What should be dropped from the Olympics?

[English assassin]

What sports would you like to see dropped from the Olympics, and what should they be replaced by?

For me, they should get rid of anything to do with air rifles/pistols. If you are under 18, or a professional rat catcher, you have an excuse to be involved with air guns. Otherwise its like a grown adult playing with power rangers, sorry. Woo Hoo I won bronze in the men's indoor ten metre air pistol, come on, that's embarrassing. (Before anyone says it I am sure the men's indoor ten metre air pistol is very difficult and skillful. That doesn't make it either worthwhile or interesting to watch.)

I'd like to see them add rock climbing in instead though I admit I am not sure how you would make that competitive, on a climbing wall against the clock and with steadily fewer allowed holds I guess.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

I say we add some really extreme sports, like shark wrestling or Cobra poking. I'd also like to see football gotten rid of. We've got enough football tournaments.

[R'as al Ghul]

I say we add some really extreme sports, like shark wrestling or Cobra poking. I'd also like to see football gotten rid of. We've got enough football tournaments.

We have more than enough football (soccer). I hate it. I don't watch any sports except Olympics on TV and occasionally Judo, Sumo or Kendo if they even show it.
Watching sports on TV bores the hell out of me. Yawn!
I agree on the airpistols. Have Yabusame instead.
I just saw a documentary were scientists tried to find out how the original disciplines were fought. The reconstruction of "Pancratio" (full contact fight without rules) was ugly to watch, although staged, it looked like a mean street fight.

R'as

[Red Peasant]

The reconstruction of "Pancratio" (full contact fight without rules) was ugly to watch, although staged, it looked like a mean street fight.

R'as

The pankration sounded real hardcore. I read of one Olympic winner who was awarded his victory wreath posthumously, yet the loser lived. Apparently, the winner was in a choke-hold and his trachea was crushed, however, before expiring he managed to grab, twist and break his opponent's ankle who then submitted. The victor knew he had won but didn't live much longer.

Makes these WWF, XYZ, wrestling frauds look the real dopes they are.

[Steppe Merc]

I say we add in chariot racing, jousting, and mounted javilen throwing at your opponent. And get rid of swimming and all those other boring ones. And can't baseball, basketball or soccer or football be somewhere else? Mabye in the National team sport thingy.
edit: Oh, and mounted archery. Ooo, ooo, and broadsword dueling.

[Sjakihata]

I'd like to see Total War competition added to the sports

[Orda Khan]

Have you heard there is a move to get Darts incuded? Where will it end?

Football and tennis are two ridiculous inclusions in the Olympics. In the UK we have a fixation for track events ( don't ask me why, they just seem to think we all love it ) I find it nauseatingly boring to watch say the 10,000 metres ....all you need to see is the last lap.
I remember being bored for hours ( literally ) watching the first Triathlon event.
There are way too many events in swimming IMO.
I like the field events, weightlifting, judo but the trouble is if you blink you miss the coverage.

On the other hand, with all the drug nonsense, how credible are the games these days?

........Orda

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

I think we should have events where drugs are allowed. So the winner will be the person who can come up with the most effective doping program.

[Goofball]

I'd like to see front-end loader and back-hoe fights...

[mercian billman]

[QUOTE=English assassin]For me, they should get rid of anything to do with air rifles/pistols. If you are under 18, or a professional rat catcher, you have an excuse to be involved with air guns. Otherwise its like a grown adult playing with power rangers, sorry. Woo Hoo I won bronze in the men's indoor ten metre air pistol, come on, that's embarrassing. (Before anyone says it I am sure the men's indoor ten metre air pistol is very difficult and skillful. That doesn't make it either worthwhile or interesting to watch.)
QUOTE]

The original olympics were done to test martial skill. Thats why they had running events, javelin throws, and, combat sports. All the events were individual events not team sports. In staying with the spirit of the olympics any sport which involves shooting is a valid sport for the olympics. You may be of the opinion that shooting sports aren't worthwhile or intrseting but, alot of people would disagree with you. I would be in favor of getting rid of target shooting if they replaced it with combat shooting sports.

Personally I think they should get rid of all team sports in the summer olympics. We already have enough soccer tournaments and it wouldn't be to hard to establish a world cup of baseball. The olympics should return to it's roots; a contest which tests individual skill, track and field and, combat sports should be the emphasis of the olympics.

Some changes I would make to the combat sports would be,

Boxing or wrestling would become a winter event, this would allow for the possibility of someone to box and wrestle in the olympics.

Wrestling would eliminate one of it's disciplines; preferably greco-roman (I think greco is cool but, the casual fan wouldn't) and, become a freestyle tournament but, to compensate the number of weight classes would be increased to 10 (US college standards.) By eliminating 1 discipline and 4 wrestlers from each team the competition would be better and, easier for the casual fan to follow.

[shakaka36]

how about a rum drinking competition?

[King Edward]

how about a rum drinking competition?

Or gin!!!!

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Weightlifting for females should go too. Not ladylike. Women are nice things and should remain so.
_

[JAG]

All the sports where the olympics is anything but the height of the sport. Sports like football, tennis, basketball etc. All these sports have other pinnicles the olympics is not it, half of the teams are a joke compared to what their country could put forward. So I think they are pretty useless, and should be got rid of.

[King Edward]

All the sports where the olympics is anything but the height of the sport. Sports like football, tennis, basketball etc. All these sports have other pinnicles the olympics is not it, half of the teams are a joke compared to what their country could put forward. So I think they are pretty useless, and should be got rid of.

I agree, the Olympics should be the best of the best, as is the case in many olympic events but the others which are not the full representitive sides of a country should not be allowed. Football and Basketball are examples of events where the teams representing some countries are a long way away from the best side those countries could field.

Althought a lot of the big names in tennis are compeating, Ferderer and Roddick are there for sure.

[lancelot]

Yea, but tennis 'pros' compete for prize money and gain income from sponsorship.

Pro footballers and such earn a wage which makes them 'technically' professionals.

Good tennis players can enter coz if they dont win at their sport, they dont get anything.

And you already have the world cup for various sports. If you include them, not many would bother watching anything else.