Baseball, Softball Dropped From the 2012 Olympics

[Braveheart]

SINGAPORE, July 8 -- Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympics for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports were retained.

[Merrill]

Originally Posted by Braveheart

SINGAPORE, July 8 -- Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympics for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports were retained.

They kept synchronized swimming though... :signlame:

[dysko]

Originally Posted by Snarf

They kept synchronized swimming though... :signlame:

Come on... they only cut softball because the USA dominates at it.

It was admitted for 1996 in Atlanta... USA won it that year.
Then in Sydney in 2000 guess who won the gold again? USA!
Which brings us to Athens 2004... Olympic Gold in Softball goes to USA.

That is a little trend that probably didn't help its cause.

[Stucki]

Originally Posted by dysko

Come on... they only cut softball because the USA dominates at it.

It was admitted for 1996 in Atlanta... USA won it that year.
Then in Sydney in 2000 guess who won the gold again? USA!
Which brings us to Athens 2004... Olympic Gold in Softball goes to USA.

That is a little trend that probably didn't help its cause.

The games got less competitive in softball as well. Atlanta and Sydney were tough tournaments.

Not enough European countries play those sports or they would still be in. Team handball and modern pentathlon aren't going anywhere soon.

[Merrill]

Originally Posted by dysko

Come on... they only cut softball because the USA dominates at it.

It was admitted for 1996 in Atlanta... USA won it that year.
Then in Sydney in 2000 guess who won the gold again? USA!
Which brings us to Athens 2004... Olympic Gold in Softball goes to USA.

That is a little trend that probably didn't help its cause.

USA won gold in basketball for years and years and years and years and years and...

They kept it around long enough for other countries to pick it up. Baseball is an American sport originally, but we couldn't even make the olympics in baseball last time. This is cuba's game now. Why do they get screwed? What else is Cuba going to win a medal at?

These are american games though. Is it the general feeling of anti-americanism in the world that brought this to pass?

[rabble-rabble]

Originally Posted by Snarf

They kept synchronized swimming though... :signlame:

Presumably they kept rhythmic gymnastics too.

:wallbash:

[bordelais7]

as long as they still have "trampolining", I'm fine...

[clarette]

Don't worry.

Bruno Grandi and his APOKALYPSE KODE will ensure that gymnastics dies a long, slow death.

By 2012, the only living things capable of doing gymnastics as the FIG wants it done will be trained circus monkeys.

[clarette]

Oh, and I just saw this on GGMB:

"Unfortunately, joke circus events like rhythmic and synchronized swimming were never in jeopardy of being eliminated, since the IOC members voted on "Gymnastics" and "Aquatics" as a whole, and not as individual sports, so in order to eliminate rhythmic or synchronized swimming, they would have had to eliminate all gymnastics or all aquatics. Obviously that would never happen, so the circus events will continue to be safe from elimination."

[Stucki]

The one Olympic sport I never got at all was solo synchronized swimming.