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| Olympics Drops Baseball & Softball as of 2012 |
| 2005-07-08 |
| Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympic program for the 2012 London Games, making the two American-invented sports the first events cut from the Olympics in 69 years. Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports were retained. "I think they've made a big, big mistake," said Tommy Lasorda, the former Dodgers manager who managed the U.S. team to the gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Games. "Baseball is played by all countries now and softball, too. I think that's really going to hurt the Olympics. I don't want to knock the other sports, but I think this is a big mistake. I am very disappointed. I was fortunate enough to coach the U.S. Olympic team in Australia. The parks were full at all times. How can they take away a sport like that?" The IOC will consider replacing them with two sports from a waiting list of five: golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports. That decision will be made Saturday. Baseball and softball, which will remain for the 2008 Beijing Games, are the first sports eliminated since polo was dropped in 1936. "That's a shame," said Arizona third baseman Troy Glaus, who played for the U.S. team that won bronze in 1996. "Baseball is one of the more global sports. There's not too many countries around who don't play it at some level." Seattle pitcher Ryan Franklin, who won three games for the U.S. in 2000, said, "It's our national pastime, so it's sad to see. There's a lot of guys up here who would like to represent their country by playing baseball. It was a great experience, and probably one of the reasons why I was able to get to the big leagues and stay." Baseball, which became a medal sport in 1992, has been vulnerable because it doesn't bring top major league players to the Olympics. Softball, a women's medal sport since 1996, has been in danger because of a perceived lack of global appeal and participation. The United States has dominated, winning all three gold medals. "Needless to say, these sports are very, very disappointed," IOC president Jacques Rogge said. "However, I have to emphasize the fact that they should not fear this purge. The fact is that they shall not be included in the program of the 2012 Olympic Games, but it does not disqualify them forever as Olympic sports." On Monday, Major League Baseball and the players' union plan to launch the World Baseball Classic, a 16-nation tournament that will begin in March and feature players on big league rosters. Aldo Notari, the Italian president of the International Baseball Federation, acknowledged that the absence of major leaguers in the Olympics was the crucial factor in the sport's exclusion. "One is not happy when one is in this situation," he said. "The problem with baseball is the best players are not going to the Olympics Games. But baseball is still in Beijing and it is still necessary to work for the future in 2016." Don Porter, the American president of the International Softball Federation, said he was devastated by the vote. "We thought that we had a lot of support," he said. "The members told us we were getting support, but obviously we weren't." Porter said the decision goes back to Mexico City in 2002 when Rogue tried - but failed - to get baseball, softball and modern pentathlon removed. "They wanted us out," Porter said. "They didn't get us out - it took them three years and now they got us out. I just think the IOC wanted some opportunity to introduce several new sports ... and in order to do that, they had to remove a couple of sports and that's what they did today." Baseball and softball are sports rooted in American tradition. "I don't want to say it's an anti-U.S. thing, but they are two native American sports," Porter said. He noted that modern pentathlon, which has been on the program since the first modern games in 1896, had tradition and European support on its side. "Europe has strong voting power in the IOC," Porter said. "They worked hard, they did the right thing to get enough to stay in." The IOC will keep the voting figures secret. Not even the IOC members or sports federations will learn the totals. The secrecy was requested by the international federations in order to avoid any ranking or embarrassment for any sports that just barely make the cut. Rogge said the figures will be seen only by an independent official, who will send the results by sealed envelope to an IOC notary in Lausanne, Switzerland. Rogge will only open the envelope in the case of a voting dispute. Senior IOC member Dick Pound of Canada harshly criticized the secrecy, saying it undermined the IOC's moves for openness. He said it was in the interests of the sports federations themselves to know how they stand. "What kind of message does the IOC send when there is complete secrecy on an issue that is important to the world?" Pound said. I think I know... |
| Posted by:.com |
| #19 Ha! She caught you, um, red-handed again, huh? Lol... ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-08 14:51 |
| #18 Mom, I can't help it, I'm wired that way! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-08 14:37 |
| #17 Aw, you guys are just saying that cuz you're wired that way, lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-08 14:27 |
| #16 Actually, I wouldn't mind if the Major Leagues dropped baseball and replaced it with women's oil wrestling. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-07-08 14:24 |
| #15 But James Caan's an old guy, now, Ship. Houston! Houston! Houston! Actually, I wouldn't mind if they dropped baseball and replaced it with women's oil wrestling. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2005-07-08 14:21 |
| #14 Replace it with golf. We'll send Tiger Woods. In 2016, baseball will be back on the list. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-07-08 14:06 |
| #13 NBC paid $800 million for the TV rights to the 2004 Summer games alone. Throw in corporate sponsorship and the US pays for the majority of the games (excepting government boondoggles in Athens, and the Mother Of All Olympic Boondoggles in Beijing). Declare that the US gov will negotiate all US Olympic rights and offer them a flat $1 million. The other nations will understand (see pharmaceutical buying). By even threatening the above, we could get Nathan's hotdog eating declared an Olympic sport. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-07-08 14:01 |
| #12 Being a Rugby player it's about time that got into the Olympics, but agree, nix the Slavic gymnastics will balls and ribbons thingy. |
| Posted by: Rightwing 2005-07-08 13:35 |
| #11 But James Caan's an old guy, now, Ship. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-08 12:31 |
| #10 They'll reverse this as soon as Fidel starts complaining. |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-07-08 12:11 |
| #9 Quit yur bitchin! It sez they're replacing it with Roller Ball! Let's rumble! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-08 11:49 |
| #8 Agreed, WR! Although they're trying to spin it as it's international, this was a b!tch slap at us! And, I'd agree, NOT having the pros play is an advantage to the Olympics. Honestly, it involves us, Cuba, Dominican Republic and the far east, but this was definitely a slap at us! How else can you explain things like curling (although that's winter olympics, isn't it?), sychronized swimming, skeet shooting (although, I enjoy that), and on and on and on staying on board? |
| Posted by: BA 2005-07-08 10:58 |
| #7 People still watch the olympics? The last 10 years have been a dismal failure in the profit department for the countries that hosted them. I haven't watched the Olympics since 1988. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-07-08 10:48 |
| #6 Dick Pound? Maybe we should ship him off to Onn Kyunt... |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-07-08 10:31 |
| #5 Personally, I think this shouold include cricket. Its the only team sport played at the highest level on all 5 continents and the number of fans is probably second only to soccer. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-07-08 10:22 |
| #4 Sweet! Curling stays. Say again, what nationality is Jacques Rogge? |
| Posted by: Hoser 2005-07-08 10:00 |
| #3 How freakin' stupid! Baseball is played across the world, particularly in the Americas and far East, not just in the US. Actually, not having the zillionaires playing is an advantage to the Olympics. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2005-07-08 08:52 |
| #2 So they kept synchronized swimming instead? |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2005-07-08 08:34 |
| #1 So much material, so little time. Dick Pound ???? Do I really need to say any more? I'm glad they kept rhythmic gymnastics - now there's a sport! |
| Posted by: Doc8404 2005-07-08 08:05 |