Baseball and Softball axed from the 2012 London Olympics

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1.  

   georgie ~ 13 months ago

   0 votes
   
   I was so disappointed when this news broke. I've played softball since I was four years old, and eventually played at the college level. Has anyone else played baseball or softball before? Any avid baseball fans out there?
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2.  

   Loves Bloc Party ~ 13 months ago

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   its weird to me that softball and baseball have been taken out of the olympics because i remember watching the usa womens softball team play a few olympics ago and i remember thinking it was awesome to see another sport that women couild do just as well as men (if not better)
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3.  

   ian_towns ~ 13 months ago

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   As a british sports fan I am not surprised to see baseball and softball removed from the games. They are sports which have been dominated by a small number of nations (USA and Cuba as far as I can make out) and unlike some other sports which are likewise dominated by certain nations they are fairly new sports to be added to the olympic roster this makes them an easy target to be axed. For the record I agree with this move by the IOC.
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4.  

   georgie ~ 13 months ago

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   I recently spotted a report that skateboarding will be added to the games. This is an up and coming sport I think, but it's also vastly popular with young people and it's a definite attempt to get more people watching the Olympics. Baseball and softball must have had sad turnouts last time.
   
   By the way, Ian, softball is no longer limited to a few countries. As a British sports fan, you might be interested to know that fastpitch softball is being developed and promoted among British girls and women. In another 10-15 years, I'd say a new generation of young women will be ready to compete at the college level, and they will have to go for scholarships in the States if UK universities don't get with the program. I think too many gifted female college athletes are being farmed out from the UK to other countries, simply because there are not enough opportunities for them at home. That's the word on the street anyway.
   
   If softball had risen to competitive level in the UK, wouldn't you want to give British women a chance to play international teams and represent their country in the Olympics? I know some English girls working very hard on the field so that one day they might win a gold medal for softball!
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   1.  

      ian_towns ~ 13 months ago

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      Sorry, I don't think I explained myself very well, I meant dominated in terms of the Olympics. I am all for people being given the chance to play sports internationally at the top level. However as you point out the next level will perhaps not be reached for a few years time.
      
      My point is that think that in terms of sports played at the Olympics (the peak of sporting excellence) the sports should be allowed to mature to a level where there are many nations competiting competitively. Thus maintaining the exclusivity of a gold medal.
      
      P.s. I am not suggesting that the players of these two sports are not at the peak of sporting excellence. : )
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5.  

   georgie ~ 13 months ago

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   So because countries like the US and Cuba have long traditions of baseball, they have a clear advantage over countries just getting started. But I thought baseball was huge in more places than that, like Japan for example, and softball is going strong in South Africa and the Czech Republic!
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6.  

   lostcountrymouse ~ 13 months ago

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   Ian, if they added squash to the Olymipcs who do you think would do well? How do you think the US would do? Similar sort of situation, Georgie is right, if you have a long tradition you'll do well. If the sport matters to that nation they can put effort into it (scholarships, professional leagues, etc) and improve. If the citizens don't care, they don't have to compete in that one. For example, I wouldn't expect Kenya to heavily invest in curling.
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7.  

   georgie ~ 13 months ago

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   LCM, thanks for taking an interest in this post. Are you a baseball or softball fan by any chance? :)
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8.  

   lostcountrymouse ~ 13 months ago

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   Umm, to some degree both, i get to an MLB game a couple times a year, spent alot of time watching and playing softball as a kid. No favorite team, just don't have that much time to follow it... Now hockey, that is different. :)
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9.  

   AdGuy

   22 votes
   
   This is my two cents...
   
      
   Hey you know AdGuy always gets the last word! ;)