countries, and it's friggin' awesome. The US is surprisingly good, given how little attention we pay it (none).

Here's the star of the US team, scoring the "try of the year" (like play of the year) last year. We're in red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWtBTvCDjX4&feature=related

I had a flashback of Stanford/Cal without the band...LOL

[boxvic]

What the hell is 4 Square? I've never heard of that game before.

Its played in a giant square that is broken down into four smaller squares. You play with an inflatable rubber ball. Most people use 8" dodge balls, we used to use 4".

In the singles game, the goal is to move to the number one square. The game plays similar to ping pong. It must bounce in your square once before you hit it into someone else's square. When someone commits an error (double bounce, hits it out of bounds, etc.) they are eliminated and everyone moves up a square and a new person enters the last square.

When you are in the first square you serve the ball into play, and anytime you cause someone to commit an error from the first square you score a point.

[georgiaguy31015]

Its played in a giant square that is broken down into four smaller squares. You play with an inflatable rubber ball. Most people use 8" dodge balls, we used to use 4".

In the singles game, the goal is to move to the number one square. The game plays similar to ping pong. It must bounce in your square once before you hit it into someone else's square. When someone commits an error (double bounce, hits it out of bounds, etc.) they are eliminated and everyone moves up a square and a new person enters the last square.

When you are in the first square you serve the ball into play, and anytime you cause someone to commit an error from the first square you score a point.

Sounds complicated lol. Thanks for the info man.