Most boring olypic sport

[DrReality]

Shame on you for calling her "that old lady" ... it's Dara Torres! You must be pretty young if you think this looks like an "old lady". LOL

Foxy Lady!!!

[coachx]

That would be like playing olympic basketball for 10 or 15 different gold medals based on games played on different sized courts and differant heights on the rim and basket. Its pretty friggin stupid if you ask me.

Attempting to compare a team sport to an individual sport shows your ignorance or maybe your just being arrogant by choice. This is especially true when the individual sport invloves racing.

I take it your not into being healthy or that you don't work out at all ?

Most people who workout either run, swim, or ride a bike for their cardio and everyone has a different strength (sprinter, middle distance, long distance.) These people find watching Olympic events in these areas quite entertaining b/c they are actually involved with these sports directly.

The whole world can at least relate to individual racing events (no matter the sport or nationality) b/c at some point in their life they have taken part in something very similar.

Team sports on the other hand are very different and each region of the world focues on different team sports. Half the world does not have a clue what basketball is but they all know what running, cycling, and swimming are.

NJ, maybe you should step out of that little box you live in b/c their is a big world out there with alot in it you may be missing.

I can appreciate most any sport and the beauty of the Olympics to me is the diversity of different events.

We as Amiericans forget that we are not the center of the universe, much less the world. The Olympics does a good job of reminding us all about that.

Edited August 20, 2008 by coachx

[Rick]

I can appreciate most any sport and the beauty of the Olympics to me is the diversity of different events.

We as Amiericans forget that we are not the center of the universe, much less the world. The Olympics does a good job of reminding us all about that.

:thumbsupsmileyanim: :thumbsupsmileyanim: Great post coachx. Unfortunately, thats the the stereotype Americans have in alot of countries around the world.

[frosgrim]

You probably can't prove it, because that was 12 years ago. That was the last time it was, according to you, highly rated before Michael Phelps. Here's a better question. Can you name, without looking it up, a few popular male olympic swimmers from the past 12 years ?

Even though I don't watch track, I still know of a few names because the sports were just that popular.

Track: Michael Johnson, Maurice Green, and (then now infamous) Marion Jones.

I definitely didn't watch male or female Gymnastics, but I still know a few names.

Gymnastics: Those twin caucasian boys, I think their last names were Hamm or something.. Dominique (forget her last name).

What's my point ? Because swimming didn't get as much attention as you imply, I have absolutely no knowledge of who's a popular swimmer besides Michael Phelps and that old lady (whose name I also forgot).

If you look up the 1996 games you'll see that NBC is only breaking those viewing records with the 08 games.

Here are some famous swimmers off the top of my head. Some are from the 1996 games some are from way back.

Try Mark Spitz (the guy whoes record Phelps broke). Guy was on Wheaties boxes an all over tv in the mid 1970s.

Try Amanda Beard- very hot swimmer who poised in Playboy if memmory serves.

Try Rowdy Gaines

Try Matt Biondi (another Wheaties guy)

Oh, then there is Johnny Weissmuller who was probably the most famous of the swimmers who played Tarzan in the 30s-50s.

There was Eddie the Albatros, but I can't for the life of me remember his last name. Dude was huge. 7'6" wingspan or something like that. Again all from memmory so there are mistakes, but that was the challenge.

Point of fact, yes Olympic swimmers do gain attention after their performances.

[WraithSentinel]

Table Tennis/Ping Pong whatever they call it. That sport is boring to me. I thought I would like it since I am a big fan of the ATP and WTA. I just cannot get into it.

[Admin]

Try Amanda Beard- very hot swimmer who poised in Playboy if memory serves.

Oh yes, she is VERY hot and if memory serves her surname isn't very accurate :shock11:

[macdaddy]

While you're at it, why not only allow bunting in baseball, dunking in basketball, and qb draws in football? I'm no swimmer and really could care less about it outside of the amazing feet that Phelps just accomplished, but to not realize why they have different styles, distances, etc. seems a bit shortsighted to me.

I agree with what you're saying. Every sport has its rules/styles etc. Swimming IS a little strange because its not just a pure race. there are restrictions on how you do it. Its like if they had one 100 meter dash that you ran with your hands behind your back and another backwards. Come to think of it that would make it more exciting.

