October 9, 2009

Golf & International Olympic Committee?


Before each olympics the International Olympic Committee decides if they will let new sports in...is it possible they are about to let golf become an olympic sport next time around?

2016 woukd be the year that Golf, as well as possibly rugby, would join the annals of olympics sport, and many are excited by the idea but other sports people are offended and want to oppose these new athletic forms being added. England's daily telegrapph says this is only a scheme by the golf industry to expand the sport internationally so they can make more money.

But others say some golf clubs and caddies would be a good addition to the olympic games, including a top advocate in Ireland, Padraig Harrington. He hopes to be the Irish representative and is arguing hard for Gold to taje its rightful place alongside, curling, badminton and all the other sports that don't even really seem like actual sports but still get into the olympics. Seriously though, best of luck to them, I'd love to see Tiger Woods stick it out and get an olympic gold medal!


Golf at the International Olympic Committee?
independent

Padraig Harrington's belief in the Olympic ideal and his burning desire to one day represent his country at the Games will play a key role as golf's campaign to regain admission to the Olympic family comes to a climax in Copenhagen today...

Golf at the International Olympic Committee?

Posted at October 9, 2009 3:54 AM
Comments

With all due respect to the PGA and to the many golfers out there who take their game seriously, I cannot see adding Golf to the list of sports that will contend for medals at the Olympic Games.
Now, the hard question is, "Why not?".
My answer is that there is one other VERY athletic sport that is far more deserving of becoming a medal sport at the Olympics, and that is Roller Skating. Everything you see them do on ice is also done on wheels. The same jumps, spins, dances, compulsory figures, etc etc.

For some reason, the IOC has not yet seen fit to include Roller Skating in the Olympics, and I'd like to know WHY NOT!

All I can say is that if they bring in golf ahead of roller skating, I will not waste one second of my time watching that aspect of the Olympics, and neither will most of my friends.

Posted by: Don Leeman at October 9, 2009 11:01 AM

With all due respect to the PGA and to the many golfers out there who take their game seriously, I cannot see adding Golf to the list of sports that will contend for medals at the Olympic Games.
Now, the hard question is, "Why not?".
My answer is that there is one other VERY athletic sport that is far more deserving of becoming a medal sport at the Olympics, and that is Roller Skating. Everything you see them do on ice is also done on wheels. The same jumps, spins, dances, compulsory figures, etc etc.

For some reason, the IOC has not yet seen fit to include Roller Skating in the Olympics, and I'd like to know WHY NOT!

All I can say is that if they bring in golf ahead of roller skating, I will not waste one second of my time watching that aspect of the Olympics, and neither will most of my friends.

Posted by: Don Leeman at October 9, 2009 11:02 AM

Sorry for accidentally clicking twice. Please feel free to remove one of the two, as it makes no sense to have both of them on the site.

Posted by: Don Leeman at October 9, 2009 11:05 AM

Really? Roller Skating? Are you delusional? No one wants to see that crap. There are millions of golfers in the world, from all different regions. That should generally be what decides if a sport or competition makes it to the games. Do enough countries have viable programs to promote the athletes(or competitors if you will) to a competitive level that will draw the interest of viewers and countrymen? Golf clearly has the numbers to support that it can, and does. Rollerskating? Ha ha, just delusional.

Posted by: Kevin Smith at October 9, 2009 11:30 AM

Yes.
They have Ice Skating in the Olympics, right? Everything that is done on ice is also done on wheels.
They DO have world championships every year, and if you were to cover up the boots, you would not be able to tell the difference between those who are on roller skates and those who are on ice skates.
When I was competing in the 70s, there was just "talk" about getting it into the Olympics back then, but the usual political backstabbing went on, and it never got done, sad to say.
I've known a number of people, by the way, who eventually went on to wear that elusive title of "World Champion", and would undoubtedly have done equally well in an Olympic format.
By the way, I am not talking about the nonsense that one sees when watching roller cerby. That is NOT roller skating!
When you watch a couple doing the Argentine Tango, be it on ice or wheels, all of the steps are identical. The same applies to the Westminster Waltz, The Imperial Waltz, the Paso Doble, the Fourteen Step, and any other dance.
All of the compulsory figures that used to be done at outrageously early hours are done the same way on ice or wheels.

I've seen many golfers who would struggle to stay up on either ice skates or roller skates. My best guess is that if you put Tiger Woods on roller skates, he'd be falling on his kisser before long.

You can be fat, and still be a successful golfer. If you are fat, you cannot be a top notch roller skater in the competitive realm.

Just as a wake-up call to you, Kevin, I suggest calling the nearest roller rink and ask when they have "club night", with regular sets of dances. Then, go down there and WATCH! If you happen to be in the Taunton, MA area, go down to Silver City skating rink, and watch some of the skaters who have learned from the great John and DeeDee Viola (two of the greatest coaches in the business).

Posted by: Don Leeman at October 16, 2009 6:34 AM

By the way, let me add one more small item.
At one time, back in the 1980s, I was a member of the PBA, the Professional Bowlers Association. Now, I doubt there are more golfers than there are bowlers in the world, but.....
I would still oppose bringing bowling into the Olympics before roller skating. I've felt that way from the very beginning. There are lots of decent bowlers who are out of shape, but manage to knock over enough pins to maintain a decent average. That does not mean they are athletes, though.
Hey, at least bowlers don't have to go into the rough to search for their bowling balls (when they throw one into the gutter, that is!) I'll give credit to golfers for that. While I played the game a very long time ago, there were not enough hours in the day to do everything I wanted to do, so golf was the sport I gave up. No regrets.

Posted by: Don Leeman at October 16, 2009 6:41 AM

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