Baseball/Softball Cut from 2012 Olympics

[Veedems Veteran]

SINGAPORE -- Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympic program 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.

Baseball and softball are the first sports cut from the Olympics since water polo in 1936.

The IOC will consider replacing them with two sports from a waiting list of five sports: golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports.

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[Liquid]

Hooray! I can't stand baseball. So boring. (Sorry bangbang023, I know you love it. But its boring to me).

[mattmatik]

That SUCKS.

I guess from the list I'd like to see rugby (not much exposure to it in the US) and also karate.

Still, dropping baseball is ridiculous.

[Jonny Wake]

I like watching baseball and women's softball but I love rugby. So here's hoping we see that, and lets say... squash, in 2012.

[BroChaos Veteran]

was the US any good at baseball? probably not, right? but i think we dominated softball (even though we got upset last time i think).

personally, i like seeing them take away sports that america is good at...

[golazo]

olympic baseball sucks anyway

[mattmatik]

was the US any good at baseball?  probably not, right?  but i think we dominated softball (even though we got upset last time i think). 

personally, i like seeing them take away sports that america is good at...

586180983[/snapback]

I think it was Cuba who ruled international baseball. I remember that year Tommy Lasorda coached the team and they beat Cuba (I think) and everyone was shocked. Might have been in Sydney 2000.

Oh well...I think last year's basketball debacle proved that America is not the big dog in homegrown sports anymore. They should get football in there, though. Or maybe get some NFL players to play some rugby. Might be interesting hahaha.

[L3thal Veteran]

I never really considered baseball being an olympic sport, considering not many countries outside the Americas play it.

[bigbluepride35]

was the US any good at baseball?? probably not, right?? but i think we dominated softball (even though we got upset last time i think).?

personally, i like seeing them take away sports that america is good at...

586180983[/snapback]

And in softball we didn't get upset last time around. In fact, it was a dominating performance by our girls in Athens. This means less exposure for Jennie Fin:cry:ry: lol.

As for the story itself. I didn't even know they were considering cutting any of the sports.

[golazo]

now they should include pole-dancing

[bdsams Veteran]

better replace it with golf then....Ryder Cup part two anyone?

[stanneh]

there has to be hundreds of better things to add to the olympics other than baseball/softball/rounders.

next on the list curling.

[huddy]

Baseball was a bit of a silly olypmic sport IMOP, so I'm not sorry to see it go. I think football should be dropped too. Olympic sports should only have a certain maximum number of people (5 or 6).

Not sure why Squash isn't an Olympic sport already seeing as Badminton has been for sometime now. Karate could also be introduced as there are already a few contact sports (boxing, judo).

Why add roller sports though? Don't they already have the X-Games for that sort of thing?

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Baseball does not have a very strong international appeal. Squash, on the other hand, is played in many more countries.

[bdsams Veteran]

what is squash...other than a food

[huddy]

Squash is a racquet sport. Two players in a small enclosed room. You have to hit a small rubber ball against a wall. You get a point everytime you play the ball so that your opponent cannot return it.

[Capodeluxe]

Rugby for the win.

[huddy]

I think rubgy 7's would be good.

[Joel]

Golf as a replacement? Squash?

If the goal was to make the Olympics even more boring than before, they would be champions of the world.

[....]

They need 10 more categories of Synchronized swimming and Rhythmic Gymnastics, too.

Ugh. This sucks.

[KzR]

Squash should be in. Golf's boring!

[Ayepecks]

I don't mean to sound like a prick here, but how on Earth is Squash an "Olympic sport"? I guess if ping-pong (excuse me, table tennis) can make it, as can trampoline, that any sport can except team sports...

[smaulz]

Golf would be pretty cool... maybe rugby too..

[TheTerminator]

Golf and rugby would be cool, but what about roller sports there? Could skateboarding become an olympic sport?

[Fred Derf Veteran]

I don't mean to sound like a prick here, but how on Earth is Squash an "Olympic sport"? I guess if ping-pong (excuse me, table tennis) can make it, as can trampoline, that any sport can except team sports...

586182601[/snapback]

Squash is a much more vigious sport than baseball. Trust me, play it properly for 40 minutes and it is much more exercise than two hours of baseball.

Squash is far more of a sport than raquetball (which is relatively more common in the United States) where the ball bounces around so much you rarely need to move.

My dad used to play but all of his squash buddies (even the ones a decade younger) all have long term injuries. My dad has had knee surgery himself. It isn't an easy sport on your body.

Professional squash players, for example, cannot remain competitive as long as professional baseball players.