IOC adds golf and drops wrestling from the Olympics - Page 2

scotpens · February 15 2013, 03:55 PM

iguana_tonante wrote:

jmc247 wrote:

. . . In the 18th and 19th century wrestling was one of the top 3 sports in Western Europe and America. George Washington wrestled as did Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and many many other top members of American as well as European society. In the first half of the 20th century a number of new sports like American football certainly rose and overtook it, but it was still considered the most manly of the sporting endeavors so you had the likes of George Patton, Norman Schwarzkopf, Dwight Eisenhower, John McCain, and many other names people know all too well who wrestled.

Then Title IX managed to do a body blow to American wrestling. By mandating equal numbers of men and women in college sports it created a situation where the most popular male sport which took up a huge number of male slots (Football) was not going to be cut so schools had to make more female sports teams and/or kill other male sports teams and wrestling in colleges around the country took a massive hit. That has been slowly turning around by the way as more schools have of late been bringing it back as things like female wrestling teams have started to take off allowing schools to comply with Title IX and have male wrestling at the same time.

I like Graeco-Roman wrestling and I am sad to see it out of the Olympics for its historical significance, but I cannot help but laugh at jmc's rant how it's a the manliest sport, befitted of American presidents and war generals above "horse dancing" and such effeminate activities, and it's all the feminists' fault.

In what way is jmc's post a "rant"? It's a clearly stated list of facts. Do you have any hard data to refute them?

iguana_tonante · February 15 2013, 05:14 PM

A rant can be technically accurate and still be a rant.

Can you refute the fact that he argued for wrestling as the "most manly of the sporting endevors" against the decisions of "pansy bureaucrats", that he listed how many American Presidents and Generals practiced it (because of course that's the epitome of manliness), and mentioned how mandatory equal numbers of men and women in college sports killed it for Americans? (passingly mentioning it was actually the dominance of American football as "the most most popular male sport" that actually cut wrestling's numbers...)

scotpens · February 15 2013, 06:37 PM

^^ To rant is: "to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner" or "to utter in a bombastic declamatory fashion." Source

The George Carlin bit quoted upthread -- now, that's a rant.

At any rate, I'm not a fan of wrestling or sports in general, but eliminating wrestling from the Olympics just seems wrong. It's like Campbell's discontinuing tomato soup. Or Honda announcing they're going to stop making motorcycles.

Roger Wilco · February 15 2013, 06:48 PM

scotpens wrote:

At any rate, I'm not a fan of wrestling or sports in general, but eliminating wrestling from the Olympics just seems wrong. It's like Campbell's discontinuing tomato soup. Or Honda announcing they're going to stop making motorcycles.

In my opinion what's even more disagreeable about this decision is the reasoning. If nobody actually trained wrestling anymore and if it wasn't a competitive sport with individuals from many different nations having a chance to medal, that's one thing, but simply pointing to tv ratings really makes me angry. At least they are honest about the fact that the IOC only cares about money anymore, but that's about the nicest thing I can say about them...

iguana_tonante · February 15 2013, 06:48 PM

iguana_tonante wrote:

A rant can be technically accurate and still be a rant.

scotpens wrote:

^^ To rant is: "to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner" or "to utter in a bombastic declamatory fashion." Source

I don't see anything in your definition contradicting what I've said. But I know you love linking to dictionaries, so I'll let you have your fun.

B.J. · February 15 2013, 08:39 PM

I really don't care either way. Never really watched wrestling or golf myself. Golf is just too boring. As for wrestling, I never really had an interest in it anyway, but....

jmc247 wrote:

The other biggest problem wrestling has had in the second half of the 20th century to now is that its not as sexy to watch on TV (where the big money is) for your average viewer as most other sports are because most people don't know the rules and in a fast pace sport like wrestling if you haven't done it yourself and don't know the rules it just comes off like men grabbing each other and rolling around.

I think that last part nails it. Most of the other Olympic sports that I can think of are pretty simple to understand. Sure, there are occasional calls and such that the layperson won't understand, but they still "get" most of what's going on.

The Mirrorball Man · February 15 2013, 08:46 PM

B.J. wrote:

I think that last part nails it. Most of the other Olympic sports that I can think of are pretty simple to understand. Sure, there are occasional calls and such that the layperson won't understand, but they still "get" most of what's going on.

Well, judo and fencing are Olympic sports.

jmc247 · February 19 2013, 03:41 PM

iguana_tonante wrote:

I like Graeco-Roman wrestling and I am sad to see it out of the Olympics for its historical significance, but I cannot help but laugh at jmc's rant how it's a the manliest sport, befitted of American presidents and war generals above "horse dancing" and such effeminate activities, and it's all the feminists' fault.

Not feminists bureaucraticgirlymen who think that dancing their horse is a real sport.

MacLeod · February 19 2013, 04:06 PM

Well bear in mind that these sports were voted out. Now of course we don't know the exact numbers for the vote, but if some of these sports are hugely popular outside of N. America and Western Europe, it would seem likely that their would be enough votes from IOC members from countries outside of those to out vote them and keep them in.

iguana_tonante · February 20 2013, 01:29 AM

jmc247 wrote:

iguana_tonante wrote:

I like Graeco-Roman wrestling and I am sad to see it out of the Olympics for its historical significance, but I cannot help but laugh at jmc's rant how it's a the manliest sport, befitted of American presidents and war generals above "horse dancing" and such effeminate activities, and it's all the feminists' fault.

Not feminists bureaucraticgirlymen who think that dancing their horse is a real sport.

Keep digging. Maybe you can catch up with Kenbushway in his manly trench.

February 15 2013, 05:14 PM	#17
iguana_tonante Vice Admiral Location: Italy, EU	Re: IOC adds golf and drops wrestling from the Olympics A rant can be technically accurate and still be a rant. Can you refute the fact that he argued for wrestling as the "most manly of the sporting endevors" against the decisions of "pansy bureaucrats", that he listed how many American Presidents and Generals practiced it (because of course that's the epitome of manliness), and mentioned how mandatory equal numbers of men and women in college sports killed it for Americans? (passingly mentioning it was actually the dominance of American football as "the most most popular male sport" that actually cut wrestling's numbers...) __________________ Scientist. Gentleman. Teacher. Fighter. Lover. Father.

February 15 2013, 06:37 PM	#18
scotpens Rear Admiral Location: Los Angeles, CA	Re: IOC adds golf and drops wrestling from the Olympics ^^ To rant is: "to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner" or "to utter in a bombastic declamatory fashion." Source The George Carlin bit quoted upthread -- now, that's a rant. At any rate, I'm not a fan of wrestling or sports in general, but eliminating wrestling from the Olympics just seems wrong. It's like Campbell's discontinuing tomato soup. Or Honda announcing they're going to stop making motorcycles. __________________ “All the universe or nothingness. Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?”

February 19 2013, 04:06 PM	#24
MacLeod Vice Admiral Location: Great Britain	Re: IOC adds golf and drops wrestling from the Olympics Well bear in mind that these sports were voted out. Now of course we don't know the exact numbers for the vote, but if some of these sports are hugely popular outside of N. America and Western Europe, it would seem likely that their would be enough votes from IOC members from countries outside of those to out vote them and keep them in. __________________ On the continent of wild endeavour in the mountains of solace and solitude there stood the citadel of the time lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe looking down on the galaxies below sworn never to interfere only to watch.

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