Feel free to suggest your own, but I nominate trampolining.
I was amazed tonight to see that there was an event based on jumping on a trampoline. 10 hops and a variety of acrobatics later, the judges spit out a subjective score and someone wins. I couldn’t help but snicker at the thought of Adam Corrolla proclaiming, “And now time for girls jumping on trampolines” at the conclusion of “The Man Show”.
I don’t know what flavor of nutcases are in charge of the Olympics. They’re clearly quite odd, picking their pet sports and finding ways to have more of the same. It’s like hey, there’s not enough aquatic events, let’s have them swim 10 different distances, and add synchronized diving just for giggles. And there’s not enough gymnastics (yeah right), if we put them on trampolines, we can have more gymnastics, but call it a new “sport”.
What a bunch of elitist jerks. Bring back the tug-o-war as an event. Add some additional team sports such as Rugby or Football. Sure, they’re not hugely popular worldwide, but when was the last time you went to an exhibition of acrobatic trampoline jumping? In any country in the world? If the Olympic officials actually liked basketball, you’d have half-court and full-court basketball on 8, 10, and 12 foot rims. Instead, we get individual and group competitions in 5 different gymnastic events, then add-on events like the dances with props like ribbons & balls, this trampoline thing, and several dozen swimming and foot race events. It’s only a matter of time before they add synchronized underwater weightlifting.
It will be over soon, and the NFL will mean something soon, and the college football debates can begin. In the mean time, there’s always Olympic beach volleyball.
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You are the elitist jerk by watching The Man Show! Really man – take a powder – live and let live. I don’t understand it either – but I bet any one of those gymnasts could whup either of us 🙂 Have a beer and go watch TV.
I’d say that Trampolining has far more right to be at the Olympics than say, Rugby, Soccer, Tennis or Basketball. The ultimate test should be: would Olympic gold be considered a significant achievement in this sport?.
When the answer is no (as in the sports listed), countries don’t send their A players, and when they get there, they don’t play their A games. (Just take a look at the names in the semi-finals of the Olympic tennis. How many of them would make the round of 32 in a grand slam event?
I think someone giving their all to win gold for themself and their country on the trampoline is far more the embodiment of the Olympic ideal than a bunch of NBA-ers who couldn’t find an excuse not to turn up stumbling disinterestedly through to another medal.
“It’s like hey, there’s not enough aquatic events, let’s have them swim 10 different distances,…”
Like how we only need one running race too?
“… or Football. Sure, they’re not hugely popular worldwide,… ”
Huh? Football not hugely popular worldwide? Is the USA its own world now?
Nit-picking aside, I agree with the thrust of your post: the Olympics should consist mostly of those events that the USA does well in.
I have to agree with Charles and Alan. Why the hell would you want American football in the Olympics? It would be a complete joke with only one nation competing (note – unlike most Australians I actually _like_ NFL :)). As for the trampolining, I think it’s actually quite a good sport – if you want to pick on crazy Olympic sports I’d surely be looking at the shooting 😉
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Shooting, trampoline, SPEED WALKING, all about the same to me – I just don’t get it. I don’t get the appeal (which is fine). The big beef is that some of their events aren’t popular enough to claim that you’re really getting a world class field of competitors. In too many cases, the outcome is subjective, based on a rating. Certainly PARTS of most sports have subjective elements, but while they may affect the score, the score isn’t based solely on them. In some cases, I question why it’s an olympic “sport” (walking/hip-waggling, shooting).
I’m not hunting for events for the U.S. to do well in (why would I mention rugby, if that were my aim?), all I want is to turn on the TV and not think that the event I’m seeing is anything more than another excuse to rate tumbling and dance (and that garbage with the ribbons and rubber balls hasn’t even started yet). Heck, let’s add cricket.
As for The Man Show – I have no idea how I would be elitist simply by watching it, what an odd statement. I watch it on very rare occasion, kind of a last resort… and the trampoline thing… it’s funny, laugh.
I don;t know why all of you are so huffy pouffy about this. I agree woitht he fact that we should trake trampolining out of the olympics. And the whole man show thing. i want to know whats wrong with it. I actually happen to like the man show. at least the one that jimmy and adam were in. i haven’t watched any of the new ones. but all opf you need to realize that i don’t care whether or not USA wins the olympics but trampolining is a kids way to be unbored. not an olympic sport. That’s just dumb.