olympics

Baseball, bowling, squash among 8 sports shortlisted for 2020 Games

47 Comments
By Jim Armstrong

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47 Comments
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I know Japan is DESPERATE to get the non-world sport of Baseball in there (and if they don't medal again... wow... I'd hate to be in the shoes of the people who brought it up), but the other sports?? I can't even FIND a squash court anywhere nearby that wouldn't require me to get a gym membership in a distant city, and even then I'd have to scrounge around for a partner. Bowling is easy enough to do here, and no doubt there are some decent players, but an Olympic sport?

1 ( +8 / -7 )

bowling, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, surfing and the martial art of wushu.

Wow. I guess I'm either biased or old-fashioned. I just can't consider any of these for the Olympics. Maybe karate. And they honestly applied for sumo? Is that a popular sport anywhere outside of Japan?

I don't know. Sad to say, but I am hardly interested in the Olympics anymore. But maybe that's the point of adding newer sports.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The other sports shortlisted are bowling, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, surfing and the martial art of wushu.

ok, include these "sports" on trail base and no medal awards (!)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Most of these things are in the category of "messing about", as opposed to "sport".

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Anything except baseball.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

maxjapank: "And they honestly applied for sumo?"

Actually, it is, but not much. It would be interesting to see how things worked if they got Sumo as an Olympic sport. Would they demand that the people who are dominating from other nations (ie. Mongolia) compete as Japanese and then forever shut up about them not being 'truly Japanese'? or would they allow them to compete representing their home countries? I'm betting they'd demand the top wrestlers compete as Japanese, count their medals in Japan's count, then treat them like they did Koreans who won them medals (long ago) and metaphorically once again consider them outsiders again once the games were done. Otherwise they'd be pretty upset about being beaten and then allowing the wrestlers to stay in their ranks.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

my biggest problem with these new games is that they almost all exclude participants from africa. and don't get me started about the winter games. a game should be included if people from all over the world have easy access to try or play it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No baseball? There went a "Silver or Gold" medal down the drain for Japan.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Bowling? Isn't the Olympics about athletics?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I know Japan is DESPERATE to get the non-world sport of Baseball in there

List of countries where baseball is major sport: USA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Curacao, Honduras, Nicaragua and recently Netherlands. Over 45 countries have had people play in the Major Leagues.

Just because only a few European countries play baseball, doesn't mean it is "non-World".

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I don't understand why there is so much hate against baseball.

Because it's about the most boring sport in the world. It's the only sport where a perfect game means that 7/9 of the players on a team literally stand around doing nothing.

0 ( +7 / -8 )

It's not boring.

Well that's subjective isn't it. Obviously it is boring to those to whom it's boring. And I just gave a good reason why - a game where the ideal is to watch a field full of guys standing around doing nothing is boring. Of course if you feel different, that's your right, and you are welcome to enjoy the game as much as you can. But when it comes to including this sport into the Olympics, thereby not allowing a different sport to be there instead, that's where I say something. Any sport would be better than baseball.

Maybe the people who think it's boring are boring.

Or maybe the sport is boring.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Obviously you know nothing of Derek Jeter or Ichiro Suzuki, just to name a couple of recents, who are famous for their outfield plays, i.e., not standing around.

As I said, the ideal (no hits) is for 7/9 of the team to be standing around doing nothing. Of course when the pitcher doesn't pitch a perfect game, they are going to have to run around. But in the meantime you have to watch a whole lot of standing around.

Please note I played softball for 4 years as a teenager, so it's not like I know nothing of the game. But it was boring to play, and even more boring to watch.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

And it's precisely that a pitcher has a perfect game that the game is great

Hence the problem - the better the pitcher, the more boring the game.

1 ( +3 / -3 )

Because it's about the most boring sport in the world. It's the only sport where a perfect game means that 7/9 of the players on a team literally stand around doing nothing.

Wow, Strangerland, for the first time I'm absolutely agree with you.

First, this "sport" is really boring, a bunch of guys just hanging around, mainly doing nothing. Second, this so-called sport is not played anywhere besides the US, Japan and may be a couple of other countries, US and Japan just want an easy golden and a silver medal?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I'll chalk it up as some people need child-like, circus entertainment while others can appreciate things that are more technical.

Hey, I appreciate the balance and physics involved in standing around and doing nothing. I just find it extremely boring to watch.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Watching baseball is as fun as playing pachinko....or watching clothes dry.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

It's one of the greatest sports ever with a long history of great players, plays, and games.

Too much standing around. Ditto for cricket. I was bored to tears when I played baseball, and I was the pitcher.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Bowling in the Olympics?! "Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a sh!t about the rules? Mark it zero!"

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

260lb beheamoths with beer bellies can dominate this game while sucking back a longneck Bud. Just what the ancient Greeks had in mind when they created the Olympic games.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

switch baseball with MMA, more blood, and action.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Bowling, now there's a game worthy of the alcoholympics. I hope the US succeeds in fielding Team Leboski.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Baseball - yawn - but SURFING??? Get serious. And a half decent game of T20 cricket leaves baseball for dead, by the way.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Baseball boring ? But soccer can play for 1 and half hour and no scoring...just guys running around...now that's boring.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Because it's about the most boring sport in the world. It's the only sport where a perfect game means that 7/9 of the players on a team literally stand around doing nothing.

Sorry but watching weeds grow is the most boring "sport" in the world.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sorry but watching weeds grow is the most boring "sport" in the world.

I'd say that's a pretty accurate description of baseball.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Bowling should definitely be chosen for the Olympics. And what is wrong with you all saying bowling isn't a sport? Have you never tried to bowl Professionally with a 15lb ball. And while we're at it, Football shouldn't be in the olympics, isn't the FIFA Cup enough? Do they need the Olympics too?

