Shit. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
BUMP
Here’s an article that suggests that the IOC eliminated wrestling in February to shake up the wrestling federation. The article says that the sport is seen as difficult for the viewers to understand, and awarded more medals to men than women. (The goal is for a relative equity in medals awarded.) And, the article says, wrestling “seemed to take for granted its position in the Games. While other sports carefully filled out a long questionnaire detailing why they should continue to be part of the Olympics, wrestling did such a slapdash job that the IOC sent it back for a do-over, said Anita DeFrantz, an IOC member.”
I’m glad that wrestling is back, but baseball and softball might have also been a good choice since the games are being played in Tokyo.
When I first heard about it I also thought is was the most ridiculous culture & sport related thing I’d ever heard. No wrestling in the Olympics of all things??
I suppose if they simplify the rules and make it more “accessible” that’s okay. Personally, I watch wrestling just to watch wrestling. I leave the nitpicky rules to the judges. I couldn’t explain the rules for any Olympic sport, doesn’t stop me from watching and enjoying the athleticism.
One of the problems was with the new “2 out of 3 periods” system (that included mandatory holds or a random draw to determine who had to score next) system they used in London. They have since gone back to something much closer to the older system, with no randomness whatsoever; the only problem is, there will be times when the officials will have to choose a “more passive” wrestler, in which case things like politics and “home mat advantage” may come into play.
The other main problem seems to be that there’s no women’s Greco-Roman wrestling, which is why there are twice as many medals for men as there are for women. I can understand the reasoning - Greco-Roman is far more of an “upper body strength” sport - but you would think FILA would find (or create, if necessary) a second wrestling discipline for women.
That Don Guy:
Mud? Hot oil?
(g, d & r)
Why not? It’d fill the same niche as beach volleyball (which, let’s face it, nobody watches for the athletic component).
I don’t think that’s true at all, unless I’m being whooshed.
I’m a dad and I love to watch beach volleyball and so do my daughters. The skimpy outfits can be distracting if you’re a 12 year old boy but if you really love the sport that’s not why you’re watching.
I agree, but while I can appreciate the play and enjoy watching you have to admit that the skimpy outfits sure don’t hurt!
True, but baseball and softball are too obscure. When China hosted, it was kind of embarassing for them. They automatically get a team in it and they were terrible. They lost…to Taiwan, something they do not want to do.
I watch it for the athletic component. But, yeah, it is more popular because of what they wear.
To be honest, I wouldn’t mind going back to the more or less original Olympics - foot races, wrestling, pentathelon. I wouldn’t do the pankration as it is unacceptably violent, and I wouldn’t do the chariot racing as it isn’t really something safe enough unless it got modified to one of our trotting harness racing styles.
And lots of nudity!
Yes they do. Who the hell watches the ball? 
I swear, there is a guy whose job it is to follow me around with a clipboard, take careful note of what I like to watch on TV, and then get that canceled.
“Hey Bill - Shodan likes wrestling.”
“OK - we’ll get rid of it.”
“Bill - he says if he sees another beach volleyball match, or another three succesive evenings of women’s gymnastics, he is going to hurl.”
“Got it - triple the coverage!”
Regards,
Shodan
I don’t think it’s the obscurity factor - it’s more popular than Modern Pentathlon (which, from what I heard, was widely expected to be the event to be removed before the IOC chose wrestling) - as much as the “what do we do with the stadiums, especially the softball one with the 60m x 60m field that can’t really be used for any other sport?” factor.
The main factor, of course, is, “What does the broadcasting network think most people want to watch?” Case in point: 1984 Summer Olympics on ABC - all events aired live nationwide (none of this “delay events by 3 hours in the west even though they’re being held in LA” nonsense), so the “late night” show was on at 8:30 PM Pacific, and since most people in that time zone live in southern California, ABC concentrated on volleyball and water polo (and, of course, showing Team USA whenever possible).