No More Baseball Or Softball In Olympics

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Yo33Fan

Guest
#1
#1
The IOC just released a statement early this morning saying that there WILL NOT BE ANY Baseball OR Softball in the Olympics. This is the first time since 1936 that a sport(or two) has been voted out of Olympic competition.

Here is the really sad part-the IOC voted "OUT" baseball and softball because they are "too american"-as they explain themselves this becomes much more of a jealousy thing because we americans have the best athletes and dominate the sport.

So if that is really true, why don't they get rid of Hockey for canadians, judo for asians, and track and field events for people from africa/Kenya??

A huge mistake for the Olympics, IMO!
 
hoopsfan

hoopsfan

Starter
#3
#3
Yes..one of the "reasons" cited for getting rid of baseball was the steroid problem in MLB. If that's the case..I guess track and field will be the next to go??
 
V

vj9999

Starter
#4
#4
As long as curling is still an olympic sport.

ALso they should make sure that more French judges are present in all events dominated by Americans.
 
T

thesanityannex

Guest
#5
#5
hoopsfan said:
Yes..one of the "reasons" cited for getting rid of baseball was the steroid problem in MLB. If that's the case..I guess track and field will be the next to go??
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its sad that some MLB guys had to screw it up for the college players. I was lucky enough to have been able to watch my cousin play on the olympic team in 1994. Now some will never have the chance.
 
Y

Yo33Fan

Guest
#6
#6
hoopsfan said:
Yes..one of the "reasons" cited for getting rid of baseball was the steroid problem in MLB. If that's the case..I guess track and field will be the next to go??
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I disagree with you on this- It has absoloutely nothing to do with their choice to get rid of baseball and softball. They did mention that "it could be a possibility of future olympians MIGHT do steroids", but never a all and out solid backing. Trust me, the IOC is making a SUPER HUGE MISTAKE with this decision. It's really not that hard to test ANY athlete IN ANY SPORT for drugs/steroids before they are allowed to compete-so why stop the testing??
 
OHSacFan

OHSacFan

Bench
#8
#8
I think I remember reading that softball has only been part of the last 3 Olympics, and baseball hasn't been around all that long either. It's still a crying shame that they are doing away with both sports. Have we really managed to alienate THAT many countries??
 
T

thesanityannex

Guest
#9
#9
its as if baseball is only played in the states, and while thinking its a shot at the u.s., its more of a shot to place like puerto rico and the dominican republic
 
V

Venom

Bench
#10
#10
They did say the steroid issue in the MLB was a major reason, which is a freaking joke. I guess the Olympics do not test :rolleyes:

Anyway, this is a huge blow to Latin America and Japan. And the IOC blaming MLB for not releasing their players is garbage. I thought the point of the games was to celebrate sport, not get the big names and corporate sponsors. Screw them anyway, the Baseball World Cup starts in March, so the Olympics can eat one.
 
sloter

sloter

Starter
#11
#11
Baseball sucks. It's about time they started clearing out the Olympics of garbage sports. I hope that the trampoline is the next one to go.
P.S. I'm pretty sure the reason for removing baseball is because of the steroids problem - even though I can see the argument that it's popularity in the world is nonexistant except for like 4 countries.
 
V

Venom

Bench
#12
#12
sloter said:
Baseball sucks. It's about time they started clearing out the Olympics of garbage sports. I hope that the trampoline is the next one to go.
P.S. I'm pretty sure the reason for removing baseball is because of the steroids problem - even though I can see the argument that it's popularity in the world is nonexistant except for like 4 countries.
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Well, I think they shouldn't even have the Winter Olympics then, since most of the events are only popular in Europe. Baseball is a regional game, a large region, plus some Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and the Phillipines.

If steroids is the issue, why still have track and field? This is about sticking it to the US and Central America, and punishing a sport for not bringing in the sponsor dollars that the spoiled IOC thinks it deserves. Screw'em. We already have a Baseball World Cup. Next will be a Basketball World Cup, and then the Olympics will be entirely irrelevant. Every major international sport, sans track and field, will have a World Cup, and the sponsor dollars will go away.
 
hoopsfan

hoopsfan

Starter
#13
#13
Yo33Fan said:
I disagree with you on this- It has absoloutely nothing to do with their choice to get rid of baseball and softball. They did mention that "it could be a possibility of future olympians MIGHT do steroids", but never a all and out solid backing. Trust me, the IOC is making a SUPER HUGE MISTAKE with this decision. It's really not that hard to test ANY athlete IN ANY SPORT for drugs/steroids before they are allowed to compete-so why stop the testing??
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That's not my opinion..it's what the IOC was saying.
I agree that this decision is a mistake.

Reading comprehension...try it.
 
VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#14
#14
I guess I'm in the minority but I'm not sad to see baseball removed from the Olympics. I will miss the softball, however. The women's competition in that area was ALWAYS exciting to watch...
 
C Diddy

C Diddy

Starter
#15
#15
VF21 said:
I guess I'm in the minority but I'm not sad to see baseball removed from the Olympics. I will miss the softball, however. The women's competition in that area was ALWAYS exciting to watch...
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Wow, so you watch it for Jennie Finch too VF21? :p
 
S

Stoked

Prospect
#17
#17
Yoda said:
Maybe its time for soccer to go to then.
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I am happy baseball is out of the olympics since theres about 8 countries that play it and 8 spots for qualifing.... not much competition

olympic soccer is a joke, it should go two since most of the countries bring there B and C teams...
 
Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#18
#18
I've never liked the major sports that are well established professionally outside of the Olympics in the games. I can watch better baseball, basektball, hockey, tennis, soccer etc. etc. elsewhere, and I kind of think it takes away from coverage of the smaller, more interesting (to me, because its about the only time I watch them) sports. I also have a tendency to think about the Olympics in a classical sense of individual accomplishments rather than team sports. All of which is to say that this decision does not bother me in the least.
 
iheartBrad

iheartBrad

All-Star
#19
#19
Quite frankly I can't say that I'm depressed by any of this...in the 3 summer olympics I've watched I've never watched baseball and I'm not a huge fan of most women sports so I've never watched softball either...

I DO feel bad for a lot of young girls out there cuz their whole reasoning for playing softball is to go to the olympics and win a gold medal...this is a HUGE blow for them...the women's USA team pretty much owns every other softball teams olympics after olympics too so it really is unfortuanate...
 
captain bill

captain bill

Starter
#21
#21
I agree with Brick completely, that a lot of sports are unnecesary because there are such better venues for them. Basketball and hockey are much safer because players from the NBA and NHL actually come out to play, making the competition interesting. Players from the MLB do not and MLB has made clear they have no desire to suspend the season for any time to accomodate the olympics. So baseball is very pointless because the same time the games will be played, the best baseball players in the world will be over in the US playing MLB games. Softball should be kept, however, because the situation is different for women as their is no pro women's baseball league.

A baseball world cup is still unnecessary because none of the best players would show up, the exact same reason why baseball in the olympics is unnecessary.

I don't know about soccer, but I assume it has a similar situation with a lot of pros not going, especially because the world cup functions as a similar venue with much better competition and more incentive to play.
 
V

Venom

Bench
#22
#22
captain bill said:
I agree with Brick completely, that a lot of sports are unnecesary because there are such better venues for them. Basketball and hockey are much safer because players from the NBA and NHL actually come out to play, making the competition interesting. Players from the MLB do not and MLB has made clear they have no desire to suspend the season for any time to accomodate the olympics. So baseball is very pointless because the same time the games will be played, the best baseball players in the world will be over in the US playing MLB games. Softball should be kept, however, because the situation is different for women as their is no pro women's baseball league.

A baseball world cup is still unnecessary because none of the best players would show up, the exact same reason why baseball in the olympics is unnecessary.

I don't know about soccer, but I assume it has a similar situation with a lot of pros not going, especially because the world cup functions as a similar venue with much better competition and more incentive to play.
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There WILL be a baseball World Cup:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2057633

It happens in March, so MLB's best will be available, and it is sponsored by MLB. I can understand the IOC ditching softball though, because the US is really the only team that plays it, and it's not that fun to watch.
 
Yoda

Yoda

Bench
#25
#25
sloter said:
That's fine with me. Soccer already has the greatest show on Earth (see World Cup).
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zzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

To each their own.

I just find it sad that one of the worlds most played sports is getting canned while sync. swimming stays alive. Just shows the revelancy of the Olympics.
 
T

thesanityannex

Guest
#28
#28
captain bill said:
.So baseball is very pointless because the same time the games will be played, the best baseball players in the world will be over in the US playing MLB games. Softball should be kept, however, because the situation is different for women as their is no pro women's baseball league.

A baseball world cup is still unnecessary because none of the best players would show up, the exact same reason why baseball in the olympics is unnecessary.

.
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I may have a biased view point here, but the best baseball players used to be chosen to the olympic team out of college. my cousin and friend phil nevin, both played on the team. both are pro players now, and both have expressed sadness in the game being taken out. many players from that team are now in the pros, jeffrey hammonds, charles johnson etc. what made it fun to watch was the fact that it wasn't pro mlb guys, more like a college all-star team going against the world. this was an opportunity for young men to join in and compete in something special, now that has been taken away from them. anyone who says they don't care, probably just doesn't like baseball to begin with. anyways, just MHO.
 
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