13 February 2013
It has been reported that the International Olympic Committee has voted to have wrestling removed from Olympic Games from the year 2020 (or going to vote or will remove it regardless?). I admit that I didn't watch a great deal of wrestling during London 2012, Women's Beach Volley Ball had its own dedicated channel. I will go no further. When I did watch it though, I quite enjoyed it. Wrestling in some form was likely part of the original ye olden days Olympics and has been part of the modern Olympics for years, introduced in the late 1800's. Why remove it now?. There are arguments that state it is down to TV viewing figures, arena tickets sales, advertising etc. So money is the real reason. Pretty much. I have an idea that I am sure would benefit wrestling and the Olympic organisers. It's so simple. Remove the sports that aren't really sports. Now, before you all hurl abuse at me I do understand that the list I am about to present does technically include sports. I will give reasons for each sport I think should be removed.
• Horse Dancing. I am not certain of its true name, equestrian perhaps?. This sport involves men and women competing against each other to determine who's horse is the better dancer. It's horse dancing. I am not saying that it is easy and I am certainly not saying that there is no skill in it but come on, it is horses dancing. No one with a bank balance under £400 000 has a clue what the rules are and don't know how points are gained or scored. We just nod and agree with the man on the telly when he says its a good dance.
•Horse Racing. Again I am not sure what the correct name is, I guess equestrian again. This version has men and women competing against each other, confusingly it appears to be an individual sport but somehow is not. This sport involves people driving horses around some sort of 'cross country' course but it is not really cross country, its a track laid out on a beautifully manicured lawn of a stately manor. There are jumps for the horses and the rider but it is the horse that jumps them. The jumps are ornate in that they appear to be themed, none of them match and they appear to be random. One might be in the shape of a hedgehog and another might be in the shape of HMS Victory for some reason. A ship-shaped jump two hundred miles from the ocean. Again, I am not saying doing this sport is easy. It's just that it is horses jumping over things.
•Ping Pong I think professionally this is known as table tennis but everyone calls it ping pong, everyone, except for Boris Johnson who calls it whiff whaff. I don't know if that is the correct spelling seeing as though he made the name up. This is a game one would normally play when on holiday in a camping site in Skegness. The table doesn't normally have a net. The rules to this game change almost every year. No one knows what they are anymore. When we play for recreation we still abide by the rules circa 1994. Watching a good game is quite entertaining admittedly but still deserves to be cut because its a a game played on holiday.
•Walking. This sport involves people walking in a bizarre fashion for mile upon mile. There are strict rules that the athletes must adhere to but every time I have watched this sport it doesn't appear that anyone does. The athletes, despite 'walking', manage to do 10000 meters in time that would rival Mo Farrah's. It's walking, the athletes rarely walk and it is stupid.
•Trampolining Men jump up and down on a trampoline doing tricks. Impressive yes, Olympic sport no.
•Boat Racing I am sure that there is a proper name for this sport, I apologise that I do not know it. God only knows what happens during these races. Somehow the person who leads the race is not often in front of the pack. There are penalties, points and things that I can only describe as stuff that happens as part of this sport. No one has a clue. Sometimes a boat tips over, sometimes a boat doesn't. That's about it.
• Miniature Rugby It's pap. Togo or Tonga or some country that does a war dance before kickoff wins... all of the time. No other country bothers with it. They others turn up because they have to. Even China don't normally bother even turning up. That itself is evidence it is not worthy to be an Olympic sport.
•Water HandBall Its handball but in water.
•Netball. Its just not as good or as entertaining as basketball. It's a waste of two baskets. Again I am not saying that there is no skill or talent needed.
How can wrestling be dropped while those above have remained?. So that's my list. Any one agree of disagree?. Does anyone care?. Should sports be merged?. Maybe mix wrestling, boxing Judo?. MMA?. Tennis and table tennis, fencing and horse cross country... jousting?.
News To Me: Breaking Yesterday's News Today • Opuss № I