highthief

All the Olympic chat got me thinking: If you could pick one new sport or new event to include in the next Olympics, what would it be?

For me, I'd like to see cross-country running included. It's a very popular sport amongst runners and might be a bit more interesting than running endless laps around the track for the casual viewer. Just like mountain biking, it lends itself to a few tumbles and crashes that add to the flavour.

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Halx

I would like to see the number of swimming events reduced.
I would like to see a 3v3 basketball event, allowing multiple teams from each country, the same way beach volleyball is run.
I would like to see a whole slew of skateboarding/bike/blading events; basically incorporating the X-Games. They've added snowboarding to the winters, so why not?
Surfing competitions would be cool, but there aren't enough ideal places to hold those events.

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pan6467

What I'd like to truly see is the amateurs back and the bullshit pros gone. It has destroyed the Olympics. I remember growing up and watching our amateurs and taking great pride in them. It's hard to take great pride in multi-millionaire pro basketball players talking about how great they are by representing their country, but will be willing to go overseas for more money when their contract is up. Or watching quite possibly the fastest man ever do a show the last 15 feet or so because he gets paid for breaking records.

Sorry, the Olympics don't mean shit to me anymore, there's no pride for me in watching like there was years ago.

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highthief

Please stay on point - there are plenty of other Olympic threads going on to vent about.

This thread is about what sports or events people want to see included in the Games.
-----Added 20/8/2008 at 02 : 45 : 07-----
They have started to do some of that - both mountain biking and BMX are now part of the Games, but I could see roller-blading coming in at some point.

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CinnamonGirl

I was just saying how cool it would be if trampoline was an event... and then I turned on the TV to find that it was! Damn it...if only I'd kept my giant tramp when I was a kid...

I'd love to see rugby. Ooh, and roller derby. And a bit more on the silly side (well, sillier side), water slide events would be cool. Although, I'm not sure how those would be scored...

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Halx

Ok, Grinch, wanna take that to its own thread?

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Willravel

I'd like to see more compound competitions. The Olympics are about peak human physical achievement, and in my opinion it should take a well rounded sportsman to be considered peak. I'd like to see more biathlons, triathlons, etc.

The_Jazz

Bring back the tug-o-war. Seriously.

NEW sports? I like the XC idea, highthief, but I doubt it could fly. Maybe I'm a cynic, though. But what about sailboarding or surfing (tough if the Games come to Chicago)? 3-on-3 hoops would be interesting, especially if it were half-court. Rollerhockey would be cool.

Unfortunately, my guess for a Chicago Games demonstration sport is cornhole.

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dlish

artificial waves jazz! easy done.

as for me.. i said it yesterday.. yo-yo!

mastery of skill and coordination. its would be something people would want to actually watch.

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jorgelito

There's too many events as it is. I'm all for adding new events if we remove some outdated ones.

I vote cross country too, it is a good idea.

Remove:

synchronized swimming
equestrian
all x-games events (there should be a separate x-games instead)
reduce swimming events
Increase the soccer (football) pool and basketball pools

I think that would be a good update for the Games.

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dirtyrascal7

I definitely like the 3-on-3 basketball idea... never would've thought of that one.

Personally, I think the most exciting events at the Olympics are the relay races (both swimming and track). I'd like to see those expanded to the other racing sports, both in the summer and winter Olympics.

I'd also like to see an eco-challenge type race where there's a mix of running, canoeing, climbing, etc.

And speaking of climbing... the X-games used to have rock climbing and ice climbing events. The speed climbing events were really fun to watch and a great test of human ability, and even the technical climbing events were more spectator-friendly than events like weightlifting or equestrian dressage.

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djtestudo

Baseball

Especially if the 2016 Olympics go to Chicago. Not being able to have an Olympic baseball final in Wrigley Field would be a traveshamockery of the highest order.

I actually think the 3-on-3 basketball idea makes a lot of sense.

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ShaniFaye

noooo you cant remove equestrian, but since is its a horse involved sport could we include Jousting

(and pan if you make that new thread, let me know because I agree with you 100%)

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jorgelito

Actually, I would like to see archery combined with horse riding.

I second Pan opening a new thread.

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thespian86

Rugby makes a lot of sense too. As does Soccer.

There is nothing wrong with team sports.

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highthief

But which rugby? Rugby union is the most popular form, rugby league is more exciting.

Some suggest rugby 7s (a bit like 3 on 3 basketball or 5 a side soccer) as a fast paced, high scoring athletic option.

Soccer is in the Olympics but some feel it's a problem - as it comes a very distant 5th or 6th in the priorities of the players behind the World Cup, Euros, Champions League, league titles, and maybe domestic cup competitions.

Right now I'd change soccer from its current under 23 plus three overage players on a team to a strictly under 21 tournament - for players of that age, it would become the biggest thing they are likely to try and win and so it would generate real excitement.

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Supple Cow

CENTATHLON. Including MURDER CHECKERS.

Okay, I'm done. Seriously? Ultimate Frisbee. I'm pretty sure the UPA is already all over the Olympic Committee and it will only be a matter of time. Also, as far as du- tri- multi-athlons, it would be rad to see some kind of CrossFit event. Can you imagine the action? Tabata Something Else, Fight Gone Bad, and "the girls"... Fran, Helen, Jolene, Jody-Lu... So many possibilities!

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fresnelly

When I was young I wondered why WWE (nee WWF) style wrestling wasn't in the Olympics.

