The Olympic Sports Scam
Watching the Olympics is confusing. Are these events really sports? Well, let me clear up the confusion for you and give you some simple rules to decide if something is really a sport. Let's look at some sports and decide when is an activity a sport and when is it a scam sport:
Ice Dancing: This is fun to watch and the moves take stregth, skill and teamwork. However - Judges decide who wins and loses based on their costume, music, flair, and moves. RULE #1 - It does not qualify as a sport if Judges decide who wins and loses. Is Disco dancing a sport? Ballroom dancing? NO - and neither is Ice Dancing - Scam Sport. Why not put on a Broadway show like Phantom of the Opera and call that a sport? - Same thing here. Oh yeah, I almost forgot about....
RULE #1A - If you cry after losing and your makeup (male or female) gets messed up - then it cannot be a sport.
Figure Skating: See Rule 1 and 1A above. Scam Sport. It is one of the most popular events in the Olympics and that is why is stays with us. However, when Sasha Cohen falls twice and still wins a medal - that has to make even diehard fans wonder if this is really a sport or if it entertainment.
Bobsledding: This is a little trickier - so bear with me. Bobsledding is the most like a sport of these Scam Sports. It requires athleticism, teamwork, and speed. The winner is the team with best time. However, imagine the 10 year old kid sitting there watching on TV. He thinks the sport is cool and wants to get into Bobsledding and maybe get into the Olympics someday. He can't. He has no track to go to, no $100,000 Titanium Sled, and no other kids to do this with. He can take his Snow Disc down the local hill all day, everyday practicing - but that's it. He is stuck. Bobsled teams are handpicked and train exclusively to go to the Olympics. RULE #2 - If kids can't do the sport easily and compete locally - then it is not a sport.
Here are others which people might take as scam sports - but I believe that these should be sports.
Biathalon: This is a sport. X-C Skiing and shooting. Heck, we need sports for those kids that shot BB Guns as kids. Those BB Gun kids never played baseball and football, but were scary to hang out with - let's give them their own sport.
Curling: This one is tricky. It takes skill, teamwork and is decided by the players - not a judge. Also, there are local Curling rinks where kids can play. However, this activity involves home cleaning equipment (Brooms) which makes it confusing. I think this qualifies as a sport, but could be talked out of it....
Looking forward to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Summer Olympics are full of Scam Sports. Synchronized Swimming comes to mind and I think there is even some other sport where you run around a Gym Mat waving a colored ribbon. I can't wait.....
Ice Dancing: This is fun to watch and the moves take stregth, skill and teamwork. However - Judges decide who wins and loses based on their costume, music, flair, and moves. RULE #1 - It does not qualify as a sport if Judges decide who wins and loses. Is Disco dancing a sport? Ballroom dancing? NO - and neither is Ice Dancing - Scam Sport. Why not put on a Broadway show like Phantom of the Opera and call that a sport? - Same thing here. Oh yeah, I almost forgot about....
RULE #1A - If you cry after losing and your makeup (male or female) gets messed up - then it cannot be a sport.
Figure Skating: See Rule 1 and 1A above. Scam Sport. It is one of the most popular events in the Olympics and that is why is stays with us. However, when Sasha Cohen falls twice and still wins a medal - that has to make even diehard fans wonder if this is really a sport or if it entertainment.
Bobsledding: This is a little trickier - so bear with me. Bobsledding is the most like a sport of these Scam Sports. It requires athleticism, teamwork, and speed. The winner is the team with best time. However, imagine the 10 year old kid sitting there watching on TV. He thinks the sport is cool and wants to get into Bobsledding and maybe get into the Olympics someday. He can't. He has no track to go to, no $100,000 Titanium Sled, and no other kids to do this with. He can take his Snow Disc down the local hill all day, everyday practicing - but that's it. He is stuck. Bobsled teams are handpicked and train exclusively to go to the Olympics. RULE #2 - If kids can't do the sport easily and compete locally - then it is not a sport.
Here are others which people might take as scam sports - but I believe that these should be sports.
Biathalon: This is a sport. X-C Skiing and shooting. Heck, we need sports for those kids that shot BB Guns as kids. Those BB Gun kids never played baseball and football, but were scary to hang out with - let's give them their own sport.
Curling: This one is tricky. It takes skill, teamwork and is decided by the players - not a judge. Also, there are local Curling rinks where kids can play. However, this activity involves home cleaning equipment (Brooms) which makes it confusing. I think this qualifies as a sport, but could be talked out of it....
Looking forward to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Summer Olympics are full of Scam Sports. Synchronized Swimming comes to mind and I think there is even some other sport where you run around a Gym Mat waving a colored ribbon. I can't wait.....
posted by Michael Carey at 9:32 AM
5 Comments:
Your just pissed they don't call it MIKESLEDDING. Nice glass half empty posting.
You paid too much for the hat!
Who is your favorite band? Who is the dreamiest? Do you like to snackables? How old are you 12 or 14? Doiy.
Miguel - lovin' the hat my man but it doesn't really make you less balding, does it? Also, I think you may want to take it off when they play the star-spangled banner or Capeto and Angie are in town. They may mistake it for a yarmulke.
I agree with the judging making it a not a sport most of the time. Judging works with other sports (half-pipe, moguls, diving) but the focus in ice skating on grace rather than trick difficulty is not athletic just like judging ballet or disco dancing.
Bobsledding is a sport. While I don't like race car driving, it is a sport. Most kids can't do snowboard cross locally either and that was a cool sport (excuse my method air).
Dave
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