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Author Topic: Explain to me.....  (Read 1372 times)

Krumpy300

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Explain to me.....
« on: August 16, 2004, 06:26:37 AM »
Not sure if this has been addressed before here but how can Beach volleyball be an Olympic sport and bowling isn't?? I can name 20 countries that have international bowlers who would love a chance at a gold medal. And a bowling venue could be put up pretty easily in the host country if needed. It just doesn't make sense...
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Ragnar

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2004, 02:30:41 PM »
It's been done before, but here's the deal (again).  

Beach volleyball really is a sport.  Very physically demanding, requiring speed, strength, co-ordination, conditioning, etc.  Don't let the fact that the best in the world play in tiny little bikinis fool you.  Odds are that they would whip your (and my) butt.

Bowling will never be an Olympic sport as long as the possibility exists that an outside force controls who wins.  That is, until the laneman is eliminated from the equation.  It seems more reasonable to me to make Lane Conditioning a sport than bowling.  In how many Olympic sports does the choice of equipment have an impact on who wins?
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Edited on 8/16/2004 2:24 PM
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Krumpy300

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2004, 02:54:19 PM »
Understood RF. Don't get me wrong, I agree that they are great athletes. But we are talking sport here. Being great at a sport and being a great athlete don't always relate to each other.

But let's look at gymnastics. Who decides who the judges will be??? That "outside force" dictates who wins in many ways. In tennis, if the courts are clay, certain great tennis players are at a very big disadvantage.

If the Olympic committee picks five patterns that all the contestants will bowl on, and you cross pairs equally, than that's a level playing field.

I can see some of your points, but I disagree.
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Bill Thomas

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2004, 03:18:00 PM »
Beach volleyball costs very little for facilities!  The competitors look like athletes!  And last but not least, sex sells!  

Bowling needs to stop wasting time and money trying to get in the Olympics.  There are so many other needs in bowling that could use the attention.
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Ragnar

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2004, 03:23:57 PM »
Krumpy, I'm with you on gymnastics.  I think most of the medals were decided 2 months (or more) ago.
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Ragnar

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2004, 04:24:04 PM »
Bob, I don't think it's so much the oiling machines, or knowledge of oiling.  I think just the possibility is enough to raise serious doubts on the Olympic committee responsible for choosing events.  That is, it's not so much that it would be done, but that it could be done.  That this may not be a justifiable fear is, imo, a moot point, at least until the committee is better educated.
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minimum bob

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2004, 04:42:20 PM »
quote:
Table Tennis and Badmitton are more strenuous sports too? Yeah, right. Next Olympics it will be hot dog eating competition.  


AzBowler,

Have you ever seen table tennis and badminton played at the world class level?  The ball / shuttle routinely travel at 100+ mph.  Don't scoff at what you don't know....

For more about Olympic level badminton, check out:
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer04/badminton/news/story?id=1845228


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Edited on 8/16/2004 4:44 PM
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Walking E

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2004, 05:01:03 PM »
I agree that just being great athletes (as beach volleyball players are) is not enough to make something a sport. But beach volleyball doubles is very much a sport. Strategy, play-calling, communication, knowing your opponents, combating the elements, and making plays is critical in beach volleyball. Would that not qualify it as a sport? When you throw in that you have to be in GREAT physical condition to compete at a high level, I think beach volleyball qualifies as a sport as much -- even more so -- as any other team sport being contested.
And unlike gymnastics, these matches aren't decided by a judge - points are played out until one team wins.
Not to knock bowling - heck, I'm a bowler -- but beach volleyball deserves to be in the Olympics much more than bowling.
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Walking E

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2004, 05:05:31 PM »
quote:
Table Tennis and Badmitton are more strenuous sports too?  Yeah, right.  Next Olympics it will be hot dog eating competition.


This isn't ping pong and badminton in your back yard. These are very fast, physically demanding sports. If you ever watch these sports at a competitive level, you will see that they require tremendous agility, quickness, and hand-eye coordination. At a competitive level, these two sports are MUCH more strenuous than bowling.
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You weren't unlucky when you left that corner pin, so shut up about it already!!
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Daytonstroker

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2004, 05:33:03 PM »
Whatabout sync swimming..is that really a sport????  What would you rather watch?  Someone striking out in the tenth to win a gold medal or someone putting their feet in the air????
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Walking E

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Re: Explain to me.....
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2004, 05:38:26 PM »
quote:
Whatabout sync swimming..is that really a sport????  What would you rather watch?  Someone striking out in the tenth to win a gold medal or someone putting their feet in the air????
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"To bowl or not to bowl that is the question"


I'm with ya on that one. Maybe it would be more exciting if they had opponents in the water trying to disrupt their routine by pulling their swimsuits off or something.
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You weren't unlucky when you left that corner pin, so shut up about it already!!
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