The Winter Olympics are always fun to watch, but unless you actually do these events they can seem a bit off-standish. Aside from hockey (and even that isn't a given) and figure skating, most Americans really don't know the point of the events until they start watching and trying to figure it out. Even something as simple as speed skating requires me to ask questions.
Sure, the Summer Games have their own events like that (fencing, handball, water polo, etc), but there are many events that we all can dive right into (like swimming, track, basketball, etc).
The big difference between the two is that those niche Summer Olympic sports get lost behind to big guns. The Winter Olympics don't have anywhere near the same amount of events ... and more of them niche ... that you can feel a bit left out.
So why not do us both a favor and start moving some Summer Olympic sports to the Winter Olympics?
Sure, you'll have to only bring the indoor sports because of the weather. Also, the Summer Games isn't giving up basketball (nor would the NBA have an Olympic break like the NHL) ... and gymnastics are to Summer what figure skating is to Winter.
But how about volleyball? It is played indoors so the weather isn't an issue. Also, since beach volleyball has emerged as the go-to event in this sport, it has left the indoor tournament a bit under appreciated. So leave the beach to the Summer and bring up the indoor volleyball to the Winter.
How about wrestling? It is a somewhat popular event that would get a lot more exposure if it were part of the Winter Olympics. Same thing with weightlifting. You could even move boxing if you wanted. While more people view the Summer Games, boxing doesn't get the pub it should. And the sport would benefit greatly if they got more exposure during the Winter Games and develop some stars.
There are other sports that fit the mold. Badminton, judo, table tennis and taekwondo make sense. Remember that golf will soon be an Olympic sport and that could take even more time away from these highlighted events.
I know there's the little problem of having venues to house all these extra events. The Winter Games are typically in midsized cities or resort towns that don't have the money nor the space to build new venues ... whereas the Summer Games are typically in huge metropolises who already have a few smaller places that would work.
But, hey, you figure that out. I did the first part.
3 comments:
At this point, the purist in me has to raise the obligatory point that none of those are actually winter sports; i.e. they don't require any snow or ice to be played.
Actually, it has occurred to me that perhaps what we really need is a third Games every four-year Olympic cycle for all the indoor/year-round sports, perhaps in the year after the Winter Games, both to ease the overcrowding of the Summer Games schedule and to give the lesser sports a bit more exposure. All the sports you mentioned could go there, as could gymnastics and basketball to give these new Olympics a little star power. They could even move hockey from the Winter Games to these "In-Between Games"; assuming they are to be staged during the summer months, this would allow pro players to compete without any accommodation from the NHL.
I have to agree with Joshua, the winter games by definition are games that take place on snow or ice. Unless you plan on having the boxers wear skates, I think it is a dumb idea. Over the last 2 decades we have seen new winter games emerge, short track speedskating, snowboarding come to mind. I say to expand our thinking up new games. How about going down the bobsled track on a snowshovel?
I don’t think we’d be doing anyone “a favor” by moving Summer Olympic sports to the Winter Olympics. The very essence of this post screams of an egocentric American: just because most Americans "don't really know the point of the events" doesn't mean the whole world should change its time honored Olympic traditions to make us feel better. Many of these "niche" games may be unpopular in the U.S., but they may be huge sports in other countries. Speed skating, for example, is huge in the Netherlands. For countries like the Netherlands, the Summer games may seem "off-standish" and the Winter Olympics reign supreme. The same applies to those “niche” Summer events: I know that Badminton and table tennis (just to name a few) are extremely popular throughout Asia. Badminton is the basketball of the East. These sports may not be on your priority list like “swimming, basketball, track, etc.” (Coincidentally sports that America dominates), but they are the highlights to others.
I concede that the Winter Games are in ways a niche event because most countries don't have the cold conditions and snowfall to excel in many of these games (in fact, no South American country has ever won a medal at a Winter Olympics). Nonetheless, I see this as a learning opportunity: the Winter Olympics are an opportunity for people around the world to immerse themselves in other sports and learn about cultures that differ from their own. I find many of these niche sports appealing simply because they seem quirky and different. The integrity of the Winter Olympics need not be compromised to raise television ratings and make Americans happy.
Post a Comment