[Unregistered User 8]

Hi folks, waaayy back in 2016, I posted the 1st generation of this topic.

Useless Olympic events - PentaxForums.com

I heard on the news yesterday, that break dancing, or Breaking (for you under 25's ) is to be included in the 2024 Paris games.

The 2021 Tokyo games will be last Olympics I will watch.

For me, the Games are no longer relevant, which disappoints me enormously.

[carlb]

I haven't had an interest in the Olympics for donkeys years (apart from watching The Dream with Roy & H G during the Sydney games) but including things like "Breaking" or skateboarding, and surfing are clearly an attempt by the IOC to attract a younger audience, which they obviously need to do so that they can keep the gravy train rolling along. None of them are "sports", they're pastimes.

[Fenwoodian]

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Maybe they should add "photography and videography" to the 2028 games?


Or how about "gaming" which my son spends most of his time on?

[Lhorn]

Glad to see I’m not the only one who feels this way. The olympics was an event I looked forward to as a kid greatly. Not sure why they feel the need to cheapen the event by pandering to the youngest generation. Oh, I forgot.....$$$$. There are certainly legitimate sports that can be added in the spirit of other Olympic sports but break dancing isn’t it. It’s as if the 60 and 70 years olds that make up the committee are saying “Look how hip and relevant the Olympics are kids.” Yuck. And they’ll probably get rid of classic, true Olympic sports to shoe horn in the latest fad.

^^^ I think you’re joking about gaming, but it wouldn’t surprise me it if was it was on the horizon. The only challenge is convincing people that they haven’t completely sold out by including a “sport” that requires zero athleticism.

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Last edited by Lhorn; 12-11-2020 at 01:07 AM.

[Benz3ne]

Funny that gaming is mentioned, 'ESports' is becoming a very real, very lucrative thing. Esports - Wikipedia

My interest in the Olympic Games has been sporadic. There are events I enjoy watching, and marvel at the extremes people can push themselves. It has, however, been rekindled lately.
My best friend had an accident competing competitively in a road cycle race and is now paraplegic. Since then, he's taken to rowing as his sport and has claimed his seat in the Men's Singles for 2021 (after just missing out on the podium in the Worlds and gaining 3 Concept2 Indoor world records). His life-changing accident was only 4 years ago.

I disagree that they'll get rid of classic sports in favour of newer ones. There's still a lot of time, effort and money going into scholarships and suchlike for athletics and I don't doubt that'll continue. I can't think of a reasonable justification for getting rid of, e.g., javelin. I think it just expands the number of events rather than the number being set and trying to accommodate for newer ones.

[lesmore49]

The Olympics is of little interest to me anymore. When one of the original sports wrestling, was dumped, I think for beach volleyball, that was the final straw.

It has become more about marketing and advertising money than sport, IMO.

[timb64]

It’s not in the Olympics,yet, but another “sport” I can’t get my head around is parkour.When I was a kid we just called that running around a bit!

[BigMackCam]

I may still watch those parts of the games I consider more traditional... but if they make "statue toppling" or "taking the knee" Olympic sports, I'm done for good

Unlikely, I realise, but nothing would surprise me after the year we've all had

[aslyfox]

I nominate:

Tiddlywinks

as well as Beer Pong aka Beirut

for future Olympics

they could be at either the Winter or Summer Games

or both

[35mmfilmfan]

Tongue-in-cheek - honest.

As more women-oriented events are being included, surely cooking, laundry, cleaning and other domestic chores should be added to the list.

Cowers in corner, arms clasped over head for protection.

[aslyfox]

this is already an international event

A Shrove Tuesday competition began February 21, 1950, between people in Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, Buckinghamshire, England, creating International Pancake Day. Each year the communities hold a 415-yard race to determine the fastest runner who can also flip a pancake. Typically the fastest runner completes the course in just under one minute . . .

The Olney tradition dates to around 1445. Legend holds that a woman in Olney was making pancakes when the church bells began ringing to announce the service. Carrying her frying pan and wearing an apron, she raced to arrive at church on time. In subsequent years, others in the community joined in the race. The prize was the "Kiss of Peace" from the verger, or bell ringer.

The Liberal/Olney competition began when members of the Liberal Junior Chamber of Commerce learned about the Olney race and proposed a friendly competition with the English community. The contest, which continues today, requires that runners wear a traditional apron and scarf and carry a frying pan in which they toss a pancake at the beginning and ending of the race. with presentation of awards and a church service. .

Liberal pancake race - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society

why not an Olympic one

[ZombieArmy]

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Or how about "gaming" which my son spends most of his time on?

Gaming is already a sport which people get millions of dollars at this point. Either in competitive games like League of Legends or speedrunning older titles.

[BigMackCam]

Tongue-in-cheek - honest.

As more women-oriented events are being included, surely cooking, laundry, cleaning and other domestic chores should be added to the list.

Cowers in corner, arms clasped over head for protection.

LOL

Despite my laughter and being male, I actually think I might be qualified to enter that event. I seem to do an awful lot of cooking and cleaning!!

[Fenwoodian]

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I was in Los Angeles on business during the 1984 summer olympics. I was near the Santa Anita horse racing park so I decided at the last minute to go to the olympic "dressage" competition that was being held there.

Dressage is pretty much a dance competition for horses. The horses slowly/gently prance around and look pretty. The human rider does very little. Now there's a competition that I'd suggest could easily be eliminated.\

You Tube

You Tube

Maybe the olympics should only include those original competitions that were staged in ancient Greece? (except for the performing nude part)

[Parallax]

The Olympics became meaningless for me in 1986 when they started letting professional athletes compete.