All of you grow up! And the majority of you need a grammar lesson!

!!!!BOWLING FOR THE OLYMPICS!!!!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

That is crazy! It seems like just yesterday that baseball was in the Olympics. Is bowling really any more of a "world sport" than baseball? Everyone should go to Twitter to start campaigning for what they believe should be the next addition, it truly is the perfect platform for starting a social movement.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The most boring sport in the world is the marathon. Talk about monotony! No. 2 is soccer and No. 3 is basketball, basically for the same reason. Both teams run up and down the field ( or court) and shoot. The only difference is that in one of them them shooting rarely results in a score, whereas in the other it almost always results in a higher score. Nothing to think about, just point and shoot.

Give me a sporg that requires intelligence and skill over mindless running any day!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

There really should be less sports in the Olympics. As much as I love football it just isn't an olympic sport. Same goes for Golf, Tennis, Basketball. All of those sports are rich enough with their own top championships.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Seeing a lot of negativity for these new picks, especially for bowling. If people understood the mental and physical grind these professional athletes go through to be at the top of the sport, this wouldn't be a question. Its not the big lebowski or kingpin atmosphere. These are true dedicated competitors who go through great lengths to become the best physically not to mention knowing how to play a lane. You know that oil that's on the lane? Well it's laid out in patterns that make it insanely difficult to score and its CONSTANTLY changing. Knowing how to combat this takes years of knowledge and experience. This is why I believe the sport that signed an athlete the FIRST MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT has every right to be an Olympic sport. Go to www.bowl.com and educate yourselves,

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Strangerland

I don't think baseball is too boring. In all honesty, I'm not really a baseball fan, however, I will defend its inclusion in the games. By your logic, the ideal winning condition is for the pitcher to pitch a game with no hits, while his team hits everything. Isn't that how it is in every sport? For the team you want to win to blow out the other team. Remember the men's World Cup when Germany completely wrecked Beazil 7-1? To me, that was extremely boring. Hilarious, but boring. When you are on the level of Olympics or World Cup, the games should be close and eventful, no matter what sport is being played.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

its pretty obvious which sports will make it, ,baseball and Karate. anything that give the Japanese team there best medal hopes. this shortlist is just a guise to make it seem like a fair process

1 ( +1 / -0 )

When you are on the level of Olympics or World Cup, the games should be close and eventful, no matter what sport is being played.

Hence taking out womens softball the first time. The only really competitive games were with China, Canada, Japan and the US, other teams were marginal at best. Softball got smart and included it with baseball to get in together.

People have their choices, but it seems to me that many of the opinions are based upon ignorance of the sport itself.

Give me a sporg that requires intelligence and skill over mindless running any day!

Well, lets see, how about checkers, wait that might be too high of a level for a person who has a hard time typing the word "sport".....go fish?

Mindless running? Read my previous reply here, I think it fits you to a "t". Calling basketball and soccer "mindless" is mindless in and of itself.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Football and soccer for the olympics?? Dumb 4 real!!

Bowling for the olympics? This is will be a great addition! Bowling takes strength, accuracy, and lots of balance and stamina. Its not just some outing on a friday night while drinking, its a sport that takes even longer to master than football or soccer and the competition is far more intense than watching buff men tackle eachother like your watching indenial ghey "video stimulation". People think bowling is just chucking a ball down a woodplank, people are clueless about the cores of a ball, oil patterns, adjusting, arsenals and the fun if it all. It takes someone like 2 months to master baseball or football because those sports are for pretensious 'murican patriots who disgrace a REAL american passtime. Bring bowling to the olympics and show the world what a real sport looks like!!!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I don't mind baseball, but we already have baseball leagues around the world and the World Baseball Classic. Adding it to the Olympics starts to feel redundant. Same with tennis, golf, and soccer. It starts to feel like another tacked on pro tourney instead of a special event that you want from the Olympics.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The sports which applied but failed to make the cut were: air sports, American football, bowls, bridge, chess, dance sport, floorball, flying disc, korfball, netball, orienteering, polo, racquetball, sumo, tug of war, underwater sports, waterski and wakeboard.

I'm happy to read Sumo was not selected, it shouldn't be considered an open competition sport., since only dojo's control who can wrestle and compete, not to mention no females allowed.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'm happy to read Sumo was not selected, it shouldn't be considered an open competition sport., since only dojo's control who can wrestle and compete, not to mention no females allowed.

Which just goes to show your ignorance about the sport. Japanese professional sumo does not allow women sumo wrestlers, however there are women sumo wrestling events in many different countries around the world and including Japan as well.

Folks obviously have to broaden their horizons when it comes to sports and quit relying on Japanese press to tell you what is what.

http://www.si.com/more-sports/photos/2012/03/06women-sumo-wrestlers

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Bowling should definitely be chosen for the Olympics. And what is wrong with you all saying bowling isn't a sport? Have you never tried to bowl Professionally with a 15lb ball. And while we're at it, Football shouldn't be in the olympics, isn't the FIFA Cup enough? Do they need the Olympics too?

All of you grow up! And the majority of you need a grammar lesson!

!!!!BOWLING FOR THE OLYMPICS!!!!

Matthew Magro - "Professionally" should not be capitalized. "Olympics" should. "And" should very rarely start a sentence. You use too many exclamation marks. Bowling is not a sport.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Bowling is not an Athletic sport?? Try throwing a 15lb ball over and over again, while maintaining the target and putting the right amount of hook on the ball! Bowling requires a ridiculous amount of stamina, not to mention muscle precision! You will never understand what it means physically and mentally to be a bowler unless you are one! End of! BOWLING FOR THE OLYMPICS!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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