What about Arm Wrestling or other "World's Strongest Man" style contests? I know they can be a bit cheesy, but they don't require expensive facilities or specific geography so any country could potentially excel. I think there's room for more one on one strength and endurance competitions. (and less syncronized ones)

Just for fun, check out what goes on at the Arctic Winter Games ( including traditional Dene contests):


For example, check out these Dene games like the Finger Pull

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ironman

I'd love to see MMA included at some point, those guys are some of the best and more complete athlets in the world.

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Glory's Sun

Topless Volleyball..

or maybe Beach Soccer or indoor Soccer. It only makes sense.

I rather like the swimming events so for me I would say that reducing that number is a bad thing.

Xazy

Wow, that just sounds perfect.

LoganSnake

Definitely remove equestrian. WTF is it doing there in the first place?

I would like to see some martial arts at the Olympics as well as football (soccer).

Competitive blow jobs would be nice. For the rest, google Trojan Olympics. All good ideas.

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ShaniFaye

I dont get what everyone has against equestrian being an olympic sport?

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LoganSnake

Because it shows off your horse. I'd have the same reaction if racing was an Olympic sport.

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Miss Mango

I thought baseball was already in there?

I would like to watch some darts, I think. And definitely the tug-o-war!

highthief

Tae Kwon Do and Judo are already in the Games, as is Soccer - US women beat Brazil today, and Argentina faces Nigeria in the men's final.
-----Added 21/8/2008 at 04 : 51 : 05-----
[QUOTE=Miss Mango;2510943]I thought baseball was already in there?

[QUOTE]

It's coming out - this is scheduled to be the last Olympics with baseball.

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Strange Famous

probably twenty20 cricket.

As a purist... maybe it isnt quite cricket - but its such an exciting game!

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DSmith67

Baseball needs to be a permanent sport in the Olympics! Topless Beach Volleyball is a must too... except the current women's beach volleyball athletes should probably stick to bottomless beach volleyball, since they have awesome asses but not chests - for the most part.

ratbastid

Oh, but wouldn't that be AWESOME?

Compulsory drinking is going to be a critical part of that sport. As you play a game, each "athlete" must consume 24 oz of beer...

MontanaXVI

I was going to post the exact same thing!!!

@Mango Baseball is no longer an olympic sport, I believe this was the final year.

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Charlatan

I would love to see Kendo, but that's probably just me. Unfortunately there aren't enough nations currently practising the sport to bring it to Olympic levels.

Cross country running would be a great one.

And you can't remove Equestrian... my wife would have to kill you.

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dlish

yeah true. any form of exposure for cricket to the 'outside world' is good.

just on a sidenote - did you know that usain bolt loves cricket and he idolises matthew hayden and adam gilchrist?

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Glory's Sun

get rid of that foolish field hockey and bring in rugby.

PonyPotato

*angry noises/fists of fury* Have you ever RIDDEN A HORSE? Gah, I can't believe I'm reading this. Equestrian sports are some of the oldest in the world, and are indeed extremely difficult and require a lot of skill. The riders who get there don't just get on horses they haven't worked years to train and go at it.. it generally takes at least a year of competing at the top level to qualify for the olympic team, often longer.

Equestrian events are some of the only sports in the world in which experience and training is more important than raw athletic ability. Racing is totally different from dressage and show jumping - a jockey tries to stay out of the way and encourage a horse to go faster, while a dressage or showjumping rider has to train and convince the horse to do extremely difficult physical movements in sequence.

I can (and will) argue that the horses in the Olympics are all of pretty much the same caliber, and the difference in score/clean rounds comes from the rider's ability. Riders have to be able to peak their horses for the Olympics - have a crappy training program, have a tired horse.

I would like to see Reining added to the equestrian events, and perhaps something like IHSA or IDA for dressage/equitation competition. The problem is finding horses that can handle different riders and still compete at a high level - I felt horrible for some of the poor horses in the pentathlon. Those people truly would benefit from more riding experience.

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Ilow

For some reason, field hockey has always annoyed me. It always seemed too encumbered by stupid rules. If they used slightly longer sticks and didn't have to scamper around in a crouch, and were able to use both sides of the stick, have more body contact (not necessarily full checking) they might get somewhere. It's funny, but in america it is almost entirely a girls sport, but in the rest of the world it is almost all men playing.
I say put beer league softball in the Olympics, mandatory 8 foot arc on the pitches, mandatory beers at every position, and you must pick up your beer on the way to first base and take it with you on the basepaths.
In seriousness, I would love to see MMA in the Olympics, and I understand why baseball is being phased out. I love baseball, but it seemed like it was roughly on par with the college world series, which is fun, but once you get used to the Major Leagues, it just doesn't seem as fun.

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highthief

That's really the problem - even baseball governing bodies don't much care for it in the Olympics.

Squash might be a good addition to the Games. Played worldwide, good pro league going, fast paced game, no judges, you don't need to build enormous facilities to bring them into the Games - whatever venue is hosting stuff like badminton can relatively easily accomodate.

I think that is one aspect people are looking at - and if you look at many of the sports recently introduced to the Games such as triathalon, mountain biking, open water swimming, etc., none of them require construction of specialized facilities, thus keeping costs down.

Baseball is a bit of a problem, as it requires a large park (or more than one) specialized to the game. Outside of the dozen or so nations who play baseball at a high level, this presents a greater financial challenge.

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cameroncrazy822

Golf dogg, golf

highthief

Actually, what might be good would be for the host nation to get to pick one sport not part of the Olympics normally, and that sport would be an official medal sport for those particular Games. So, London in 2012 could have rugby or cricket; if Chicago gets the Games they could bring back baseball;, etc.

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Plaid13

I have to agree with halx all the X game type sports. But i honestly have nothing against adding in any sport anyone would want. No harm done if you dont like that sport just dont watch it. no big deal there. They are all just games people seem to forget that sometimes.