[Swish]

Foxy Lady!!!

Or...NOT! Lol we all have our tastes I guess?

As far as most boring olympic sport, out of what I've seen, Greco-Roman wrestling to me is snore-inducing.

[EazyRoc]

If you look up the 1996 games you'll see that NBC is only breaking those viewing records with the 08 games.

Here are some famous swimmers off the top of my head. Some are from the 1996 games some are from way back.

Try Mark Spitz (the guy whoes record Phelps broke). Guy was on Wheaties boxes an all over tv in the mid 1970s.

Try Amanda Beard- very hot swimmer who poised in Playboy if memmory serves.

Try Rowdy Gaines

Try Matt Biondi (another Wheaties guy)

Oh, then there is Johnny Weissmuller who was probably the most famous of the swimmers who played Tarzan in the 30s-50s.

There was Eddie the Albatros, but I can't for the life of me remember his last name. Dude was huge. 7'6" wingspan or something like that. Again all from memmory so there are mistakes, but that was the challenge.

Point of fact, yes Olympic swimmers do gain attention after their performances.

I've never heard of anyone of those guys besides Mark Spitz, but that's after Phelps broke his record. I still don't think that changes the fact that swimming doesn't get a lot of attention. All those guys are from decades ago, so it seems. I don't know, considering I've never heard of them. So, like I said, before Phelps won 8 gold medals swimming didn't get a lot of attention. Atleast not in my life time.

[DrReality]

Women's hammer throw is not exactly what I would call riveting TV.

[Atlsportfanz]

Olympic athletes for the most part have never received the kind of recognition that professional athletes do because 1) their only in the spotlight every four years and 2) before we had major network coverage, the internet for constant updates, youtube to watch an event again, and ESPN to replay the highlights over and over again, their name and acomplishment would fade away the day after their event. Or if it was truly signifcant, a week later.

But now with professional athletes allowed to compete, it has brought more attention and world-wide acclaim to the olympic athletes.

[AHF]

I have no problem with swimming at all. My pet peeve at the olympics really rises up as they eliminate baseball/softball again, sports in which millions of people in a lot of countries participate (particularly in Asia, South America and North America - countries without much pull in the olympics compared to venerable Europe).

The events I hate are the ones that are completely contrived in the sense that basically the only people that compete in these events are people who are gunning for the olympics.

Synchronized diving, synchronized swimming, etc. Rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnasics, etc. Speedwalking, etc.

My rule of thumb is that it pisses me off to see any event where there aren't thousands of people in multiple countries competing in this sport outside of those contending for the olympics.

I also get pissed off when sports rely almost entirely on the discretion of subjective judging. It annoys me when people are rewarded for years of competition and running in the elite circles rather than simply what they do that day.

In that sense, the purity of swimming, track, etc. in the olympics is fantastic for me. Run the race and who cares if you are the reigning world champion? Have a bad day and you miss a medal like anyone else. 4 years of competition coming down to that single event. It is pretty high drama, IMO, and I am not someone with much of an interest in those sports outside of the olympics.

Edited August 27, 2008 by AHF

[DrReality]

Pretty funny this thread has stayed around as long as it has.

One thing that I did find very compelling was the decathalon. Dude really put his heart on the line and was a good role model to boot.

[DJlaysitup]

I don't think swimming is boring - although I like foot races better. Thing is - they have about 40 different races. Backstroke - Breaststroke - Butterfly - wtf? Swim anyway you want and just vary the distances to show who is better at sprinting and who is better at long distances. Of course you can win the most medals in swimming - it's the equivalent of running a 50 meter - 75 meter - 100 meter - 150 meter and 200 meter dash in sprinting - the fastest guy would win them all....as far as boring - beach volleyball, fencing, horse riding, the "speed walk" LOL.

[DJlaysitup]

Women's hammer throw is not exactly what I would call riveting TV.

LOL...Good point Doc...

I totally agree with AHF...any "sport" which is "judged" allows cheating by the judges. Diving, Gymnastics, and Ice Skating (in the winter Olys) are good examples - I give credence to the athletes for getting to the top level of their sport - but I think the actual medals are meaningless.

Edited August 30, 2008 by DJlaysitup