Olympics 2024

C'mon yall, let's leave Dionysus out of it. We been behavin' so far, let's not ruin it now. 

As an aside, If I'M the voice of reason, we have a problem. Don't let me be the voice of reason.

It's an interesting collection of add-ins.   Baseball is basically the US, the Caribbean and Japan.  Softball is kind of the same, minus the Caribbean and Japan (!?).  Lacross is a fun add, but is literally a sport originally played by native Americans (though I think a very appropriate add for that alone).  Flag Football, seems pretty much entirely America (and honestly, not that interesting to watch based on what they showed at the Pro Bowl).  Squash is an interesting add, but might be hard to shoot / show.  Cricket is popular in the English conquered lands, but can be VERY LONG games (maybe they modify the rules?).

Seems like a bunch of super NA centric sports (minus Cricket), which I don't think historically has been the trend (host countries adding mostly their own sports).

I am wondering when they will start removing sports or sub-categories?  Probably not likely, but there is a crap ton now (mostly because of all the sub-categories).  I am certain it is a huge part of why they are so ridiculously expensive to put on.

Lacrosse could be fun to watch. They're going to have to start the cricket in about January.

Baseball, softball, lacrosse and cricket have all been in the Olympics before and dropped (for various reasons).  They are returning.

Baseball's issue was major scheduling conflicts with MLB. (I guess they figured that out for LA)

The reason both baseball and cricket are coming back at the same time is so cricket can make baseball seem exciting and fast-paced :)

In reply to Keith Tanner :

🤣🤣

My cousin is the president of a major media network. He is well aware that the "art" he sells is competing with football (and other sports) for viewership and advertising dollars. 
 

"Sport" and "art"... they are BOTH entertainment. 

A semi-related Olympic thought: I like events that can basically be done in street clothes–like curling. (Yes, I know about the funny pants but, at least down here, you could wear them to Denny’s an no one would bat an eye.)

Speaking of sport as entertainment. I was finally able to watch the USA vs France BB game (EPIC) last night and on top of the great game, I was struck by the differences in coverage. The camera work and coverage were different enough to wonder if some of these may eventually come to the NBA. I liked the overhead cable shots closer to the basket, the side-court-tracked camera, and the ability (rough as it was) for them to show rotated perspective on replays.

The other difference had more to do with no commercial breaks (watching replay on Peacock). Without cutting to commercials you got the straight camera feeds from inside the stadium which provided a much more inclusive feeling of being there. You got to see the downtime of the players, the diversity of the audience, the work of the refs doing reviews, the on-court entertainment, the shot of Adam Silver and crew looking uncomfortable, etc. As a person who is fascinated by people, body language, personal comfort zones/coping strategies, etc. I picked up so much about the teams during this "downtime." I'd love for the NBA coverage to include some of this in their broadcasts.

And, although I thought the announcers were a bit meh, I thought how they addressed Jokic being a bit over-imbibed at the medal ceremony was tactful. These guys finished their bronze game MUCH earlier in the day and had been relaxing and celebrating since then. 

David S. Wallens said:

A semi-related Olympic thought: I like events that can basically be done in street clothes–like curling. (Yes, I know about the funny pants but, at least down here, you could wear them to Denny’s an no one would bat an eye.)

Brother, you're in Daytona. You could wear absolutely ANY Olympic outfit, including Simone Biles' leotard (and I do mean you, chops and all) to Denny's and no one would bat an eye. 

In reply to aircooled :

Cricket will probably nt T20, which is a much shorter game- very close to a typical BB game. 
 

And seeing who participates in team handball, I have no issues with western hemisphere games at all. 

aircooled said:

It's an interesting collection of add-ins.   Baseball is basically the US, the Caribbean and Japan.  Softball is kind of the same, minus the Caribbean and Japan (!?).  Lacross is a fun add, but is literally a sport originally played by native Americans (though I think a very appropriate add for that alone).  Flag Football, seems pretty much entirely America (and honestly, not that interesting to watch based on what they showed at the Pro Bowl).  Squash is an interesting add, but might be hard to shoot / show.  Cricket is popular in the English conquered lands, but can be VERY LONG games (maybe they modify the rules?).

Seems like a bunch of super NA centric sports (minus Cricket), which I don't think historically has been the trend (host countries adding mostly their own sports).

I am wondering when they will start removing sports or sub-categories?  Probably not likely, but there is a crap ton now (mostly because of all the sub-categories).  I am certain it is a huge part of why they are so ridiculously expensive to put on.

Wow that really gives me a great sense of what squash is. Geez at least show the equipment so I know it's a racquet sport.

Anyway, baseball is taking place in Oklahoma, and I'm assuming that's because major LA area baseball facilities will be busy with MLB games a the same time. I'm half wondering if OK was picked because it is central enough that players may even be continuing to commute to MLB games on their off Olympic days, assuming the plan is to use MLB players.

And I wouldn't take wht you know about flag football from the Pro Bowl games. that's just a bunch of dudes with little to gain and lots to lose having a good time. Maybe the last couple minutes of a period you'll see some actual effort. Real Flag is pretty fast and a lot like basketball. Here's the World Games from a couple yers ago:

I think it's a legit question to ask how NFL players with lots to lose are going to fare against Flag specialists. That's why I think the NFL really needs to be all-in if they're going to allow their players to compete. It either needs to be a legit effort or just let indoor guys and college guys and Flag specialists compete for roster spots. I don't think a Pro Bowl-level effort will be in anyone's best interest. To compete at a basketball level will take at least a few weeks of legit practice and playing at a level that could absolutely sprain ankles or pull hamstrings or lots of other injuries that would occur when they would otherwise be at NFL training camps getting paid. I think that's going to be one of the most fascinating stories to watch as those games get closer.

EDIT: Dang NFL is already screwing this up and blocking my embed. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYb3I9DLawk&t=3086s

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

Squash? I though that was a full contact spelling bee.