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[IntestineBoy]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8504326/

SINGAPORE - Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympic program for the 2012 Summer Games in London, making the two American-invented sports the first events cut from the Olympics in 69 years.

Well that's weird... article says it can make way for golf, rugby, squash, karate or roller sports.

BASEBALL? OLD AND BROKEN!

ROLLERBALL FEVER: CATCH IT!

 

[olimario]

Can't use our pros anyhow...
You'll never see a competition between the best a country has to offer if you exclude the best because they get paid.

 

[Fifty]

Exactly. I won't miss it at all.

 

[IntestineBoy]

We still win though...

USA > El Monde!

 

[Lathentar]

That's such bullshit.

 

[sc0la]

lol

Spoiler

I normally wouldn't resort to a post like this but that is really all there is to say. and for squash? :lol

 

[Tarazet]

They also cut two major events from track cycling for 2008.. the 1K time trial and the women's 500m time trial.

 

[milanbaros]

Baseball was in the olypics? Why? How many countries have a baseball field?

 

[Mike Works]

Can't use our pros anyhow...
You'll never see a competition between the best a country has to offer if you exclude the best because they get paid.

Is that MLB's fault or the IOC? Hockey can use their best (paid) players, same with basketball, so what's the deal with baseball?

 

[King Jippo]

Is that MLB's fault or the IOC? Hockey can use their best (paid) players, same with basketball, so what's the deal with baseball?

Most likely its MLB's fault. The league & owners aren't going to sacrifice their star players to the Olympics when there is a regular season going on. It'd piss off fans, ruin the season, and owners would never jeopardize losing money.

 

[Mike Works]

It'd piss off fans? Huh?

 

[Kon Tiki]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8504326/


Well that's weird... article says it can make way for golf, rugby, squash, karate or roller sports.

BASEBALL? OLD AND BROKEN!

ROLLERBALL FEVER: CATCH IT!

Oh man, I miss RollerGames.

T-Birds. Hot Flash. Violators. Bad Attitude. Rockers. Maniacs.

 

[siamesedreamer]

Do you dumb asses forget that the US didn't qualify for Athens?

That has a major bearing on this vote. Plus the fact that the best players in the world can't take off work to go play for the games - the MLBPA has stated that quite equivocally.

However, I do agree that its bullshit that a sport that the entire western hemisphere plays doesn't qualify for the Olympics.

 

[tetsuoxb]

They also cut two major events from track cycling for 2008.. the 1K time trial and the women's 500m time trial.

they cut the kilo? anyone who has ever track cycled knows that a kilo time trial isnt done to the fullest until you are dead or vomitting... damn shame my fave track event is gone.

 

[mosaic]

I'm not surprised they jettisoned baseball, especially since MLB and Japan are starting up the World Baseball Classic next year. Kinda renders Olympic play moot, although one could argue that they still host soccer despite the World Cup...

Softball though... ouch. I enjoy watching women's softball. It's insanely competitive... and beyond the college ranks, they don't get much else in the way of exposure. Also, it seems to me that softball is very popular in certain countries, particularly England and Australia.

 

[Bluecondor]

I can't believe they cut women's softball. Women's softball was awesome in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics.

Oh well - maybe they'll make slow pitch softball an Olympic sport now, and then I can start dreaming about winning an Olympic gold medal.